| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| cabinet | A group of senior government officials appointed by the chief executive to oversee specific departments and advise on policy. |
| head of government | The chief executive responsible for leading the government, overseeing the bureaucracy, and implementing policy. |
| head of state | The formal representative of a country, often serving ceremonial functions and embodying national sovereignty. |
| impeachment | A formal process by which a legislature can remove a government official from office for misconduct or violation of law. |
| national legislature | The primary lawmaking body of a country, responsible for creating and passing legislation. |
| parliamentary systems | A system of government where the executive branch is drawn from and accountable to the legislative branch (parliament). |
| presidential systems | A system of government where the executive and legislative branches are separate and independently elected. |
| prime minister | The head of government in parliamentary or mixed systems, typically leading the executive branch and overseeing the bureaucracy. |
| semi-presidential systems | A system of government that combines elements of both parliamentary and presidential systems, with both a president and a prime minister. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| cabinet ministers | Senior government officials who head executive departments and advise the head of government. |
| censure | A formal expression of disapproval by a legislative body toward a cabinet minister or executive official. |
| checks on the executive branch | Powers and mechanisms that allow other branches of government to limit or constrain executive authority. |
| divided branch powers | The separation of governmental authority among distinct branches, such as executive and legislative branches. |
| executive proposed legislation | Laws or bills introduced by the executive branch for consideration and passage by the legislature. |
| institutional relations | The formal interactions and relationships between different branches or institutions of government. |
| parliamentary systems | A system of government where the executive branch is drawn from and accountable to the legislative branch (parliament). |
| presidential systems | A system of government where the executive and legislative branches are separate and independently elected. |
| question the executive | A parliamentary procedure allowing legislators to formally interrogate and challenge government officials about their policies and decisions. |
| semi-presidential systems | A system of government that combines elements of both parliamentary and presidential systems, with both a president and a prime minister. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| cabinet | A group of senior government officials appointed by the chief executive to oversee specific departments and advise on policy. |
| chief executive | The head of the executive branch responsible for implementing and enforcing government policy. |
| civil service | The system of government employees and bureaucratic agencies responsible for administering government functions. |
| commander in chief | The supreme military authority responsible for commanding the armed forces. |
| domestic legislation | Laws and policies enacted by a government affecting its own citizens and internal affairs. |
| Duma | Russia's elected lower chamber that passes legislation and confirms the prime minister. |
| executive institutions | Government bodies, including chief executives and cabinets, responsible for formulating, implementing, and enforcing policy. |
| Expediency Council | In Iran, an advisory committee selected by the Supreme Leader to resolve disputes between the Majles and the Guardian Council. |
| foreign policy | A government's strategy and actions in its relations with other countries. |
| General Secretary | The leader of a communist or socialist political party, holding significant executive authority. |
| Guardian Council | An Iranian supervisory body that ensures legislative actions are compatible with Islam and Sharia law. |
| head of government | The chief executive responsible for leading the government, overseeing the bureaucracy, and implementing policy. |
| head of state | The formal representative of a country, often serving ceremonial functions and embodying national sovereignty. |
| House of Commons | The elected lower chamber of the United Kingdom's Parliament that approves legislation and the prime minister. |
| National People's Congress | China's unicameral legislative body that elects the president, approves the premier, and legitimizes executive policies. |
| premier | A chief minister or head of government in certain political systems. |
| prime minister | The head of government in parliamentary or mixed systems, typically leading the executive branch and overseeing the bureaucracy. |
| Supreme Leader | The highest-ranking political and religious authority in Iran's government system. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| accountability | The responsibility of government officials to answer for their actions and decisions to the public and other governmental institutions. |
| dictators | Authoritarian leaders who hold absolute power and rule without constitutional limitations or democratic accountability. |
| executive leadership | The head of government and their administration responsible for implementing and enforcing laws and policies in a country. |
| executive power | The authority vested in the executive branch to enforce laws, make administrative decisions, and direct government operations. |
| executive term limits | Constitutional or legal restrictions on the number of consecutive or total terms an executive leader can serve in office. |
| lame-duck period | A period during which an officeholder, knowing they cannot run for reelection, has reduced political influence and ability to implement new policies. |
| personality rule | A system of governance where power is concentrated in and dependent on the personal authority and characteristics of an individual leader rather than institutional structures. |
| policy continuity | The maintenance and consistent implementation of established government policies and programs over time. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| abuse of power | The improper or illegal use of executive authority that can justify the removal of executive leadership. |
| executive leaders | The heads of government or state who hold executive power and can be subject to removal procedures. |
| legislative branch | The branch of government responsible for making laws and possessing the power to remove executive leaders through established procedures. |
| removal procedures | The formal processes and mechanisms by which institutions, particularly the legislative branch, can remove executive leadership from office. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| bicameral | A legislative system consisting of two separate chambers or houses. |
| Chamber of Deputies | Mexico's elected lower house of Congress that approves legislation, levies taxes, and verifies election outcomes. |
| confirmation powers | The legislative authority to approve or reject executive appointments and nominees. |
| congressional-presidential system | A system of government in which the legislature and executive are separate branches with distinct powers and responsibilities. |
| Duma | Russia's elected lower chamber that passes legislation and confirms the prime minister. |
| Federation Council | Russia's appointed upper chamber that approves budget legislation, treaties, judicial nominees, and troop deployment. |
| Guardian Council | An Iranian supervisory body that ensures legislative actions are compatible with Islam and Sharia law. |
| House of Commons | The elected lower chamber of the United Kingdom's Parliament that approves legislation and the prime minister. |
| House of Lords | The appointed upper chamber of the United Kingdom's Parliament that reviews and amends bills from the Commons as a power check. |
| House of Representatives | Nigeria's elected lower chamber of Congress that holds the power to approve legislation. |
| impeachment | A formal process by which a legislature can remove a government official from office for misconduct or violation of law. |
| legislative functions | The powers and responsibilities of a legislative body, such as approving legislation, confirming appointments, and overseeing budgets. |
| legislative structures | The organizational framework and composition of a country's legislative body, including whether it is unicameral or bicameral. |
| Majles | Iran's elected unicameral legislative body that approves legislation, oversees the budget, and confirms presidential Cabinet nominees. |
| National People's Congress | China's unicameral legislative body that elects the president, approves the premier, and legitimizes executive policies. |
| parliamentary system | A system of government in which the executive branch is accountable to and derives its authority from the legislative branch. |
| parliamentary-hybrid system | A system of government that combines elements of both parliamentary and presidential systems. |
| party-controlled system | A legislative system in which a single political party exercises dominant control over the legislative process and institutions. |
| Senate | An upper legislative chamber; in Mexico, it confirms Supreme Court appointments, approves treaties, and approves federal intervention in state matters. |
| Sharia law | Islamic law derived from the Quran and Islamic tradition that governs religious and civil matters. |
| theocracy | A form of government in which religious authority and political authority are unified, with religious law serving as the basis for governance. |
| unicameral | A legislative system consisting of a single chamber or house. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| civil rights | Fundamental freedoms and protections from government interference, such as freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly. |
| Expediency Council | In Iran, an advisory committee selected by the Supreme Leader to resolve disputes between the Majles and the Guardian Council. |
| Guardian Council | An Iranian supervisory body that ensures legislative actions are compatible with Islam and Sharia law. |
| legislative independence | The degree to which a legislature can exercise its powers without undue constraint or control from other governmental institutions. |
| legislative powers | The authority and responsibilities of a legislature to create, amend, and repeal laws. |
| Majles | Iran's elected unicameral legislative body that approves legislation, oversees the budget, and confirms presidential Cabinet nominees. |
| Politburo Standing Committee | In China, the highest decision-making body of the Communist Party that serves as the actual center of state power. |
| political legitimacy | The acceptance and recognition by citizens that a government has the right to exercise authority and make binding decisions. |
| Standing Committee of the National People's Congress | In China, the body that assumes legislative duties when the National People's Congress is not in session, sets the legislative agenda, and interprets the Constitution and laws. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| civil rights | Fundamental freedoms and protections from government interference, such as freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly. |
| common law | A legal system based on court decisions and precedents rather than written statutes, used in the United Kingdom and other countries. |
| court of appeals | A court that reviews decisions made by lower courts to determine if legal errors occurred. |
| devolution disputes | Legal conflicts concerning the transfer of powers from a central government to regional or local governments. |
| federalism | A system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional or state governments. |
| Guardian Council | An Iranian supervisory body that ensures legislative actions are compatible with Islam and Sharia law. |
| human rights | Fundamental rights and freedoms that all people are entitled to, protected by courts and legal systems. |
| Islamic Sharia law | A legal system based on Islamic religious principles and teachings that governs civil and criminal matters in some countries. |
| judicial appointments | The process by which judges are selected and appointed to serve in the judicial system. |
| judicial review | The power of courts to examine laws and government actions to determine if they are constitutional. |
| judiciary | The system of courts and judges in a country that interprets and applies laws and resolves disputes. |
| rule by law | A system in which the state uses laws as a tool to reinforce its own authority, typically associated with authoritarian regimes. |
| rule of law | The principle that all individuals and institutions, including the government, are subject to and accountable to the law. |
| Supreme Court | The highest court in a country's judicial system that serves as the final authority on legal matters. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| checks and balances | A system where different branches of government have the power to limit or oversee each other's actions. |
| independent judiciary | A court system that operates free from political interference and can enforce laws and protect civil rights impartially. |
| judicial authority | The power of courts to make decisions and enforce them, including the ability to overturn actions by other branches of government. |
| judicial independence | The degree to which courts can make decisions without interference from other branches of government. |
| judicial removal | The formal processes and procedures by which judges can be removed from their positions. |
| judicial tenure | The length and terms of service for judges in their positions. |
| rule of law | The principle that all individuals and institutions, including the government, are subject to and accountable to the law. |
| separation of powers | The division of government authority among distinct branches—typically executive, legislative, and judicial—to prevent concentration of power. |