Slay Flashcards
What do governments due?
Regulate society, security, and welfare. Act as authority and political systems.
What Causes Governments to Fail
Cumulative development due to poor economic growth, vulnerability to natural disasters, poverty and food shortage, corruption, poor rlations.
Cannot give citizens security and wlefare.
Shared Gov. Objectives
Independence, stability, economic and social well-being.
Four Main Activities
Economic management, government aid and subsidies, insitutional and bureaucratic regulation, program development and administration.
Economic Management
Pass resources from one revenue source to other bodies without designating their usage.
Government Aid and Subsidies
Monies are provided to individuals and groups with regulated usage.
Regulation
Rules of conduct imposed by government on its individual and corporate citizens and their affairs.
Program Development and Administration
Governments create and pursue initiatives on their own.
Night-Watchman State
Minimized government interference for maximized freedom.
Schools of Thought
Laissez-faire, socialism, welfare state.
Laissez-faire
“To let be”. Reduction in political control will benefit the system.
Socialism (school of thought)
Gov. ought to maintain ownership and control.
Welfare State
Laissez-fair with government regulation.
Private run economy, gov. protects the individual.
Keynesianism
John Maynard Keynes
Mix of private and public activity in the economy.
Gov. only steps in when the economy needs a boost.
Libertarianism
Envisions a greatly reduced role pf the state, individual citizens freedoms are to be ensured at all costs.
Monarchy
Monarch as head of state, e.g. the UK.
Theocracy
Religious government, e.g. Yemen or Vatican City.
Aristocracy
Hierarchical elite, e.g. Saudia Arabia.
Depotism
Absolute power and authority, e.g. Stalin.
Juntas
Military gov., usually a dictatorship, e.g. Myanmar
Objectives of a Political System
Maitaining the political system, adapting the political system, integrating interests and needs, goal-setting.
Constitution
The basis for all laws in a society.
Living document, they can be ammended.
Liberal Democracy
Equality of political rights, political participation, majority rule, political freedom, assent of all citizens through participation.
Authoritarianism
Absolute obedience to a constituted authority.
Coercion, suppression, and ideology to control.
Totalitarianism
Authoritarian political system that controls social interaction.
Executive
The top range of government, the leader.
Legislative
The law making branch.
Judiciary
The courts.
Bureaucracy
Responsible for carrying out public policy and staffed by public employees.
Westminster
Executive is merged with the legislative branch.
Question period.
Responsible gov.
Presidential System
Executive is separated from the legislature.
Formal Separation of Powers
Imposed by an authoritarian regime.
Canada
Monarch represented by the Governor General, prime minster represented particular party and its ideologies.
Ministerial Responsibility
Executive must remain responsible to the legislature.
Party Discipline
Where members a party vote as blocs to appear united.
Bureaucracy in the Executive
Gives advice to ministers, increasing distance between the people and the decision makers.
Undermine democractic accountability.
Types of Legislature
Legislative ‘sovereignty’ or supremacy, constitutionally prescribed powers, ‘mixed’ system.
Leglislative ‘Sovereignty’ or Supremacy
Legislative branch is highest authority, independent and ultimately autonomous.
No limits on power.
E.g. Westminster model
Constitutionally Prescribed Powers
Divides governance between the legislative and executive.
Subjcect to judicial review.
E.g. presidential model (US)
‘Mixed’ System
Legislature is supreme to authoirty but has limitations.
E.g. Canada, powers are shared with provincial legislatures.
Legislative Structures
Bicameral, unicameral
Legislative Functions
Lawmaking, debate and accountability (question period), budgeting for government, representation.
Judiciary
Rules on constitutionality of public and private acts, interprets laws, ajudicates disputes.
Bureaucracy
Public servants carry out public policy, important government work.
Canadian Federalism
Divides power between many different political authorities.
Reservation
Lieutenant gov. sends a provincial law to legislature to be approved.
Declaratory
Ability for the federal gov. to claim initiatives if it will benefit the greater good.
Residual Powers
Allocates powers not constitutionally allocated to the federal gov (POGG)
Constitution Act, 1982
Consitution changes hands from UK to Canada, Quebec wouldn’t sign.
Charter.
Sovereignty
Legitimate authority given to rule a politicla unit.
Unitary System
One central government.
Unitary Criticism
Undemocratic, out of touch, inefficient, insensitive.
Federalism
Seeks to allocate powers between central and regional govs.
Divison of Powers
Separating powers between regional and federal gov.
Advantages of Federalism
Govs. are more aware, democratic institutions.
Criticisms of Federalism
Unweildy, conflictual, equality issues.
Constitution Act, 1867
BNAA, created Canada, gave provinces powers.
Fed. military, trade, Indigenous, post.
Concurrent agriculture and immigration.
Executive Federalism
Provinces try to take more power and face resistance from federal gov.
Quebec
Quebec nationalism and sepratism goes back to colonization.
Quiet Revoultion and Parti Quebecois.
Party List System
Parties put up candidates which are listed on ballots.
% of votes = % of seats.
Closed and Open List.
Mixed-Member Proportional System
Mix of simple plurality and proportional representation.
Militia Party
Centralized leadership system.
Functions of Political System
Connect public to gov., represent the people, recuritment function (new voters).
Election Campaign
Parties play a control role in organizing campaigns and determining policy positions.
Political Culture
Set of attitudes, beliefs, and values that underpin a political system.
Civil Society
Actions and organization of private citizens.
NGOs
Non-Governmental Organizations, non-profit groups organized on a local, national, or international level.
Advocacy or Pressure Groups
Groups in a political system that seek to alter or maitain government.
No formal role.
PACs
Political Action Communities, Conglomeration of interest groups who pool resources to influence decision-making more effectively.
Coporatism
Close cooperation and coordination between gov., business, and labour.
More economic stability.
