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Questions and Answers
What is a significant aspect of 'new constitutionalism'?
What is a significant aspect of 'new constitutionalism'?
What role does constitutional review typically have in a government?
What role does constitutional review typically have in a government?
Which institution typically holds the power of constitutional review?
Which institution typically holds the power of constitutional review?
What is an example of a constitutional principle highlighted in the content?
What is an example of a constitutional principle highlighted in the content?
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What is primarily influenced in shaping governing coalitions within parliamentary democracies?
What is primarily influenced in shaping governing coalitions within parliamentary democracies?
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What does Berman suggest about the relationship between NGO activity and protests?
What does Berman suggest about the relationship between NGO activity and protests?
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How is corruption broadly defined in the context provided?
How is corruption broadly defined in the context provided?
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What does the Insider-Outsider theory explain about voter tolerance towards corruption?
What does the Insider-Outsider theory explain about voter tolerance towards corruption?
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What effect does large-scale corruption have on political systems?
What effect does large-scale corruption have on political systems?
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According to survey data from Latinobarómetro and Afrobarometer, how do citizens generally feel about corruption?
According to survey data from Latinobarómetro and Afrobarometer, how do citizens generally feel about corruption?
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What is a key characteristic of unconventional political participation?
What is a key characteristic of unconventional political participation?
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Which protest in Bolivia was associated with the demand for indigenous land rights?
Which protest in Bolivia was associated with the demand for indigenous land rights?
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What do protests in democratic contexts often seek to achieve when traditional institutions fail?
What do protests in democratic contexts often seek to achieve when traditional institutions fail?
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According to Sheri Berman, why might high levels of political participation destabilize new democracies?
According to Sheri Berman, why might high levels of political participation destabilize new democracies?
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What was one outcome of the 2019 protests in Chile?
What was one outcome of the 2019 protests in Chile?
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What is meant by 'common knowledge' in the context of collective action theory?
What is meant by 'common knowledge' in the context of collective action theory?
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Which protest in Brazil was associated with a corruption scandal?
Which protest in Brazil was associated with a corruption scandal?
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How does Berman suggest protest and voting interact in terms of political engagement?
How does Berman suggest protest and voting interact in terms of political engagement?
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What is a defining characteristic of parliamentary democracies?
What is a defining characteristic of parliamentary democracies?
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What happens if a government in a parliamentary democracy fails a vote of no confidence?
What happens if a government in a parliamentary democracy fails a vote of no confidence?
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How is a new government formed in a parliamentary system?
How is a new government formed in a parliamentary system?
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What is the relationship between the prime minister and the ruling party in a parliamentary democracy?
What is the relationship between the prime minister and the ruling party in a parliamentary democracy?
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What occurs when no single party achieves a majority in parliamentary elections?
What occurs when no single party achieves a majority in parliamentary elections?
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In a coalition government, how are cabinet positions typically allocated?
In a coalition government, how are cabinet positions typically allocated?
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What distinguishes parliamentary democracies from presidential democracies regarding electoral terms?
What distinguishes parliamentary democracies from presidential democracies regarding electoral terms?
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What characteristic is often seen in coalition governments formed in parliamentary systems?
What characteristic is often seen in coalition governments formed in parliamentary systems?
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What is the primary difference in the separation of church and state between France and the US?
What is the primary difference in the separation of church and state between France and the US?
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What does a posteriori constitutional review entail in the US?
What does a posteriori constitutional review entail in the US?
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According to the integrated framework of representation, which aspect is NOT interconnected with descriptive representation?
According to the integrated framework of representation, which aspect is NOT interconnected with descriptive representation?
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What does the policy argument for descriptive representation suggest?
What does the policy argument for descriptive representation suggest?
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What is a result of the historical mistrust between minority and majority groups, as per the sources?
What is a result of the historical mistrust between minority and majority groups, as per the sources?
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What do the principles of laïcité in France entail regarding public schools?
What do the principles of laïcité in France entail regarding public schools?
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Which group would argue against the need for descriptive representation?
Which group would argue against the need for descriptive representation?
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What can be a consequence of increasing descriptive representation?
What can be a consequence of increasing descriptive representation?
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Study Notes
Parliamentary Democracies
- Political scientists categorize democracies by the relationship between the legislative and executive branches.
- In parliamentary democracies, the government (prime minister and cabinet) relies on legislative majority support to remain in power.
- The prime minister heads the government.
- The cabinet oversees government departments.
- Legislative responsibility is key, allowing the legislature to remove the government via a vote of no confidence.
- No specific reason is needed for a vote of no confidence.
- If the government loses a vote of no confidence, it must resign.
- Parliamentary democracies lack fixed electoral terms.
- Governments can dissolve at any time, and new governments can be formed.
Government Formation
- Parliamentary elections determine the legislature's composition.
- Governments emerge from the legislature following elections or inter-election resignations.
- Governments can be single-party or coalitions dependent on whether a single party holds a majority.
- Single-party governments: Prime ministers lead the ruling party, chosen by internal party procedures. Prime ministers have significant power in appointing cabinet members.
- Coalition governments: When no single party holds a majority, multiple parties negotiate to determine the prime minister and cabinet composition. Usually, the largest party's leader becomes prime minister. Coalition governments often have similar ideologies.
Electoral Systems and Majoritarian Rules
- In parliamentary democracies, it's common for no single party to win a legislative majority, leading to multi-party systems.
- The process of forming a government often involves creating a minimum winning coalition (MWC).
- Gamson's Law (Proportionality Norm): In office-seeking environments, larger parties typically get a larger share of cabinet positions in coalition governments
- Ideology also plays a role in government formation.
- Minority Governments: Governing parties don't hold a majority, but instead operate with implied support from the opposition.
- Surplus Majority Governments: Governments have more parties than necessary to achieve a majority, usually present during times of crisis.
- Different types of party system configurations exist
- Minimal Winning Coalition (MWC)
- Minority Governments
- Surplus Majority Governments
Proportional Electoral Systems
- Allocate seats in proportion to the votes a party receives.
- Multiple seats per district.
- Smaller parties can gain representation.
- Fragmented and coalition governments may result.
- Electoral Threshold: Minimum percentage of votes needed to win seats.
- High thresholds can reduce proportionality.
- Low thresholds increase proportionality but can lead to many smaller parties.
- Types of ballot structures:
- Closed List: Voters choose a party, and party leaders determine candidate order. Strengthens party loyalty.
- Open List: Voters influence the order of candidates. Can increase intra-party competition.
- Potential impact of proportional systems in the US: Reduced dominance by large parties, less gerrymandering, higher voter turnout.
- Potential drawbacks: Less stable coalition governments.
Mixed Electoral Systems and Gender Quotas
- Mixed electoral systems combine elements of majoritarian and proportional systems.
- Voters elect representatives using two separate races: one majoritarian race (single-member), and one proportional race (multi-member).
Gender Quotas
- Gender quotas are affirmative action.
- Aim to increase women's representation.
- Two categories:
- Candidate quotas: Parties include a set percentage of women candidates.
- Reserved seat quotas: A percentage of legislative seats are reserved for women.
- Reserved quotas often mandate the composition of the legislature in terms of female representation. Some countries have high percentages of women in their lower houses due to reserved seats.
Political Parties
- Parties are essential for modern representative democracies.
- They create representative linkages for voters.
- They shape the policy-making process for political elites.
Constitutional Review
- Constitutional review is the concept of a body, usually a court, being able to invalidate laws in violation of the constitution.
- A specific example of importance of constitutional review: the separation of church and state.
- Different Countries have varying degrees of separation of church and state.
Veto Inequality
- Inequality expressed by the Gini coefficient (0-100).
- The US has numerous veto players (President, House, Senate, federalism).
- This limits the speed at which policy changes can be implemented.
- Having more veto players can decrease political responsiveness.
Contentious Politics
- Unconventional political participation occurs outside established institutions.
- Protests are a common form of unconventional participation.
- Protests can range from peaceful demonstrations to violence.
- Contentious politics, such as protests, often occur when traditional channels fail to address issues that concern citizens.
- Latin America has seen large numbers of protests.
Corruption
- Corruption is broadly used as the definition of the use of public power for personal gain.
- Examples include bribery.
- Large scale corruption can negatively impact economic and social development, undermining the government's legitimacy.
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Description
Explore the fundamentals of parliamentary democracies, focusing on the relationship between the legislative and executive branches. Understand the role of the prime minister, cabinet, and the process of government formation and dissolution. This quiz covers essential aspects such as legislative responsibility and the vote of no confidence.
