Unit 9

Question 1

Closure

Answer 1

A procedure in a legislative body that cuts off debate if approved by majority vote

Question 2

Electoral system

Answer 2

The system used to translate the votes that people cast into the composition of the legislature and the selection of the government.

Question 3

Filibuster

Answer 3

Use of various delaying tactics by those opposed to the passage of a particular piece of legislation

Question 4

House of Common Committees

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

House of Commons

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

House of representatives

Answer 6

the lower chamber of the US congress. Representatives are elected for a two year term in districts of approximately equal population size.

Question 7

Interest groups

Answer 7

An organization that pursues the common interests of groups of people. Particularly by trying to influence the development, adoption, and implementation of public policies.

Question 8

Delegate Model of Representation

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Trustee Model of representation

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Westminster Model

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

Non-Confidence Motion

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

Official Opposition

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Iron law of Oligarchy

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

party Caucus

Answer 14

A closed door meeting of the party’s parliamentary members

Question 15

party Convention

Answer 15

regular meetings of elected delegates of the party

Question 16

party discipline

Answer 16

The expectation that each party members will support positions that the party caucus has decided to take.

Question 17

Party Government

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Multi-Party party system

Answer 18

this is a party system in which three or more parties have significant legislative representation

Question 19

One-Party Dominant party System.

Answer 19

In this party system, one party predominant governs for a lengthy period of time because the opposition is divided among the number of parties.

Question 20

Two-party party system

Answer 20

This is a party system in which two major parties contend to control government.

Question 21

Two Party Plus Party System

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

Brokerage party

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

Cadre Party

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

Electoral Professional PArty

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

mass party

Answer 25

A party that draws its support from a regular due-paying membership and features a strong party organization outside of the legislature.

Question 26

Extra-parliamentary party

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

Parliamentary party

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Personalistic Party

Answer 28

This type of party is dominated by a powerful leader combined with a weak party organization that follows the wishes of that leader.

Question 29

Political Party

Answer 29

An organization that has a central role in the competition for political power in legislative bodies and in governing.

Question 30

Programmatic (Doctrinal) PArty

Answer 30

a party that has a distinct ideological perspective or a coherent set of policy goals that are consistently followed over time.

Question 31

Plebiscitary Democracy

Answer 31

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.

Question 32

Private Members

Answer 32

Ordinary members of the House of Commons who are not in the Cabinet.

Question 33

Proportional Representation

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

Constitutive Representation

Answer 34

This refers to legislators representing the interests, values, and identities of their constituents, shaping policies and laws accordingly.

Question 35

Formalist Representation

Answer 35

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.

Question 36

Instrumental representation

Answer 36

This concept involves legislators acting as intermediaries between their constituents and the government, advocating for specific policies and addressing concerns.

Question 37

Symbolic representation

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Canadian Senate

Answer 38

The upper chamber of parliament, appointed on the recommendation of the prime minister. Senators hold their positions until 75 year old

Question 39

American Senate

Answer 39

The upper chamber of congress. Two senators are elected by voters in each state for a six-year term

Question 40

Single-member Plurality

Answer 40

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.

Question 41

Union of Powers

Answer 41

This is a concept in which the various levels of government are not separate, but in fact slightly interconnected.