CoGoPo Key Terms #21-49

Rule of law

is the principle that a state should be governed by known laws and not arbitrary decisions made by individual government elections

Free and fair elections

allow competitions so that an opposition candidate and party can defeat the ruling candidate and party

independence of governmental branches

prevents any one branch from controlling all governmental power

independent election comissions

attempt to reduce voter fraud and manipulation and enhance electoral competition

suffrage

is a synonym for voting rights. universal suffrage means that every citizen above a certain age is legally eligible to vote

civil rights

is the protection of groups of citizens from discrimination by the government or other individuals

civil liberties

is an individuals protection against abuse of powers by the government

corporatist sytem

government created and supported interest groups (usually labor groups, business owners, and agricultural workers) that become the governments preferred linkage institutions for citizen parcipitation

Pluralist system

citizens can affiliate with more independent interest group to attempt to shape public policies

democratic electoral system

accommodate ethnic diversity and increase multiparty competition with rule adjustments, including general or cultural quotas, proportional representation, and changes in vote thresholds and district boundaries

gender quotas

governmental or party tules intended to increase female representation in legislatures

democracy/authoritarianism

extent of state adherence to rule of law; the degree of governmental influence on or control of the media, practice of free and fair elections, transparency of governmental decision making, political participation by citizens, independence of governmental branches

illiberal democracies/ hybrid regimes

hold elections with little competition toward the ruling party and that tend to have diminished civil liberties

one-party states

when rival parties are prohibited from controlling governmental power

theocracies

require the state be controlled by leaders of a particular religion

totalitaritarian governmetns

authoritarian governments that severely limit citizens rights to movement and free choice of employment

democratizations

transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic regime, increased citizen participation in policy-making, universal suffrage for adult citizens, greater governmental transparency, protected civil rights and liberties, equal treatment of citizens, and establishment of the rule of law

democratic consolidation

is the process by which a democratic regime matures in terms of election rules, separation of powers, and protection of civil liberties, making it unlikely to revert to authoritarianism without an external shock

power

ability of the site to influence the conduct of individuals and organizations within the state

authority

states legitimate right to enforce a power

sources of power/authority

include constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support

federal states

divide power among different levels of government to confer a degree of local autonomy in supplying social and educational services, while also reserving powers for the national government

unitary states

concentrate power at the national level with more uniform policies and potentially more efficient policy making

devolution

is the delegation of power to regional government that can enhance or weaken legitimacy; can create both opportunities for as well as obstacles to resolving social, political and economic issues

legitimacy

referes to whether a governments constituents believe their government has the right to use power in the way they do. Legitimacy confers authority on and can increase the power of a regime and governmet

sources of legitimacy

can include popular elections, constitutional provisions, nationalism, tradition, government effectiveness, economic growth, ideology, religious heritage and organizations and the dominant political parties endorsement

political stability

the ability of a government to consistently provide services that meet the basic needs of most of the population to foster the pulbic’s confidence in the institutions of the state

coercion

the use of government force to guide citizen behavior and actions, can be as small as a citation and small fine to as large a brute force and violence