Chapter 6/7

education

- Informing citizens (and fellow congressman) on the affairs of government - Calling public attention to problems

Parliamentary System

- The chief executive is actually a part of the legislature, which in turns means that the executive and legislature branches are fused together as one - Head of state and head of government tend to be two different people in parliamentary systems - prime minister is not directly elected by the people and as such cannot vote him or her out of office

checking

- Watching the executive branch - Monitor government activity to make sure it is in the country's interest. - Making sure government is doing their job

lawmaking

- While legislatures pass laws, few of them create or develop laws - This happens in government departments and agencies or other parts of the legislative branch

C. unicameral; bicameral

A legislative branch with one house is called _____ while a legislative branch with two houses is called _____. A. unicameral; multicameral B. multicameral; unicameral C. unicameral; bicameral D. bicameral; unicameral

bicameral

A legislature consisting of two chambers

vote of no confidence

A process in a parliamentary system where a majority of parliament members vote to remove the Prime Minister from office.

B. delegate

A representative who attempts to do exactly what the constituents want is called a _____. A. politico B. delegate C. pundit D. trustee

unicameral

A single-chamber legislature

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Legislature

A type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to create, amend and ratify laws

advantages of parliamentary system

Absence of legislature gridlock/flexibility The vote of no confidence

C. authoritarian; democratic

According to your text, modern executives can be categorized either as _____ or _____. A. hawks; doves B. peaceful; warlike C. authoritarian; democratic D. cooperative; individualistic

proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.

winner-take-all system

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies.

Two-Party System

An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections.

Jobs of political parties

Build stable legislative and electoral alliances Mobilize voters Develop new electoral techniques Simplify choices

Chief Legislator

Executives are responsible for initiating a considerable amount of legislation

Chief Diplomat

Executives usually have ability to grant diplomatic recognitions to countries, negotiate trade deals, and conclude executive agreements

Dispenser of Appointments

Federal judges, cabinet positions, high-ranking bureaucrats, and the like are usually appointed by chief executives

advantages of presidential system

Higher public accountability Role of a unifying figure

delegate model

Holds that elected officials should reflect the general public's preferences on a given issue, making decisions based on the majority view. They should not allow their personal preferences to enter into the equation

disadvantages of presidential system

Potential for no real checks on executive power Gridlock

trustee model

Prefers that elected officials be granted greater flexibility and autonomy than is envisioned in the delegate model

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

head of state

Serves more as a symbol to bind a country together rather than make policy Ex: queen

head of government

The person with the majority of political power in that government Ex: president

Party Chief

They often serve as leaders of their political party, and spend a lot of time raising funds for their party

True

True or False: In politics, the head of state is in charge of symbolically representing the country.

Commander in Chief

Virtually all executives are in charge of the country's military

D. gridlock

What is the term used to describe what arises when checks and balances work TOO well? A. inefficiency B. stalemate C. division D. gridlock

D. City of God

What was the title of St. Augustine's book that provided key arguments to help reconcile the divine mandate of kings with the less divine nature of many? A. The Prince B. The Federalist Papers C. Leviathan D. City of God

gridlock

When the executive branch and legislative branch controlled by two different parties which makes it hard to get things done

Coalition Government

When two or more parties join together to form a majority in a national legislature

B. The filibuster

Which of the following is NOT a political mechanism put into place that prevents any one government branch from becoming too powerful over the others? A. Separation of Powers B. The filibuster C. The Presidential veto D. Checks and balances

C. Spending

Which of the following is NOT an important function of the legislative branch, according to your textbook? A. Representing B. Checking C. Spending D. Educating

D. Oligarchy

Which of the following might be considered a government by the few, especially for corrupt or selfish purposes? A. Democracy B. Theocracy C. Plutocracy D. Oligarchy

C. two-party systems

Which of the following systems tends to provide greater stability to governments? A. three-party systems B. four-party systems C. two-party systems D. none of the above

coalition

a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose

One-Party Systems

a system in which only one political party exists, often because the government tolerates no other opposition; usually in authoritarian governments

presidential system

a system of government in which the legislative and executive branches operate independently of each other

Multiparty Systems

ensures that no single party wins a legislative majority by having combinations of parties and election laws

Job of the Legislative Branch

make and interpret laws

prime minister

national legislature indirectly elects a chief executive from its own ranks

parliament and congress

other names for legislatures

problems with legislature

structure, lack of expertise, psychology, absenteeism, and lack of turnover

Separation of Powers

the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government

disadvantages of parliamentary system

Instability Loss of member independence

Constituency work

Legislators help their constituents They have staff to answer letters and show people they care This ultimately is what keeps them in office