Political Institutions U2

Flashcards for Political Institutions Glossary

Head of State

Executive leader who represents a nation in ceremonial functions; in some governments can also have formal powers to shape foreign policy.

Head of Government

Executive leader sometimes known as a chief executive who formulates, implements, and enforces policies through the cabinet and different agencies.

Fusion of powers

Combined lawmaking and executive functions.

Parliamentary systems

When a national legislature has combined lawmaking and executive functions with the power to select and remove a prime minister who acts as head of government.

Presidential systems

When separate election processes are used in the selection of the president and the national legislature; president serves as head of state and head of government who oversees the bureaucratic implementation of executive regulations and laws written by the legislature.

Semi-presidential systems

When separate election processes are used in the selection of the president and the national legislature; president serves as head of state and selects the head of government, with the legislature’s approval, to shape policies and implement the legislature’s laws.

Parliamentary hybrid

Term that describes Russia’s semi-presidential system in which a directly elected president appoints the prime minister of the national legislature’s lower chamber (Duma).

Censure

An official rebuke of a government official.

Executive branch

Part of government responsible for implementing laws through the government’s bureaucracy.

Legislative branch

Part of government responsible for writing laws and major policies.

Judicial branch

Part of government responsible for hearing cases and applying and interpreting laws.

Judicial review

The power of the highest court to overturn decisions made by the executive and legislative branches and lower courts.

Impeachment

The process to remove the president, cabinet officials and judges in a presidential system.

Executive term limits

Institutional constraints on the length of time a head of state or head of government can serve in office.

Fixed-term election

System in which elections for public officials take place on a regularly announced established date.

Executive bureaucracy

The system of governmental agencies that implement executive regulations and laws written by the legislature.

Question Time

Allows majority members of a legislature to indicate representation of the interest of their constituencies (districts) and allows the opposition party to verbally challenge the majority party governance and policy-making.

Executive cabinet

Top governmental officials in charge of formulating, implementing, and enforcing policy through different methods and bureaucratic agencies.

Commander in chief

Top governmental official in charge of decisions pertaining to the military.

Prime minister

When the leader of the national legislature is also the head of government who is in charge of formulating, implementing, and enforcing policy through different methods and bureaucratic agencies.

Civil Service

Permanent members of bureaucratic agencies who implement laws and governmental regulations.

Unicameral legislative

Structure that consists of one chamber of representatives.

Bicameral legislative

Structure that consists of two chambers of representatives.

Political institutions

Structures of a political system that are responsible for governing.

Rule of law

The principle that a state should be governed by known laws (like a constitution).

Rule by law

Based upon arbitrary decisions made by individual government officials.