Political Science

EXAM 2

Constitution

A Legal Document that empowers government and protects the rights of people

3 internal division of power

Four Basic Principles of Constitutional Design

Must have “incentive compatibility”

Judicial Review

Ability of the court to decide if a law is constitutional

Judicial Activism

Judges’ willingness to override the legislature by declaring a statute unconstitutional

Judicial Restraint

Judges unwillingness to overturn statues passed by legislature

Originalism / Textualism

Asserts that all statements in the constitution must be interpreted based on the original understanding of the authors or the people at the time it was ratified

Constructivism / Purposivism

is concerned with understanding the purpose or “spirit” of the law. Once the purpose is identified, the text is read accordingly

Unitary System

The central government is sovereign with no legal superior

Confederal System

An alliance exists among independent sovereign governments, which delegate limited authority to a central government of their making.

Federal System

State governments are sovereign in specified matters, and a central (national) government is sovereign in other specified matters.

Other types of “constitutions”

What are elections?

A means of choosing leaders and or policies

Electoral System

Set of rules which determines how people are selected for political office

Party Identification

The Attachment that citizens feel towards a party influence how citizens vote

Supercitizen

“… historical experiences strengthen the belief that a sophisticated, involved, and democratic public is necessary for democracy to succeed.” (Dalton pp. 16-17)

Unsophisticated citizen

“Voters don’t know very much, aren’t aware how little they know; they aren’t particularly proficient at getting what they need and can’t remember the information once they have learned it.” (Oppenheimer and Edwards 2012")

Paradox

How can democracies exist for centuries without good democratic citizens?

Unicameralism

Having one legislative or parliamentary chamber

Cohabitation

Periods in which the President and Prime Minister are from differing and opposing political parties. Originated in France 1980s.

Law

The codification of norms and values in a society

Types of Law (5)

Criminal and Civil

Constitutional / Judicial Review

Power of a court to overrule the actions of the government based on existing constitutional Law.

Courts

Part of a Government responsible for interpreting and adjudicating Laws