Unit 9 Flashcards
Closure
A procedure in a legislative body that cuts off debate if approved by majority vote
Electoral system
The system used to translate the votes that people cast into the composition of the legislature and the selection of the government.
Filibuster
Use of various delaying tactics by those opposed to the passage of a particular piece of legislation
House of Common Committees
Committees composed of government and opposition party members proportion to their party’s strength in the House of commons; they provide detailed examination of proposed legislation and often suggest modifications to that legislation.
House of Commons
The lower half of the bicameral legislative system of the Canadian parliament. The house of common consists of 338 seats which are filled by elected members of parliament.
House of representatives
the lower chamber of the US congress. Representatives are elected for a two year term in districts of approximately equal population size.
Interest groups
An organization that pursues the common interests of groups of people. Particularly by trying to influence the development, adoption, and implementation of public policies.
Delegate Model of Representation
Elected officials are viewed as delegates or representatives of their constituents. They are expected to act as a direct reflection of the views and preferences of the people who elected them.
Trustee Model of representation
elected officials are seen as trustees who are entrusted with the authority to make decisions on behalf of their constituents. They are expected to use their judgment and expertise to make decisions that are in the best interest of the public, even if those decisions may not align with the immediate or specific preferences of their constituents.
Westminster Model
A governing system that developed in Britian featuring single party majority rule, executive dominances of parliament, and an adversial relationship between the governing party and the opposition.
Non-Confidence Motion
a motion put forward by opposition members in a legislature expressing a lack of confidence in the government. If passed, the prime minister is expected to either resign or request that an election be held.
Official Opposition
the party with the second highest number of seats in the House of commons; the official opposition leads off the questioning or criticism of government everyday that the House is sitting.
Iron law of Oligarchy
A term coined by Robert Michaels. This generalization claims that all organizations, even those that appear democratic, inevitably become dominated by a small group of leaders.
party Caucus
A closed door meeting of the party’s parliamentary members
party Convention
regular meetings of elected delegates of the party
party discipline
The expectation that each party members will support positions that the party caucus has decided to take.
Party Government
Party government is a common feature of parliamentary democracies, where the political party (or coalition of parties) that wins the most seats in the legislature typically forms the government, and the leader of that party becomes the prime minister.
Multi-Party party system
this is a party system in which three or more parties have significant legislative representation
One-Party Dominant party System.
In this party system, one party predominant governs for a lengthy period of time because the opposition is divided among the number of parties.
Two-party party system
This is a party system in which two major parties contend to control government.
Two Party Plus Party System
In this party system two leading parties usually win 75-80% of the deats, but one or more of the smaller parties has sufficient support to prevent, either of the leading parties from gaining a majority of seats.
Brokerage party
A party that attempts to find compromises to accommodate a variety of interests so as to try to build broad support across the country in a non-ideological manner.
Cadre Party
A loosely organized party usually established by members of a legislative body with the support of local notables. Cadre parties are concerned primarily with electing members of the party to legislative bodies, rather than with building a strong, centralized, membership based organization outside of the legislature.
Electoral Professional PArty
These are political parties that possess a dominant concern for winning elections as well as a reliance on experts to market them to the electorate.
mass party
A party that draws its support from a regular due-paying membership and features a strong party organization outside of the legislature.
Extra-parliamentary party
An extra-parliamentary party, sometimes referred to as a non-parliamentary party, is a political party that is not represented in the country’s legislative body (parliament or congress). This means that the party does not have any members who hold seats in the legislature.
Parliamentary party
A parliamentary party is a political party that has one or more members who hold seats in the country’s legislative body. These members are elected representatives who are part of the parliament or congress.
Personalistic Party
This type of party is dominated by a powerful leader combined with a weak party organization that follows the wishes of that leader.
Political Party
An organization that has a central role in the competition for political power in legislative bodies and in governing.
Programmatic (Doctrinal) PArty
a party that has a distinct ideological perspective or a coherent set of policy goals that are consistently followed over time.
Plebiscitary Democracy
A form of democracy in which citizens have greater control than in representative democracy through the use of such devices as referendums, citizens’ initiatives, and recall elections.
Private Members
Ordinary members of the House of Commons who are not in the Cabinet.
Proportional Representation
this is an electoral system that aims to allocate legislative seats in proportion to the share of votes political parties receive, promoting a diverse and representative legislature.
Constitutive Representation
This refers to legislators representing the interests, values, and identities of their constituents, shaping policies and laws accordingly.
Formalist Representation
A process oriented notion of representation, rooted in the assumption that representation and democracy require legislative bodies are authorized and held accountable by broader society through law and regular election.
Instrumental representation
This concept involves legislators acting as intermediaries between their constituents and the government, advocating for specific policies and addressing concerns.
Symbolic representation
Symbolic representation focuses on the broader symbolic value of elected officials. It suggests that even if elected representatives do not share the same demographic characteristics as their constituents, they can still symbolize the democratic principles and values that the population holds dear
Canadian Senate
The upper chamber of parliament, appointed on the recommendation of the prime minister. Senators hold their positions until 75 year old
American Senate
The upper chamber of congress. Two senators are elected by voters in each state for a six-year term
Single-member Plurality
An electoral system in which voters in each electoral district elect a single representative to the legislature. The candidate with the most votes is elected, even if that candidate did not receive the majority of votes.
Union of Powers
This is a concept in which the various levels of government are not separate, but in fact slightly interconnected.
