Political Science 1

Politics

The activity where people create, keep, and change rules that affect everyone.

Legislative

The branch of government that makes laws.

Executive

The branch of government that implements laws.

Judiciary

The branch of government that interprets laws.

Independent variable

A factor that influences the dependent variable but is not affected by it.

Dependent variable

The outcome or effect being studied, which depends on changes in independent variables.

Idiographic approach

An approach that focuses on a single case in great detail.

Nomothetic approach

An approach that looks at general patterns across multiple cases.

Inductive research

A strategy that starts with observations and builds a theory.

Deductive research

A strategy that starts with a theory and tests it using data.

Qualitative data

Data represented in words, images, or descriptions, often used to understand experiences or meanings.

Quantitative data

Data represented in numbers, used to measure variables in large-scale studies.

Liberal democracy

A political system characterized by regular and competitive elections, universal suffrage, and a vigorous civil society.

Totalitarianism

A political system with six key features: official ideology, one-party state, terroristic policing, control of mass communication, control of armed forces, and state control of the economy.

Authoritarianism

A political system where authority is imposed without the consent of the people.

Negative freedom

Freedom from external interference, such as the right to privacy and free speech.

Positive freedom

The ability to take control of one’s life and participate in society.

Classical democracy

A direct form of democracy where citizens make decisions themselves rather than through representatives.

Protective democracy

A system designed to protect citizens from government overreach by ensuring basic rights and separation of powers.

Developmental democracy

A system emphasizing participation, education, and personal development to improve society.

Communal groups

Groups that people belong to automatically, such as families or ethnic groups.

Institutional groups

Groups connected to formal organizations, like the military or government administration.

Associational groups

Organized associations formed intentionally for specific purposes, such as lobbying organizations or movements.

Interest group

An organization that seeks to influence politics without holding office.

Political party

An organization that aims to win elections and govern.

Sectional interest groups

Groups that represent the interests of specific communities, such as trade unions.

Promotional interest groups

Groups that advocate for an idea or cause, such as environmental movements.

Hybrid interest groups

Groups that combine aspects of both sectional and promotional groups.

Pluralist democracy

A political system where power is widely distributed among various groups.

Elite theory

The idea that a minority or elite group holds power in society.

Normative elite theory

The belief that power should belong to a wise and enlightened minority.

Classical elite theory

The belief that elite rule is an unchangeable fact of society.

Modern elite theory

A critical approach questioning why elites rule and whether their legitimacy is justified.

Neo-corporatism

A system where governments collaborate with organizations like trade unions and employers' associations.

Marxist view of political power

The belief that political power reflects economic power, with the ruling class controlling both.

Idealist view of the state

The state is seen as a moral institution that works for the good of society.

Functionalist view of the state

The state exists to maintain order and stability in society.

Organizational view of the state

The state is viewed as a collection of institutions.

Classical liberalism

An ideology favoring minimal government interference.

Modern liberalism

An ideology supporting a larger government role in solving social issues.

Socialism

An ideology that values cooperation and aims to reduce economic inequality.

Early forms of socialism

Movements such as Utopian and revolutionary socialism like Marxism.

Modern socialism

A reformed approach that seeks to improve capitalism.

Types of political parties

Catch-all, representative, integrative, constitutional, and revolutionary parties.

Catch-all parties

Parties that seek support from as many people as possible.

Representative parties

Parties focused on giving people what they want.

Integrative parties

Parties that try to shape public opinion by promoting specific ideas.

Constitutional parties

Parties that work within the political system for change.

Revolutionary parties

Parties seeking to completely change the system, often through revolution.

Dominant-party system

A system where one party consistently dominates elections.

Civic engagement

Participation in political and community activities.

Free-rider problem

When individuals benefit from collective efforts without contributing.

Models of representation

Trusteeship, delegation, mandate, and resemblance models.

Trusteeship model of representation

Elected leaders make decisions based on their own judgment.

Delegation model of representation

Elected leaders act as direct representatives of voters.

Mandate model of representation

Winning parties claim the right to implement promised policies.

Resemblance model of representation

Leaders reflect the characteristics of the population they represent.

Models of voting behavior

Party-identification, sociological, rational-choice, and dominant-ideology models.

Party-identification model

The idea that people vote based on loyalty to a political party.

Sociological model

Social factors like class, religion, and ethnicity influence how people vote.

Rational-choice model

Voters make decisions based on self-interest and policy benefits.

Political culture

Shared beliefs, values, and attitudes about politics and government.

Types of civic culture

Participant culture, subject culture, and parochial culture.

Social capital

Networks of trust and cooperation that help society function.

Media as a public watchdog

It monitors powerful figures and exposes corruption.

Social movements

Groups of people working together to achieve a common goal.

Political culture

The shared beliefs, values, and attitudes about politics.

Types of culture

Political culture, civic culture, and social capital.

Civic culture

A political culture that supports democracy and balances participation and trust.

Participant culture

A culture where people actively involve themselves in politics.

Subject culture

A culture where people feel they have little influence on decisions.

Parochial culture

A culture focused mostly on local issues.

Social capital

Networks that help society function.

Concerns about media in democracy

Media bias, misleading representation, and lack of accountability.

Media influence on governance

It affects leadership, encourages celebrity politics, and shapes public perception.

Presidentialization in politics

Leaders act like presidents, focusing on media image.

New media

Digital platforms providing alternatives to traditional media.

Effects of new media

Changes in campaigns, access to information, and support for social movements.

Social movements

Groups working together to achieve a goal.

Types of action in social movements

Mass action, collective behavior, and collective action.

Mass action

Individual acts that create a large social effect.

Collective behavior

People acting in the same way due to shared influence.

Collective action

A coordinated effort toward a common goal.

Stages of social movements

Structural conduciveness, strain, beliefs, precipitating factors, mobilization, failure of control.

Structural conduciveness

Conditions allowing a social movement to begin.

Structural strain

A situation causing dissatisfaction.

Generalized beliefs in social movements

Shared ideas about responsibility and solutions to problems.

Precipitating factors in social movements

Specific events triggering mass action.

Mobilization for action

The stage of organizing participation in the movement.

Failure of social control

When authorities fail to stop a movement, leading to stronger support.

New social movements

Movements focusing on issues beyond economic interests.

Differences in new and traditional movements

New movements emphasize quality-of-life improvements.

Examples of new social movements

Environmental, feminist, LGBTQ+ rights, and animal welfare campaigns.

Supporters of new social movements

Typically include the new middle class.

Strategies of new social movements

Online activism, peaceful protests, and awareness campaigns.