Political Geography - Vocab

Quiz

Nation

A large group of people who share a common culture.

Nationalism

Belief in and loyalty to a nation.

Nation-State

When a nation of people have a state of their own - Japan.

Multinational State

A state that is home to several nationalities and ethnicities.

Sovereignty

The supreme and absolute authority of a state or governing body to govern its territory.

Microstate

Small population and very small land area.

Stateless nation

A tightly knit ethnic group that is not recognized as a state.

Multi-State Nation

A group of people that share the same ethnicity, but are divide into two or more states.

Imperialism

The control of territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous society.

Terrorism

The systematic use of violence by a group to intimate ordination citizens as a way to coerce a government.

Federalism

Certain powers like providing schooling and safety designated to local governments limiting the national government power.

Republic

Based on citizens votes, which are represented by elected or nominated officials chosen in free elections.

Democracy

Rule of the people. The term today refers to a political system in which people or their elected representative govern themselves.

Theocracy

Where priests rule in the name of God or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or consistent with the principles of a particular religion.

Autocracy

Controlled by absolute power, and in the hands of a single person with minimal restraints on the decision and lack of any mechanism of popular control.

Technocracy

Scientists and technical experts are in control of the state and where rulers are selected on the basis of their knowledge/skill rather than wealth/power.

Fascism

A way of ruling that advocates total control of the people and seeks to promote the ancestral and cultural values and eradicate foreign influences.

Anarchy

A state of absence of law, state of lawlessness and disorder(usually resulting from a failure of government).

Monarchy

Supreme authority is vested in a single and usually hereditary figure, such as a king and whose powers can vary from absolute to none at all.

Oligarchy

Rule of the few. It is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a faction of persons or families.

Plutocracy

Rule by the rich or power provided by wealth, often used to describe a wealth class ruling a government, often from behind the scenes.

Tyranny

Government or authority of an absolute ruler; arbitrary exercise of power over subjects nor requisite for the purposes of government/approved by law and justice.

Totalitarian

one in which a single political authority regulates total control over a state that is centralized and dictatorial.

Federation

A political organisation characterized by union of small states, groups or parties, which are self-governed in internal affairs & are united under a central government.

Communism

communism is a system of government in which the state owns and operates industry on behalf of the people.

Junta

refers to a group or coalition that takes control of the state after overthrowing a government. Usually this is done by a military groups.

Dictatorship

the power rests entirely on one person or a group of persons. This rule could be acquired by inheritance of force & is usually oppressive.

Demographics

The statistical characteristic of population, including age, race, gender, income, and education level.

Redistricting

Is the process of redrawing congressional district boundaries, usually done every 10 years after the census.

Gerrymandering

Politicians manipulate district boundaries to favor their party or disadvantage voters.