Unit 3: Political Culture and Participation

AP Comp Gov

Civil Society

Voluntary associations independent from the state, including local religious and neighborhood groups, organizations, news media, business and professional associations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

Nongovernmental Organizations

Civil society groups that provide services governments cannot offer, such as volunteer fire departments, to groups that advocate for foster children.

Political Culture

The collective attitudes, values, and beliefs of the citizenry and the norms of behavior in the political system.

Political Socialization

The lifelong process of acquiring one’s beliefs, values, and orientations towards the Political System. 

Political Ideology

Is a set of values and beliefs about the goals of government, public policy, or politics.

Individualism

Belief in individual civil liberties and freedom from governmental restrictions.

Neoliberalism

Referring to the removal of barriers and restrictions on what internal/external economic actors can do; beliefs in limited governmental intervention in the economy; privatization of government-controlled industries. Free trade to lower tariffs on imported goods, deregulation of governmental controls on business, and the elimination of state subsidies for industries.

Communism

Belief in the abolition of private property with near total governmental control of the economy.

Socialism

Belief in the reduction of income disparities and the nationalization of major private industries.

Fascist

An extreme nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule and the rights of ethnic majority over those of ethnic minorities and the political opposition.

Populism

A political philosophy that supports the interests and rights of the ordinary people over those of the elites.

Democracy or Authoritarianism

Of states that includes the extent of state adherence to the rule of law; the degree of governmental influence on or control of the media; degree and practice of free and fair elections; degree of transparency of governmental decision-making, the degree of political participation by citizens, and the degree of independence of governmental branches.

Power

The ability of the state to influence the conduct of individuals and organizations within the state.

Authority

The state’s legitimate right to enforce a power.

Rule of Law

Is the principle that a state should be governed by known laws and not arbitrary decisions made by individual governmental officials.

Civil Rights

The protection of groups of citizens from discrimination by the government or other individuals.

Civil Liberties

Is an individual’s protection against abuse of powers by the government.

Post-materialism

Social values of self-expression and quality of life issues, such as environmental issues and social and economic equality.

Political Participation

Ways citizens can attempt to shape government policy. It can be formal (casting a ballot in a government election) or informal (protests and political criticism expressed through social media)

Referenda

Allow citizens to vote directly on policy questions, as exemplifies by the UK’s 2016 national vote held to determine whether citizens preferred leaving or remaining in the EU.

Political Stability

The ability of a government to consistently provide services that meet the basic need of most of its population to foster the public’s confidence in the institutions of the state.

Cleavages

Social and political cleavages are internal divisions that structure societies and may be based on class, ethnicity, religion, or territory.

Separatist Movement

When a group’s actions to gain greater autonomy from a government diminish the sovereignty of that government.