Politics Exam 2

Front 1

Political Party

Back 1

Group of officials who are linked with a sizable group of citizens into an organization; objective is to ensure that its officials attain and maintain power

Front 2

Party Identification

Back 2

Publicly acknowledging the political party with which one may be associated with

Front 3

One Party System

Back 3

Government only permits a single political party (ex. China, Cuba, Nazi Germany)

Front 4

Party System

Back 4

Set of all/multiple parties

Front 5

Dominant Party System

Back 5

Single party holds power all/most of the time

Front 6

Two Party System

Back 6

2 parties normally expected to have a chance at holding power, but room for other parties

Front 7

Multiparty System

Back 7

More than two major parties (ex. Norway)

Front 8

Interest Group

Back 8

Organized group of citizens whose central political goal is to ensure the state follows certain policies

Front 9

Free Riders

Back 9

Potential members of an interest group who don't join because they get benefits from a group's activity whether they join or not, therefore saving them money.

Front 10

Selective Benefits

Back 10

Benefits that can be withheld from anyone who does not join the interest group

Front 11

Sectoral Interest Group

Back 11

Represent a sector of the economy

Front 12

Institutional Interest Groups

Back 12

Set up for purposes other than political activity, such as lobbyists for college government funding.

Front 13

Promotional Interest Groups

Back 13

Organize around an idea or point of view (support ethnicity, religious values, recreational activity)

Front 14

Lobbying

Back 14

Representatives of an interest group meet with officials regarding a law or regulation

Front 15

Outside Lobbying

Back 15

An interest group uses its members to to help its lobbyists influence a bill (write, send emails, phone call, etc.)

Front 16

Public Information Campaigns

Back 16

Interest group may try to change policy by means of social media towards the entire population

Front 17

Litigation

Back 17

Attempting to affect policy within the court system and through court cases

Front 18

Pluralism

Back 18

Idealized system in which all interests compete freely and no one group is able to dominate

Front 19

Neocorporatism

Back 19

System where all interests are organized and the government deals directly with all affected interests at all stages in the making and administration of policy

Front 20

Clientelism

Back 20

To rely on a patron involved with government in return of their loyalty and support

Front 21

Social Movement

Back 21

Informal movement of ordinary people who are loosely coordinated in result of contentious politics

Front 22

Contentious Politics

Back 22

Confrontations between ordinary people and governing or economic elites

Front 23

Constitution

Back 23

Set of rules by which power is distributed among the members *No group of people engaged in politics could exist w/o rules of this kind*

Front 24

Principles of Constitution Design

Back 24

1. Importance of long standing tradition

2. Importance of Amedability

3. Importance of Incentive Compatibility

Front 25

Incentive Compatibility

Back 25

Holders of power should have personal rewards/incentives to do what society needs done and to be personally punished when they do not

Front 26

Unitary State

Back 26

No other governmental body but the central government has any areas of policy exclusively under their control

Front 27

Federal State

Back 27

Regional authorities are given certain political decisions over which they have legal control (ex. States in the U.S.)

Front 28

Constitutionalism

Back 28

Faithful adherence to the letter and spirit of the Constitution (Do they follow strictly to the laws written in the Constitution?)

Front 29

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Back 29

Total amount of all economic transactions in the state

Front 30

PPP per capita GDP

Back 30

A per capita GDP that takes into account the fluctuations in value of other currencies relative to the dollar

Front 31

Court(s)

Back 31

Interpret and adjudicate all parts of the law

Front 32

Law

Back 32

Collection of rules laid down by the government, binding all members of the state, including government members

Front 33

Legal Systems

Back 33

Organized sets of legal principles that form the basis of law and adjudication in states

Front 34

Case Law (Common Law)

Back 34

Views courts as largely independent of the state's government; Cases serve as precendents for future decisions (Legal System in America)

Front 35

Habeas Corpus

Back 35

Innocent until proven guilty; may not be detained more than 24 hours without a charge

Front 36

Code Law

Back 36

Law is an instrument of government rather than semi-independent

Front 37

Sharia Law (Religious Law)

Back 37

Supplements and blends with Western law; differing from state to state how they administer it

Front 38

Criminal Law

Back 38

person disobeyed a law prescribing proper conduct (State vs. Defendant)

Front 39

Civil Law

Back 39

Regulates relations between people

Front 40

Constitutional Law

Back 40

Disputes about the nature of the political process and whether laws are consistent with the constitution

Front 41

Judicial Review

Back 41

The ability to overrule actions of other parts of the government if they violate the constitution

Front 42

Policy Characteristics

Back 42

1. Must be "just;" treat people the way they deserve

2. Must be "effective;" produce the greatest good at the least cost

Front 43

Justice

Back 43

People should be treated as they deserve; Weight of contributions vs. Need

Front 44

Substantive Justice

Back 44

Conception of justice that emphasizes people receiving what they need and deserve

Front 45

Procedural Justice

Back 45

1. Is governmental action arbitrary?

2. Are special basic rights violated?

3. Are special overriding social needs present?

Front 46

Arbitrary Governmental Action (Procedural Justice)

Back 46

People affected by a decision do not know what to expect before the decision is made and do not learn on what grounds the decision was made

Front 47

Due Process

Back 47

We must always follow certain standard procedures in making some policies; if not, then the policy should be void

Front 48

Basic Rights (Procedural Justice)

Back 48

1. Right to Survive

2. Right to Free Speech

3. Right to Privacy

Front 49

Effective Policy

Back 49

Gives the state and the people of the state the greatest benefits at the least cost

Front 50

Market Mechanism (Effective Policy)

Back 50

Government leaves choices such as what goods people are to receive up to the people to choose for themselves (Supply and Demand)

Front 51

Governmental Authority (Effective Policy)

Back 51

Government says what the people may or may not do, how much to spend, etc. on the given policy

Front 52

Externality

Back 52

Social costs or benefits beyond the individual costs or benefits between 2 individuals (other people effected by the 2 individuals' costs/benefits)

Front 53

Public Administration

Back 53

People not directly involved in politics, but involved in construction/implementation of the policies

Front 54

Bureaucracy

Back 54

a way to organize public administration:

1. members are appointed and promoted on basis of qualifications for the job

2. Requirements of training or experience are set for the position

3. Administrative procedures are standardized

4. Hierarchical Command Structure

5. shielded from day-to-day political pressure

Front 55

Hierarchical Command Structure

Back 55

Clear lines of command are established, in which an order from a high official goes to a lower official, who then passes the order on to the next level until it reaches the point of operation

Front 56

Ombudsman

Back 56

Government official whose primary duty is to seek out citizens' complaints of abuse by public administrators and to negotiate changes in the offending practices

Front 57

Higher Civil Service

Back 57

Managers, Diplomats, Specialists

Front 58

Parliamentary Government

Back 58

Type of government where the head of the state and head of government are separate, and people elect a parliament of representatives; Legislative and Executive are blended

Front 59

Head of State

Back 59

Purely symbolic leader of the state, little to no political influence

Front 60

Constitutional Monarch

Back 60

Monarch who carries out ceremonial functions but has little or no real political power (same as head of state)

Front 61

Coalition (Parliamentary)

Back 61

divide the cabinet positions among themselves

Front 62

Question Time

Back 62

Various cabinet members appear regularly to answer questions from other members of parliament about the way they are running their ministry

Front 63

Minority Cabinet

Back 63

Cabinet based on a coalition holding less than 50% of the votes in parliament

Front 64

Consensus Parliamentarism

Back 64

Parliamentary systems in which government and opposition is more muted than in pure parliamentary government (Neocorporatist interest representation)

Front 65

Presidential Government

Back 65

Democratic system in which the legislature and executive branch exist independently and are elected independently

Front 66

Accountability (of a Democratic Government)

Back 66

Extent to which citizens can hold members of the government responsible for rewarding them when they do what the citizens want and punishing them when they do not

Front 67

Principal-Agent Problem

Back 67

One party delegates powers to another to use on the principal's behalf; problems exist when the agent has different interests that the principal or the principal has difficulty finding out whether or not the agent is truly serving the principal

Front 68

Retrospective Voting

Back 68

Look back at an officials term and deciding to reelect or not whether their lives and the lives around them have gone well during that term

Front 69

Feudalism

Back 69

A system of agragarian-based production that is characterized by fixed social hierarchies and a rigid pattern of obligations

Front 70

Divine Right

Back 70

The doctrine that earthly rulers are chosen by God and thus wield unchallengeable authority; divine right is a defense for monarchical absolutism

Front 71

Absolutism

Back 71

A form of government in which political power is concentrated in the hands of a single individual or small group, in particular, an absolute monarchy

Front 72

Classical Liberalism

Back 72

A tradition within liberalism that seeks to maximize the realm of unconstrained individual action, typically by establishing a minimal state and a reliance on market economics

Front 73

Modern Liberalism

Back 73

A tradition within liberalism that provides that provides a qualified endorsement for social and economic intervention as a means of promoting personal development

Front 74

The Enlightenment

Back 74

Intellectual movement that reached its peak in the 18th century and challenged traditional beliefs in religion, politics, and learning in general in the name of reason and progress

Front 75

Atomism

Back 75

A belief that society is made up of a collection of self interested and largely self sufficient individuals, or atoms, rather than social groups

Front 76

Human Nature

Back 76

The essential and innate character of all human beings: what they owe to nature rather than to society

Front 77

Freedom/Liberty

Back 77

The ability to think or act as one wishes, a capacity that can be associated with the individual, a social group, or nation

Front 78

Negative Freedom

Back 78

absence of external restrictions or constraints on the individual, allowing freedom of choice

Front 79

Positive Freedom

Back 79

Self-Mastery or self-realization; the achievement of autonomy or the development of human capacities

Front 80

Paternalism

Back 80

Authority exercised from above for the guidance and support of those below, modeled on the relationship between fathers and children

Front 81

Justice

Back 81

Moral standard of fairness and impartiality

Front 82

Equality

Back 82

The principle that human beings are of identical worth or are entitled to be treated in the same way

Front 83

Meritocracy

Back 83

Literally, rule by those with merit, merit being intelligence plus effort; a society in which social position is determined exclusively by ability and hard work

Front 84

Pluralism

Back 84

A belief in diversity or choice, or the theory that political power should be widely and evenly dispersed

Front 85

Autonomy

Back 85

The ability to control one's own destiny by virtue of enjoying independence from external influences

Front 86

Social Contract

Back 86

Agreement amongst individuals through which they form a state in order to escape from the disorder and chaos of the state of nature

Front 87

State of Nature

Back 87

Pre-political society characterized by unrestrained freedom and the absence of established authority

Front 88

Democracy

Back 88

Rule by the people; implies both popular participation and government in the public interest

Front 89

Written Constitution

Back 89

A single authoritative document defining duties, powers, and functions of government institutions and so constitutes 'higher law'

Front 90

Bill of Rights

Back 90

Specifies the rights and freedoms of the individual and defines the relationship between the state and its citizens

Front 91

Rule of Law

Back 91

Principle that all conduct and behavior should conform to a framework of law

Front 92

Separation of Powers

Back 92

Principle that legislative, executive, and judicial power should be separated through the construction of three independent branches

Front 93

Federalism

Back 93

Territorial distribution of power based on the sharing of sovereignty between central and regional government

Front 94

Civil Liberty

Back 94

Private sphere of existence belonging to the citizen not to the state;freedom from government

Front 95

Civil Society

Back 95

A realm of autonomous associations and groups formed by private citizens and enjoying independence from the government

Front 96

Majoritarianism

Back 96

A belief in majority rule; implies that the majority dominates the minority

Front 97

Natural Rights

Back 97

God-given rights that are fundamental to human beings and are therefore inalienable (can't be taken away)

Front 98

Mercantilism

Back 98

A school of economic thought that emphasizes the state's role in managing international trade and delivering prosperity

Front 99

Free Market (Laissez-Faire)

Back 99

Market free from government interference

Front 100

Market Fundamentalism

Back 100

An absolute faith in the market, reflecting the belief that the market mechanism offers solutions to all economic and social problems

Front 101

Altruism

Back 101

Concern for the interests and welfare of others based either upon enlightened self interest or a belief in a common humanity

Front 102

Welfare State

Back 102

State taking primary responsibility for social welfare of its citizens (social security, health, education)

Front 103

Transnational Corporation

Back 103

A company that controls economic activity in two or more countries

Front 104

Commercial Liberalism

Back 104

A form of liberalism that emphasizes the economic and international benefits of free trade leading to mutual benefit and general prosperity as well as peace among states

Front 105

Republican Liberalism

Back 105

highlights the benefits of republican government (link between democracy and peace)

Front 106

Humanitarian Intervention

Back 106

Military intervention in the affairs of another state that is carried out in pursuit of humanitarian rather than strategic objectives

Front 107

Authoritarianism

Back 107

Strong central authority, demands unquestioning obedience; ruler is divine/sent from above

Front 108

New Right

Back 108

An ideological trend within conservatism that embraces a blend of market individualism and social authoritarianism

Front 109

Anomie

Back 109

Weakening of values, associated with feelings of isolation and meaninglessness

Front 110

Organicism

Back 110

A belief that society operates likes an organism or living entity, the whole being more than the individual parts, but each being important for functioning

Front 111

Functionalism

Back 111

Theory that social institutions and practices should be understood in terms of the functions they carry out in sustaining the larger social system

Front 112

Natural Aristocracy

Back 112

The idea that talent and leadership are innate qualities and cannot be acquired through effort or self-advancement

Front 113

Privatization

Back 113

The transfer of state assets from the public to the private sector , reflecting a contraction of the state's responsibilities.

Front 114

Populism

Back 114

Belief that popular instincts and wishes are the legitimate guide to political action, often reflecting distrust or hostility towards political elites

Front 115

Economic Liberalism

Back 115

Belief in the market as a self regulating mechanism that tends naturally to deliver general prosperity and opportunities for all

Front 116

Neoliberalism

Back 116

Dedicated to market individualism and minimal statism

Front 117

Neoconservatism

Back 117

Emphasizes need to restore order and return to traditional values

Front 118

Washington Consensus

Back 118

Neoliberal framework embraced since the 1980s by key Washington-based institutions, reflecting support for fiscal discipline, privatization, and financial and trade liberalization

Front 119

Civic Conservatism

Back 119

Calls for a transformation of the civic culture to counter balance "excesses" of the state control and the free market