Comparitive Govt. 01/15/09

• Unitary System- A system of govt that places most political power at National Level. It results in little power elsewhere.
• National Govt is responsible for things such as policy making. However the Nat Govt can use devulution, which allows Nat Govt to devolve certain powers to smaller, local govts, but they can also be taken back.
• How is Executive Branch organized? 2 distinct roles.
• First: Head of State- symbolizes and represents people nationally and represents the goals of the regime
• Second: Head of Government- Deals with everyday issues, such as bills, policymaking, etc.
• Head of State is usually occupied by a symbolic ruler, such as a king or queen, while Head of Government is usually taken by someone like a Prime Minister
• In the US, however, the President takes responsibility of both roles
• Presidential Systems- Directly elected President that controls both roles
• Parliamentary System- Prime Minister is head of Legislature (Legislature votes for the Prime Minister as opposed to the nation's citizens)
• A Vote of Confidence can be used to remove a PM from office if he proves to be unpopular (PM's dont have fixed terms, so this and stepping down from office are the only ways to accquire a new PM), however it dissolves the rest of Parliament with it, so it hasn't been used very often.
• Critics disapprove this system because it lacks a separation of branches (makes it very dangerous to have that much power all in one branch of govt).
• Supporters of the Presidential system approve of having fixed terms, they can't be removed easily by the legislative branch, they approve the 1 person for both roles idea, citizen elections, and they feel the system feels "more democratic"
• Critics of the Presidential System argue that both the roles in one man gives him too much power and that it could be a threat to democracy, that it's too difficult to remove a president, and that the divided govt takes too long to pass any bills.
• Some countries, including Russia, have tried to incorporate the best of both systems into their own govts.
• Legislatures are charged with making laws. But the problem is the decision to use one House or two...
• The Bicameral system started out as a representation of social status: House of Lords & House of Commons
• Since the establishment of Bicameral houses, aristocracy has declined in the system, as they were eventually stripped of their influence. In 1999, the U.K removed most of the influence from their own House of Lords.

And thats pretty much all we really went over today... Be there to pick up on 1 House Systems tommorow! I think... That'd make sense anyway...