POLI Second half Flashcards
Bureaucracy
a subsidiary of the executive, tasked with implementing and executing the laws of the state
Cabinet
the set of appointed officials (often referred to as secretaries or ministers) in a government who oversee specific policies such as healthcare, defence, and the like
Coalition
a partnership between parties who agree to govern together because neither party has a majority on its own
Competitive Authoritarianism
political regimes where democratic institutions are put in place but authoritarian political leaders consistently undermine these institutions to stay in power
Executive
the branch of governments tasked with implementing and executing the laws and policies in a state
Head of government
oversees the day-to-day functions of the government
Head of State
the country’s symbolic representative
One-Party Rule
one party possesses overwhelming control over the political process;
in general, other parties do exist, but they have limited power and are kept in check by the dominant party
Parliamentary System
a government system where the head of government is chosen from the legislature by the ruling party and also serves as the head of state
President
the chief executive in a presidential democracy; serves as both the head
of state and the head of government
Presidential System
a government system where the legislative and executive
branch have a separation of powers; unlike in parliamentary systems, the legislature is unable to remove the government
Prime Minister
the chief executive in a parliamentary democracy; serves as head of
state and typically is also head of the largest party in parliament
Semi-Presidential System
a mix between pure parliamentary and pure presidential systems. The legislature elects the head of government and has the ability to remove the government from office, but there is also a popularly elected head of
state.
Separation of Powers
a system in which different branches of the government possess separate and independent powers, so no specific political institution has too much power; this is also known as checks and balances and is typically divided into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary
Vote of (No) Confidence
constitutionally mandated authority to remove the government through a vote of the legislature
Bicameral Legislature
legislative branches with two chambers as opposed to a uni- cameral legislature, where there is only one chamber
Constituency Service
services a legislator provides to constituents who are seeking assistance, such as helping them navigate bureaucratic processes; also known as casework
Gatekeeping Authority
the authority to block legislation from advancing to the chamber floor
Legislative Agenda
what bills will be heard on the chamber floor, when they will be discussed, and if they will come before the chamber for a vote
Legislators
the individuals elected to hold office in the legislature
Legislature
“a body created to approve measures that will form the law of the land”
Malapportionment
apportionment is the ratio between the number of residents in
the district and the number of representatives from that district in the legislature; malapportionment happens when the votes of voters in some territorial sectors count more than others – that is, when the ratio between the residents and representatives is significantly different from district to district (as is the case in the US Senate)
Negative Agenda Control
the ability to prevent bills from being heard on the chamber floor, typically because they are blocked in the committee process
Seniority
legislators who have served the most terms in office are said to have legislative seniority
unicameral legislature
legislative branches with only one chamber as opposed to a bicameral legislature, where there are two chambers
