Unit One Quiz #3

Civil Liberties

freedoms to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair legal treatment

Command Economies

a form of socialism in which government decisions rather than market mechanisms (such as supply and demand) are the major influences in determining the nation's economic direction

Conservatism

a belief that is much less supportive of change in general that are radicalism and liberalism

Democratization

the transition from non-democratic to democratic forms of government; spread of representative government

Dependency Theory

holds that economic development of many countries in the world is blocked by the fact that industrialized nations exploit underdeveloped nations

Economic Liberalization

policy designed to remove political controls over economic activity

Fragmentation

divisions based on ethnic or cultural identity

Freedom House ratings

an organization that studies democracies around the world and ranks countries from 1 to 7 on a freedom scale, 1 being the most free and 7 being the least free

GDP (gross domestic product)

the total value of goods and services produced by a country's residents in a given year

GNP (gross national product)

like GDP, but also includes income citizens earned outside the country

GNP per capita

divides the GNP by the population of the country

Gini Index

a mathematical formula that measures the amount of economic inequality in a society

Globalization

the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of people, cultures, economies, and nation-states facilitated by technology, trade, and cultural diffusion

Human Development Index (HDI)

A statistical tool that attempts to evaluate the overall wealth, health, and knowledge of a country's people.

Liberalism

a political ideology that places emphasis on individual political and economic freedom

Market Economies

an economy that allocates resources through the decentralized decisions of many firms and households as the interact in markets for goods and services

Mixed Economies

an economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion

Modernization (westernization) Theory

transition from traditional, agricultural society, to an industrial society

Politicization of Religion

the use of religious principles to promote political ends and vice versa

Privatization

the sale of state-owned enterprises to private companies or investors

Purchase Power Parity (PPP)

a statistical tool that estimates the buying power of income across different countries by using prices in the United States as a benchmark

Radicalism

a belief that rapid, dramatic changes need to be made in the existing society, often including the political system

Reactionary Beliefs

A person who is extremely displeased with the existing conditions and supports a return to more conservative ways

Regime

the rules that a state sets and follows in exerting its power; these occur when a country's institutions and practices carry across time

Reform

a type of change that does not advocate the overthrow of basic institutions

Revolution

a type of change that implies a change at a more basic level and does not involve either a major revision or an overthrow of existing institutions

Sustainable Development

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

"Third Wave" of Democratization

The period, beginning in the late 1970s, that started in Southern Europe, spread through Latin America and Asia, and accelerated with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Transparency

the full, accurate, and timely disclosure of information