Quiz 6: Democratic Regimes

Which of the following is more likely to be a problem in a presidential system than in a parliamentary system? A)weakening of the judiciary over time as a result of conflicts between presidential and legislative authority B)policy disagreement between a legislature and the executive that restricts lawmaking for a long period, even if the executive has become unpopular with the electorate C)policy disagreement between a legislature and the executive that results from a very small party in the legislature denying a law a majority vote D)growth of power in political parties as presidential candidates become more beholden to party loyalists

What is meant by the term liberal democracy? A)democratic system that values equality above all B)democratic system that values personal freedom above all C)democratic system that promotes process, liberty, and minority rights D)democratic system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty

What is meant by the term republicanism? A)a system that emphasizes separation of powers and representation of the public t hrough elected officials B)a system rooted in the ideology of liberalism, with its emphasis on individual rights and freedoms C)a system that emphasizes conservative political values D)a system that values equality among individuals above individual rights

Which of the following statements about the relationship between democratization, modernization theory, and political elites is accurate? A)A core assertion of modernization theory is that a country with political elites will allow democratic institutions to flourish if the country develops enough natural resources to become wealthy. B)According to modernization theory, economic development is important to democratization, but a focus on elites shows that the type of wealth or resources has a big impact on the success of democratization. C)Concentration of economic assets in the hands of a few elites in power ultimately advances democracy because those elites feel secure in their positions and thus allow democratization to flourish. D)Decline of natural resources or economic stagnation typically forces an entrenchment of elites and a reduction of the chances for democratization.

In which of the following ways does a proportional representation (PR) system differ from a single-member district (SMD) system? A)In a PR system, individual candidates win by plurality vote instead of a majority vote. B)Each constituency in a PR system has only one representative. C)In a PR system, votes cast for a candidate or party that does not win are essentially wasted. D)Voters in a PR system are typically more willing to vote for smaller parties.

Which of the following was an effect of the rapid development of many Asian countries in the 1970s on the study of democracy? A)It demonstrated that elites were the driving force behind early democratization. B)It helped to discredit modernization theory. C)It proved that a middle class was essential for democratization. D)It demonstrated that overall poverty is not an impediment to democratization.

The origins of British democracy can be traced back to the A)Magna Carta, 1215. B)Bill of Rights, 1689. C)Patronage Act, 1752. D)Reform Act, 1911.

Which of the following statements about legislative structures is accurate? A)Upper houses of bicameral systems always fulfill a strictly ceremonial role. B)The majority of liberal democracies have bicameral systems. C)Larger countries are more likely to have unicameral systems. D)Smaller countries are more likely to have bicameral systems.

A diverse fabric of organizations created by people, not necessarily political, to help define and advance their own interests is known as A)the oligarchy. B)civil society. C)public networks. D)civic autonomy.

The executive who symbolizes and represents the people is the A)head of government. B)head of state. C)chief executive. D)chancellor.

The executive in charge of dealing with running the state and formulating policy is the A)head of government. B)head of state. C)chief executive. D)chancellor.

Bicameral systems can be traced back to different representation for A)urban and rural groups. B)religious groups. C)regional differences. D)economic classes.

Which of the following statements about bicameralism is accurate? A)Bicameralism is typically linked to unitary states, though not exclusively so. B)Members of lower houses typically serve longer terms than members of upper houses in bicameral systems. C)Bicameral systems were often retained in modern times to restrict the power of popularly elected lower houses of the legislature. D)Lower houses are generally weaker than upper houses in bicameral systems.

In a parliamentary system, the prime minister serves as A)head of state. B)head of government. C)both head of state and head of government. D)neither head of state nor head of government.

In a presidential system, the president typically serves as A)head of state. B)head of government. C)both head of state and head of government. D)neither head of state nor head of government.

Which of the following statements about constitutional courts in the world is accurate? A)Trials have more influence on constitutional interpretation in countries with a fused appellate and constitutional court than those without a fused system. B)In those countries that have it, the right of judicial review is typically implicit (like in the United States). C)All liberal democracies endow the constitutional court with the power of judicial review. D)Almost all constitutional courts in modern democracies ensure lifetime tenure for their judges.

The ability of constitutional courts to strike down legislation even in the absence of a specific court case is known as ________ review. A)concrete B)abstract C)appellate D)activist

Prime ministers can be removed through which mechanism? A)impeachment B)vote of no confidence C)plebiscite D)recall vote

Which of the following statements about semi-presidential systems is accurate? A)Prominent semi-presidential systems typically place most of the power with the prime minister. B)The prime minister is typically the initiator of policy. C)Constitutional courts are often less powerful as a result of appointment by the president. D)Semi-presidential systems have gone out of favor and have decreased in number during the last two decades.

Which of the following accurately describes a component of a mixed electoral system? A)Voters are allowed two votes, one for a candidate and one for a party. B)Voters are allowed two votes, one for a prime minister and the other for a legislative representative. C)Voters participate in a combination of proportional representation and multimember districts. D)Voters are allowed two votes, but split ticket voting is not allowed.

Single-member district systems are A)electoral systems in which a candidate must win an absolute majority of the vote in a district to win the seat. B)electoral systems in which the candidate with the largest share of the vote in a district wins the seat. C)electoral systems in which the percentage of votes a party receives in a district will determine how many seats that party will win. D)two-round systems for electing presidents and prime ministers.

Proportional representation systems can be defined as A)electoral systems in which the candidate with the majority of the vote in a district wins the seat. B)electoral systems in which the candidate with the plurality of the vote in a district wins the seat. C)electoral systems in which the percentage of votes a party receives in a district will determine how many seats that party will win. D)two-round systems for electing presidents and prime ministers.

The electoral system that tends to produce a large number of political parties is A)the single-member district system. B)the single transferable vote. C)the mixed electoral system. D)proportional representation.

In which of the following ways does a parliamentary system differ from a presidential one? A)Prime ministers are directly elected by the people, while presidents must be elected indirectly through an electoral college. B)Election dates are more easily altered in presidential systems than in parliamentary systems. C)Prime ministers must command a majority to stay in office; presidents do not. D)Presidents are more easily removed from office than prime ministers.

Which of the following statements best describes the correlative relationship between the type of executive in a country and the type of electoral system used to elect the legislature? A)Countries that use a single-member district system have presidential executives, while those with prime ministers rely on proportional representation. B)Countries that use a single-member district system have prime ministers, while presidential systems rely on proportional representation. C)There is no correlation between type of executive and the kind of electoral system used to elect the legislature. D)Semi-presidential systems use proportional representation to elect both the president and the legislature.

A national vote initiated by the government on a particular policy issue is commonly know as a A)plebiscite. B)referendum. C)ballot initiative. D)mass ballot.

Which of the following statements about referenda and initiatives is accurate? A)National referenda in the United States and Canada are largely used for taxation and economic policy matters. B)Constitutional reform is not subject to reform by referenda because of the ease with which most referenda are passed. C)Formal power to call national referenda lies with the head of state in many European countries. D)Referenda in the United States are more often used at the national level than at the local or state level.

Civil rights typically refers to the promotion of A)equality. B)freedom. C)civic duties. D)republicanism.

A political scientist notes that in a particular voting district, an elected representative has formed an especially close bond with her constituents, and that during her past term she even voted against the will of her party in order to better represent the people in her district.This political scientist would most likely use this observed relationship to argue that A)single-member district systems are more representative than proportional representation systems. B)mixed electoral systems are more representative than single-member district systems. C)parliamentary systems are more representative than presidential. D)more referenda and initiatives are needed to allow for greater participation by voters in the policy-making process.

The idea of legal institutions to which everyone is subject is known as A)the reign of democracy. B)the rule of law. C)majority rule. D)the consent of the governed.

What are the most important differences between a single-member district system and a proportional representation system? Which is more democratic? Which is more efficient?

Should democracies rely more on initiatives or referenda to decide policy, or are forms of indirect democracy better? Why or why not?

Describe the role of economic modernization and political elites in theorizing about the emergence of democracy.Why are overall levels of wealth not enough to predict whether a country will opt for democratic reforms?

Describe the benefits that political parties bring to a democracy.How might the structure of political parties differ between proportional representation systems and single-member district systems?

Is a presidential system more democratic than a parliamentary system? Why or why not?