Political Systems, Regimes + Governments

Empirical data

fact-based information from observation or experimentation

Normative statement

value or opinion statement that cannot be proven or disproven

Quantitative data

information that is difficult to measure including sources like speeches, documents, political cartoons

Correlation

exists when there is an association between 2+ variables

Causation

difficult to determine in politics, numerous variables that potentially influence political parties and/or regime stability

Human Development Index (HDI)

comes from UN, a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

market value of goods and services produced over a certain time in a country, depicts size of national country

GDP per capita

reflects the size of national economy in comparison with the population size

GDP growth rate

shows the rate of national economy expansion

Gini Index

shows income inequality in a country, 0 indicates equality, 1 indicates nequality

Freedom House

scores are reported by a non-gov organization, ranks countries based on political rights/ civil liberties

Governmental transparency

ability of citizens to access information about a governmetn’s policy making/implementatoons to hold official accountable

Governmental corruption

when public officials abuse power for personal benefit

The Fragile States Index

reported by The Fund for Peace that assesses/ranks countries based on their potential to weaken due to conflicts/domestic travel

Political systems

comprise laws, ideas, procedures that address who should have authority to rule and what the government influence on its peril and economy should be

States

political organizations that combine a permanent population with governing institutions to exercise control over a defined territory

Regimes

refer to fundamental rules that control access to and the exercise of political power, typically endure from government to government

Government

set of institutions/individuals legally empowered to make binding decisions for a state

Sovereingty

independent legal authority over a population in a particular territotory

Nation

a group of people with commonality including; race, language, religion, ethnicity, political identity + aspiration