Apcg General Vocabulary

Front 1

hypothesis

Back 1

A tentative explanation for a phenomenon used as a basis for further investigation

Front 2

positive correlation

Back 2

a direct association between two variables. As one becomes larger the other one does as well.

Front 3

negative correlation

Back 3

an inverse association between two variables. As one variable become larger, the other one becomes smaller.

Front 4

dependent variable

Back 4

the variable that you believe might be influenced or modified by some treatment or exposure. It is also the main object of study.

Front 5

empirical data

Back 5

data dreived from reliable measurement or observation.

Front 6

normative analysis

Back 6

research that not only gathers facts but also points out ways the object of study can be improved

Front 7

quantitative analysis

Back 7

examination of measurable and verifiable data

Front 8

game theory

Back 8

attempts to explain behavior in strategic situations in which an individual's success in making choices depends on the choices of others

Front 9

rational choice theory

Back 9

When making political decisions or voting, people calculate the expected gains and costs of a particular action and choose accordingly.

Front 10

zero-sum games

Back 10

a two-person, two-sided game in which one player's loss is the other player's gain in equal measure.

Front 11

variable sum games

Back 11

games in which the outcome can at times be beneficial for all or most of the players.

Front 12

politics

Back 12

the process by which people pursue collective goals and deal with their conflicts through government.

Front 13

state

Back 13

the organization that maintains a monopoly of force over a given territory

Front 14

nation

Back 14

a group of people bound together by a common set of political aspirations

Front 15

authoritarianism

Back 15

a political system in which a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public.

Front 16

bureaucratic authoritarianism

Back 16

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.

Front 17

capitalism

Back 17

A system of production based on private property and free markets.

Front 18

central planning

Back 18

A communist economic system in which the state explicitly allocates resources by planning what should be produced and in what amounts, the final prices of goods, and where they should be sold.

Front 19

charismatic legitimacy

Back 19

Legitimacy built on the force of ideas embodied by an individual leader.

Front 20

civil society

Back 20

Organizations outside the state that help people define and advance their own interests

Front 21

clientism

Back 21

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.

Front 22

conservatism

Back 22

A political attitude that is skeptical of change and supports the current order.

Front 23

co-optation

Back 23

The process by which individuals are brought into a beneficial relationship with the state, making them dependent on the states for certain rewards.

Front 24

corporatism

Back 24

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.

Front 25

coup d'etat

Back 25

A move in which military forces take control of the government by force.

Front 26

devolution

Back 26

A process in which political power is "sent down" to lower levels of state and government.

Front 27

economic liberalization

Back 27

Philosophy that aims to limit the power of the state and increase the power of the market and private property in an economy.

Front 28

fascism

Back 28

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.

Front 29

federalism

Back 29

A system in which powers of government are shared between the central and regional or local bodies.

Front 30

first past the post

Back 30

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.

Front 31

foreign direct investment

Back 31

The purchase of assets in a country by a foreign firm.

Front 32

Gini index

Back 32

A statistical formula that measures the amount of economic inequality within a country. "0" corresponds with perfect equality and "100" represents perfect inequality.

Front 33

head of government

Back 33

The executive role that deals with the everyday tasks of running the state.

Front 34

head of state

Back 34

The executive role that symbolizes and represents the people both nationally and internationally.

Front 35

illiberal regime

Back 35

rule by elected leadership through procedures of questionable democratic legitimacy.

Front 36

import substitution

Back 36

A strategy for economic growth in which a country imposes high tariffs in an attempt to spur demand for locally produced goods.

Front 37

judicial review

Back 37

The mechanism by which courts can consider the actions of government and overturn those that violate the constitution.

Front 38

laissez-faire

Back 38

The principle that the economy should be "allowed to do" what it wishes; a liberal system of minimal state interference in the economy.

Front 39

legitimacy

Back 39

A value whereby a government is accepted by the public as right and proper, thus giving it authority and power.

Front 40

liberal democracy

Back 40

A political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights.

Front 41

liberalism

Back 41

A political attitude that favors evolutionary transformation of a society.

Front 42

liberalism

Back 42

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.

Front 43

modernization theory

Back 43

A theory asserting that as societies developed they

Front 44

nation

Back 44

A group of people bound together by a common set of political aspirations.

Front 45

neocorporatism

Back 45

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.

Front 46

NGO

Back 46

A national or international group, independent of any state, that pursues policy objectives and fosters public participation.

Front 47

parastatal

Back 47

Industry partially owned by the state.

Front 48

cult of personality

Back 48

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.

Front 49

political culture

Back 49

People's expectations about what government should do and what their role should be within the system.

Front 50

postmodern voters

Back 50

Characterized by a set of values that center on "quality of life" considerations.

Front 51

proportional representation

Back 51

An electoral system in which political parties compete in multimember districts and voters choose between parties. The seats are divided according to the number of votes each party garners.

Front 52

Qualitative method/analysis

Back 52

Study through an in-depth investigation of a limited number of cases.

Front 53

rational-legal legitimacy

Back 53

Legitimacy based on a system of laws and procedures that are highly institutionalized.

Front 54

referendum

Back 54

A national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to the constitution..

Front 55

regime

Back 55

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.

Front 56

rent seeking

Back 56

A process by which political leaders essentially lease out parts of the state to their patrons, who as a result control public goods that would otherwise be distributed in a nonpolitical manner.

Front 57

revolution

Back 57

Public seizure of the state in order to overturn the existing government and regime.

Front 58

rule of law

Back 58

A system in which all individuals and groups, including those in government, are subject to the law, irrespective of their power and authority.

Front 59

semipresidential system

Back 59

An executive system that divides power between two strong executives, a president and a prime minister.

Front 60

structural adjustment program

Back 60

A policy of economic liberalization adopted in exchange for financial support from the International Monetary Fund, often coming with conditions imposed.

Front 61

traditional legitimacy

Back 61

Legitimacy that accepts aspects of politics because they have been institutionalized over a long period of time.

Front 62

unitary state

Back 62

A state in which most political power exists at the national level.

Front 63

Britain, China, Iran

Back 63

Which of the states we have studied are unitary governments.

Front 64

Russia, Nigeria, Mexico

Back 64

Which of the states we have studied are federal systems.

Front 65

participants

Back 65

--actively take a part in government

Front 66

subjects

Back 66

--accept government, obey laws, don't often take time or effort to participate in government.

Front 67

parochials

Back 67

--have little understanding of or concern for what is happening at a governmental level

Front 68

political socialization

Back 68

the institutions and methods of developing and reinforcing significant public beliefs, attitudes, and practices. (How does a culture get its people to be good political citizens or subjects?)

Front 69

autocracy

Back 69

tA form of government in which the power is held by a single, self-appointed ruler.

Front 70

oligarchy

Back 70

government is dominated by a small powerful group

Front 71

laissez faire capitalism

Back 71

--few regulations and little government intervention

Front 72

informal economy

Back 72

That portion of the economy that is not taxed.

Front 73

ideology

Back 73

guiding principles for a government/economic system. It defines what the nature and role of government should be and prescribes the main goals the people and society should pursue.

Front 74

fascism

Back 74

aggressive nationalism that glorifies one's own above all others; intense racism, devotion to an all-powerful, heavily militarized state.

Front 75

traditional legitimacy

Back 75

accepts aspects of politics because they have been institutionalized over a long period of time.

Front 76

charismatic legitimacy

Back 76

built on the force of ideas embodied by an individual leader.

Front 77

supranationalism

Back 77

organizations in which countries are not totally sovereign actors (EU, UN)

Front 78

parliamentary system

Back 78

head of government is chosen by and serves at the pleasure of the legislature

Front 79

separation of powers

Back 79

government power is divided into several bodies with the ability to check the power of other bodies.

Front 80

checks and balances

Back 80

system of governance in which divisions of government can restrain the political authority of other divisions.

Front 81

vote of confidence

Back 81

a vote in a parliament expressing support for a government; a government losing is often expected to resign.

Front 82

snap elections

Back 82

parliamentary elections that take place before the expiration of the legislature's full term. (Also called "anticipated elections."

Front 83

referendum

Back 83

--a national vote called by the government to address a specific proposal, often a change in the constitution.

Front 84

first past the post

Back 84

individual candidates compete in single-member districts--voters choose between candidates and the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat.

Front 85

winner take all

Back 85

another term for first past the post.

Front 86

absolute majority

Back 86

more than 50% of all votes cast

Front 87

simple majority

Back 87

the most votes cast (does not have to be a majority of all votes cast)

Front 88

plurality

Back 88

Another name for a simple majority

Front 89

catch all party

Back 89

aim is to gather support from a broad range of citizens through a de-emphasis on ideology and an emphasis on pragmatism and marketing.

Front 90

faction

Back 90

a group within a party organized on the grounds of a common interest

Front 91

technocrats

Back 91

highly educated bureaucrats who make decisions based on their perceptions of technical ideas rather than political ones.

Front 92

iron triangle

Back 92

mutually beneficial relationships between private interests, bureaucrats, and legislators--sometimes called an "integrated elite"

Front 93

patron client relations/ clientism

Back 93

--a usually informal alliance between a person holding power and less powerful or lower status people. The powerful person provides power, status, jobs, land, goods and/or protection in exchange for loyalty and political support.

Front 94

prebendalism

Back 94

form of patron-client politics that legitimizes the exploitation of government power for the benefit of office holders and their followers.

Front 95

rent seeking

Back 95

a process in which political leaders essentially rent out parts of the state to their own patrons, who as a result control public goods that would otherwise be distributed in a nonpolitical manner.

Front 96

cabinet

Back 96

in a parliamentary system, the group of ministers who direct administrative bureaucracies and make up the government, which is responsible to parliament. In a presidential system, the administrative directors who are responsible to the president.

Front 97

judicial review

Back 97

power of courts to modify or nullify the actions of legislatures, executives, and lower courts

Front 98

crosscutting cleavages

Back 98

--occur when the various factors that make up an individual's social identity tend to pull that person in different political directions.

Front 99

coinciding cleavages (polarizing)

Back 99

--occur when the factors composing one's social identity tend to pull in the same political direction.

Front 100

centrifugal forces

Back 100

forces that divide and fragment societies

Front 101

centripetal forces

Back 101

forces that pull societies closer together

Front 102

interest articulation

Back 102

--methods by which citizens and groups can express their desires and make demands upon government (political participation, lobbying, protest, etc.)

Front 103

social movements

Back 103

--collective political action by a section of society outside the realm of established parties, interest groups, and power elites. These goals are often adopted by parties and interest groups, and they can be co-opted by power elites.

Front 104

coup d'etat

Back 104

forceful replacement of a regime by a small elite group or groups.

Front 105

political economy

Back 105

refers broadly to the relationship between politics and economics. How are economic resources dealt with through political processes. How much of a role does the government have in the economy.

Front 106

Gini coefficient

Back 106

measures ratio of rich people to poor people. Perfect equality=0 and maximum inequality=100

Front 107

fiscal policy

Back 107

government decisions about total public spending and revenue

Front 108

monetary policy

Back 108

domestic government policies affecting interest rates and the supply of money available within an economy.

Front 109

supply side economics

Back 109

Markets are most efficient and fair way to allocate productive resources. Low level of government interference.

Front 110

foreign direct investment

Back 110

investment from privately owned multinationals

Front 111

import substitution

Back 111

uses trade restrictions and subsidies to encourage domestic production of manufactured goods.

Front 112

parastatal

Back 112

parastatala government-owned corporation--to compensate for lack of private economic development or to ensure complete and equitable service to the whole country. (airlines, postal system, utilities, etc.)

Front 113

structural adjustment

Back 113

World Bank programs which offer financial and management aid to poor countries while demanding liberalization of their economies (conditionality)

Front 114

inputs

Back 114

Ways that average citizens and the groups they form engage in political life.

Front 115

feedback

Back 115

The process through which people find out about public policy and the ways in which their reactions to recent political events help shape the next phase of political life.

Front 116

Liberal Democrats

Back 116

Most disadvantaged party because of the British FPTP/SMD