Social Diploma Part B

Liberalism

A political ideology that emphasizes the civil rights of citizens, representative government, and the protection of private property

Communism

A radical theory based on the state holding all predicate property and distributing wealth equally based on need

Conservatism

A political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, favour free markets and the status quo

Fascism

An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government that called for a retrogressive return to a better, more idea society throught eh use of violence

Socialism

A political and economic theory that supports greater government ownership of property in order to benefit the common good, but still has room for democracy and some individualism

Collectivism

Giving priority to the goals of one’s group over the needs of the individual

Individualism

Given priority to on’es own goals over group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than a group identity

Reactionary

Opposed to change- wants to go back to better past

Radical

Wants rapid, sweeping, and sometimes violent change in society

Private property

Anything owed by an individual

Public Property

Anything owned by the state

Self-Interest

That which each firm, property owner, worker, and consumer believes is best for itself and seeks to obtain

Collective good

Something of value that is shared amongst members of a group for the benefit of everyone

John Locke

Supported the idea that government powers come from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people

Thomas Hobbes

People are selfish, self-serving, and brutal. Without monarchy, society would be chaotic

John Jacques Rousseau

Civilization had corrupted society’s morals - man needs to return to a time without private property in the original state of nature

John Stuart Mill

The only role of society is to ensure nothing is done which would endanger the well-being of others - otherwise, individuals are free to act as they wish

Baron de Montesquieu

Believed government should have separation of powers - no one person should make all of the decisions in a society

Classical Liberalism

The political ideology of individual liberality, private property, a competitive market economy, free trade, and limited government. The idea is that the less government does, the better

Modern Liberalism

Ideology favouring some government intervention to correct economic and social problems

Responsible Government

A system which the government must maintain at least 50% support in the legislature or else it will fall

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Separation of Powers

Division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Executive Branch

Part of the government which puts laws into action

Legislative Branch

The branch of government that makes the laws

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that interprets laws

Constituency

An area which contains about 100,000 people in Canada which is represented by a Member of Parliament

Senate - Canada

Appointed by the Prime Minster, chamber of sober second thought - double checks laws

Supreme Court

The highest judicial court in a country - decisions cannot be appealed further

Party Solidarity

Key aspect of Canadian politics, all members of the party vote within the party. Rarely are they allowed a free vote. Also known as a whipped vote

Role of the Media

Report on decisions made by the government- keeps government accountable

Vote of Non-Confidence

Occurs when a proposed bill receives less than a majority of votes in the House of Commons, defeating the government and forcing an election to be called

Representation by Population

The number of elected representative is determined by the size of the population in the region represented. Used in the House of Commons

First Past the Post

An electoral system in which the candidate who has more votes than any other candidates wins and all other votes are discarded

Proportional Representation

An electoral system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to the percentage of the vote they receive.

Majority Government

Refers to a party in the House of Commons that forms the government with more than 50% of the seats under its control

Minority Government

A government in which the ruling party has less than half the seats in the legislature

Coalition Government

When two or more parties join together to form a majority in parliament

Referendum

A general vote by the electorate on a single political question. The results of this vote are binding

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives. Difficult in modern societies.

representative democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people

Social contract

A voluntary agreement amount individuals to give up some the their freedom in exchange for society and government

Dissent

An act which demonstrates disagreement with the government such as peaceful protests

Lobbying

attempting to influence a politician to make a decision in favour of a particular interest group

Democratic deficit

When democratic institutions do not seem to be living up to the ideals of democracy

Voter apathy

The lack of interest amoung the citizenry in participating in elections

Mercantilism

An economic policy under which the state-controlled the economy to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by importing more than they exported.

Invisible Hand

Market forces such as supply and demand and competition which influence the price of goods without interference by the government

Scarcity

A situation in which unlimited wants exceed the limited resources available to fulfill those wants

Monopoly

Complete control of a product or business by one person or group

Profit motive

The incentive that drives individuals and business owners to work and increase their wealth

Laissez-Faire

Let it be - belive government should not get involved in the economy

Consumer sovereignty

The power of consumers to decide what gets produced based on how they spend money (dollar vote)

Industrial Revolution

A period of rapid growth in the use of machines in manufacturing and production. First time capitalism was embraced across society

Nouveau Riche

Newly Rich - Capitalist who had gained wealth during the Industrial Revolution

Bourgeoisie

The capitalists who own the means of production, who Marx believed would be overthrown by the workers

Proletariat

Marx’s term for the exploited class, the mass of workers who do not own the means of production

Dialectical Materialism

The idea, according to Karl Marx, that change and development in history results from the conflict between social classes. Economic forces impel human beings to behave in specific ways

Luddites

Any group of British workers who between 1811 and 1816 rioted and destroyed machinery in the belief that such machinery would finish employment

Utopian Socialism

Belief that capitalism could be modified through individual choices to ensure the well being of individuals

Democratic Socialism

A political system in which the government takes over the means of production peacefully; people retain basic human rights and partial control over economic planning

Karl Marx

Father of Communism, believed in history as a class struggle

Adam Smith

Developed capitalism as a response to the state control present in mercantilism

autocracy

A system of government ruled by one person with absolute power

Authoritarianism

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

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the government has total control over the lives of individual citizens

Single party state

A nation-state in which only one political party is allowed to rule under the constitution

Methods of manipulation

Techniques used by authoritarian states to exercise power over their people

Control of Information

Limited the information a population has (censorship) and controlling what is available (propaganda)

Controlled participation

Actions of an authoritarian or totalitarian government to convince citizens to take part in mock elections or attend parades to show their regime is supported by the people

Purge

elimination or anyone who does not support or could pose a challenge to leadership

Indoctrination

The process of teaching a person or group, usually children, to accept a set of beliefs uncritically - brainwashing

Secret Police/paramilitary

Forces loyal to the regime that use force and terror to discover enemies of the regime and remove them form a position of power

Cult of Leadership

The leader of an authoritarian state is portrayed as godlike - more than human, and above the other people

Scapegoat

A person or group that aims targeted by a regime as being the source of all the nation’s problems

Stalin

Russian leader who succeeded Lenin as head of the Communist Party and created a totalitarian state by purging all opposition (1879-1953)

Kulak

A wealthy peasant in the Soviet Union in the 1930s who were scapegoated and persecuted by the Stalinist regime

Gulag

In the society Union, a system of forces labour camps in which millions of criminals and political prisoners were held under stalin

KGB

The soviet secret police

Third Reich

The third German empire, established by Adolf Hitler in the 1930

Third Reich

The third German empire, established by Adolf Hitler in the 1930

Lebensraum

Hitler’s expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire “living space” for the German people

Irredenta

A territory historically or ethnically related to one political unit but under the political control of another

Enabling Act

Government legislation which allowed hustler to get rid of the reichstag parliament and pass laws without reference to parliament

SA,SS, Gestapo

The secret police and paramilitary of the NAzi regime

The night of the long knives

The purge of enemies of the Nazi regime - mostly high profile SA officers who could threaten Hitler’s power

Primary source

A document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study

Secondary source

Information gathered by someone who didn’t take part in or witness an event

Propaganda

Information, especially of biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view

The great purge

(1934), Stalin cracked down on Old Bolsheviks, and anyone else who might pose a threat to his power

Show Trials

Public trials of Stalin’s enemies to legitimize his purge and terrorize the population into obedience

Keynesian Economics

Economic theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms

Inflation

An increase in the overall level of prices in the economy caused by too much money chasing too few goods

Fiscal Policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending

Monetary policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates

Business Cycle

Alternating periods of economic expansion (booms) and economic recession (busts)

Demand side economics

The idea that government spending and tax cuts help an economy by raising consumer demand

Recession/Depression

A phase in the economy where production is low and unemployment is high

Social Welfare

A nation’s system of programs, benefits, and services that help meet the needs of society’s vulnerable