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POLI 2053
POLI 2053 TEST 1
176
Political Studies
Undergraduate 2
06/24/2013

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Term
What kind of system does the United Kingdom have?
Definition
parliamentary
Term
Is the United Kingdom's govt federal or unitary?
Definition
unitary
Term
United Kingdom's constitution?
Definition
not applicable
Term
United Kingdom's head of state?
Definition
Monarch; Queen Elizabeth II (hereditary)
Term
United Kingdom's head of government?
Definition
prime minister; David Cameron (conservative party)
Term
What kind of system does France have?
Definition
semi-presidential
Term
Is France's govt. federal or unitary?
Definition
unitary
Term
France's constitution?
Definition
1958
Term
France's head of state?
Definition
president; Francois Hollande (socialist party)
Term
How is France's head of state elected?
Definition
popular election
Term
France's head of government?
Definition
prime minister; Jean-Marc Ayrault (socialist party)
Term
What kind of govt. does Germany have?
Definition
parliamentary
Term
Is Germany's govt federal or unitary?
Definition
federal
Term
Germany's constitution?
Definition
1949
Term
Germany's head of state?
Definition
federal president; Joachim Gauck (independent party)
Term
how is Germany's head of state elected?
Definition
electoral college
Term
Germany's head of government?
Definition
chancellor; angela merkel (Christian democrat party)
Term
What kind of govt does USA have?
Definition
presidential
Term
is the USA govt federal or unitary?
Definition
federal
Term
USA constitution?
Definition
1787
Term
USA head of state?
Definition
president; barack obama (democrat party)
Term
how is USA head of state elected?
Definition
popular election via electoral college
Term
USA head of govt?
Definition
president; barack obama (democrat)
Term
What kind of govt does russia have?
Definition
semi-presidential
Term
is Russia's govt federal or unitary?
Definition
federal
Term
Russia's constitution?
Definition
1993
Term
Russia's head of state?
Definition
president; vladimir putin (united russia party)
Term
how is Russia's head of state elected?
Definition
popular election
Term
Russia's head of government?
Definition
prime minister; dmitri medvedev (united russia party)
Term
What kind of govt does poland have?
Definition
semi-presidential
Term
is Poland's govt federal or unitary?
Definition
unitary
Term
Poland's constitution?
Definition
1997
Term
Poland's head of state?
Definition
president; bronislaw kromorowski (civic platform party)
Term
how is Poland's head of state elected?
Definition
popular election
Term
Poland's head of govt?
Definition
prime minister; donald tusk (civic platform party)
Term
What kind of govt does Canada have?
Definition
parliamentary
Term
is Canada's govt federal or unitary?
Definition
federal
Term
Canada's constitution?
Definition
1982
Term
Canada's head of state?
Definition
monarch; Queen Elizabeth II (via Governor General David Lloyd Johnston)
Term
Canada's head of govt?
Definition
prime minister; stephen harper (conservative party)
Term
what kind of govt does Mexico have?
Definition
presidential
Term
is Mexico's govt federal or unitary?
Definition
federal
Term
Mexico's constitution?
Definition
1917
Term
Mexico's head of state?
Definition
president; felipe calderon (national action party)
Term
how is Mexico's head of state elected?
Definition
popular election
Term
Mexico's head of govt?
Definition
president; felipe calderon (national action party)
Term
upper chamber in the United Kingdom?
Definition
House of Lords; hereditary or life appointment
Term
lower chamber in the United Kingdom?
Definition
House of Commons; popular election
Term
upper chamber in France?
Definition
Senate; picked by electoral college
Term
lower chamber in France?
Definition
National Assembly; popular election
Term
Germany's upper chamber?
Definition
Bundesrat; appointed by state governments
Term
Germany's lower chamber?
Definition
Bundestag; popular election
Term
USA upper chamber?
Definition
senate; popular election
Term
USA lower chamber?
Definition
house or representatives; popular election
Term
Russia's upper chamber?
Definition
Federation Council; appointed by regional governments
Term
Russia's lower chamber?
Definition
State Duma; popular election
Term
Poland's upper chamber?
Definition
senate; popular election
Term
Poland's lower chamber?
Definition
sejm; popular election
Term
Canada's upper chamber?
Definition
senate; appointed
Term
Canada's lower chamber?
Definition
house of commons; popular election
Term
Mexico's upper chamber?
Definition
senate; popular election
Term
Mexico's lower chamber?
Definition
Chamber of Deputies; popular election
Term
The only person to have headed a coalition government
Definition
Helmut Kohl
Term
__ legislative houses tend to be more powerful than __ houses
Definition
lower
upper
Term
The leading figures of the major party out of power in Britain form a front-bench leadership team referred to as the ....
Definition
shadow cabinet
Term
the most overrepresented US state in the US senate is?
Definition
wyoming
Term
The process in the UK whereby Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been delegated increasing authority over local political and economic affairs is referred to as ___
Definition
devolution
Term
When a parliamentary cabinet is composed of ministers from more than one political party
Definition
coalition government
Term
In France, when the presidency is controlled by one party, and the prime ministership and cabinet is controlled by another rival party, it is referred to as ___
Definition
cohabitation
Term
The British House of Commons can sit between elections for a period of time not to exceed __ years
Definition
five
Term
Federalist countries?
Definition
USA
Mexico
Germany
Canada
Term
a good example of a true nation-state
Definition
Japan
Term
the first president of the 5th French Republic
Definition
Charles de Gaulle
Term
The Senate is the to the USA as the __ is to Germany
Definition
Bundesrat
Term
how many states in the world today?
Definition
200
Term
the organization that issues and enforces binding rules for the people within a territory
Definition
a state
Term
a state has a defined __
Definition
territory
Term
a state's organization is __
Definition
sovereign
Term
means that a state's word/rule is final within that territory (and is accepted as such by outside entities)
Definition
sovereignty
Term
possess a monopoly on the legitimate use of force/coercion within a territory
Definition
states
Term
best common synonym for state?
Definition
country
Term
these are people, regardless or territory, states, etc.
Definition
nations
Term
give examples of nations
Definition
nation of islam
iroquois nation
palestinians
Term
which states are not nation-states?
Definition
USSR
Yugoslavia
USA
Term
these tend to unify, centralize, and increase power
Definition
states
Term
3 different ways states come about?
Definition
transformation
unification
secession
Term
examples of states that formed out of secession?
Definition
USSR
yugoslavia
czechoslovakia
Term
a state based on the acceptance/manifestation of a common culture, a common history, and a common identity
Definition
nation-state
Term
poland is __% polish and __% catholic
Definition
98
95
Term
benefit of nation-state?
Definition
fewer social cleavages, easier to govern
Term
a collection of individuals charged with the executive authority to run the State
Definition
a government
Term
in europe, what does government mean?
Definition
prime minister + cabinet (approx. 20 people)
Term
In modern usage this has come to be equated with free, fair, competitive elections that determine control of the government
Definition
democracy
Term
democracy is ___ oriented
Definition
process
Term
modern democracy is ___ democracy (a republican form of government), not “direct” democracy.
Definition
representative
Term
roughly __ percent of the existing countries are considered democratic, or __ percent of the world’s population
Definition
60
58
Term
small “night watchman” role by govt is advocated by those on the __
Definition
Right (conservatives)
Term
active progressive role is advocated by those on the __
Definition
Left (socialists)
Term
sees the state as a threat to individual liberty, and is willing to put up with inequality to safeguard liberty
Definition
Right
Term
These are for small state, low taxes, low redistribution of wealth
Definition
Right, conservatives
Term
sees the state as a vehicle to guarantee greater equality, and is willing to put up with reductions in individual liberty to attain equality
Definition
Left
Term
These people are for big state, high taxes, greater redistribution of wealth
Definition
Left, socialists
Term
Semi-presidentialism is characterized by a directly elected fixed-term president (head of state) with real political power, who ___ responsible to the parliament.
Definition
ISN'T
Term
Semi-Presidential systems have what kind of prime ministers (head of govts) and cabinet?
Definition
non-directly elected, non-fixed term
Term
Semi-presidential systems have what kind of presidents (head of states)?
Definition
directly elected, fixed-term
Term
Semi-presidential systems have a non-directly elected, non-fixed term Prime Minister (head of government) and cabinet who come into being as a result of elections to the __ house of the national legislature, and to which legislature they __ responsible.
Definition
lower
are
Term
in a semi-presidential system, the president and prime minister share __ __
Definition
executive authority
Term
In semi-presidential systems, __ chambers of parliament can be dissolved
Definition
lower
Term
in semi-presidential systems, early __ __ can be called
Definition
parliamentary elections
Term
In this, periods of potential executive branch conflict – when the president and the prime minister come from competing political parties – can occur and are referred to as periods of “cohabitation.”
Definition
semi-presidentialism
Term
Do semi-presidential regimes toggle back and forth between a presidential phase (when cohabitation does not exist) and a parliamentary phase (when cohabitation does exist)?
Definition
no
Term
creator of the Russian Federation constitution, 1993
Definition
Boris Yeltsin
Term
presidential systems are characterized by separate __ and __
Definition
origins
survival
Term
in this kind of system the president is elected separately from the legislature in a separate vote of the electorate (separate origins)
Definition
presidential
Term
in presidential systems, the president __ depend on the support of the legislature to stay in office and __ responsible to the legislature
Definition
doesn't
isn't
Term
in presidential systems, can the legislature get rid of the president for political reasons, reasons of disagreement over policy, or even for manifest incompetence?
Definition
no
Term
in presidential systems, can the president dissolve the legislature?
Definition
no
Term
in presidential systems, executive and legislative powers are __
Definition
separate
Term
in presidential systems, president is in charge of the __ and names members of the __
Definition
executive
cabinet
Term
in presidential systems, who are the members of the cabinet responsible to?
Definition
only the president, not the legislature
Term
presidential systems can have a divided government, meaning....
Definition
legislature controlled by party A, executive controlled by party B
Term
virtually all of North, Central, and South America is made up of __ systems.
Definition
presidential
Term
__ systems dominate the continent of Africa
Definition
presidential
Term
there is not a pure single presidential system in __
Definition
europe
Term
a set of fundamental laws that assigns and distributes governmental power to defined institutions and offices – establishes the rules of the game of politics by defining the powers, rights, responsibilities of the political actors.
Definition
constitution
Term
most constitutions in force today were written ...
Definition
after WWII
Term
most constitutions are codified into ...
Definition
one document
Term
generally constitutions have __ main features
Definition
4
Term
4 main features of constitutions?
Definition
fundamental laws
entrenched status
codified document
allocation of powers
Term
constitutional rules are supreme over “regular” law – if there is a conflict between constitutional law and normal law, constitutional law wins and the normal law must be changed so as to be compatible with the constitution
Definition
fundamental law
Term
constitutional laws are more entrenched than regular law, meaning that it is much harder to change constitutional laws than it is to change regular laws. It is more durable. There is usually a very complicated and/or difficult procedure required to change constitutional law. Hence, changes occur only rarely
Definition
entrenched status
Term
the usual horizontal distribution of governmental power
Definition
executives
legislatures
judiciaries
Term
initiate government action, make and implement public policy, coordinate state activity.
Definition
executives
Term
executives are led by who?
Definition
head of government
Term
institutions of government charged with the duty of discussing, debating, and passing laws; of checking the powers of the executive branch
Definition
legislatures
Term
legislatures can be __ or __
Definition
unicameral
bicameral
Term
if a legislature is bicameral, it can be __ and __ in power
Definition
symmetrical
asymmetrical
Term
symmetrical bicameral legislature?
Definition
USA
Term
asymmetrical bicameral legislature?
Definition
UK
Term
defenders of the constitution; adjudicators of legal disputes; implementers of the justice system.
Definition
judiciaries
Term
some judiciaries have __ __, which is the power to declare the acts of the executive or the laws of the legislatures unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void.
Definition
judicial review
Term
states where all ultimate power resides in the central government; all powers and authorities that may exist at the regional or local level have been assigned to those units by the central government and may be altered or eliminated by the central government at its discretion.
Definition
unitary states
Term
states where governmental powers are divided vertically, between a central government, on the one hand, and a series of lower-level governments at the regional or local levels, on the other. The powers and authority of the lower-level units (states, provinces, regions, etc) are given to those units by the constitution (not by the central government) and cannot be altered without the approval of those units themselves
Definition
federal states
Term
federalism is more likely in __ countries
Definition
large
Term
the existence of federalism in any country makes __ __ there more likely
Definition
judicial review
Term
federalism makes __ in the legislative branch more likely
Definition
bicameralism
Term
in federal states, these are important political actors
Definition
regional leaders (governors)
Term
in semi-presidential systems, the ___ runs the day-to-day affairs of the country
Definition
head of govt
Term
in semi-presidential systems, the ___ is in charge of foreign affairs, diplomacy, war-and-peace issues, etc.
Definition
head of state
Term
if the President and Prime Minister in semi-presidential system are from the same political party, then it is the ____ who usually is the key actor in the political system
Definition
president
Term
Systems in which governments cannot be removed by the assembly
Definition
presidential
Term
in presidential government the __ is not divided
Definition
executive
Term
in a presidential government there are __ agents of the electorate
Definition
2
Term
3 usual layers to government in any country?
Definition
national
regional
local
Term
this is what we in the USA sometimes call "federal," as in "federal government"
Definition
national layer of govt
Term
Regional layer of govt is called __ in USA, __ in Canada, and __ in Germany
Definition
states
provinces
lander
Term
municipalities, cities, counties (parishes in Louisiana)
Definition
local level of govt
Term
here, the balance of power within a country resides overwhelmingly with the parts (the countries, states, provinces, or regions) and not with the whole
Definition
confederal/confederation/confederacy
Term
According to the text there are __ parliamentary democracies in the world, of which __ are constitutional monarchies and __ are republics.
Definition
56
31
25
Term
in a parliamentary regime, is the head of govt directly elected by voters?
Definition
no
Term
any government/cabinet that is comprised of individuals who represent more than one political party
Definition
coalition government
Term
an example of a coalition government?
Definition
germany
Term
the prime ministers cabinet is also known as the?
Definition
executive
Term
in Britain, the House of Commons can sit for a period of time not to exceed __ years between election
Definition
5
Term
In Germany, the maximum time period the lower chamber can sit?
Definition
4
Term
2 divisions in the house of lords?
Definition
lords temporal
lords spiritual
Term
2 types of lords temporal?
Definition
hereditary peers
life peers
Term
Lords spiritual are called?
Definition
church lords
Term
This type of bill is introduced by the executive (govt/cabinet)
Definition
govt bill
Term
this type of bill is introduced by a member of parliament that isn't part of the cabinet
Definition
private member bill
Term
This says that 90% of bills come from the executive and 90% of those bills pass
Definition
90/90 rule
Term
when did WWII start?
Definition
sept 1, 1939
Term
When the French cut a deal with the Germans after only fighting for 6 weeks in WWII this was created
Definition
Vichy Regime
Term
Vichy regime was led by?
Definition
Philippe Petain, Pierre Laval
Term
Who helped overthrow the Vichy Regime?
Definition
DeGaulle
Term
What crisis helped DeGaulle finally get his semi-presiential system?
Definition
Algerian
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