Term
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Definition
| Method and rules of counting votes to determine the outcome of elections |
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| Single Membership District Plurality |
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Definition
| "First Past the Post" the winner only need to finish ahead of the others but not win a majority of the votes |
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Definition
| Voter casts a single vote for their chose candidate. If no candidate receives absolute majority of votes then two with most votes go into a second round |
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| Proportional Representation Multi-Member District |
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Definition
| Category of electoral formula aimed at securing a close match between percentage of votes that groups of candidates obtain in electoins and the percentage of seats they receive. |
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Term
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Definition
| Systematic relationship between electoral systems and party systems, so that plurality single-member distric election systems tend to create two-party systems in the legislature, while proportional representation electoral systems generate multi-party systems |
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Term
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Definition
| Different electoral systems convert votes into seats |
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Term
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Definition
| Both voters and candidates anticipate the mechanical effect therefor, voters do not throw their support behind hopeless parties and candidates |
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Term
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Definition
| Giving your support to a party or candidate that is not your first choice in order to avoid an even worse outcome |
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Term
| Down's Median Voter Result |
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Definition
| If there are only two politicians then a politician maximizes their number of votes by committing to the policy position preferred by the median voter |
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Term
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Definition
| Establishes the basic rules of decision-making rights, and the distribution of authority in a political system |
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Term
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Definition
| Government should take no action that has not been authorized by law and that citizens can be punished only for actions that violate an existing law |
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Term
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Definition
| Basic rules governing how decisions are made. Determines what political resources are valuable in influencing decisions and how to acquire and use these resources |
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Term
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Definition
1. Can protect against hasty decisions
2. May give minority the power to block majority proposals
3. The more inclusive, the less likely a decision can be made
4. The less inclusive, the easier it is to reach a policy |
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Term
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Definition
| Each member has the same voting power (decisions are made this way in most modern assemblies) |
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Term
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Definition
| Everyone is supposed to defer his vote to his or her superior where only this persons vote at the very top counts |
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Term
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Definition
| A model of governance where the state is divided into branches or estates, each with separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility |
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Term
| Democratic Presidential Regime |
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Definition
| Independent executive and legislative branch. Each branch is elected by the people for a fixed term with specific powers. Coordination must be reached between the two |
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Term
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Definition
| Interdependent Executive and Legislative Branch. Legislative is only directly elected; Prime Minister and Cabinet emerge from legistature |
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Term
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Definition
| Prime Minister must enjoy the confidence of the parliamentary majority |
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Term
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Definition
| Mix between the Presidential and Parliamentary systems |
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Term
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Definition
| Both Central and state governments had separate spheres of authority and the means to implement their power (decentralized) ex: US and Germany |
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Term
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Definition
| Power and authority concentrated in the central government. ex: Britain, France, China |
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Term
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Definition
| The doctrine in democratic theory under which legislative and executive action is subject to invalidation by the judiciary. Ex. US, German, India, France, Brazil, Japan, Russia |
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Term
| Democratic Regimes methods to keeping systems in check: |
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Definition
Parliamentary - anyone can be removed virtually at any time
Presidentially - Impeachment |
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Term
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Definition
| Having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber (usually consists of Unitary Systems) |
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Term
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Definition
Pactice of having 2 legislative or parliamentary chambers
2 kinds of internal legislative organization
Party Groups & Formal Assembly Sub-Units |
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Term
| Descriptive Representation |
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Definition
| Government officials should mirror the characteristics of the citizens as far as possible |
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Term
| Model Behaviors for Legislators |
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Definition
Delegate Model - LEgislator wants to get re-elected and wants to please voters and will try to mirror what they want
Organizational Model - A congressperson must use the organization or party they are in as a primary (getting on a good committee)
Trustee Model - It is impossible to please all, therefore, they try to work for the best interest of its voters and use best judgement in committees |
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Term
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Definition
Officials who sit at the very top of the often-colossal executive branch
Single - President/ Split - largely ceremonial head of state and more powerful government |
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Term
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Definition
| A council of high-ranking members of government, most important collective decision-making body |
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Term
| Method of Selecting Cabinet |
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Definition
Presidential Systems - presidential prerogative with legislative approval
Parliamentary Systems: the result of parliamentary elections |
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Term
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Definition
| Large organizations in charge of implementing public policy |
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Term
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Definition
Experienced and expert personnel of employees in any government agency other than the military
-Articulate, Aggregate, and Implement Interests |
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Term
| Interest Group Captivation |
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Definition
| Hire someone within some realm to represent an interest group and speak for them |
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Term
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Definition
Money, goods, and services to citizens, resident, etc.
In general, most countries spend the most money on Health Care
2nd to Health care is usually Education or sometimes ties for 2nd to Defense |
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Term
| National Security Spending |
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Definition
States locked with international confrontations tend to spend more on defense (Middle East)
US spends more on defense than the entire world combined
Japan has been seen to have spent less since WWII |
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Term
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Definition
| US made a much greater and earlier effort on education and spends less on social security and welfare programs |
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Term
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Definition
| Found particularly in more prosperous and democratic societies, distributes resources extensively to provide for the health, education, employment, housing, and income support of its citizens |
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Term
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Definition
| Proportion of those outside the workforce to those in the working-age population |
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Term
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Definition
| Taking resources from the domestic and international environments |
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Term
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Definition
| Extraction for governmental purposes of money or goods from members of a political system, for which they receive no immediate or direct benefit |
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Term
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Definition
Personal and corporate income taxes and taxes on capital gains and wealth
Progressive Tax Structure - Citizens with greater incomes are taxed at higher rates than those who earn less |
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Term
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Definition
Sales and value-added taxes, excise taxes, and customs duties
Regressive tax structure - the poor pay relatively more than the rich, since they tend to buy more of these products |
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Term
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Definition
| Used to exhort citizens to engage in desired forms of behavior, build community, or celebrate exemplary condut |
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