AP Comparative and Politics Curriculum: Unit 2 Political Institutions

Flashcards covering key concepts and terms related to political institutions, executive leadership, legislative structures, and judiciaries in comparative government and politics, based on AP Comparative Government and Politics curriculum notes.

Parliamentary Systems

Government systems, such as the United Kingdom, that combine lawmaking and executive functions, allowing the national legislature to select and remove the head of government and cabinet.

Presidential Systems

Government systems, such as Mexico and Nigeria, characterized by a cabinet mostly responsible to an elected executive, legislatures that confirm cabinet members and can remove them through impeachment, and separate fixed-term popular elections for the legislature and a top executive who is both head of state and head of government.

Semi-presidential Systems

Government systems, such as Russia, that feature separate popular elections for the president and the national legislature, allowing the president to nominate a prime minister (confirmed by the legislature) and holding cabinet members accountable by both the president and legislature.

Prime Minister

The head of government in parliamentary and semi-presidential systems, typically leading the cabinet and responsible for policy formulation and implementation.

Executive Bureaucracy

The system of government departments and agencies that implement and enforce laws and policies on a day-to-day basis.

Question Time

A regular session in the UK House of Commons where members can question the prime minister and other cabinet members about governmental policies and their implementation.

Fixed-Term Election System

An electoral system, formerly used in the UK for the House of Commons, where elections occur at regular, predetermined intervals, though exceptions for snap elections with supermajority support were sometimes included.

Cabinets

Groups of high-ranking state officials, typically comprising the top leaders of the executive branch, who advise the head of government and coordinate government departments.

Commander-in-Chief

The supreme commander of a country's armed forces, often held by the head of state or head of government.

Civil Service

A body of government officials who are employed in civil occupations that are neither political nor judicial, responsible for the impartial implementation of laws and policies.

Head of State

The ceremonial or symbolic leader of a country, representing its unity and legitimacy (e.g., the UK Monarch, Iran's Supreme Leader, Mexico's President).

Head of Government

The political leader responsible for governing, including policy formulation, implementation, and administration (e.g., the UK Prime Minister, Iran's President, Mexico's President).

Impeachment

A formal process by which a legislative body levels charges against a high government official, potentially leading to their removal from office (e.g., in presidential systems like Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia).

Unicameral Legislature

A legislative body consisting of a single chamber or house (e.g., China's National People's Congress, Iran's Majles).

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body composed of two chambers or houses (e.g., Mexico's Chamber of Deputies and Senate, the UK's House of Commons and House of Lords).

Parliamentary-Hybrid System

A system that combines elements of both parliamentary and presidential systems, often referring to semi-presidential systems like Russia where there are distinct roles for a president and prime minister.

Vote of No Confidence

A parliamentary motion that, if passed by the legislature, indicates that the legislature no longer has confidence in the executive government, often leading to the resignation of the prime minister and cabinet or new elections (e.g., in the UK).

Vote of Confidence

A parliamentary motion initiated by the government to confirm the legislature's support for its policies or leadership, with failure implying a loss of legitimacy and potentially leading to the government's collapse or resignation.

Legislative Independence

The extent to which a legislature can act autonomously and make decisions without being unduly constrained or controlled by other governmental institutions or external pressures.

Judicial Appointments

The process by which judges and other judicial officials are selected and placed into their positions within the legal system, which varies across countries in terms of who nominates and approves.

Rule of Law

A principle that all individuals and institutions, including the government, are accountable to and bound by the law, administered impartially (e.g., the UK).

Rule by Law

A system where the government uses the law as an instrument to maintain and legitimize its power and control, often without itself being fully accountable to the law's principles (e.g., China, Iran).

Judicial Review

The power of courts to determine whether a law or government action is constitutional and to strike down those found to be in violation of the constitution (e.g., Nigeria, Mexico, the UK Supreme Court).

Sexenio

The six-year term limit for the Mexican president, established to prevent the emergence of dictators and limit executive power.