France Flashcards
Legislative-Executive System France
Semi-Presidential
Type of Democracy / Authoritarianism France
Majoritarian Democracy (Volonte Generale)
Makes frequent use of referendum
Unitary or Federal? France
Unitary
Regional and local governments much weaker
full integration of overseas territories
Head of state France?
President, more powerful than constitution implies
Presides over parliamentary meetings / government meetings
Represents state externally
Directly elected
No veto rights
Appoints and ontslaat ministers
With cohabitation the president is weaker and shares powers with prime minister
term of 5 years
Head of government France?
Prime Minister
Legislature Lower House France
National Assembly
Weak
Cannot vote down government
80% of legislation introduced by government
Cannot ammend legislation
Legislature Upper House France
Senate
Indirect elections for representatives
Regions over represented in Senate
Limited powers (can only delay or amend legislation)
Judiciary France
Constitutional Court
Strong written constitution
Code Law (reduces power of judiciary as they have less room for interpretation)
Electoral system France
SMD / FPTP
Two-Round System (Majority run-off)
Presidential (needs majority)
- Two round system
- Top 2 to second round
- Stimulates electoral alliances (two-bloc system)
- Intra party primaries
* a vote in parties of who will be the presidential candidate
National Assembly (every candidate with >12,5% proceeds to run-off)
Political economy France
state-led economy (dirigisme)
Blurred lines between bureaucracy business and politics (same elites)
Pantouflage
Career bureaucrats move to the private sector
Party-system change / realignment or dealignment
Realignment: shifting party identification on the basis of changing cleavages, resulting in (dramatic) changes in party system
Dealignment: declining party identification that is not replaced with a new one, result: political apathy & cynicism; decreasing turnout and party membership; personalistic & anti-system voting’electoral volatility; decreasing legitimacy of political system
Parties France
Centre-Right (Gaullist parties (PLR, UMP, les Republicains)
Centre-Left (parti Socialist)
Far left (communist party)
Far right (National Front) (Marie-le-pen)
Centre (UDF)(Macron)
Cohabitation
An arrangement in which presidents lacking a majority of legislative power appoint an opposition prime
minister who can gain a majority of support in the legislature.
Laïcité
The subordination of religious identity to state and national identity (state over church).
1905 - saw the codification of the strong separation of the state and religion, making France officially a
secular state.
