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Questions and Answers
What power does the president have in relation to the legislature?
What power does the president have in relation to the legislature?
- To pass laws without legislative approval
- To dissolve the legislature and call new elections (correct)
- To abolish the legislature
- To appoint members to the legislature
What is the usual reason for the president to dissolve the legislature?
What is the usual reason for the president to dissolve the legislature?
- To obtain or reinforce legislative majorities to the president's liking (correct)
- To gain more power for themselves
- To reduce the power of the prime minister
- To punish the legislature for not cooperating
Who helps the president develop and initiate policy?
Who helps the president develop and initiate policy?
- The president's staff (correct)
- The cabinet
- The prime minister
- The legislature
What is the relationship between the president and the prime minister?
What is the relationship between the president and the prime minister?
How often has the president used their power to dissolve the legislature?
How often has the president used their power to dissolve the legislature?
What is the role of the president's staff?
What is the role of the president's staff?
Who works with the president's staff on policy development?
Who works with the president's staff on policy development?
What is the system of government described in the content?
What is the system of government described in the content?
What is the term used to describe the situation where a French president appoints a prime minister from the opposition party?
What is the term used to describe the situation where a French president appoints a prime minister from the opposition party?
How long are French presidents elected for?
How long are French presidents elected for?
What is the role of the French president in the legislative process?
What is the role of the French president in the legislative process?
Who elects the French president?
Who elects the French president?
What is the significance of the precedent set by de Gaulle in the French political system?
What is the significance of the precedent set by de Gaulle in the French political system?
What is the role of the French president in relation to the armed forces?
What is the role of the French president in relation to the armed forces?
What can the French president do if they disagree with a piece of legislation?
What can the French president do if they disagree with a piece of legislation?
What is the significance of the constitution of the Fifth Republic in relation to the French president?
What is the significance of the constitution of the Fifth Republic in relation to the French president?
What is the minimum number of members from either house of the legislature required to request a constitutional review from the council?
What is the minimum number of members from either house of the legislature required to request a constitutional review from the council?
What type of electoral system does France use for its lower house elections?
What type of electoral system does France use for its lower house elections?
Which of the following is NOT a requirement to be eligible to run for president in France?
Which of the following is NOT a requirement to be eligible to run for president in France?
How many rounds of voting are used in the French presidential elections?
How many rounds of voting are used in the French presidential elections?
What is the primary role of the Constitutional Council in the French political system?
What is the primary role of the Constitutional Council in the French political system?
Which of the following is NOT a body that can request a constitutional review from the council?
Which of the following is NOT a body that can request a constitutional review from the council?
What is the significance of the 12.5 percent threshold in the French legislative elections?
What is the significance of the 12.5 percent threshold in the French legislative elections?
Which of the following countries does the text use as examples of countries with single-member district (SMD) electoral systems?
Which of the following countries does the text use as examples of countries with single-member district (SMD) electoral systems?
What type of system is the legislative-executive system in France?
What type of system is the legislative-executive system in France?
What is the primary judicial body in France?
What is the primary judicial body in France?
Which electoral system is used for the lower house of the French Parliament?
Which electoral system is used for the lower house of the French Parliament?
Who primarily has the authority to select the prime minister in France?
Who primarily has the authority to select the prime minister in France?
Which of the following represents a key feature of France's political structure?
Which of the following represents a key feature of France's political structure?
What must happen for the President's choice of prime minister to take effect?
What must happen for the President's choice of prime minister to take effect?
What is the role of the Conseil d'Etat in the French political system?
What is the role of the Conseil d'Etat in the French political system?
What is the main geographic subunit in the French political system?
What is the main geographic subunit in the French political system?
What is a significant feature of the semi-presidential system in the context of cohabitation?
What is a significant feature of the semi-presidential system in the context of cohabitation?
Which of the following describes the legislative power limit mentioned in the content?
Which of the following describes the legislative power limit mentioned in the content?
What power is granted to the legislature by Article 38 of the constitution?
What power is granted to the legislature by Article 38 of the constitution?
How has the legislature gradually asserted itself since the 1970s?
How has the legislature gradually asserted itself since the 1970s?
What is the structure of the French legislature?
What is the structure of the French legislature?
What does the term 'question time' refer to?
What does the term 'question time' refer to?
Which statement accurately reflects the legislative conditions during cohabitation?
Which statement accurately reflects the legislative conditions during cohabitation?
During which decades was the feature of passing legislation without legislative debate most frequently used?
During which decades was the feature of passing legislation without legislative debate most frequently used?
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Study Notes
French Political System
- The French political system is a semi-presidential system with a unitary division of power.
- The legislature is bicameral, consisting of the Assemblée Nationale (Lower House) and the Sénat (Upper House).
Electoral System
- The electoral system for the lower house is a single-member district system with two rounds of balloting.
- The system encourages more parties and candidates, but the 12.5% threshold for entry into the second round severely limits the number of parties that actually win.
Constitutional Council
- The Constitutional Council (Conseil Constitutionnel) is the chief judicial body responsible for ruling on constitutional matters.
- The Council has the power to act on requests from the government, the president, or at least 60 members of either house of the legislature.
- In recent years, the Council has shown more independence, as seen in its rejection of legislation in 2008.
President's Powers
- The president is the head of state with important political powers, but they are less explicit than those held by their U.S. counterparts.
- The president appoints a prime minister who must be approved by a majority of the lower house of the legislature.
- The president has the power to dissolve the legislature and call new elections, a power that has been employed on five occasions.
- The president also enjoys a powerful staff that helps develop and initiate policy and work with the prime minister and cabinet.
Prime Minister's Powers
- The prime minister assumes a greater degree of power when the president lacks a majority in the legislature, leading to a parliamentary system with a more ceremonial president.
- The prime minister must be approved by a majority of the lower house of the legislature and is responsible for selecting the cabinet.
Legislature's Powers
- The legislature has the power to approve the president's choice of prime minister.
- The legislature can also enable the government to legislate via decrees, known as ordinances, though this power has been used sparingly.
- The legislature has gradually asserted itself more forcefully since the 1970s, conducting a weekly questioning of government ministers.
Local Government
- France has a long history of localism and regionalism, with three levels of local government: region, department, and commune.
- Corsica is a rare exception to this general picture.
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