ToK chapter 7

political spectra (plural spectral)

a system of classifying different political positions in relation to different political values

power

the capacity to control and influence situations and people

authority

a person or group that has a justified right to make decisions and exercise power

coup

seizure of political power

state

a legal entity that has one central government, which is sovereign over a defined territory and a permanent population

social contract

an actual or implicit agreement between rulers and the people they rule, that defines the rights and responsibilities of each

anarchist

a person that believes there should be no people or organisations who rule as a matter of right

autonomous

self-governing

theocracy

literally ‘government by God’ in which God is seen as the supreme leader, acting through religious authorities; in other words, government by religious authorities

autocracy

when a society is ruled by a single person who has absolute power

totalitarian state

a state in which the ruling authorities have total political, social and cultural control over those living in the state

legitimate

genuine; conformed to acknowledged standards

dissent

disagreement; nonconformity

intellectual property

the ownership of unique products that you have created

hacktivism

gaining unauthorised access to computer files or networks to further social or political ends

Distributed Denial of Service

flooding the bandwidth of a target (usually a web server) to prevent it from conducting normal business; this is an illegal practice in many countries

vigilante

a citizen who enforces the law in their community without legal authority, and often breaks the law by doing so

whistleblowing

when a person or group makes public or passes on information about wrongdoing usually by or within an organisation

espionage

the practice of spying to obtain political or military information

asylum

protection granted by a state to persons who are political refugees

monarchy

a form of government that has a monarch (king, queen or emperor) as the supreme authority

judiciary

the system of courts and collection of judges in a country

ochlocracy

mob rule, majoritarianism

benevolent

kind, well-meaning

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

a measure of goods and services produced in a country to estimate the size and growth rate of the economy

Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

a standard of measurement used to compare the economic productivity and standards of living of different countries

utilitarian approach

in this context, a perspective that values usefulness above all other considerations

communism

an ideology which advocates that all property is communally owned, and the government directs all economic production

socialism

a social system based on the common ownership of the means of production and distribution

liberalism

political views that regard protecting and enhancing individual freedoms to be a central issue for politics, and strive towards social changes that bring about mutual benefits for all

conservatism

political views that favour traditional values, authority and law and order, while often opposing change or innovation. It is often associated with a commitment to free enterprise and private ownership

political values

abstract ideas about the needs of the people that drive the political position, for example, equality, freedom, tradition, progress, etc.

radicalism

a political desire to change social structures in radical ways

social justice

the idea that all people should have equal access to - and opportunities for - wealth, education, health, and justice

trickle-down theory

the theory that lowering taxes for wealthy corporations and high-income earners will lead to greater investments, and will expand economic prosperity. The benefits of the expanded economy will then ‘trickle down’ to the workers

equality

the state of being equal in terms of status, rights and opportunities

equity

the quality of being fair and impartial

epistemic injustice

injustice that happens when knowledge is ignored, not believed or not understood

epistemic power

the power to decide, produce, influence or authenticate knowledge

polarising

in this context, dividing people into two main groups with opposite views

intellectual capital

the collective knowledge of people in an organisation or society

traditional knowledge

a body of knowledge that is developed, sustained and passed on over generations within a community

bureaucratic

overly concerned with procedure and administration at the expense of efficiency

terrorism

the use of violence, especially against civilians, intended to create a climate of fear in the pursuit of political aims

alien

in this context, a person who is not a citizen of the country they live in

hegemony

the dominance of one group supported by a set of ideas, or the dominance of a set of ideas that become the norm in a way that inhibits the circulation of alternative ideas

hegemon

the dominant group, class or state that exercise hegemonic power and promotes hegemonic ideas