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1、DICTIONARY OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE absolute majority An absolute majority means more than half of those entitled to vote, as opposed to a mere plurality. absolute majority electoral system Also known as the alternative vote, the absolute majority electoral system seeks to ensur
2、e that the winning candidate is acceptable to a majority of those voting. The procedure begins with voters ranking candidates in order of preference (1, 2, 3, etc). If no candidate wins a majority of first preferences, the bottom candidate is eliminated and his or her votes are redistributed accordi
3、ng to second preferences. Repeat until a candidate has a majority. This system takes into account more information about voters preferences than the single-member plurality system but is not a form of proportional representation. accountability Accountability can be used narrowly, to refer to a repo
4、rting requirement (to be called to account) or more broadly as a synonym for responsibility (to be held to account). In the latter sense, to be accountable is to be held responsible for ones actions by and often before another body. See vertical and horizontal accountability. additional member syste
5、m The additional member system is a phase often used in Britain to describe mixed electoral systems in which electors vote for both a party list and a district candidate. Within this category, it is important to distinguish between mixed member majoritarian and mixed member proportional systems. adm
6、inistrative capacity Administrative capacity refers to the bureaucracys ability (or lack of it) to provide effective management and implementation of public policy. Capacity-building is currently an important theme of international development agencies, reflecting belated realization that competent
7、public administration is an important condition of even market-led economic development. administrative law Administrative law sets out the principles governing decision-making by public bodies, mainly the bureaucracy, and the remedies for breaching such rules. For example, Americas Administrative P
8、rocedure Act (1946) requires courts to hold unlawful any agency action that is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law. The issues involved here concern public law and have no clear analogy in the private sector. Typical questions asked in administrativ
9、e law are: was an official authorized to make a particular decision? Was the decision made in the correct way (e.g. with adequate consultation)? Does the decision accord with natural justice? Although administrative regulation may lack the high-profile political activity of constitutional courts, su
10、bjecting the work of public 1 officials to law is a function essential to a liberal society. Clear, enforceable regulations help to secure a balanced relationship between state and citizen. adversary politics Adversary politics is a critical term denoting a sterile and negative competition between t
11、he leading parties in a two-party system. The phrase was coined by in the 1970s to describe British party politics during an era when neither the Conservative nor Labour governments seemed capable of resolving the countrys economic difficulties. Party competition in Britain remains intense but is no
12、w less ideologically- based. affirmative action Affirmative action means giving preference to the members of under-represented groups, particularly in allocating resources such as college places and public sector jobs. Affirmative action can help to compensate for past discrimination but can create
13、new resentments. In practice, it tends not to reach the least advantaged members of under-represented groups. Also known as positive discrimination. agenda-setting To set the agenda is to control what topics are discussed. Agenda-setting is a form of influence which might be missed when focusing sol
14、ely on the debate about the topics that are on the agenda. For instance, it is often claimed that media coverage influences the agenda; reported events are widely discussed by the public but non- reported events lose visibility. See non-decision. alternate As a noun, this word is used in politics (a
15、nd elsewhere) to refer to a stand-in, substitute or replacement. alternative vote Also known as the absolute majority electoral system, the alternative vote is an electoral system seeks to ensure that the winning candidate is acceptable to majority of those voting. The procedure begins with voters r
16、anking candidates in order of preference (1, 2, 3, etc). If no candidate wins a majority of first preferences, the bottom candidate is eliminated and his or her votes are redistributed according to second preferences. Repeat until a candidate has a majority. This system takes into account more information about voters preferences than the single-member plurality system but is not a form of proportional representation. anti-clerical Opposition to the political influen
