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Definition
| refers to the inherent tendency of all complex organizations, including radical or socialist political parties & labor unions, to develop a ruling clique of leaders with interests in the organizations itself rather than its official aims |
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| a secret ballot in which the names of both party candidates appear; same ballot the U.S. uses |
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| establishing a formal relationship between interest groups & government to include them in the process formally |
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| Basic Definition of Constitution |
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Definition
| A formal set of rules that outline how a state conducts its official affairs; How to propose/pass laws; How laws are implemented; Election rules; Basic rights |
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| how easy it is to amend the constitution; provides stability but can be too rigid or too easy |
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| The review of whether or not a law is constitutional; Without Judicial Review you can’t have the third party review of written laws |
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| Two Basic Types of Systems |
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Definition
Single Member District Plurality (SMDP)
Proportional Representation (PR) |
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Term
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Definition
The ‘state’ is divided into many districts
District populations equal
One representative per district
Plurality wins
Most votes for any candidate
May be less than a majority
Found in U.S., Canada, U.K. and former colonies |
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Term
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Definition
Preserves principle of ‘one-person-one-vote’ (equality)
The person who is elected is the one favored by the most number of people
What is the counter argument?
Moderation
Median voter theorem
Fewer extreme parties
Stability
Two party systems tend to be more stable
Other advantage
Link between elected official and constituents
Increased accountability |
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Definition
District drawing matters (Gerrymandering)Can be positive – draw to produce “descriptive representation”
Spoiler Problem: Two good candidates; one bad
Parties tend to concentrate (campaign) only on those districts they are competitive in
Lack of interest/efficacy in electorate
Other Disadvantage
Decreased turnout
Third parties are never going to win. Why vote if that’s who you favor?
Even major parties may not have a chance
Bush v. Gore + Green Party |
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Definition
| states that under certain assumptions, the outcome of the decision is the outcome most preferred by the median voter |
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Term
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Definition
| Block System, Multi-Member Districts/At large |
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Definition
| Multi-member districts; Larger districts; Representatives/parties are elected according to the proportion of the vote |
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Definition
Closed Lists
Open Lists
Mixed member proportional
Single transferable vote |
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Definition
| Party selects candidates and puts them in order of preference; voters vote for a party, not a candidate |
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| Closed Party List Disadvantages |
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Definition
| Less choice for the people, those elected may be more loyal to the party than to the people & weakened links between politicians and people |
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Definition
| Vote for a specific member on a party list, vote for the person is also a vote for the party, determines both how many seats the party gets and also which candidates get elected |
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| Open Party List Disadvantages |
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Definition
| Leads to more negative campaigning, Leads to more pork-barrel politics |
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Term
| Mixed - Member Proportional (MMP) |
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Definition
| A combo of SMDP & PR; two votes - one for a district representative & one for party, legislature is filled partly by district reps and partly by party reps; tries to have best of both worlds: representatives tied to districts, proportionality, party control |
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Term
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Definition
| head of gov't = president = head of state; elected for fixed term; cannot be forced to resign by the legislature; popularly elected; separate from the legislative elections; occupies a separate branch of gov't; one person executives; has a cabinet of advisors subordinate to him.her |
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Term
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Definition
| Head of gov't = Prime minister, premier, chancellor, etc; PM is not typically head of state; dependent on confidence of legislature; can be dismissed from office; selected by the legislature; not a separate election, actually part of legislature; high level of collegiality between prime minister and cabinet; can be essentially equals and almost always a high degree of decision making power |
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Presidentialism
Advantages |
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Definition
| Fixed term leads to stability; Legislature cannot force resignation; direct election is more democratic; leads to a separation of power and limited gov't; protection of individual liberties is secured through separation of powers |
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Presidentialism
Disadvantages |
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Definition
| Deadlock/paralysis; no way to solve disagreements |
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Term
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Definition
| Give the President MORE power or set term limits & minimize the likelihood of divided government |
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Term
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Definition
| Lifetime terms = strong executives who accumulate power, no support at constitutional convention, too close to monarchy; fixed term lengths = stability; end of term = reduced power |
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Term
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Definition
| None set in the original constitution |
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Term
Power of Persuasion
(Informal Powers of the President) |
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Definition
| personal interaction & gets individual members to believe their interests align |
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Term
Going Public
(Informal Powers of the President) |
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Definition
| important difference from Prime Ministers; separation of Powers; trying to get Congress to move position |
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| Four Common Features of Parliamentary Governments |
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Definition
1. Representatives in parliament have sole power to establish laws
2. Executive power lodged with a cabinet.
3. A majority vote can unseat the cabinet.
4. Prime Minister may disband legislature. |
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Term
Parliamentary Gov't
Advantages |
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Definition
| highly efficient; both legislative and executive power are merged; lines of policy responsibility clear to the public |
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Term
Parliamentary Gov't
Disadvantages |
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Definition
| Few protections exist for minority interests; Potential for unstable government if no single political party is in the majority |
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Term
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Definition
| Between Parliament and Prime Minister; PM and Cabinet must have 'confidence' of Parliament (majority of Parliament); when lacking, PM & cabinet must resign confidence; PM has power to 'dissolve' Parliament = new elections calls, thus, executive and legislative are mutually dependent |
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Term
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Definition
| Parliament can pass a motion expressing lack of confidence or defeat a motion expressing confidence, powerful weapon for PM to put up, attach confidence motion to a bill that the PM favors and Parliament doesn't = force choice between bill and fall of cabinet (cabinet falls = immediate elections) |
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