India's Political System and Institutions
How many seats in the upper house are nominated by the president?
12
How many people are represented in state electoral districts?
2 million
how many high courts are there?
24
How many states does India have?
29
The lower house is known as?
House of the People
How do formal political structures of the states parallel the national governments?
National: President, Prime Minister, Parliament, Supreme Court State: Governor, Chief Minister, Assembly, High Court
What is the real executive branch made up of?
PM & cabinet
Who are the district courts decisions subject to appellate jurisdiction from?
Supreme courts
Is India's federal system centralized?
relatively now but there was a strong center and weak states before 1991
What play strong roles in local politics?
religion and caste
Which states are given higher representation in Upper house?
smaller; each must have at least one seat
Who is appointed by the president to be a representative of the national government in the state?
governer
district courts are under administrative control of which courts?
high courts
How are all other seats in the upper house nominated?
indirectly elected based on population
What do state governments in India formally control?
internal police, agriculture, education, law and order within states, dependent on federal government for funds
If there is a conflict over legislation between the houses, what happens?
joint session is convened and given a majority vote
How is the vice president elected?
joint session of parliament
Why are visual symbols comprehensively used?
large number of illiterate people
In practice who does the president invite to form council of ministers?
leader of lower house's majority party
What is the independent agency that conducts elections?
Elections Commission
What do voters vote along with?
Caste, community, religious, ethnic, & linguistic lines
Who is the most powerful in state government, who's party is an assembly majority?
Chief Minister
What is India's Upper house?
Council of States
What are the two houses in India?
Council of States & House of People
What must the state legislature go through in India to get to the president?
Rajya Sabha
When are elections held in India?
every 5 years
Who is responsible for parliament?
executive authority
When did state governments have more room to maneuver?
federal government become weak in the 1990s
What is India's federal system?
federal republic with parliamentary government
How much of the upper house is changed every 2 years?
1/3
How many states in India are partially claimed by Pakistan and China?
2
The president is elected for how long?
5 years terms (2 terms)
How long are terms in lower house?
5 years unless it is dissolved
How many seats does the Lower house have?
552
How long are terms in the upper house?
6 year terms
How many centrally administered Union Territories are in India?
7
The Prime minister is the Chairperson of which commission?
Planning Commission
Who may call elections earlier than every 5 years?
Prime Minister
Who presides over the council of ministers?
Prime Minister
Which house is smaller with 245 seats?
Upper house; Council of States
How many seats does Uttar Pradesh have in Upper House and lower house?
Upper: 31 Lower: 80
What state hold 20% of India's population?
Uttar Pradesh
What is the electoral college composed of?
all members of parliamentary & all state legislatures
What kind of parliamentary system does India have?
bicameral
What does the lower house have exclusive control over?
budget issues and effective control over ordinary legislation
How must voters get through to the president or prime minster?
by going through Lok Sabha
How are the candidates nominated?
by political parties
What are the presidents main powers?
ceremonial chief of state
What does the supreme court consist of?
chief justice and 25 associate justices
What does the federal government have control over?
defense, foreign policy, taxation, public expenditures before 1991: economic & industrial planning
How are lower house member elected?
directly elected from single member districts & based on adult suffrage
When was state power constrained in India?
during rule of Nehru and Indira Gandhi
What doe the poor influence?
election results
What are the powers of the Upper house?
limited power on legislation, no control over executive branch, mainly for voicing oppinions
Came the upper hows be dissolved?
no its permanent
What types of jurisdiction does the supreme court have?
ordinary and appellate
Do voters focus on parties or individual candidates?
parties
What does the rich influence?
policy
Who does the lower house elect?
presiding officer: speaker
what does the middle class influence?
public discourse
Who can legislate all state subjects and dismiss the chief minister by vote of no confidence?
state assembly
How are district courts established?
state governments
How many times does the lower house meet?
twice a year, no more than six months between sessions
What type of judiciary system does india have?
unitary
How is there a balance of power between central and state governments?
varies by time and place, ruling political party in a state is different from central government
When voters vote district members of the lower house they also vote for what?
who will be the next prime minister
