Political Science 101: Introduction to American Politics in a Global Perspective

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts in American politics, specifically related to governmental structures, electoral systems, and influential political philosophies.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States that established a weak central government.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body composed of two chambers or houses.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures no one branch of government becomes too powerful.

Civic Nationalism

A form of nationalism that defines national identity in terms of shared ideals and values.

Counter-majoritarianism

Provisions in governance that protect the rights of minority groups against the majority.

Cultural Nationalism

Nationalism based on shared cultural identity, rather than ethnicity or religion.

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the Constitution to elect the President and Vice President of the United States.

Federalist No. 10

An essay by James Madison addressing the dangers of faction and how to control them.

Federalist No. 51

An essay by James Madison arguing for the separation of powers in government.

Filibuster

A legislative tactic used to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote.

Republic [James Madison's definition]

A form of government in which the country is considered a 'public matter' and is not the private concern of the rulers.

Tyranny of the Majority

A scenario in which a majority uses its power to oppress a minority group.

Unicameral Legislature

A legislative body that consists of a single chamber.

Chancellor

The head of government in parliamentary systems, often responsible for overseeing the cabinet.

Coalition Government

A government formed by multiple political parties agreeing to share power.

Confidence Motion

A parliamentary procedure to demonstrate that a government has the support of the majority of legislators.

Leader of the Opposition

The head of the largest political party not in government.

Member of Parliament (MP)

An elected representative in the House of Commons in parliamentary systems.

Parliamentary System

A system of governance in which the executive branch derives its democratic legitimacy from, and is directly accountable to, the legislature.

Presidential System

A system of government where a head of state is also the head of government, and is elected separately from the legislative body.

Prime Minister (PM)

The head of government in parliamentary systems.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive.

Ranked-Choice Voting

An electoral system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference.

Single Member District (SMD)

An electoral district that elects one representative.

Mixed Member System

An electoral system that combines both proportional representation and single-member districts.

Shadow Cabinet

A group of MPs from the opposition party who are chosen to scrutinize and challenge the policies and decisions of the government.

Backbenchers

Members of parliament who are not part of the government or opposition front benches.

Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing electoral district boundaries to benefit a particular political party.

Gridlock

A situation in which government is unable to act due to the inability to pass legislation.

Social Democrats (SPD)

A political party in Germany that champions social justice and social democracy.

Barrier Clause

An electoral threshold that parties must meet to gain representation in a legislature, often a minimum percentage of votes.

Bundestag

The federal parliament of Germany.

Christian Democrats (CDU)

A major center-right political party in Germany.

Closed List

A system of proportional representation where voters cast a vote for a party, and the party determines which candidates are elected.

Conservative Party (UK)

One of the two major political parties in the United Kingdom, generally center-right.

Double Ballot

An electoral system, also known as a two-round system, where if no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first round, a second round of voting is held (usually between the top two candidates).

Duverger’s Law

A political science theory stating that plurality-rule electoral systems tend to favor a two-party system.

Ethnic Nationalism

A form of nationalism where national identity is defined by a shared heritage, which usually includes a common language, religion, and racial ancestry.

Fixed-length terms

Mandates for elected officials or legislative bodies that have a predetermined duration, not subject to early dissolution or extension.

Labour Party (UK)

One of the two major political parties in the United Kingdom, generally center-left.

Open List

A system of proportional representation where voters can express a preference for individual candidates within a party list, affecting their ranking.

Plurality

An electoral system where the candidate who receives the most votes wins, even if they do not achieve an absolute majority.

Segmented System

An electoral system that divides a country into different segments or regions, with each using a different electoral formula. (This term may refer to various complex electoral designs).