Key Terms
Populism
Emotional appeals to the masses framing elites as the enemy; promises ordinary people a political voice
Formal powers
Powers granted by constitution or statute
Informal powers
Powers from tradition, custom, or inherent in the office
Result
Once the prime minister and cabinet agree on a course of action, passage is virtually guaranteed. The unified nature of
Contrast with presidential regimes
Presidents set the agenda early but lose control once legislation enters the legislature. Prime ministers are strong lat
Confidence vote (also called no-confidence vote)
A parliamentary mechanism to remove a prime minister when members of parliament no longer support the government.
Common assumption
Parliamentary regimes are unstable because elections happen frequently.
Reality
Stability in this context means stability of the SYSTEM, not of any particular government. Frequent elections reflect el
Gridlock
Stalemate preventing passage of major legislation
Polarization note
Dodd and Schraufnagel found a curvilinear relationship between polarization and legislative productivity. Very high pola
Plurality voting (first-past-the-post)
Winner takes all; smaller parties can't gain footing 2. Single-member districts: one winner per district eliminates prop
Cabinet
The formal group of advisors to the chief executive; each member oversees a specific department or ministry
Kitchen cabinet
Informal circle of trusted advisors outside the official cabinet
Bureaucracy
Hierarchical institution formulating, enacting, and enforcing public policy efficiently and equitably
Three policy stages
Formation, implementation, enforcement