comp gov unit 3: political culture and participation

Brute Repression

is the use of coercive force by the government to suppress actions the government opposes

Civil Society

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

Cleavages

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

Communism

is the belief in the abolition of private property with near total governmental control of the economy

Coup d’etat (coup)

• the seizure of control of the state apparatus by the military

Fascism

is an extreme nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule and the rights of the ethnic majority over that of ethnic minorities and the political opposition

Individualism

is the belief in individual civil liberties and freedom over governmental restrictions

Linkage Institutions

are organizations and systems that help connect citizens to the public policymaking process, most commonly including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

Neoliberalism

refers 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 good, deregulation of governmental controls on business, and the elimination of state subsidies for industries

Nongovernmental Organizations

are civil society groups that provide services that governments can also provide, such as volunteer fire departments to groups that provide advocacy for foster children

Political Culture

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

Political Ideology

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

Political Participation

describes the 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)

Political Socialization

is the lifelong process of acquiring one’s beliefs, values, and orientations toward the political system

Populism

is a political philosophy that supports the interests and rights of the common people over that of the elites

Post-materialism

refers to the social values of self-expression and quality of life issues such as environmental issues and social and economic equality (such as LGBT rights and abortion rights)

Referenda

allows citizens to vote directly on policy questions as exemplified by the United Kingdom’s 2016 national vote about whether citizens preferred leaving or remaining in the European Union.

Separatist

Movement occurs when a group’s actions to gain greater autonomy (independence) from a government diminishes the sovereignty of that government

Socialism (Social Democracy)

is a political-economic ideology that advocates for the balance of freedom and equality through the state’s management of the economy and the provision of social expenditures

Welfare State

is a government that takes responsibility for providing key social services such as healthcare, education, housing and retirement benefits.