Comparative Politics Glossary: Key Terms (A–F)

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental political science and comparative politics terminology from Abstract Review to Freedom.

Abstract Review

Judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on questions that do not arise from actual legal disputes

Anarchism

A political ideology that stresses the elimination of the state and private property as a way to achieve both freedom and equality for all

Area Studies

A regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered

Asymmetric Federalism

A system in which power is divided unevenly among regional bodies for example, some regions are given greater power over taxation or language rights than others, a more likely outcome in a country with significant ethnic divisions

Authoritarianism

A political system in which a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public

Autonomy

The ability of the state to wield its power independently of the public or international actors

Base

The economic system of a society, made up of technology (the means of production) and class relations between people (the relations of production)

Behavioral Revolution

A movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries

Bicameral System

A political system in which the legislature comprises two houses

Bourgeoisie

The property-owning class

Bretton Woods System

An economic regime that manages international economic relations; this includes the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Bureaucratic Authoritarianism

A system in which the state bureaucracy and the military share a belief that a technocratic leadership, focused on rational, objective, and technical expertise, can solve the problems of the country without public participation

Capacity

The ability of the state to wield power to carry out basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy

Capitalism

A system of production based on private property and free markets

Causal Relationship

Cause and effect; when a change in one variable causes a change in another variable

Central Bank

The state institution that controls how much money is flowing through the economy as well as how much it costs to borrow money in that economy

Central Committee

The legislature-like body of a communist party

Central Planning

A communist economic system in which the state explicitly allocates resources by planning what should be produced and in what amounts, the final prices of goods, and where they should be sold

Charismatic Legitimacy

Legitimacy built on the force of ideas embodied by an individual leader

Citizenship

An individual's relationship to the state, wherein citizens swear allegiance to that state and the state in return is obligated to provide rights to those citizens

Civil Liberties

Individual rights regarding freedom that are created by the constitution and the political regime

Civil Rights

Individual rights regarding equality that are created by the constitution and the political regime

Civil Society

Organizations outside of the state that help people define and advance their own interests

Clientelism

A process whereby the state co-opts members of the public by providing specific benefits or favors to a single person or a small group in return for public support

Colonialism

An imperialist system in which a foreign territory is physically occupied, using military force, businesses, or settlers

Communism

(1) A political-economic system in which all wealth and property are shared so as to eliminate exploitation, oppression, and, ultimately, the need for political institutions such as the state; (2) a political ideology that advocates such a system

Comparative Advantage

The ability of one country to produce a particular good or service more efficiently relative to other countries' efficiency in producing the same good or service

Comparative Method

The means by which social scientists make comparisons across cases

Comparative Politics

The study and comparison of domestic politics across countries

Concrete Review

Judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on the basis of actual legal disputes brought before it

Conservatives

Those with a political attitude that is skeptical of change and supports the current order

Constituency

A geographical area that an elected official represents

Constitutional Court

The highest judicial body in a political system that decides whether laws and policies violate the constitution

Corporatism

A method of co-optation whereby authoritarian systems create or sanction a limited number of organizations to represent the interests of the public and restrict those not set up or approved by the state

Correlation

An apparent relationship between two or more variables

Country

A state, government, and regime, and the people who live within that political system

Culture

Basic institutions that define a society

Deductive Reasoning

Research that works from a hypothesis that is then tested against data

Deflation

A decline in the prices of goods and services

Democracy

A political system in which political power is exercised either directly or indirectly by the people

Dependent Variable

A variable whose value changes based on that of another

Developed Democracy

A country with institutionalized democracy and a high level of economic development

Developing Countries

Lower and middle income countries

Devolution

A process in which political power is "sent down" to lower levels of state and government

Dialectical Materialism

Process of historical change that is not evolutionary but revolutionary; the existing base and superstructure (thesis) would come into conflict with new technological innovations, generating growing opposition to the existing order (antithesis)—this would culminate in revolution, overthrowing the old base and superstructure (synthesis)

Economic Liberalization

Changes consistent with liberalism that aim to limit the power of the state and increase the power of the market and private property in an economy

Electoral System

A set of rules that govern how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats in a legislature

Empire

A single political authority that has under its sovereignty a large number of external regions or territories and different peoples

Endogeneity

The issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another

Equality

A material standard of living shared by individuals within a community, society, or country

Ethnic Conflict

A conflict in which different ethnic groups struggle to achieve certain political or economic goals at each other's expense

Ethnic Identity/Ethnicity

Specific attributes and societal institutions that make one group of people culturally different from others

Executive

The branch of government that carries out the laws and policies of a state

Export-Oriented Industrialization

A mercantilist strategy for economic growth in which a country seeks out technologies and develops industries focused specifically on the export market

Failed State

A state so weak that its political structures collapse, leading to anarchy and violence

Fascism

A political ideology that asserts the superiority and inferiority of different groups of people and stresses a low degree of both freedom and equality in order to achieve a powerful state

Federalism

A system in which significant state powers, such as taxation, lawmaking, and security, are devolved to regional or local bodies

First Past the Post

An electoral system in which individual candidates compete in single-member districts; voters choose between candidates, and the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

The purchase of assets in a country by a foreign firm

Formal Institutions

Institutions usually based on officially sanctioned rules that are relatively clear

Freedom

The ability of an individual to act independently, without fear of restriction or punishment by the state or other individuals or groups in society

Fundamentalism

A view of religion as absolute and inerrant and that it should be legally enforced by making faith the sovereign authority

Game Theory

An approach that emphasizes how actors or organizations behave in their goal to influence others, built upon assumptions of rational choice

Gini Index

A statistical formula that measures the amount of inequality in a society; its scale ranges from zero to 100, where zero corresponds to perfect equality and 100 to perfect inequality

Glasnost

Literally, openness; the policy of political liberalization implemented in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s

Globalization

The process of expanding and intensifying linkages between states, societies, and economies

Government

The leadership or elite in charge of running the state

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total market value of all goods and services produced in a country over a period of one year

Guerrilla War

A conflict whereby nonstate combatants, who largely abide by the rules of war, target the state

Head of Government

The executive role that deals with the everyday tasks of running the state, such as formulating and executing policy

Head of State

The executive role that symbolizes and represents the people both nationally and internationally

Human Development Index (HDI)

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

Hyperinflation

Inflation of more than 50 percent a month for more than two months in a row

Ideational

Having to do with ideas

Illiberal Regime

A regime where democratic institutions that rest on the rule of law are weakly institutionalized and poorly respected

Imperialism

A system in which a state extends its power to directly control territory, resources, and people beyond its borders

Import Substitution

A mercantilist strategy for economic growth in which a country restricts imports in order to spur demand for locally produced goods

Independent Variable

A variable whose value does not depend on that of another

Inductive Reasoning

Research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses

Inflation

An increase in the general price level of goods and services in the economy

Informal Economy

A segment of the economy that is not regulated, protected, or taxed by the state

Informal Institutions

Institutions with unwritten and unofficial rules

Initiative

A national vote called by members of the public to address a specific proposal

Institution

An organization or activity that is self-perpetuating and valued for its own sake

Intergovernmental Organization (IGO)

Group created by states to serve particular policy ends

Intergovernmental System

A system in which two or more countries cooperate on issues

International Regime

The fundamental rules and norms that link states together and shape their relationships to one another, usually regarding some specific issues (such as greenhouse gases or trade)

International Relations

A field in political science that concentrates on relations between countries, such as foreign policy, war, trade, and foreign aid

Judicial Review

The mechanism by which courts can review the actions of government and overturn those that violate the constitution

Kleptocracy

"Rule by theft," where those in power seek only to drain the state of assets and resources

Laissez-Faire

The principle that the economy should be "allowed to do" what it wishes; a liberal system of minimal state interference in the economy

Legislature

The branch of government charged with making laws

Legitimacy

A value whereby an institution is accepted by the public as right and proper, thus giving it authority and power

Liberal Democracy

A political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights

Liberalism

(1) A political attitude that favors evolutionary transformation; (2) an ideology and political system that favors a limited state role in society and the economy and places a high priority on individual political and economic freedom

Liberals

Those with a political attitude that favors evolutionary change and who believe that existing institutions can be instruments of positive change

Lower-Income Countries

Countries that lack significant economic development or political institutionalization or both; also known as less-developed countries (LDCs)

Market

The interaction between the forces of supply and demand that allocates resources