Comp Gov: Unit 4 vocab

Proportional representation

is an electoral system where political parties gain seats in a legislature in proportion to the number of votes they receive in an election.

Gender Quotas

is a rule or policy that requires a certain percentage of political positions or candidates to be women in an effort to promote the ideal of gender  equity 

Single-member district, plurality system

is an electoral system where each district elects one representative, and the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not receive more than 50% of the vote.

Executive election plurality system

election system in which one candidate wins the election as the sole executive by winning the most votes (not necessarily a majority of 50% + at least 1 vote.)

Second round, runoff election system

is an electoral system where a second election is held if no candidate receives a majority (more than 50%) of the votes in the first round.

Majoritarian rules

winning candidate must win a majority of the vote (50% + at least 1 vote.)

Multi-party system

When elections feature more than two parties competing for governing power.

Two-party system

when elections feature two major parties competing for governing power.

Dominant party system

when elections allow multiple parties to run in elections, but one major party inevitably wins governing power.

One party system

when only one party is allowed to control governing party even if other parties exist.

Catch-all political parties

is a political party that tries to attract support from a wide variety of voters instead of focusing on one specific group or ideology.

El dedazo

is a political practice where a powerful leader personally chooses their successor or candidate for office instead of letting voters or party members decide through a fair election.

Patronage

is a political practice where government officials give jobs, contracts, or other benefits to supporters, friends, or loyal party members in return for political support.

Social movements

is an organized effort by a large group of people to promote or resist social, political, or cultural change.

Interest groups

groups organized to represent and advocate for a specific interest or policy issue.

Grassroots social movements

exert their power up from the local level to the regional, national, or international level

Single peak associations (SPAs)

a type of interest group that commonly represents professional or commercial groups and helps establish standards for that profession or industry.