Political system, constitution and public administration
What this domain covers
The political-system domain tests the constitutional order: Parliament, president, government, courts, regions and municipalities, elections, and how a law is made. Questions often ask chamber sizes, term lengths, who appoints whom, and what happens after a presidential veto.
Core rules
- Czechia is a parliamentary republic. The Constitution of 1992, effective 1 January 1993, is the supreme law; the Charter of Fundamental Rights is part of the constitutional order.
- Parliament has two chambers. The Chamber of Deputies has 200 members elected for four years by proportional representation. The Senate has 81 members; one-third is renewed every two years, so each senator serves six years. Senate elections use two rounds.
- The president is head of state, elected directly since 2013 for five years and may serve at most two consecutive terms. The president appoints the prime minister and, on the PM's proposal, other ministers. The government needs the confidence of the Chamber of Deputies.
- The Constitutional Court has 15 judges appointed by the president with Senate consent for ten years. The Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court head the ordinary and administrative judiciaries.
- Voting age is 18. Regional councils and municipal councils are elected directly; the number of regional councillors varies by population.
- A bill normally goes from the Chamber to the Senate to the president. The Senate may return a bill, but the Chamber can override it by an absolute majority of all 200 deputies. The president may veto a bill; the Chamber can override a veto by an absolute majority of all deputies.
Worked example
The Chamber passes a bill by 101 votes. The Senate rejects it. Can the bill still become law? Yes. The Chamber can override the Senate by an absolute majority of all deputies, i.e. at least 101 votes. If the president then vetoes it, the Chamber needs another absolute majority of all deputies to override. The bill is not dead simply because the Senate disagreed.
Traps
The Senate is not elected all at once; only one-third is renewed. The president does not govern day to day; the government is responsible to the Chamber. A simple majority of those present is not enough to override a presidential veto; an absolute majority of all deputies is required. Prague has a special status but is still one of the 14 regions.