AP Comp Gov Unit 4 Vocab

Legislative branch - part of government responsible for writing laws and major policies

Executive branch - part of government responsible for implementing laws through the government’s bureaucracy

Judicial branch - part of government responsible for hearing cases and applying and interpreting laws

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 chief executive who formulates, implements, and enforces policies through the cabinet and different agencies

Parliamentary systems - combine the lawmaking and executive functions, which allows the national legislature to select and remove the head of government and cabinet

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

Fixed-term election system - 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

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