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| Judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on questions that do not arise from actual legal disputes. |
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| A political system in which the legislature comprises two houses. |
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| Individual rights regarding freedom that are created by the constitution & the political regime. |
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| Individual rights regarding equality that are created by the constitution & the political regime. |
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| Organizations outside of the state that help people define & advance their own interests. |
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| Judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on the basis of actual legal disputes brought before it. |
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| A geographical area that an elected official represents. |
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| The highest judicial body in a political system that decides whether laws & policies violate the constitution. |
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| A political system in which political power is exercised either directly or indirectly by the people. |
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| A set of rules that decide how votes are cast, counted, & translated into seats in a legislature. |
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| The branch of government that carries out the laws & policies of a state. |
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| An electoral system in which individual candidates compete in single-member districts; voters choose between candidates, & the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat. |
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| The executive role that deals with the everyday tasks of running the state, such as formulating & executing policy. |
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| The executive role that symbolizes & represents the people both nationally & internationally. |
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| A national vote called by members of the public to address a specific proposal. |
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| The mechanism by which courts can review the actions of governments & overturn those that violate the constitution. |
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| The branch of government charged with making laws. |
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| A political system that promotes participation, competition, & liberty & emphasizes individual freedom & civil rights. |
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| An electoral system that uses a combination of single-member districts & proportional representation. |
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| Multimember District (MMD) |
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| An electoral district with more than one seat. |
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| A political system in which the roles of head of state & head of government are assigned to separate executive offices. |
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| A political system in which the roles of head of state & head of government are combined in one executive office. |
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| Proportional Representation |
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| An electoral system in which political parties compete in multimember districts; voters choose between parties, & the seats in the district are awarded proportionally according to the results of the vote. |
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| A national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to the constitution. |
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| Indirect democracy that emphasizes the separation of powers within a state & the representation of the public through elected officials. |
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| A system in which all individuals & groups, including those in government, are subject to the law, irrespective of their power or authority. |
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| An executive system that divides power between two strong executives, a president & a prime minister. |
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| The clear division of power between different branches of government & the provision that specific branches may check the power of other branches. |
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| Single-Member District (SMD) |
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| An electoral district with one seat. |
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| A political system in which the legislature comprises one house. |
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| Vote taken by a legislature as to whether its members continue to support the current prime minister; depending on the country, a vote of no confidence can force the resignation of the prime minister and/or lead to new parliamentary elections. |
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