POL S235 Chapter 8: Chapter 8- Consitutions and Consitutional Design

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POL S235
• Professor: Navid

Document Summary

Institution: social or political structure or set of practices including government organizations, that shapes the behavior of individuals and groups. They are the law above all other law, and the basis for political life. Basic haters of modern states and are written documents in most countries. Constitutionalism: limiting of the government through a constitution. Constitutional design: features of constitutions that shape the basic features of the political system, such as separation of powers and responsibilities between levels of government and branches of government. Federalism: system of government with constitutional design of separation of powers between central government and subnational governments. Unitarism: system of government in which central government is predominant government is predominant and the powers of subnational governments are limited to those delegated by the center. Judiciary: the branch of government responsible for the interpretation of laws in courts. System of constitutional interpretation in which judges rule on the constitutionality of laws passed by legislature and executive.