Unit 5 Flashcards
Examples of political institutions include
political parties, governments and legislatures, civil society, and… constitutions. They’re sort of like structures through which everything operates.
The 5 functions of a constitution are to
1.define structure of major government institutions
2.divide powers and responsibilities among major government institutions
3.regulate relations between citizens and state
4.act as a political symbol
5.lay out how the constitution can be amended
Constitutions ______
set limits to governments’ power. They require that governments follow certain procedures when they make decisions, and also they require that governments follow certain principles when they make laws.
Since constitutions allocate power to different institutions of government (e.g. legislature, courts, bureaucracy), it limits the kinds of things that governments can do (separation of powers!)
Written constitutions
can either be all in one place, for examples the constitution of the United States.
Unwritten constitutions
-are in a series of statutes, court decisions, for example, the constitution of the United Kingdom).
-may be unwritten, but still a rule…and an important rule, expected to be followed. For example, the Canadian Constitution: the office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which is not written down anywhere, but still a part of the constitution.
What are the benefits of unitary government?
more power to initiate program (less fighting over jurisdiction)
ability to introduce nation-wide policies, keep things “the same”
foster national unity (don’t need to figure out what you belong to)
What are some problems with unitary government?
local/regional differences aren’t necessarily acknowledged
can lead to local resentment of the national program
There are three types of organizational strcutures in a vertical division of power
1.Confederal States (e.g. Switzerland, also, think about how the European Union functions). Here, the states are really the power holders (not the central government). They work together because they have common interests. States constantly get to opt in/opt out of centralized programs. The central government gets its power from the state governments, and it doesn’t have powers of its own: e.g. can’t levy taxes. Also, at any point, a state may choose to leave the confederation.
2.Federal States (e.g. Canada). Both levels of government are the power holders(equals).
3.Unitary States (e.g. Britain). This has a centralized national government, regional governments report to the national government.
Benefits of federalism:
-economic advantages
-military defense
-more separation of powers, less dominance of a single government
allows for localized sovereignty and programs (esp. cultural)
Drawbacks to federalism:
-if minorities are geographically dispersed, they don’t benefit from federalism
-conflicts over jurisdiction
-can reinforce and magnify regional/territorial differences
Benefits of federalism:
-economic advantages
-military defense
-more separation of powers, less dominance of a single government
allows for localized sovereignty and programs (esp. cultural)
Drawbacks to federalism:
-if minorities are geographically dispersed, they don’t benefit from federalism
-conflicts over jurisdiction
-can reinforce and magnify regional/territorial differences
What are the benefits of unitary government?
more power to initiate program (less fighting over jurisdiction)
ability to introduce nation-wide policies, keep things “the same”
foster national unity (don’t need to figure out what you belong to)
What are some problems with unitary government?
local/regional differences aren’t necessarily acknowledged
can lead to local resentment of the national program
