FINAL STUDY GUIDE Flashcards
(72 cards)
What is vertical accountability?
The relationship from government to the people, how citizens hold leaders accountable through mechanisms like elections, public protest, and media scrutiny.
Key characteristics include citizens choosing leaders through elections and allowing for direct consent of the governed.
What is horizontal accountability?
The checks and balances between different branches or institutions of government, preventing one person or institution from taking complete control of the state.
Key characteristics include institutional consent and examples like judicial oversight and legislative checks.
In which type of democracy is vertical accountability emphasized?
Majoritarian democracies such as the UK, France, Ghana, and Uruguay.
These systems have strong electoral connections and clear majority rule.
What is a majoritarian democracy?
A system where the majority rules and power is concentrated in a single party or coalition, emphasizing efficiency and responsiveness to voters.
Examples include the United Kingdom, Ghana, France, and Uruguay.
What are the key features of a majoritarian democracy?
- Power is centralized, often in the hands of the ruling party
- Fewer checks and balances
- Faster decision-making and policy changes
- May overlook minority groups or dissenting views
What is a consensus democracy?
A democratic system with multiparty executives in a coalition government, executive–legislative balance, and rigid constitutions that are not easily amended.
Examples include Switzerland, Belgium, and Costa Rica.
What are the characteristics of a parliamentary system?
- The Prime Minister is chosen by parliament
- Parliament is the dominating institution
- Vote of ‘no confidence’ can trigger early elections
- Head of state may be a monarch with symbolic powers
What is the main power holder in a parliamentary system?
The Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister is chosen by the party that wins the election and the parliament.
What is a presidential system?
A democracy where the people vote directly for the president, who serves as both head of state and head of government.
Examples include the United States, Brazil, and Mexico.
What are the key features of a presidential system?
- The President is elected directly by the people
- Clear separation between executive and legislature
- Fixed term for the President
- Independent branches that can check each other’s power
How do historical patterns influence the development of parliamentary vs. presidential democracies?
- Countries from monarchies often became parliamentary systems
- Countries created after breaking from monarchies often became presidential systems
What is code law?
A system based on a written legal code where judges apply the law exactly as it’s written, without regard to past court decisions.
Common in most of Europe and Latin America.
What is common law?
A system based on past court decisions (precedent), where judges look at previous cases to help decide new ones.
Common in the United States and former British colonies.
What is a federal system?
A system that shares power between a national government and regional governments, allowing states or provinces to make some of their own laws.
Examples include the United States, Germany, and Brazil.
What is a unitary system?
A system where almost all power is held by the national government, with local governments existing mainly to carry out national policies.
Common in countries like France and Japan.
Fill in the blank: In a majoritarian democracy, power is concentrated in the _______.
majority.
True or False: In a parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is directly elected by the people.
False.
Fill in the blank: A _______ system gives almost all power to the national government.
unitary.
What is the mnemonic tip to remember vertical accountability?
Vertical = Voters — power flows upward from the people.
What is the mnemonic tip to remember horizontal accountability?
Horizontal = House vs. Senate vs. President — power spread across institutions.
What is a democracy?
A system where power is shifted from monarchs to elected leaders.
How do elections work in democracies?
Elections aren’t always on a fixed schedule; votes of no confidence can trigger early elections.
What is the main feature of countries that broke away from monarchies?
They often became presidential democracies with a clear separation of powers and direct elections.
What is Code Law?
Based on written legal codes where judges follow the law exactly as written.
