Chapter 1- Introducing Comparative Policies

Front 1

NATO

Back 1

an organization comprising the 12 nations of the Atlantic Pact together with Greece, Turkey, and the Federal Republic of Germany, for the purpose of collective defense against aggression.

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Cold War

Back 2

intense economic, political, military, and ideological rivalry between nations, short of military conflict; sustained hostile political policies and an atmosphere of strain between opposed countries.

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Globalization

Back 3

extend to other or all parts of the globe; make worldwide

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Authoritarian

Back 4

pertaining to a governmental or political system, principle, or practice in which individual freedom is held as completely subordinate to the power or authority of the state

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European Union (EU)

Back 5

International governance made in an attempt to regulate and stabilize the myriad flows of globalization; an economic and political union of 27 member states; developed a single market through a standardized system of laws which apply in all member states, ensuring the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital.

Front 6

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Back 6

International governance made in an attempt to regulate and stabilize the myriad flows of globalization; deals with regulation of trade between participating countries; it provides a framework for negotiating and formalizing trade agreements, and a dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing participants' adherence to WTO agreements

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Collective Identities

Back 7

Class, gender, ethnicity and religion; illustrate how comparative politics can serve as a valuable tool for making political sense of even the most tumultuous times

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Comparativists

Back 8

believe that reliable statements cannot be made about most political situations by looking at only one case; often analyze political institutions or processed by looking at two or more cases that are selected to isolate their common and contrasting features.

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Country

Back 9

comprise distinct, politically defined territories that encompass political institutions, clusters, economies, and ethnic and other social identities; most important source of people’s collective political identity and they are the major arena for organized political action in the modern world

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State

Back 10

within a given country is almost always the most powerful cluster of institutions; refers to the key political institutions responsible for making, implementing, enforcing, and adjudication important policies in a country.

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Executive

Back 11

state institution that includes the president and/or prime minister and the cabinet.

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Cabinet

Back 12

part of executive state institution, the cabinet serves in conjunction with the president and/or prime minister towards formulating policy and directing government

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Bureaucracy

Back 13

the executive, legislative, and judicial branches all make up the bureaucracy

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Legitimacy

Back 14

a belief by powerful groups and the broad citizenry that a state exercises rightful authority. In the contemporary world, a state exercises legitimacy when it enjoys consent of the governed.

Front 15

Communist Party States

Back 15

a type of nation-state in which the Communist party attempts to exercise a complete monopoly on political power and controls all important state institutions

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Regime

Back 16

form of government that sets rules and cultural/social norms that regulate the operation of government and its interactions with society

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Regulations

Back 17

the rules that explain the implementation of laws. The legislature creates the implementation of the laws, but it is actually implemented by the executive branch agencies.

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State Formations

Back 18

how the institutional organization and political procedures of the state have evolved historically.

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Nation State

Back 19

formed when state boundaries and national identity coincide.

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Political Culture

Back 20

the attitudes, beliefs, values, and symbols that influence political behavior.

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National Choice Theory

Back 21

how individuals act strategically (rationally) in an attempt to reach certain goals from their government.

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Mid-level Theory

Back 22

theories focusing on specific features of the political world (institutions and policies) or classes of similar events (revolutions and elections)

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Dictatorship

Back 23

military and one-party states possess absolute power and absolute authority over state

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Democratic Transitions

Back 24

process in which countries with authoritarian forms of government develop more democratic regimes

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World Bank

Back 25

a specialized agency of the United Nations (1944); international bank designed to help member nations reconstruct and develop by guaranteeing loans

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International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Back 26

a specialized agency of the United Nations; international organization for stabilizing currency and maintains monetary pool that nations can refer to during a deficit

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Political Economy

Back 27

how the economy shifts the balance of freedom and equality

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Laissez Faire

Back 28

theory or system promoting as little government interference in economic affairs as possible

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Sustainable Development

Back 29

ecologically sound ways to modernize the economy and raise the standard of living

Front 30

Social Movements

Back 30

a group of people with common ideology who try to achieve certain general goals such as environmental regulation, reproductive rights, racial or ethnic relations