Comparative Politics Exam 1

State

the centralized authority, a sovereign entity, composed of political institutions that create and implement policies and resolve conflict. The organization with a monopoly on violence over territory.

Regime

The fundamental rules and norms of politics within a state.

Charismatic Authority

A type of authority where leaders emerge without established institutional power, presenting themselves as leaders who can help the people (e.g., Trump or Hitler).

Legal Authority

A rational form of authority based on a system of codified laws and constitutions (e.g., United States of America).

Traditional Authority

Authority based on long-standing customs, historical rules, or hereditary absolute power, such as the monarchy in Saudi Arabia.

Ethnicity

A set of institutions that bind people together through a common culture.

Patriotism

Love for one's country.

Nationalism

The belief that one's race and nation are superior to others.

National Identity

An individual's sense of belonging to a nation, which most often develops from ethnic identity.

Power

The ability to get someone to do something that they would not otherwise do.

Max Weber

A German sociologist who posited that states are founded on force.

Jean-Jacques (Rousseau)

An Enlightenment French thinker associated with the ideas of the 'right of the strongest', the 'general will' of the people as a powerful collective, and the quote: 'Man is born free but he is everywhere in chains.'

Legitimate Power

Power directed toward the common good, creating an obligation for people to follow it.

Agents

Individuals who follow directives from a higher-up institution, state, or position while exercising power over others (e.g., a professor with authority over students who also answers to superiors).

First Dimension of Power (Straightforward/Intuitive)

Compliance driven directly by fear or explicit sanctions, such as paying taxes to avoid collection.

Second Dimension of Power (Mobilizations of Bias & Agenda)

A subtler form of power that secures compliance through the control of agendas and the illusion of choice (e.g., selecting among preset lab times).

Third Dimension of Power (Unconscious Dimension)

A dimension where individuals' preferences are shaped and controlled without their awareness.

Democracy

A political system where political power resides with the people and is exercised directly or indirectly through participation, competition, and liberty.

Direct Democracy

A democratic system where every citizen votes directly on every single issue.

Indirect Democracy

A democratic system where citizens elect representatives who vote on policies on their behalf.

Judiciary Branch

The branch of government comprising courts and judges; it tends to be the weakest branch and risks democratic instability if overpowered by the executive branch.

Executive Branch

The branch of government that functions as the head of state and/or head of government.

Unicameral Legislature

A single-house legislative body where decisions are made by one group, offering greater efficiency but less openness to diverse opinions.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body with multiple houses, allowing for greater diversification and debate at the cost of legislative efficiency.

Parliamentary System

A democratic system where the executive branch consists of a head of state and a head of government (e.g., King and Prime Minister), lacks fixed terms, and executive power is dependent on the legislature.

Presidential System

A democratic system characterized by fixed terms of office, an executive branch separate from the legislature, and leaders generally elected directly by the people.

Authoritarianism

A regime type that centralizes power, restricts political pluralism and mobilization, and relies on informally defined executive power.

Corruption

Behavior deviating from the formal duties of a public role for private (personal, close family, or private clique) financial or status gain, or in violation of rules restricting specific types of influence.

Totalitarianism

A term connoting political violence and terror, often used in a partisan manner to label a disliked system that demands total, one-sided public support.

Failed State

A state whose political or economic system has weakened to the extent that the government no longer maintains control over some or all of its territory.

Fragile State

A vulnerable state at risk of experiencing political collapse or becoming a failed state.

Nondemocratic Regimes

Political regimes where power is exercised over the state without public or constitutional control, lacking constitutional accountability to the public and restricting political freedom.

Coercive Institutions

State apparatuses such as military forces, police, and soldiers that possess the means to suppress public voice and opposition, identified by Bellin as key to the endurance of authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa.

Patron-Client Relationship (Clientelism)

A long-term, asymmetrical, hierarchical power relationship where a client provides political loyalty and support in exchange for targeted government benefits, aid, or resources from a patron.