Institutional Veto Players

Veto Player

An individual or collective actor whose agreement is necesary for a change in the political status quo to occur

Institutional Veto Players

Generated by a country's constitution

Partisan Veto Players

Generated by the why the political game is played

Judiciary

Supports the constitution of a state through judicial review

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to examine the constituionality of laws and government actions, and to strike down those found to be unconstitutional

Codified Constitution

A single, written document outlining the fundamental principles of government and rights of citizens

Uncodified Constitution

A system of laws, rules, and conventions that are not formally written down in one document, but are found in various sources like statutes, common law, and historical texts

Rigid Constitution

A constitution that is difficult to amend, requiring special procedures like supermajority votes or referendums; emphasize stability and protection of fundamental rights, but can hinder timely adaptation to changing circumstances

Flexible Constitution

A constitution that can be amended through ordinary legislative processes; allow for easier adaptation to societal changes and are more responsive to public opinion, but may compromise the stability and protection of fundamental rights

Concrete Review

Judicial review that provides judgement made on the constitutional validity of law in the context of a specifc case

Abstract Review

Judicial review that assesses legislation without a real case

Supreme Court

Final court of appeals that provides judgements made on the constituional validity of law in the context of a specific case (concrete review)

Constitutional Court

Provide an advisory but binding opinion on a proposed law, based on a suspicion of inconsistency with a constitution (abstract review)

Judicial Restraint

The view that judges should apply the letter of the law, leaving politics to elected bodies

Judicial Activism

The willingness of judges to venture beyond narrow legal reasoning so as to influence public policy

Common Law

Judicial rulings on matters not explicitly treated in legislation, based on precedents created by decisions in specific cases

Civil Law

Judicial rulings founded on written legal codes which seek to provide a single overarching framework for the conduct of public affairs

Religious Law

The notion of a religious system or document being used as a legal source, though the methodology used varies

Sub-national Governance

The political structures and processes at levels below the national government, such as states, provinces, or municipalities

Multilevel Governance

An administrative system in which power is distributed and shared horizontally and vertically among different levels of government, from the supranational to the local, with considerable interaction among the part

Unitary System

One in which sovereignty rests with national government, and regional or local units have no independent powers

Regional Government

A level of government intermediate between theh national and local governments within a country, often represented by entities like states or provinces

Deconcentration

Central government tasks are shifted from employees working in the capital to those working in the regions or local districts

Delegation

Central government responsibilities are shifted to semi-autonomous bodies accountable to central government

Devolution

Central government transfers some decision-making autonomy to lower levels

Federal System

A system in which sovereignty is shared between two or more levels of government, each with independent powers and responsibilities; used within federations and territorially large and ethnically diverse states

Federation

A group of states with a central government but independence in internal affairs

Asymmetric Federalism

The phenomenon of states within a federation having unequal levels of pwoer and influence due to size, wealth, and other factors

Dual Federalism

National and local levels of government function independently from one another with seperate responsibilities

Cooperative Federalism

The layers are intermingled, and it is difficult to see who has ultimate responsibility

Subsidiarity

A principle advocating that responsibilities and decisions should be handled at the lowest level possible within a social system, with higher authorities intervening only when necessary

Quasi Federalism

A system of administration that is fomally unitary, but has some of the features of a federation

Confederation

A looser form of a federation, consisting of a union of states with more powers left in the hands of constituent members