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Comparative Politics Exam II
class notes ch4 & 6
68
Political Studies
Undergraduate 3
03/04/2009

Additional Political Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term

Democracy

(Subjective Def.)

Definition

 

Subjective def: favor individual freedom over collective equality

Term
2 origins of Democracy
Definition

Athenian Democracy & Roman Republicanism

Term
Athenian Democracy
Definition

Direct participation

People functioned as the state & govt.

Term

Roman Repbulicanism

Definition

Indirect participation

Exercised on behalf of people.

Term
Magna Carta
Definition

1215

the original institution that spread our modern day democracy

Term
Modern Democracy
Definition

From the U.K.

Magna Carta

Rights of King checked by lower aristocracy

"rule of law"

legal supremacy over people & political leaders

Term
2 kinds of participation
Definition

Conventional & unconventional

Term
Conventional Participation
Definition

Voting

Campaign activity

Term
Unconventional participation
Definition

(violent, non-violent)

Protest activity

ie: Revolution, coup d'etat

Term

Electoral Systems

(definition)

Definition
rules that decide how votes are cast, counted and translated into seats in a legislature
Term

SMDP

(3 names)

Definition

(Single-Member District Plurality)

Winner take all

first-past-the-post

 

Term

SMDP

(definition)

Definition

-form of election where electoral constituencies are structured as single-member districts

-one representative is elected from one district, person who gets plurality of votes wins

-used in a MINORITY of democracies

Term
Plurality
Definition

the most

highest percentage wins

Term

Majority

 

Definition
50% + 1
Term

problems with SMDP

 

Definition

electoral system hurts small parties

major parties get more seat % and less vote %

minor parties get more vote % and less seat %

Term

merits of SMDP

 

Definition

-electoral system that allows for closer relationship between constituents & representatives

-holds individual representatives more accountable

Term
SMDP examples
Definition

U.S.

U.K.

Canada

India

Term

(PR) Proportional Representation

(definition)

Definition
-electoral system where party representation in parliament is set roughly proportional to party strenght in electorate

-used in MAJORITY of democracies

Term
problems with PR
Definition

-encourages coalitions to form however coalitions can be easily broken, slowing down policy implementation

-individual candidates are not held that accountable 

Term

 

 

merits of PR

Definition
-decreases the # of votes that are wasted

-increases the number of parties in legislature (includes small parties better)

-more equal representation

-higher electoral participation

-allows for greater range of political interests to be expressed

 

Term
PR examples
Definition

Italy

South Africa

Term
SMDP govt
Definition
Single party government
Term

PR govt

 

Definition
Coalition government
Term
SMDP party system
Definition

-encourages larger parties in fewer amounts

2-party system

Term
PR party system
Definition

-encourages more parties

-multi-party system

Term
MMP
Definition

Mixed Member Proportional Representation

50% SMDP

50% PR

 

Term
MMP examples
Definition

Germany

Italy

New Zealand

Term
referendum
Definition

allows the public to make direct decisions about policy issues

top-down (by govt & legislature)

 -binding on govt.

Term
initiative
Definition

publicly initiated naitonal referendum where the govt is obliged to schedule a ballot

-bottom-up

binding on govt.

Term
plebiscites
Definition

non-binding referenda

asking public opinion

Term
executive branch
Definition

branch that carries out laws & policies of state

leads the country

sets priorities on national agenda

Term
executive roles (2)
Definition

head of state

&

head of government

Term
head of state
Definition

symbolic figure of nation @home and abroad

- president or monarch

 

Term
How can you be head of state
Definition

-directly elected

-indireclty elected by legislature

-hereditary (Monarch)

Term
head of government
Definition

President or Prime Minister

-in charge of everyday tasks running state

-policy maker

 -can be removed by a vote of no-confidence

Term
How can you be head of govt?
Definition
-elected by legislature
Term

Head of govt & head of state in 

Parliamentary

Definition
seperate roles
Term

Head of govt & head of state in

Presidential

Definition
2 roles are combined
Term
Head of govt in Presidential system
Definition
President
Term
Head of Govt in Parliamentary
Definition
Prime Minister or Chancellor
Term
Head of state in Presidential
Definition
president
Term
head of state in Parliamentary
Definition
Monarchy
Term
Examples w/ Presidential system (4)
Definition

USA

Nigeria 

Brazil 

Mexico

much of Latin America

Term
Examples w/Parliamentary (4)
Definition

Canada

most of W. Europe (except France)

Japan

U.K.

Term
USA
Definition

Presidential system

Federal (state)

Congress

Term
USA Congress
Definition

upper chamber: Senate (100)

lower chamber: House of Representatives (435)

Term
U.K.
Definition

Parliamentary

unitary

bicameral;

upper chamber: House of Lords (~751)

lower chamber: House of Commons (646)

Term

Germany

 

Definition

Parliamentary

federal (16 Lander)

bicameral;

upper chamber: Bundesrat (69)

lower chamber: Bundestag (598)

Term
Semi-Presidential System
Definition

-combination of Presidential and Parliamentary

Term
Prime Minister in Semi-presidential system
Definition

-charged w/domestic policy

-sometimes elected soemtimes givent to someone w/majority party

Term
President in Semi-Presidential System
Definition

-sets broader agenda, foreign relations and national security

-directly elected

Term
examples of Semi-Presidential system (4)
Definition

FRANCE

Nicolas Sarkozy (Pres)

Francois Fillon (PM)

Russia

South Korea

Taiwan

Term
Legislature
Definition

makes laws

passes bills

Term
unicameralism
Definition
single chamber
Term
bicameralism
Definition

upper & lower chambers

commonly used under FEDERALISM (one house represents local community)

traced back to U.K.

Term
Constitutional Courts
Definition
regulates laws and acts to determine relative constitutionality
Term
Judicial Review
Definition
mechanism by which the court can review laws and policies and overturn those seen as violations of the constitution
Term
concrete review
Definition

ability to rule on constitutional issues from cases brought to court

(Presidential system)

Term
abstract review
Definition

ability to rule on constitutional issues w/out need of court case

(Parliamentary system)

Term
country with only concrete power
Definition
USA
Term
country with only abstract power
Definition
France
Term
country with both concrete and abstract
Definition
Hungary
Term
civil rights
Definition
promotion of equality
Term
civil liberties
Definition
promotion of freedom
Term
liberty in 2 forms
Definition

1. civil rights and civil liberties

2. civil society 

Term
civil society
Definition

peoples relationship to & role in politics and communit affairs

-organized life outside of the state

-Tocqueville "art of association"

-the foundation that liberal democratic institutions are built on

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