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POL 100 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE COMPLETE SOLUTION Simon Fraser University
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POL 100 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE COMPLETE SOLUTION Simon Fraser University
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POL 100 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE COMPLETESOLUTION Simon Fraser University
Presidential System - A system of governing in which the president and Congress each separately derive
their authority from being elected by the people and have a fixed term of office
Congress - The legislative branch of American government consisting of a house of representatives and
the Senate
Separation of Powers - The basic feature of presidential systems in which the executive, legislative, and
judicial branches of government are separate from each other, with each having different personnel and
different bases of authority
Checks and Balances - Basic principles American presidential system in which each of the three branches
of government is able to check the actions of the others so that no individual or institutions become too
powerful
Impeachment - A process by which a president and the public officials can be removed from office after
being accused of criminal behavior and convicted by a legislative body
House Of Representatives - The lower chamber of the American Congress, elected for two years term
from districts of approximately equal population size
Senate (United States) - The upper chamber of congress. Two senators are elected by voters in each
state for a six-year term
,Presidential Veto - The ability of the president to prevent the passage of a bill. The president of the
United States has the authority to veto laws passed by Congress, although this veto can be overridden
by a two-thirds majority in each body of Congress.
Political Gridlock - A situation where necessary legislation is unable to be passed particularly because of
the tension between the president and one or both chambers of Congress controlled by an opposing
political party.
Semi-presidential system - A system of governing in which an elected president with a fixed term of
office shares executive power with a prime minister and Cabinet who are collectively responsible to an
elected legislature
Cohabitation - The sharing of power between the French president and prime minister that occurs when
the assembly is controlled by. the party opposed to the president
Universal suffrage - The right of all adults citizens to vote regardless of such characteristics as gender,
ethnicity, wealth, or education
Gerrymandering - The manipulation of the division of the country into electoral districts so as to benefit
a particular party
Electoral system - The system used to translate the votes that people cast into the composition of the
legislature and the selection of the government
Single member plurality system - An electoral system in which voters in each electoral district elect a
single representative to the legislature. The candidate with the most votes is elected, even if that
candidate did not receive the majority of votes
Electoral College - A body that elects the president of the US. Members of the electoral college from
each state are expected to vote for the presidential candidate has won the most votes in their state
, Runoff election - An election held if no candidate receives a majority of votes; generally, only the top
two candidates appear on the ballot to ensure that the winning candidate has a majority of the votes
cast
Preferential Ballot - An electoral system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no
candidate has a majority of first preferences, the candidate with the least votes is dropped, and the
second preferences of those who voted for that candidate are added to the votes of other candidates.
This process continues until one candidate has a majority.
proportional representation - an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the
number of votes cast for them.
Coalition Government - A form of government in which two or more parties jointly govern, sharing the
Cabinet positions
Mixed Member Proportional - An electoral system in which some legislators are elected to represent
particular electoral districts based on gaining the most votes in that district while others are elected
based on the popular vote received by their party
Single Transferrable Vote - An electoral system in which voters rank order their preferences for
candidates in a multimember electoral district. Candidates who receive a certain proportion of the vote
are declared elected. The second preference of a voter that is surplus to what that winning candidate
needs is then transferred to that voter's second preference candidate. The process is continued until all
seats in the district are filled.
party identification - long-term voter attachment to a given party
Valence Issues - Issues on which the contending parties differ as to which party is most competent to
deal with a problem rather than clearly taking different positions as to what should be done.
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