Chapter 6: Democratic Regimes

Republicanism

________: indirect democracy that emphasizes the separation of powers within a state and the representation of the public through elected officials.

Democratization

________ is shaped by economic, political, social, and international forces.

prime minister

The ________ serves only if he or she receives support of the legislature.

President

________ is the head of state and government.

Constituency

________- a geographical area that an elected official represents.

single member districts

First Past the Post- an electoral system in which individual candidates compete in ________; voters choose between candidates, and the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat.

Liberal democracy

________- a political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights.

Democracy

________- a political system in which political power is exercised either directly or indirectly by the people.

Referendum

________: national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to a constitution.

Judiciary

________: the branch of government that maintains and upholds the rule of law.

Unicameral systems

________: legislature composed of one house.

Legislature

________- the branch of government charged with making laws.

Bicameral systems

________: legislatures composed of two houses.

Abstract review

________- judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on questions that do not arise from actual legal disputes.

Concrete review

________- judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on the basis of actual legal disputes brought before it.

Judicial review

________- the mechanism by which courts can review the actions of government and overturn those that violate the constitution.

Constitutional Court

________- the highest judicial body in a political system that decides whether laws and policies violate the constitution.

Proportional representation

________ (PR)- an electoral system in which political parties compete in multi- member districts; voters choose between parties, and the seats in the district are awarded proportionally according to the results of the vote.

Initiative

________- a national vote called by members of the public to address a specific proposal.

Presidential system

________: a political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are combined in one executive office.

Civil society

________: organized life outside state control that helps people define and advance their own interests.

Parliamentary system

________: a political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are assigned to separate executive offices.

Civil liberties

________- individual rights regarding freedom that are created by the constitution and the political regime.

Vote of no confidence

________: vote taken by a legislature as to whether its members continue to support the current prime minister; can force the PM to resign and /or lead to new parliamentary elections.

Referendum

________- a national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to the constitution.

Electoral system

________- a set of rules that decide how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats in a legislature.

Separation of powers

the clear division of power among different branches of government and the provision that specific branches may check the power of other branches

Head of state

the executive role that symbolizes and represents the people, both nationally and internationally

Head of government

the executive role that deals with the everyday tasks of running the state, such as formulating and executing domestic policy

Single-member districts (SMD) system

an electoral system with one seat

Majority-based SMD

an electoral system in which individual candidates compete in single-member districts, but where the winning candidate must win a majority of the vote

Multimember district (MMD) system

an electoral system with more than one seat

Mixed electoral system

an electoral system that uses a combination of single-member districts and proportional representation

Civil rights

individual rights regarding equality that are created by the constitution and the political regime