• Unit 5: Political Institutions

    This unit looks at the various forms of government a country can adopt and how government forms the foundations of the institutions that countries build. Although this course tries to give a global perspective on government, a lot of the specifics we will look at will be from the perspective of the United States. 

    The Max Planck Manual has a global perspective and was written for the people of the Sudan as they contemplate and hope for a future of democracy and stability. If you were from the Sudan, which would you chose: federal or unitary relationships between the central government and the local governments; a president or a prime minister to lead; legislature or a parliament to make laws? And what difference does it make, anyway? This unit will explore these types of questions.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 20 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

      • identify the primary responsibilities of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government;
      • compare and contrast federal and unitary government systems;
      • illustrate the key differences between legislatures and parliaments;
      • compare and contrast the executive branch of presidential and parliamentary systems;
      • identify the main features of administrative and bureaucratic systems; and
      • discuss the structure and organization of judicial institutions.

    • 5.1: Federal vs. Unitary Forms of Government

      • Divisions of Power URL

        States can choose to arrange power in different ways. In a federal system, government power is shared between a central government and smaller subunits of government. For instance, in the United States, the federal government in Washington, D.C. shares power with each of the 50 states. As this article describes, most of the world's governments are unitary, which means that the central government may delegate power, but does not share its power.

      • Why Federalism Works (More or Less) Page

        States with federal systems include the United States, Australia, Germany, Canada, Russia, and India. All of those states are relatively large and geographically or ethnically/nationally diverse. According to this section, why is federalism a logical choice for states with these characteristics? What are some of the drawbacks of federalism?

    • 5.2: Legislatures vs. Parliaments

      • Legislatures URL

        So far, we've learned about two ways for states to arrange power: in unitary systems, power is centralized in a national or federal government, while in federal systems, power is shared between a central government and subunits of government. In this section, we will explore the ways states arrange power among the three primary branches of government. Generally speaking, executive branches of government enforce laws, judicial branches interpret laws, and legislatures make laws. In presidential systems, the executive branch and legislative branches are separate. In parliamentary systems, the executive and legislative branches are fused.

      • Parliaments Page

        This article expands on the unique features of parliamentary systems. Pay particular attention to the discussion of the supremacy of parliament over other branches of government, and the concept of a "divided executive". What are some of the other key differences between parliaments and legislatures?

      • A Brief Comparison of the British House of Commons and the U.S. House of Representatives URL

        Almost every country has a legislature or parliament that is unique to that country. Read this report, which discusses some of the most common differences between the two systems, using the United States' legislature and the United Kingdom's parliament as examples.

    • 5.3: Presidents vs. Prime Ministers

      • Types of Democracy Page

        This article further explains the difference between legislatures and parliaments, but it also describes the differences between presidents and prime ministers. Parliamentary styles of government have "split" executives, in which one person serves as the head of state, and another person serves as head of government. How is this different than a presidential system? What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of each type of system?

      • The President's Many Roles URL

        Read this section to learn more about the many roles of the U.S. President. Pay particular attention to the role of Chief Executive and Head of State. What are the differences between these two roles? Which type of system, parliamentary or presidential, has a more powerful executive?

      • Time to Elect the Prime Minister? Page

        This article explains the role and powers of the office of the Prime Minister in the United Kingdom. The author argues that directly electing the Prime Minister would lead to accountability and better separation of powers because this would lead to "widely supported political institutions working together in partnership". However, the U.S. has strict separation of powers, and this often leads to gridlock between the executive and legislative branches. Both presidential and parliamentary systems have unique strengths and weaknesses. Can you name an example of a strength and a weakness of each system?

    • 5.4: Bureaucracy and Public Administration

      • Bureaucracy URL

        After reading this section, you should be able to describe the key features of bureaucracy, such as its hierarchical structure, the defined chain of command, its adherence to established rules, and the specialization of labor.

    • 5.5: Law and the Courts

      • Courts URL

        So far, we've explored legislatures (where laws are made) and executive branches (where laws are enforced). In this section, you'll read about judiciaries, which is the branch of government responsible for interpreting laws. Pay close attention to the description of the term "judicial activism" and "judicial review". While this section focuses primarily on the U.S. judicial system, consider the judicial systems of other countries while you read. How do you think judiciaries in non-democracies compare to the U.S. judicial system? Judiciaries, like legislatures, can either act to protect democracy or promote oppression.

      • The Judiciary URL

        The judiciary is "the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state". While most judiciaries are responsible for interpreting and applying the law, the extent of judicial power varies from state to state. Why is it important for the judiciary to be a co-equal branch of government, along with the executive and legislature?

    • Unit 5 Assessment

      • Unit 5 Assessment Quiz

        Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.

        • This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
        • You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
        • You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.