Comparing executive and territorial authority

Civics & Economics · Government · ages 16-18

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which rule identifies a parliamentary system?
- The government's tenure depends on parliamentary confidence
- The president's tenure depends on a separate electoral mandate
- The head of state's policy support determines tenure
Which arrangement identifies a presidential system?
- The head of government depends on parliamentary confidence
- The head of state appoints a premier dependent on parliament
- The president leads government on a separate electoral mandate
A country can be both parliamentary and federal.
Circle one: True False
A president and legislature block agreement on a proposed law for years. Both keep their electoral mandates. Which risk does this illustrate?
- Gridlock between the executive and legislature
- Turnover after parliamentary confidence defeats
- Conflict over regional service responsibilities
A constitution protects both national and regional lawmaking powers. Regional powers are not only delegated by national law. Which arrangement fits?
- A confederation centred on member consent
- A federation with protected powers at both levels
- A unitary state with delegated regional powers
Which pair links a benefit of regional policy choice with a risk created by dividing national and regional authority?
- Regional policy trials, with confidence-driven turnover
- Regional policy trials, with executive-legislative gridlock
- Regional policy trials, with disputes over responsibility
Successive leaders encounter the same policy delay under one constitution. What is the best next step in explaining it?
- Compare the shared approval rule with other possible causes
- Compare the leaders' personal styles and set the rules aside
- Treat the recurring delay as evidence of a design defect
A country replaces its head of government three times in two years after parliamentary no-confidence votes. Which arrangement and risk fit?
- Presidential government; executive-legislative gridlock
- Parliamentary rule; repeated leadership turnover
- Federal government; disputes over regional responsibilities

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Comparing executive and territorial authority W1-mt_6itblQG2R6-s1

The government's tenure depends on parliamentary confidence · Continuing legislative confidence defines the parliamentary relationship. The formal appointment procedure can differ between countries.
The president leads government on a separate electoral mandate · A presidential head of government has an electoral mandate separate from the legislature. That mandate does not depend on continuing parliamentary confidence.
True · Parliamentary describes how the government holds office. Federal describes how authority is divided between national and regional governments. The labels can apply together.
Gridlock between the executive and legislature · Both institutions keep their mandates while disagreement blocks action. That is gridlock between the executive and legislature.
A federation with protected powers at both levels · Constitutionally protected authority at both levels identifies federalism. Regional policy-making alone would not distinguish it from a decentralized unitary state.
Regional policy trials, with disputes over responsibility · Regional choice can permit policy trials. Dividing territorial authority can create disputes over responsibility. Confidence-driven turnover and executive-legislative gridlock concern different institutional relationships.
Compare the shared approval rule with other possible causes · The pattern warrants investigating institutional rules. It does not establish the cause without comparison with other explanations.
Parliamentary rule; repeated leadership turnover · The government is replaced after losing parliamentary confidence. Repeated replacements illustrate frequent turnover when support is unstable.