Comparative Politics: UK and Mexico

Vocabulary flashcards for reviewing the political systems of the UK and Mexico.

Constitutional Monarchy

A political system where the head of state is a monarch, but their power is limited by a constitution.

Fusion of Powers

The merging of the executive and legislative branches, common in parliamentary systems.

Prime Minister (PM)

The head of government in the UK, leader of the majority party in the House of Commons.

Federal Republic

A system where governmental power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units (states or provinces).

Separation of Powers

The principle that governmental power is divided among three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

President (Mexico)

In Mexico, the President serves as both the head of state and the head of government.

Collective Responsibility

The principle that members of the Cabinet are collectively responsible for the government's policies and decisions.

Sexenio

A six-year term limit for presidents in Mexico, with no possibility of re-election.

Bicameral Parliament/Congress

A legislative body with two chambers or houses.

House of Commons

The lower house of the UK Parliament, whose members are elected and hold legislative power.

House of Lords

The upper house of the UK Parliament, whose members are appointed or hereditary and primarily revise legislation.

Chamber of Deputies

One of the two chambers of Mexico's Congress. Its members are elected through a mixed electoral system.

Senate (Mexico)

One of the chambers in the Mexican Congress, where some members are elected through proportional representation.

Judicial Review

The power of a court to review laws or governmental actions to determine whether they are constitutional.

Common Law System

A legal system based on custom and court decisions (precedent) rather than statutory law.

National Supreme Court of Justice

Mexico's highest court, which possesses the power of judicial review.

First-Past-the-Post (FPTP)

An electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes in each district wins.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system where seats are allocated to parties in proportion to the votes they receive.

PRI (Mexico)

The Institutional Revolutionary Party, which historically dominated Mexican politics.

PAN (Mexico)

National Action Party, a center-right political party in Mexico.

MORENA (Mexico)

A leftist political party in Mexico, Movimiento Regeneración Nacional.

PRD (Mexico)

A political party in Mexico, Party of the Democratic Revolution.

Regional Devolution

Transfer of powers from a central government to subnational entities (e.g., Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland).

Brexit

The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

Austerity Measures

Government policies aimed at reducing public spending and budget deficits.

Regional Migration

The movement of people from one place to another, often for economic opportunities.

Gender Quotas

Policies or laws that require a certain percentage of candidates or officeholders to be women.

Political Legitimacy

The perception by citizens that a government has the right to rule.

Democratic Consolidation

The process by which a country transitions from an authoritarian to a democratic political system.