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132 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
ethnic identity
cultural and social
characteristics that distinguish one nation
from another — especially in the minds of
the members of the ethnic group
nation
a group of people who identify
themselves as belonging together because of
cultural, geographic, or linguistic ties
nationalism
aspirations for state
independence and sovereignty; devotion to
the interests of one’s culture, nation, or state;
belief in the superiority of one’s culture,
nation, or stat
e. nation-state
: a territorial unit controlled
by a single state and governed by a single
government
national identity
A sense of belonging to a nation and a belief in its political aspirations.
citizenship
An individual's relationship to the state, wherein citizens swear allegiance to that state and the state in return is obligated to provide rights to those citizens.
patriotism
Pride in one's state.
ethnic conflict
A conflict in which different ethnic groups struggle to achieve certain political or economic goals at each other's expense.
national conflict
A conflict in which one or more groups within a country develop clear aspirations for political independence, clashing with others as a result.
political attitude
Description of one's views regarding the speed and methods with which political changes should take place in a given society.
radicals
Those with a political attitude that favors dramatic, often revolutionary change.
conservatives
Those with a political attitude that is skeptical of change and supports the current order.
reactionary
Someone who seeks to restore the institutions of a real or imagined earlier order.
political ideology
The basic values held by an individual about the fundamental goals of politics or the ideal balance of freedom and equality.
liberalism
(1) A political attitude that favors evolutionary transformation. (2) An ideology and political system that favors a limited state role in society and the economy, and places a high priority on individual political and economic freedom.
communism
(1) A political-economic system in which all wealth and property are shared so as to eliminate exploitation, oppression, and, ultimately, the need for political institutions such as the state. (2) A political ideology that advocates such a system.
social democracy
(1) A political-economic system in which freedom and equality are balanced through the state's management of the economy and the provision of social expenditures. (2) A political ideology that advocates such a system.
fascism
A political ideology that asserts the superiority and inferiority of different groups of people and stresses a low degree of both freedom and equality in order to achieve a powerful state.
anarchism
A political ideology that stresses the elimination of the state and private property as a way to achieve both freedom and equality for all.
fundamentalism
A view of religion as absolute and inerrant that should be legally enforced by making faith the sovereign authority.
liberal democracy
A political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights.
political culture
The basic norms for political activity in a society.
theocracy
a regime in which religious
leaders and religious teachings direct the
government and create the laws
socialism
(1) A political-economic system in which freedom and equality are balanced through the state's management of the economy and the provision of social expenditures. (2) A political ideology that advocates such a system.
culture
Basic institutions that define a society.
political economy
the interaction of political and economic systems and policy
making of a state
market
The interactions between the forces of supply and demand that allocate resources.
property
Goods or services that are owned by an individual or group, privately or publicly.
public good
Goods, provided or secured by the state, available to society and which no private person or organization can own.
social expenditure
State provision of public benefits, such as education, health care, and transportation.
central bank
The state institution that controls how much money is flowing through the economy, as well as how much it costs to borrow money in that economy.
inflation
An outstripping of supply by demand, resulting in an increase in the general price level of goods and services and the resulting loss of value in a country's currency.
hyperinflation
Inflation of more than 50 percent a month for more than two months in a row.
deflation
A period of falling prices and values for goods, services, investments, and wages.
regulation
A rule or order that sets the boundaries of a given procedure.
monopoly
A single producer that is able to dominate the market for a good or service without effective competition.
tariff
A tax on imported goods.
quota
A nontariff barrier that limits the quantity of a good that may be imported into a country.
nontariff regulatory barriers
Policies and regulations used to limit imports through methods other than taxation.
comparative advantage
The ability of one country to produce a particular good or service more efficiently relative to other countries' efficiency in producing the same good or service.
political-economic system
The relationship between political and economic institutions in a particular country and the policies and outcomes they create.
laissez-faire
The principle that the economy should be "allowed to do" what it wishes; a liberal system of minimal state interference in the economy.
capitalism
A system of production based on private property and free markets.
neocorporatism
A system of social democratic policy making in which a limited number of organizations representing business and labor work with the state to set economic policy.
mercantilism
A political-economic system in which national economic power is paramount and the domestic economy is viewed as an instrument that exists primarily to serve the needs of the state.
parastatals
Industries partially or fully owned by the state.
gross domestic product (GDP)
The total market value of all goods and services produced by a country over a period of one year.
purchasing-power parity (PPP)
A statistical tool that attempts to estimate the buying power of income across different countries by using prices in the United States as a benchmark.
Gini index
A statistical formula that measures the amount of inequality in a society; its scale ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 corresponds to perfect equality and 100 to perfect inequality.
human development index (HDI)
A statistical tool that attempts to evaluate the overall wealth, health, and knowledge of a country's people.
economic liberalization
Changes consistent with liberalism that aim to limit the power of the state and increase the power of the market and private property in an economy.
democracy
A political system in which political power is exercised either directly or indirectly by the people.
liberal democracy
A political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights.
separation of powers
The clear division of power between different branches of government and the provision that specific branches may check the power of other branches.
republicanism
Indirect democracy that emphasizes the separation of powers within a state and the representation of the public through elected officials.
civil society
Organizations outside of the state that help people define and advance their own interests.
executive
The branch of government that carries out the laws and policies of a state.
head of state
The executive role that symbolizes and represents the people both nationally and internationally.
head of government
The executive role that deals with the everyday tasks of running the state, such as formulating and executing policy.
legislature
The branch of government charged with making laws.
bicameral system
A political system in which the legislature comprises two houses.
unicameral system
A political system in which the legislature comprises one house.
constitutional court
The highest judicial body in a political system that decides whether laws and policies violate the constitution.
judicial review
The mechanism by which courts can review the actions of government and overturn those that violate the constitution.
concrete review
Judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on the basis of actual legal disputes brought before it.
abstract review
Judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on questions that do not arise from actual legal disputes.
parliamentary system
A political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are assigned to separate executive offices.
vote of no confidence
Vote taken by a legislature as to whether its members continue to support the current prime minister. Depending on the country, a vote of no confidence can force the resignation of the prime minister and/or lead to new parliamentary elections.
presidential system
A political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are combined in one executive office.
semipresidential system
A political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are separated into two offices.
electoral system
A set of rules that decide how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats in a legislature.
suffrage
The right to vote.
constituency
A geographical area that an elected official represents.
single-member district (SMD)
An electoral district with one seat.
proportional representation (PR)
An electoral system in which political parties compete in multimember districts; voters choose between parties, and the seats in the district are awarded proportionally according to the results of the vote.
first past the post
An electoral system in which individual candidates compete in single-member districts; voters choose between candidates, and the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat.
multimember district (MMD)
An electoral district with more than one seat.
mixed electoral system
An electoral system that uses a combination of single-member districts and proportional representation.
referendum
A national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to the constitution.
initiative
A national vote called by members of the public to address a specific proposal.
civil rights
Individual rights regarding equality that are created by the constitution and the political regime.
civil liberties
Individual rights regarding freedom that are created by the constitution and the political regime.
rule of law
A system in which all individuals and groups, including those in government, are subject to the law, irrespective of their power or authority.
authoritarianism
A political system in which a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public.
totalitarianism
A nondemocratic regime that is highly centralized, possessing some form of strong ideology that seeks to transform and absorb fundamental aspects of state, society, and the economy, using a wide array of institutions.
populism
A political view that does not have a consistent ideological foundation, but that emphasizes hostility toward elites and established state and economic institutions and favors greater power in the hands of the public.
coercion
Compelling behavior by threatening harm.
co-optation
The process by which individuals are brought into a beneficial relationship with the state, making them dependent on the state for certain rewards.
corporatism
A method of co-optation whereby authoritarian systems create or sanction a limited number of organizations to represent the interests of the public, and restrict those not set up or approved by the state.
clientelism
A process whereby the state co-opts members of the public by providing specific benefits or favors to a single person or a small group in return for public support.
rent seekieng
A process in which political leaders essentially rent out parts of the state to their patrons, who as a result control public goods that would otherwise be distributed in a nonpolitical manner.
personality cult
Promotion of the image of an authoritarian leader not merely as a political figure but as someone who embodies the spirit of the nation and possesses endowments of wisdom and strength far beyond those of the average individual, and is thus portrayed in a quasi-religious manner.
personal/monarchial rule
Rule by a single leader, with no clear regime or rules constraining that leadership.
patrimonialism
An arrangement whereby a ruler depends on a collection of supporters within the state who gain direct benefits in return for enforcing the ruler's will.
military rule
Rule by one or more military officials, often brought to power through a coup d'Žtat.
coup d’tat
A move in which military forces take control of the government by force.
bureaucratic authoritarianism
A system in which the state bureaucracy and the military share a belief that a technocratic leadership, focused on rational, objective, and technical expertise, can solve the problems of the country without public participation.
one-party rule
Rule by one political party, with other parties banned or excluded from power.
theocracy
A nondemocratic form of rule in which religion is the foundation for the regime.
comparative politics
The study and comparison of domestic politics across countries.
institution
An organization or activity that is self-perpetuating and valued for its own sake.
politics
The struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group.
comparative method
The means by which social scientists make comparisons across cases.
inductive reasoning
Research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses.
deductive reasoning
Research that works from a hypothesis that is then tested against data.
correlation
An apparent relationship between two or more variables.
selection bias
A focus on effects rather than causes, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about correlation or causation.
endogeneity
The problem that distinguishing cause and effect is not always easy; variables may act both as causes and as effects in relationship to one another.
modernization theory
A theory which held that as societies developed, they would take on a set of common characteristics, including democracy and capitalism.
behavioral revolution
A movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries.
qualitative method
Gathering and analysis of data through an in-depth investigation of a limited number of cases.
quantitative method
Gathering and analysis of statistical data from many countries, to look for correlations and test hypotheses.
rational choice
Approach that assumes that individuals weigh the costs and benefits in order to make choices that maximize their benefits.
game theory
An approach that emphasizes how actors or organizations behave in their goal to influence others. Built upon the assumptions of the rational choice model.
freedom
The ability of an individual to act independently, without fear of restriction or punishment by the state or other individuals or groups in society.
equality
A shared material standard of individuals within a community, society, or country.
sovereignty
The ability of a state to carry out actions or policies within a territory independently from external actors or internal rivals.
regime
The fundamental rules and norms of politics, embodying long-term goals regarding individual freedom and collective equality, where power should reside, and the use of that power.
government
The leadership or elite in charge of running the state.
country
Term used to refer to state, government, regime, and the people who live within that political system.
legitimacy
A value whereby an institution is accepted by the public as right and proper, thus giving it authority and power.
traditional legitimacy
Legitimacy that accepts aspects of politics because they have been institutionalized over a long period of time.
charismatic legitimacy
Legitimacy built on the force of ideas embodied by an individual leader.
rational-legal legitimacy
Legitimacy based on a system of laws and procedures that are highly institutionalized.
federalism
A system in which significant state powers, such as taxation, lawmaking, and security, are devolved to regional or local bodies.
unitary state
A state in which most political power exists at the national level, with limited local authority.
devolution
A process in which political power is "sent down" to lower levels of state and government.
strong state
A state that is able to fulfill basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy.
weak state
A state that has difficulty fulfilling basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy.
failed state
A state so weak that its political structures collapse, leading to anarchy and violence.
capacity
The ability of the state to wield power to carry out basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy.
autonomy
The ability of the state to wield its power independently of the public.