Lecture 6 Flashcards
Executive
The political institution responsible for overseeing the execution of laws and policies, and most often associated with the idea of national leadership.
Leadership
The capacity to lead by motivating or inspiring others to achieve common goals, ideally voluntarily and willingly but otherwise by threats and force.
Head of state
the figurehead or ceremonial leader of a state, who may be elected or appointed, or may inherit the position (monarch)
Head of government
The elected leader of a government, who comes to office because of the support of the voters who identify with their party and platform
Republic
A political system in which all members of the government are either elected or are appointed by elected officials. In other words, there is no monarchs
Presidential executive
An arrangement in which the executive and the legislature are separately and directly elected and have separate powers and responsibilities
Separation of power
An arrangement in which executive, legislature and judiciary are given distinct but complementary sets of power, such that none can govern alone ad that all should, ideally govern together.
parliamentary executive
An arrangement in which the executive emerges from the legislature, remains a member of it, remains accountable to it and must maintain a working legislative majority in order to remain in office.
Coalition government
An arrangement in which the government is formed through an agreement involving two or more political parties which divide government posts between them
Cabinet
A body consisting of the heads of the major government departments. Sometimes known as a council of ministers. More important in parliamentary than in presidential systems.
Semi-presidential executive
An arrangement in which an elected president co-exist with an appointed prime minister and separately elected legislature.
Cohabitation
An arrangement found in a semi-presidential systems when the presidency is held by a member of one party and the legislature is controlled by another party
Authoritarian executive
A presidential executive or monarch whose powers fece few constitutional or political limits
Legislature
A multi-member representative body which considers public issues, shapes laws, represents voters and augments the work of executives
Descriptive representation
The idea that legislators should look like the larger group of people that they represent in terms of gender, class or ethnicity for example
Collective representation
The idea that legislators should represent the interests of all voters, not just those in the district that elected them
Vote of confidence
A vote in a legislature on the question of its confidence in the government to lead. If lost, it normally requires the resignation of the government
Censure motion
A vote in a legislature designed to indicate disapproval of a government or a specific member of the government for a stated reason
Recall
A popular vote on whether an elected official should be removed from office during normal tenure
Impeachement
The removal from office of a sitting president (or other officials such as government ministers or judges) through a vote in the legislature
Unicameral or bicameral
Terms referring to the number of chambers in a legislature
Weak bicameralism
This arises when the lower chamber dominates the upper, providing the primary focus for government accountability
Strong bicameralism
This occurs when the two chambers are more balanced, as in federations with presidential executives
Model of representation
A mean for understanding the way in which elected officials represent the interests of their voters and districts
