AP Comp Gov Unit 2

Legislative branch

part of government responsible for writing laws and major policies

Executive branch

part of government responsible for implementing laws through the government's bureaucracy

Judicial branch

part of government responsible for hearing cases, and applying and interpreting laws to resolve legal disputes

Head of State

executive leader who represents a nation in ceremonial functions, in some governments can also have formal powers to shape foreign policy

Head of Government

executive leader sometimes known as a chief executive who formulates, implements and enforces policies through the cabinet and different agencies

Parliamentary systems

when a national legislature has combined lawmaking and executive functions with the power to select and remove a prime minister who acts as head of government

Presidential systems

when separate election processes are used in the selection of the president and the national legislature; president serves as head of state and head of government who oversees the bureaucratic implementation of executive regulations and laws written by the legislature.

Semi presidential systems

when separate election processes are used in the selection of the president and the national legislature, president serves as head of state and selects the head of government, with the legislature's approval, to shape policies and implement the legislature's laws.

Executive term limits

institutional constraints on the length of time a head of state or head of government can serve in office. The United Kingdom is the only AP Comparative country with no formal executive term limit on its head of state and head of government.

No confidence vote

used in parliamentary systems as a method for the legislature to remove the prime minister as head of government

Impeachment

used in presidential systems as a method for the legislature to remove the president and other executive officials from office.

Fixed term election system

in which elections for public officials take place on a regularly announced established date

Executive bureaucracy

is the system of governmental agencies that implement executive regulations and laws written by the legislature

Question Time

allows majority members of a legislature to indicate representation of the interest of their constituencies (districts) and allows the opposition party to verbally challenge the majority party governance and policy making."

Executive cabinet

top governmental officials in charge of formulating, implementing, and enforcing policy through different methods and bureaucratic agencies

Commander in chief

top governmental official in charge of decisions pertaining to the military

Unicameral

a legislature consisting of one chamber

Bicameral

a legislature consisting of two chambers (one upper, one lower)

Legislative independence

ability of a legislature to openly debate policies, facilitate compromises between different factions and to hold an executive accountable by restraining growth and abuse of executive power.

Prime minister

when the leader of the national legislature is also the head of government who is in charge of formulating. implementing, and enforcing policy through different methods and bureaucratic agencies

Civil Service

permanent members of bureaucratic agencies who implement laws and governmental regulations

Parliamentary hybrid

term that describes Russia's semi-presidential system in which a directly elected president appoints the prime minister of the national legislature’s lower chamber (Duma)

Judicial appointment

process of nominating and approving judges in a judicial system.

Judicial independence

ability of judges to interpret the law with minimal influence by other political and governmental officials to maintain a separation of powers; ability of judges to restrain abuse of governmental power by executives and legislators and uphold civil liberty protections.