UK COGO Vocab

Civil service system

Hiring government workers based on merit (testing, education, etc)

-OPPOSITE OF PATRONAGE

Welfare state

Gov programs designed to benefit health/well-being of citizens

-Established in UK after WWII

Parliamentary Sovereignty

Parliament's supreme power over all aspects of the state

Monarch

Hereditary ruler serving for life (in UK); head of STATE

House of Commons

Directly elected lower house of parliament; holds most of the power

House of Lords

Unelected upper house; has power to suggest amendments to bills and delay legislation

Supreme Court

High court

IN THE UK

-Authority to protect civil rights/liberties

-Rules on cases involving devolution

-NO JUDICIAL REVIEW (cannot overturn acts of parliament)

First-past-the-post electoral system

SMD plurality system - winner take all

Referendum

Vote on a policy issue sent to the government DIRECTLY from the people

Regulated market economy

-Wages, prices, production set by supply and demand (some regulation

-mostly private control of businesses and natural resources

National health service

Government financed and managed healthcare system in the UK

Austerity measures

Raising taxes and/or cutting spending in an effort to reduce deficit and national debt