Chapter 10: Executives

prime minister

a chief executive in a parliamentary system of government

state of emergency

a condition allowed by some constitutions in which guarantees, rights, or provisions are temporarily limited, to be justified by emergencies or exceptional circumstances

grand coalition

a governing coalition composed of two or more major parties that hold a supermajority of legislative seats and represent a supermajority of the electorate

minimum winning coalition

a governing coalition that contains no surplus parties beyond those required to form a government

minimum size coalition

a governing coalition that is closest to the threshold needed to govern, typically 50% of the legislative seats plus one seat

coalition

a group of two or more political parties that governs by sharing executive power and responsibilities

monarch

a head of state in a monarchy, who usually inherits a position for life and may have either substantial political powers or very limited ceremonial powers

minimum connected winning coalition

a minimum winning coalition in which all parties in the coalition are "connected" or adjacent to one another on the political spectrum

semi-presidential system

a mixed or hybrid system combining aspects of presidentialism and parliamentarism

head of state

a person with executive functions who is a country's symbolic representative, including elected presidents and unelected monarchs

populism

a political approach in which leaders, often heads of government and top executive branch officials, make direct appeals to "the people" and seek to develop direct political ties with the masses

impeachment

a process by which a legislature initiates proceedings to determine whether an official, often a top-ranking executive official, should be removed from office

presidentialism

a system of government in which a president serves as chief executive, being independent of the legislature and often combining the functions of head of state and head of government

parliamentarism

a system of government in which the head of government is elected by and accountable to a parliament or legislature

vote of no confidence

a vote taken by a legislature that expresses a lack of support for the government or executive, which, if successful, often results in the dissolution of the government and the calling of new legislative elections

veto

an act of executive power in which an executive rejects a law passed by a legislature

president

an executive leader that typically combines the functions of head of state and head of government, and is not directly responsible to a legislature

decree

an executive-made order that has the force of law, despite not being passed through a legislature

executive order

an order made by a chief executive or top official to the bureaucracy that determines how the bureaucracy should enact or interpret the law

government

in the context of executives, the set of top elected executive officials and high-level political appointees that shape and orient policy; also refers to the broader administrative apparatus of the state

term limit

restriction on the number of times or total amount of time a political official can serve in a given position

consociational

systems that use formal mechanisms to coordinate different groups sharing access to power

executive

the branch of government, or the individual(s) at the top of that branch, that executes or administers policies and laws in a country

administration

the bureaucracy of state officials, usually considered part of the executive branch, that executes policy

cabinet

the group of senior officials in the executive branch, including ministers, who advise the head of government or head of state

bureaucracy

the organization of unelected officials, often considered part of the executive branch, that implements, executes, and enforces laws and policies

partisan powers

the powers accruing to a government official, such as a chief executive, by virtue of the official's leverage or power over members of a political party

formal powers

the powers possessed by a political actor, such as a chief executive, as a function of their constitutional or legal position

dissolving the legislature

the practice of a chief executive disbanding the legislature, often accompanied in a democratic regime by the calling for new elections

clientelism

the practice of exchanging political favors, often in the form of government employment or services, for political support

portfolio

the set of duties and tasks that correspond to a given ministerial office

executive-legislative relations

the set of political relationships between the executive branch of government, which executes laws/policies, and the legislative branch, which often has the authority to pass those laws/policies

head of government

the top executive official responsible for forming governments and formulating and implementing policies

patronage

the use of government favors, typically in the form of employment, to garner political support

informal powers

those powers possessed by an office holder that are not "official" but rather based on custom, convention, or other sources of influence

indirect election

with regard to executives, an electoral system in which most voters never cast a ballot directly for the individual who becomes head of government

direct election

with regard to executives, an electoral system in which voters cast a vote directly for the head of government or head of state