Political Science: Terms/Concepts

Concepts/Terms in the Political Science:


Multiparty system – a democratic system in which there are more than two major parties.

Electoral system determines if given state will have two party or multiparty system. If state uses proportional representation system it will surely have a multiparty system.

Most democratic systems are multiparty systems

Multi party system offers wider range of choice. System requires a coalition government to operate smoothly. Government cannot be set up unless two or more parties agree to cooperate by forming a coalition. Example: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Belgium, Swiss. rule by stable coalition of one sort of another through most of their postwar history.

Coalition may be torn apart by mutual mistrust. In many cases caused by animosity among political parties.

Bicameralism – two houses in the legislature

Traced back to England and other European state, where two or more chambers were created to serve the interests of different economic classes.

Upper represented aristocracy, lower house served the merchant class.

It is still evident in the names of two houses in the United Kingdom, lower house being the House of Commons and the upper house the House of Lords.

Powers of aristocracy in most countries were reduced or eliminated. On the other hand power of the middle class expanded.

Bicameralism may counterbalance disproportionate power in the hands of any regional government.

Seats in the lower house are allocated by population.

Bicameralism may use competition between the two houses as means to slow down the legislative process.

System force consensus – building between the upper and lower house.


Judicial Review – the mechanism by which the court can review laws and policies and overturn those that are seen as violations of the constitution. It also the most important power of the federal court.

May take two forms;
Concrete Review – power by which court can rule on constitutional issues on the basis of disputes brought before it. In other words court must wait for a legal dispute.

Abstract Review – allows a court to decide on questions that do not arise from actual legal cases.

Laws that are judged not in the keeping with the Constitution’s intent are declared unconstitutional and void.

Right of judicial review strengthened the power of judiciary against the two other branches of government.

Supreme Court in US has only concrete power

Constitutional Council in France have only abstract power, where they do not hear specific cases between disputants.