Political Culture and Participation

Asymmetrical Federalism

A system in which some regions have more formal power and autonomy than others.

Capitalism

an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.

Civil Liberties

Fundamental rights and freedoms protected from infringement by the government.

Civil Rights

Positive actions taken by the government to prevent people from being discriminated against when engaged in fundamental political actions, such as voting.

Civil Society

Groups that form outside the government’s control

Coercion

a government’s use of force or threats to pressure individual behavior

Communism

An ideology that advocates state ownership of all property, with the government exercising complete control over the economy

Duma

The directly elected lower house of the Russian parliament that represents the people and has the power to pass laws, confirm the prime minister, and begin impeachment proceeding against the president

Ethnic Group

A group of people who see themselves as united by one or more cultural attributes or a common history

Fascism

A nationalist political ideology in which nationalism and the primacy of the state are the core beliefs. It emphasizes the rights of the majority, oppresses the minority, and supports strong authoritarian rule

Federation Council

The appointed upper house of the Russian parliament that represents the regions and has the power to initiate, review, and amend legislation, approve troop deployments, and remove the president

Formal Political Participation

Voting in elections and on referendums, contacting government officials, joining political groups, working on a campaign, and donating money to a cause or candidate

Individualism

The belief that people should be free to make their own decisions and that the government should not unnecessarily regulate individual behavior or restrict civil liberties

Informal Political Participation

Protest, civil disobedience, and political violence, including terrorism

Neoliberalism

A philosophy favoring economic policies that support the free market and reduce trade barriers

Political Cleavage

Division based on different ideas about the role of government and policymaking goals

Political Culture

A set of collectively held attitudes, values, and beliefs about government and politics.

Political Ideology

An individual’s set of beliefs and values about government, politics, and policy.

Political Socialization

The process through which an individual learns about politics and is taught about society’s common political values and beliefs.

Political Violence

The use of physical force by non-state actors for political ends

Populism

A political ideology based on the idea that the government should put the rights and interests of the common people above the elites.

Post-Materialism

A set of values in a society in which most citizens are economically secure enough to move beyond immediate economic (materialist) concerns to “quality of life” issues like human rights, civil rights, women’s rights, environmentalism, and moral values.

Protest

A public demonstration against a policy or in response to an event, often targeting the government.

Race

A group of people socially defined mainly on the basis of one or more perceived common physical characteristics.

Rentier State

A state that relies on the export of oil or from the leasing of resources to foreign entities as a significant source of government revenue.

Resource Curse

A problem faced by countries that have a valuable and abundant natural resource, which limits diversification of the economy, makes government revenue dependent on the world market, increases opportunities for corruption, and lessens the government’s responsiveness to citizens.

Social Class

A group of people who perceive themselves as sharing a social status based on a common level of wealth, income, type of work, or education.

Social Cleavage

Division based on ethnicity, race, religion, class, or territory.

Socialism

A political ideology in which economic equality is a core value, with the belief that government ownership of the major means of production is a way to reduce income inequality within the state.

Social Movement

A large group organized to advocate for political change.

Terrorism

Political violence or the threat of violence that deliberately targets civilians to influence the behavior and actions of the government.

Totalitarianism

A political ideology that emphasizes domination of the state over citizens. In totalitarian systems, the government has complete control over citizens’ lives.