Comparative Politics Midterm 2

Presidential systems have a president who is both head of state and head of government, elected separately from the legislature. Parliamentary systems have a prime minister selected by the legislature, who is the head of government, with a separate head of state (e.g., monarch).

Electoral systems have four key features: electoral formula (how votes are translated into seats), ballot structure (how votes are cast), district magnitude (number of representatives per district), and electoral threshold (minimum vote share needed to win a seat).

A type of electoral system where parties present lists of candidates, and voters choose a party. Seats are allocated to parties in proportion to their vote share.

Closed-list PR: voters choose a party list but don't directly choose individual candidates. Open-list PR: voters can choose specific candidates from a party list.

Majoritarian systems favor a single winner (e.g., First Past the Post – FPTP), while proportional systems allocate seats in proportion to vote share.

Political scientists classify party systems based on the number and strength of political parties (e.g., one-party, two-party, multi-party systems).

Duverger's Law suggests that majoritarian electoral rules tend to produce two-party systems, while proportional rules encourage multi-party systems.

There are different types, but 3 main types of gender quotas that are commonly discussed: reserved seats, party list quotas, and candidate quotas.

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a single-member district wins, regardless of whether they have a majority.

Plurality means having more votes than any other candidate, but not necessarily a majority. A majority means more than 50% of the votes.

A situation in a semi-presidential system where the president and prime minister are from different parties, leading to potential political tension.

The minimum vote share a party needs to win at least one seat in a proportional representation system, due to the distribution of seats.

Having a legislature with two chambers, often with different powers and composition.

A sudden and illegal seizure of power, typically by force, often by the military, overturning the existing government.

Presidential systems have a president who is both head of state and head of government, elected separately from the legislature. Parliamentary systems have a prime minister selected by the legislature, who is the head of government, with a separate head of state (e.g., monarch).

Federalism is a system of government where power is divided between a central and regional level, allowing for both national and regional governance. It can be useful for managing diversity, promoting regional autonomy, and providing checks and balances on power.