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pol 100 > MIDTERM W 5-7 > Flashcards

MIDTERM W 5-7 Flashcards

1
Q

Regime

A

a particular government or a system or method of government

system of rule even though govs can come and go
- set of stable of rules for selecting gov

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2
Q

democracy

A

regime that Involves participation (widespread)

people vote directly against or in favor of decisions, policies, laws,

Canada - not everyone can put self forward for gov
○ Age
Status

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3
Q

toleration of opposition

A

Abilitiy to impose criticisim of government

Committees are groups of parliaments looking at bills in closer detail

Can stop a discussion if needed

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4
Q

accountability

A

Be accountable to actions at a reasonable standard

Make sure money is being spent on what was said

part of democracy

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5
Q

what constitutes a democratic regime

A

toleration of opposition and accountability are fundamentally necessary for a regime to be democratic

transparency and public participation and government responsiveness

1. Accountability
2. Participation
3. Pluralism 
4. Rule of law 5. Transparency 6. toleration of opposition
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6
Q

is democratic regime good for country?

A

considered a positive system for countries because it provides mechanisms for representation, accountability, and individual freedoms

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7
Q

non-democratic regime

A

a system of government or a country in which the leaders are not elected by the people, or not elected in a way that is considered to be fair

Bulk of ppl have no practical say in who governs them, making the gov people impossible

Only in the former can citizens change their gov through a vote in a regularly scheduled election

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8
Q

pluralism

A

Exists where there are large # of organizatiosn that actively pursue political objectives free from gov control
- Ensures citts have many choices and a potential ability to influence gov decisions
Pluralism is a necessary feature of democratic gov

In non-dmeo, the state works to limit pluralism.

part of democracy

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9
Q

market view of democracy

A

decision-making as an aggregation of indv preferences

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10
Q

democracy as a forum

A

is viewed as a forum for discussion, where citizens participate in conversations involving their government.

encourages deliberation and discussion among citizens

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11
Q

delegate and trustee

A

Delegate
Those who elect - take preferences and turn them into real world outcomes

Trustee
Come up with common good and make decisions that you may not agree with or thought about

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12
Q

utilitarian

A

majority rule in results in “greatest happiness of the greatest number”

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13
Q

delibrative defence of majority rule

A

principle of collective reasoning and open discussion. In a deliberative democracy, majority rule is valued because it respects equal participation, encourages diverse perspectives, and aims to reach decisions that reflect the well-considered views of the most people.

Majority rules in practice are going to lead to deliberation

Process of getting to majority rules or expressing it leads to deliberation

Come through without having to engineer it

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14
Q

authoritarian

A

feature limited public participation and a lack of pluralism, and corrupted accountability mechanisms

Must have appearance of accountability but don’t function as accountability checks on leader in any specific ways
North korea, china, Russia

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15
Q

hybrid

A

a growing field of political development where authoritarian leaders incorporate elements of democracy that stabilize their regimes.

Have democratic characteristics

Pluralism is not completely absent

Opposition parties are often silenced at key moments, etc

In betweener

Element of competition that is more than insignificant

Some form of pluralism and tolerism
Have accountability methods on paper but all is not what it seems

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16
Q

democratization

A

structural government transition from an authoritarian government to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction

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17
Q

de-democratization

A

opposite of democratization

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18
Q

measuring regime types

A

Freedom house has yearly classifications since 1972

countries evaluated according to political rights (PR) and civil liberty (CL)

score of 0-4 for 10 indicators of PR (40) and CL (60)

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19
Q

Turkey’s de- democratization

A

in EU, First criteria is that your regime must be democratic
- turkey is not

leaders should conced power gracefull

exercise power according to spirit and rule of law

compromise part of everyday gov

multual toleration between poli foes

turkey is viewd as hybrig or competitive authoritarian regime

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20
Q

competitive authoritarian

A

hybrid form of government that combines elements of both authoritarianism and democracy. While these regimes maintain the appearance of democratic institutions, they use authoritarian tactics to limit genuine competition and retain power.

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21
Q

rule of law

A

Having a gov of laws
- Demands gov must be bound by same laws as its citizens
- Applied impartially to all
Gov interference in jsutice system is not tolerated

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22
Q

responsible gov

A

government that is responsible to the people. In Canada, responsible government is an executive or Cabinet that depends on the support of an elected assembly

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23
Q

Prime Minister

A

head of gov in parla system

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24
Q

unicameral and bicameral legislature

A

the sovereign law-making institiution

unicameral legislature is distinguished by the presence of only one chamber in which all of a state’s legislative duties are exercised. A

bicameral legislature, on the other hand, is defined as a legislative arrangement in which law-making responsibilities are divided between two different houses or assemblies

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25
Q

head of government

A

the PM

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26
Q

cabinet ministers

A

It is the body of ministerial advisors that sets the federal government’s policies and priorities for the country.

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27
Q

executive

A

PM and cabinet together holding most power

28
Q

head of state

A

separate from other gov

To make sure parliamentary system functions

Governor General in Canada
Plays role to make sure system to function. Caretaker of system

29
Q

House of Commons

A

The elected chamber of Parliament, with each member representing a particular electoral district.

Representation is by population so each member approx represents the same # of people.

On surface, HoC controls the executive bc the PM and Cabinet have to maintain confidence (support) of the HoC.
PM and cab who control HoC, particularly in a majority gov situation

30
Q

Lower House in parla

A

is sovereign
- Power invested in legislature

the HoC

elected to represent the people

holds gov accountable, especially when there is minority or coalition gov

can visible criticize gov

examines and suggests modifications to proposed legislation
- shares responsibility with Upper House (Senate)

31
Q

veto power

A

legal power to unilaterally stop an official action

32
Q

executive orders

A

Make moves without approval

Taking fund in gov and putting it towards smth like a hurricane or disaster relief

Using this beyond context its supposed to

33
Q

basics of parliamentary systems

A
  • developed as response to increasing demands for democracy
  • to have a responsible gov
  • (prime minister and Cabinet) is responsible to Parliament, particularly to the elected House of Commons whose support it needs to remain in office. If gov’s political party holds majority of seats in HoC, very unlikely HoC would withdraw support for the gov.
34
Q

minority government

A

when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the legislature

35
Q

majority government

A

governing parties that hold an absolute majority of seats in a legislature.

36
Q

core elements of parliamentary system

A
  • a bicameral or unicameral legislature is the “soverign” law-making institution
  • head of gov is PM
  • PM leads largest part in lower house and chooses cab ministers from it
  • has a head of state. (Governer General in Canada) right to dissolve and prorogue Parliament
37
Q

upper house in parla

A

second legislative chamber in bicameral parla

“check democratic tendencies” of the LH

In Australia, UH is elected

38
Q

regional representation

A

method by which different geographic areas are represented in political institutions, ensuring that the interests and needs of various regions are reflected in governance

LH is house of people

39
Q

basics of presidential system

A

developed in US to create “checks and balances” and prevent concentration of power in a few hands

presi is head of gov for fixed term (and head of state)

presi is popularly elected by voters

concentrates executive power in one person

40
Q

checks and balances of presi system

A

designed to prevent any one branch of government from gaining too much power. This system ensures that the executive, legislative, and judicial branches can monitor and limit each other’s actions.

41
Q

key elements of presi system

A

bicameral or unicameral legislature that is elected independently from the presi with distinct constitutional powers

presi has veto power

presi has full executive power

42
Q

american house of representative (lower) and senate (upper)

A

representatives is similar to HoC, it is the legislature of the people

sentate in US, represents the states within the federation and prevent “fickle sentiments of mass society” from dominating national agenda

43
Q

congress

A

enacts laws that influence the daily lives of all Americans and is intended to serve as the voice of the people. Its responsibilities include funding government functions and programs, holding hearings to inform the legislative process, and oversight of the executive branch

44
Q

executive power in both systems

A

Comparison
Parliamentary Systems: The concentration of power can be more fluid, depending on party control and coalition dynamics. The executive is generally more responsive to the legislature, which can limit excessive concentration of power.

Presidential Systems: Power can be more rigidly concentrated in the executive, especially if checks and balances are weakened or if the president has strong public backing. The fixed term of the presidency can also make it difficult to remove an executive who may be overstepping bounds.

Conclusion
In summary, power can concentrate in the executive in both parliamentary and presidential systems, but the mechanisms of accountability and checks differ. Parliamentary systems may allow for more responsive and accountable governance, while presidential systems can lead to stronger executive power but with established checks in place. The actual concentration of power often depends on the political context, party dynamics, and institutional checks within each system.

45
Q

advantages of presi system

A

greater choice for voters

identifiability is stronger

better management of regional tensions

policy stability

46
Q

which system performs better

A

subjective question

table on phone!

47
Q

single member district

A

elect 1 representative to legislatue

48
Q

single member plurality

A

system crowns candidate with the most voted as the only winner

49
Q

runoff or two-round variant

A

provides for a second round of voting in absence of majority in round 1

in france

50
Q

alternate vote (preferential ballot)

A

voters rank candidates in order of preference

first candidate to reach majority (50%) wins

results in winner takes all

51
Q

proportional representation

A

proportion of seats a part earns relative to its vote share should be reasonably proportionate

requires multi-member districts

52
Q

multi-member districts

A

elect more than one representative to a legislative body. Unlike single-member districts (SMDs), where each district elects one representative, MMDs can enhance proportionality and representation in electoral systems.

53
Q

district magnitude

A

determinant of an electoral system’s ability to translate votes cast into seats won proportionally is the district magnitude

number of representatives elected from a specific electoral district. It is a crucial concept in electoral systems, particularly in determining how representatives are allocated in multi-member districts (MMDs). The district magnitude can significantly impact the electoral outcomes, representation, and party systems

54
Q

threshold

A

minimum percentage of votes that a political party or candidate must receive to gain representation in a legislative body. Thresholds are often implemented in proportional representation systems to prevent fragmentation of the legislature by smaller parties and to ensure that only parties with a significant level of support can gain seats

55
Q

why are electoral systems fundamental to democratic regimes

A

holding free & fair elections

universal suffrage and access to political offices

civil liberties

votes are chanelled through electoral system

56
Q

what should we look for in electoral systems

A
  1. fair translation of seats to votes
  2. results provide representation to all principal groups
  3. works to increase the representation of groups historically marginazlied from formal politics
  4. disperses power according to societal viewpointst
57
Q

3 types of electoral systems

A
  1. plurality/majoritarian
    - SMP (Canada
    -run-off (france)
    - preferential (australia)
  2. proportional
    - list-PR (south africa)
    - single transferable vote (ireland)
  3. mixed member proportional
    - compensatory (germany)
    - parallel (japan)
58
Q

universal suffrage

A

right of all adult cits to vote regardless of gender, ethnicity, wealth

59
Q

close list PR

A

parties choose each candidates ranking

Indv legislators are selected based on order of their placement on a list of candidates drawn up by each party.

candidates are elected according to their pre-stated position on this list

60
Q

open list PR

A

Allows voter to indicate which candi they prefer from the party they voted for

Popular candis who receive a sufficient proportion of votes can be elected even if low on their partys list

61
Q

strengths/weaknesses of plurality/majority family

A

pros: simple, accountable, stable, prevents extremism

cons: incentivizes strategic voting, territoral cleavages, wasted votes, underrepresents small parties and minorities

62
Q

pros and cons of mult-member districts

A

pros: representation of disadvantages groups, fewer wasted votes. more accurate vote-to-seat translation, encourages broad party appeals

cons: can protect unpopular candidates, undermines individual accountability, significant power for smaller parties, incentivized party centralization

63
Q

pros and cons of proportional representation

A

Pros:

Fair Representation: Seats reflect vote percentages, leading to diverse representation.
Multi-Party Systems: Encourages more parties, providing voters with greater choices.
Higher Voter Turnout: Voters feel their votes matter more, increasing participation.
Coalition Governance: Promotes cooperation and compromise among parties.
Reduced Wasted Votes: Most votes contribute to seat allocation, enhancing electoral satisfaction.

Cons:

Complexity: Voting and results can be confusing for voters.
Fragmentation: Many parties can lead to unstable governments and difficulty forming coalitions.
Accountability Issues: Harder to hold parties responsible for policies in coalition settings.
Risk of Extremism: Smaller parties, including extremists, may gain representation.
Voter Disconnect: Less personal connection between voters and representatives.

64
Q

main variants within each family

A
  1. plurality/majority
    - SMP
    - Run off
    - preferential
  2. proportional
    - list PR
    - single transferable vote
  3. MMP
    - compensatory
    - parallelwh
65
Q

universal suffrage

A

right for all citizens to vote despite certain characteristics such as race and ethnicity

66
Q

single transferable vote

A

In an STV election, voters rank candidates in order of preference, rather than simply choosing one candidate

pol 100 (3 decks)

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