APCOGO Unit 2 Terms

Executive

The chief political power in a state, usually a president or a prime minister

Parliamentary system

A system of government in which the executive and legislative are fused

Characteristics of a parliamentary system

• No separation of powers → The legislative branch holds a majority of the power

• Legislature elected directly by the people

• The majority party in the legislature gets to form the govt. and chooses the head of govt.

• The majority party can select and/or remove cabinet members

• The only elected officials are members of Parliament

Prime minister

The head of government in a parliamentary and semi-presidential system, as well as a member of the legislature and the majority party

Coalition government

When two or more parties work together to form a majority and select a prime minister

Vote of no confidence

When a parliament votes to remove a government or official from power

Presidential system

A system of government in which the executive and legislature are elected separately and have independent powers

Characteristics of a presidential system

• Separation of powers → Each branch has specific functions

• President and legislature are elected through direct elections

• President is both Head of State and Head of Government

• Legislature creates laws

• Gridlock is a common problem

Divided government

When the legislature is controlled by a political party other than the party of the president

Semi-presidential system

A system of government that divides executive power between a directly elected president and a prime minister

Characteristics of a semi-presidential system

• Separation of powers → Each branch has specific functions

• Prime minister and cabinet control legislation

• Prime minister is appointed by the President

• President is the elected Head of State

• Less gridlock than a presidential system

Term limit

A restriction on the number of years an executive may serve

Term of office

A specific number of years that an executive can serve

Impeachment

The process of removing a president from office before the end of their term

Cabinet

The heads of major departments or ministries in the bureaucracy

Legislative oversight

The power of the legislature to hold cabinet officials and members of the bureaucracy accountable for the actions and policies

United Kingdom → Executive

• Parliamentary system

• Head of State: Monarch

• Head of Government: Prime Minister

• Members of Parliament are directly elected

• Parliamentary sovereignty

Russia → Executive

• Semi-presidential system

• Head of State: President

  • President is directly elected

• Head of Government: Prime Minister

  • Prime Minister is appointed by the President

  • Prime Minister oversees civil service

Iran → Executive

• Head of State: Supreme Leader

  • Self-appointed political and religious authority

• Head of Government: President

  • President is directly elected for a 4-year term

• Guardian Council is unelected and oversees legislation

Nigeria → Executive

• Presidential system

• Head of State/Government: President

  • President is directly elected for a 2-term, 4 year limit and serves as chief executive, commander-in-chief, and head of civil service

• Cabinet in the Senate is appointed by the President

China → Executive

• Head of State: President

  • President is commander-in-chief and secretary of the CCP

• Head of Government: Premier

  • Premier is nominated by the President

• Top leaders of the CCP determine top governing officials without input from the people, including the president

Mexico → Executive

• Presidential system

• Head of State/Government: President

  • President is directly elected and serves as chief executive, commander in chief, and head of the civil service

  • President appoints cabinet members to the Senate, though some need approval

Bicameral legislature

A legislature with two chambers → an upper house and a lower house

Unicameral legislature

A legislature with one chamber

Mexico → Legislature

Congress of the Union (Congreso de la Unión) → Bicameral

• Upper House: Senate

  • Confirms presidential appointments

  • Ratifies treaties

  • Approves federal intervention in states

• Lower House: Chamber of Deputies

  • Debates/passes legislation

  • Levies taxes

  • Approves budget

  • Certifies elections

**Multiparty system

United Kingdom → Legislature

Parliament → Bicameral

• Upper House: House of Lords

  • Hereditary/appointed

  • Reviews/amends bills

  • Can delay legislation for up to a year but cannot prevent bills from passing into law

• Lower House: House of Commons

  • Debates/passes legislation

  • Approves budget

  • Holds committee hearings

  • Formally question the Prime Minister (Question Hour)

Russia → Legislature

Federal Assembly → Bicameral

• Upper House: Federation Council

  • 85 administrative units with 2 senators each (170 total)

  • Drafts laws/initiates legislation

  • Reviews monetary policies passed by the Duma

  • Negotiates foreign policy

  • Approves judicial nominations

• Lower House: Duma

  • Debates/passes laws

  • Confirms prime minister nominee

  • Initiates impeachment

**Because Putin’s party is the majority and because of his control over Russian politics, the Federal Assembly has little autonomy

Nigeria → Legislature

National Assembly → Bicameral

• Upper House: Senate

  • 3 senators from each state

• Lower House: House of Representatives

• Both houses:

  • Debate/pass legislation

  • Approve the federal budget

  • Can check executive power

China → Legislature

National People’s Congress → Unicameral

• Not directly elected = Chosen from municipal, regional, and provincal people’s congresses

• Controlled by the CCP

• Does not have much power = symbolic

Iran → Legislature

The Majles → Unicameral

• Passes laws

• Approves cabinet nominees

• Ratifies international treaties

• Confirms ½ of nominees to the Guardian Council

**Candidates for the Majles must be approved by the Guardian → they must be conservative and follow Islamic law

Common law

A legal system in which previous written opinions serve as precedent for future cases

Code law

A legal system in which judges follow the law written by the legislature, and previous court decisions do not serve as precedent

Judicial independence

The ability of judges to decide cases according to the law, free from interference from politically powerful officials or other institutions

Concrete review

Evaluates the constitutionality of laws or government actions based on actual cases brought before a court

Abstract review

Involves assessing legislation without an active legal dispute

Original jurisdiction

A court's authority to hear and decide a case for the first time before any appellate review occurs

Appellate jurisdiction

The court hears an appeal from a court of original jurisdiction

Mexico → Judiciary

Rule of law

• Appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for 15-year terms

• Has judicial review

  • Plagued by corruption

  • Rule of law is weak

United Kingdom → Judiciary

Rule of law

• Common law system

• Appointed by the monarch based on referrals by the prime minister and recommendations by a judicial selection commission

• No judicial review (no constitution)

  • Can overturn government actions that violate civil rights or liberties

  • Can rule on devolution

• Cannot overturn laws from Parliament

Russia → Judiciary

Rule by law

• Supreme Court → Final court of appeals through concrete review

• Constitutional Court → Abstract review; judges appointed by president so judicial review is weak

• Judicial system used to target political opponents

Nigeria → Judiciary

Rule of law

• President nominates justices, Senate confirms them

• 1 chief justice and up to 21 associate justices

• National Judiciary Council insulates judiciary from elected officials

China → Judiciary

Rule by law

• Supreme People’s Court = Highest court

  • Can interpret laws but not overturn them

• Uniform set of rules

• Rule of law is weak

• Due process is weak

  • Executions/harsh punishments are common

Iran → Judiciary

Rule by law

• Supreme Leader appoints head of judiciary, who then appoints the judges underneath him

• Can nominate half of the Guardian Council

  • No formal political role beyond this

• Religious review based on the Quran

• Judiciary used to repress political opponents