Political Science 2

Politics as an Activity

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

Politics as an Arena

A space or location where people enter or leave depending on their role; includes managing a country and public affairs.

Politics as Public Affairs

Focuses on government actions (narrow view) and also includes other areas like art and culture (wider view).

Politics as Power

The ability to make someone do what you want them to do.

Politics as Consensus and Compromise

Solving problems by making agreements between groups with different ideas, often seen in Western democracies.

Dependent Variables

Outcomes or effects that we are trying to explain, dependent on changes in independent variables.

Independent Variables

Causes or factors that influence the dependent variable; they operate independently.

Idiographic Approach

Focuses on one case in great detail to understand unique situations.

Nomothetic Approach

Studies many cases but less deeply to find general patterns or trends.

Inductive Strategy

Starts with observations or data and then builds theories from them.

Deductive Strategy

Starts with a theory or hypothesis and tests it by collecting and analyzing data.

Quantitative Data

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

Qualitative Data

Information represented in words, images, or descriptions, used to understand experiences and meanings.

Ethics in Research

Involves thinking carefully about how researchers treat subjects and the impact of their findings.

Legislative Power

The power to make laws.

Executive Power

The power to implement laws.

Judiciary Power

The power to interpret laws.

Liberal Democracy

A system of government characterized by free and fair elections, universal adult suffrage, and protections of rights.

Universal Adult Suffrage

The right of all adults to vote.

Constitutional Government

A system where power is limited by a constitution and there are checks and balances.

Totalitarianism

An oppressive government system defined by an official ideology, a one-party state, and control over communication and the economy.

Authoritarianism

A system where authority is imposed without the consent of the people, allowing little public influence.

Negative Freedom

Freedom as protection from outside interference, focusing on individual liberties.

Positive Freedom

Freedom as the ability to act and make changes in one's life or society.

Classical Democracy

A form of democracy where citizens directly participate in decision-making.

Protective Democracy

Designed to protect citizens from government overreach, ensuring basic rights and representative governance.

Developmental Democracy

Focuses on personal and communal growth and improvement.

People’s Democracy

A form of democracy emphasizing social equality and collective ownership.

Interest Groups

Organized associations that aim to influence government policies and actions.

Political Parties

Groups organized to win power in government, focused on various issues and sharing similar political beliefs.

Catch-all Parties

Parties trying to gain support from as many people as possible.

Sectional Groups

Interest groups representing the interests of specific communities or professional groups.

Promotional Groups

Advocacy groups that strongly believe in a specific cause.

Insider Groups

Interest groups with formal access to government, consulted during policy-making.

Outsider Groups

Interest groups without formal access to government, often participating through protests.

Pluralist Democracy

A system assuming power is evenly distributed across society, emphasizing organized groups.

Elitist View

The belief in rule by an elite or minority instead of widespread democratic participation.

Normative Elite Theory

Suggests power should belong to a wise minority that can govern better.

Structural Conduciveness

Conditions allowing a social movement to begin.

Structural Strain

Problems that create pressure for change, making people unhappy.

Generalized Beliefs

Shared ideas about who is to blame for a problem and how to fix it.

Mobilization for Action

When people join a movement and take action, which may occur suddenly or through organized methods.

Social Capital

Connections, relationships, and trust within a community that help people participate in society.

Bridging Social Capital

Connects people from different groups, encouraging inclusivity and diversity.

Bonding Social Capital

Builds strong ties within the same group, fostering unity but may exclude outsiders.

Civic Engagement

Citizens participating in their community's life through various forms of involvement.

Political Participation

Involvement in creating or carrying out public policies that affect society.

Socialization

The process by which individuals learn political beliefs and values.

Trusteeship Model

Elected leaders making decisions based on their judgment rather than voters' wishes.

Delegation Model

Leaders acting as delegates, following the wishes of the voters who elected them.

Mandate Model

The winning party claiming permission to implement promised policies.

Resemblance Model

Leaders representing voters with similar characteristics, promoting diversity.

Liberalism

An ideology emphasizing individual rights, freedom, equality, and the consent of the governed.

Classical Liberalism

Focuses on the independence of the individual and negative freedom from interference.

Modern Liberalism

Supports government's role in addressing social issues and improving lives.

Neoliberalism

Focuses on negative freedom and emphasizes free markets and individual responsibility.

Socialism

An ideology advocating for collective ownership and addressing inequality.

Political Culture

The shared beliefs, values, and attitudes about politics within a community or society.

Civic Culture

Attitudes and behaviors important for modern democracies to function effectively.

Politics (Heywood Definition)

Politics is the process by which groups of people make collective decisions, involving the distribution of power and resources.

What are the Six Stages of Social Movements?

1. Emergence: Recognition of issues. 2. Coalescence: Organizing and defining goals. 3. Institutionalization: Formal structure and leadership. 4. Decline: Movement loses momentum. 5. Resurgence: Return to activism. 6. Transformation: Permanent changes in society.

What is the Emergence stage of social movements?

Recognition of issues that mobilize people to take action.

What happens during the Coalescence stage of social movements?

Organizing individuals and defining specific goals to address the recognized issues.

What is involved in the Institutionalization stage of social movements?

The movement develops a formal structure and established leadership to sustain itself.

What characterizes the Decline stage of social movements?

The movement loses momentum, participation decreases, and goals may not be fully achieved.

What is the Resurgence stage in social movements?

A return to activism, often prompted by new issues or a rekindled passion for the original cause.

What does the Transformation stage of social movements entail?

Permanent changes in society's structures or policies resulting from the movement's efforts.