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74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Significance of Magna Carta
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Limits monarch's powers- make sure they stay within the law.
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What were the two sides of the English Civil War/ who won?
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Royalists and Parliamentarians
Parliamentarians won by funding its own military against the Royal military. |
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Is the UK a presidential or parliamentary system? Explain.
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Parliamentary. The voters select parliament which then can select/oust the PM and cabinet
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Describe British party system
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Two-party system.
Labour and conservatives |
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Is the UK evolving towards a more or less centralized system?
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More because of the devolution of local power and commitment to the EU
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Britain is considered as THE example of gradual, natural modernization. Did other countries follow the same path? Is there anything unique about the British case?
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Other countries have tried but failed or varied. In Britain there was early control of Parliament with little violence and the gradual process towards modernization created a more stable and successful government.
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Name all of postwar prime ministers.
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Tony Blair, John Mayor, Gordon Brown, Clemente Atlee, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Anthony Eden, Harold MacMillian, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, James Callahan, Edward Heath
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Who is presently the main opposition leader in Britain?
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David Cameron
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What is a whip?
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Role in party politics whose primary responsibility is to make sure that entire party votes, and votes with the rest of their party
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What's PMQ?
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Prime Ministers Questions- weekly occurrence when PM stands up to Congress who can ask him anything.
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What are the limits to parliamentary supremacy?
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Low pay and resources- can't initiate, consolidate or split bills, weak committees.
Government controls agenda- less than 5% of time spent on PM bills. |
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Who is considered the "father of modern conservatism?"
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Edmund Burke-against radical change
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What's a by-election. What's it's political significance?
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A by-election is when a seat is open in parliament and a special election must be held. The PM can choose when to hold the election and can wait until his party is doing well to sway the votes.
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What's a safe seat?
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Seat that is likely a particular party will win.
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What do the terms "dry" and "wet" refer to in British political jargon?
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"dry" refers to Tories who share neo-liberal views.
"wet" refers to share traditional views. "wet" their pants because they are scared of change. |
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What is a backbencher?
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A backbencher is an ordinary member of parliament with no executive responsibility.
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How do the US Supreme Court and the new Supreme Court of the UK differ regarding their respective powers to review the constitutionality laws?
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The Supreme Court can review laws and deem them constitutional or not, and the UK new Supreme Court cannot.
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What is the political relevance of the "Glorious Revolution"? What happened and what year did it take place?
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It took place in 1688 when King James II was overthrown and Parliament retained control as the ultimate source of power.
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What does the term devolution mean?
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Central gov't turns some of the power over to the regions.
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Who is the current President of France?
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Nicolas Sarkozy
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Name three presidents of the 5th republic
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Nicolas Sarkozy, Charles de Gaulle and Jaques Chirac
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What was shocking about the 2002 Presidential election?
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In the first round of elections Le Pen from the racict party
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What was the Vichy Government?
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German puppet gov't. Split France those pro and anti.
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Who are France's "enarchs"?
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Those who graduate from elite schools get the top jobs.
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what is "pantouflage"
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The quick transition from serving as a political figure in the "public" sector to retirement in in the "private" sector.
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What is "cumul de mandats?"
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Amassing of political offices.
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How does Rousseau's view of human nature differ from Hobbe's view of mankind in the state of nature?
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Rousseau believe that mankind was selfish and evil by nature and we live in fear and that's how society arises. Hobbe's believed that all humans were happy by nature and society turns them corrupt.
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What was the Dreyfus affair and political significance?
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Dreyfus was accused of spying for the Germans and he was exiled after a fake trial. He was later proven innocent and this split the country in half-those who on his side, and those against.
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What, in the French political context, is meant by "ancien regime"?
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Old Kingdom or Old rule. Time between the 15th and 18th centuries with aristocratic rule.
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Explain the historical origins of the political terms "left" and "right"
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Where the members of parliament traditionally sat according to their party.
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What did Prime Miniter Jules Ferry create with the eponymous laws in 1880s?
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Free and mandatory schooling separate from religion.
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What is meant by the French term and concept "laicite"?
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government and government institutions should not endorse any religious beliefs.
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What is the political significance of Clovis I for France?
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Unified the Frankish nation and converted to Catholocism which became the main religion of France.
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Who was the first person of N. African decent to have hel a top gov't post in France?
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Rachida Dati.
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What do the terms "spetennat" to "quinquennat" refer to in the French political system?
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A president serves between 5-7 years in office.
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Name the neighboring countries of Germany
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Luxembourg, Czech Republic, France, Austria, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark
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Given the country's geographic location, what were the two unhappy historical option/ consequences in the nation?
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Germany was a battleground for alot of its history. Went into a huge recession after WWII and Germany split into east and west.
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What is the historical origin of the welfare state in Germany?
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Social Insurance
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What was teh Republic of Weimar in XX Germany?
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Parliamentary republic established in 1919 to replace the imperialistic gov't- proved to be bad and unstable for the economy.
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What's meant by the stab in the back?
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The false thought that Germany lost in WWII due to the democrats and socialists within the country.
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What is "constructive no-confidence" in the context of German institutions?
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When parliament kicks out current head of gov't and replaces them with someone from majority party.
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What is the "threshold clause" in the German electoral system?
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Party must receive a minimum number of votes in order to get any seats in parliament
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Who is currently in power in Germany? Name Chancellor and supporting coalition.
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President-Horst Kohler (CDU)
Chancellor- Angela Merkel (CDU) Supporting Coalition- CDU/CSU- FDP coalition |
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why was Germany an especially relevant site during the Cold War?
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Because at that time the Soviet Union occupied the east side of it and America some western parts. The Berlin Wall formed a wall between communism and democracy.
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What's meant by a mixed-member proportional system?
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Overall elected party mirrors the overall proportion of votes received.
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What is meant by "Vergangenheitsbewaltigung"?
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Coming to grips/terms with Germany's past and Nazism
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What is the name of the German parliament? (lower house)
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Bundestag
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What is meant by a "traffic light" coalition? What are the three parties that compose it?
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SDP, FDP and Green Party. Refers to colors, red, green and yellow.
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What is meant by a "Jamaica" Coalition? 3 parties?
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CDU/CSU,FDP
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To what pivotal event in German history does the term "generation" '89' refer to?
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The fall of the Berlin Wal
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Who does Germany's "little Obama" refer to?
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Cem Ozedmir, German Green of Turkish decent- "yes we can"
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What years do the First, Second and Third Reichs comprise?
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1st- 800-1806, 2nd- 1871- 1917 and 3rd- 1933-1945
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IN what year did the only successful constructive no-confidence vote in post-WWII Germany take place and who became chancellor?
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1982- Helmut Kohl
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How did Hannelore Kohl die?
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Overdose sleeping pills; suicide.
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int he 19th century Germany had to resolve two big questions to gain national unity. What were the two big questions and how were they finally resolved?
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1. Needed single form of gov't
2. Territories needed to unite Created a German Confederation of thirty-nine states under semi-presidential system. |
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What do the terms "Wessi" and "Ossi" refer to?
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Wessi: The informal name that people in Germany called citizens of West Germany before reunification.
Ossi-eastern equivalent |
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Briefly discuss the relevance of the Tsar Peter the Great.
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Carried out a policy of modernization and expansion and transformed Russia into a 3-billion acre Russian Empire and major European power.
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According to Marx's theory- was Russia a likely candidate for a communist revolution? why or why not?
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No because Russia was not ready proletarian revolution-too agricultural. Must first go through capitalistic phase.
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What were the Five-Year Plans in the Soviet Union.
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A series of nation-wide centralized exercises in rapid economic development in the Soviet Union. These plans were developed as guidelines for the communist party for economic development
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Name and briefly discuss Gorbachev's two main reforms in the SU.
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PerestroikaL new policy of "reconstruction" to defeat economic stagnation
Glasnost: gave new freedoms to people including greater freedom of speech. |
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How did the Oligarch's get rich in Russia?
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Bought state businesses (especially oil) at giveaway prices.
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Who is Joseph Stalin?
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General Secretary of Communist Party. In power after Lenin's death, voted in over Trotsky despite Lenin's warning in his will. Rapid industrialization and destruction of Orthodox religion.
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Discuss how Russia's geographical size has affected its politics.
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The largest country on earth, divided into 11 different time zones, makes it very difficult to govern.
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What's the name of the Russian Parliament?
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Federal Assembly
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What would a conservative most likely stand for, in the context of contemporary Russia?
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Would think that the West is materialistic and spiritually shallow. Want to go back to Slavic roots
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Who was Vladimir Ilyich Ulynanov?
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Bolshevik leader of 1917 October Revolution. First Head of State of SU. Lenin was powerful speaker and leader.
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What do Russians call the near abroad?
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non-russian republics that departed from the SU in 1991
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Name 4 Ex-Soviet Republics
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Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia
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Name at least 3 Soviet Party Chiefs or Russian Presidents
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Konstanin Chernenko, Mikhail Gorbachev, Yuri Andropov
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Why has Russia in recent year been considered an example of a "weak state"?
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The gov't is so weak that it cannot control the country very effectively
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What's meant by a one party state/state party connection?
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Type of party system gov't in which a single political party forms the gov't and no other parties are permitted to run cadidates for election.
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Who is presently the President of Russia?
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Mikhail Gorbachev
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What is the agrument made by Feshbach as well as Eberstadt that Russia is not going to become soon as powerful, rich and influential as thought by many?
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What we see in Russia is an economic collapse as result of Cold War. In progress but its current state is due to war 20 years ago that hindered its growth.
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How would you define conservative and liberal in the Russian context?
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Westernizers = liberal- industrialization, individualism, constitutional monarchy
Slavophiles (conservative)- West spiritually shallow, back to Slavic roots with strong sense of nationalism |
