Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, Governments, and Development - AP Comparative Government

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering political systems, regimes, governments, sovereignty, legitimacy, methods of comparative politics, and development metrics based on Unit 1 lecture notes.

How is politics defined in the context of power and government?

Politics is defined as the pursuit of power over public decisions and government actions.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative methods in comparative politics?

Quantitative methods gather statistical data across many countries to look for correlations and test hypotheses, emphasizing breadth over depth. Qualitative methods focus on mastery of a few cases through detailed study of history, language, and culture, emphasizing depth over breadth.

What is the difference between empirical information and normative statements?

Empirical information is factual and objective, whereas normative statements involve value-based judgments.

How do inductive and deductive reasoning differ in political science?

Deductive reasoning starts with a theory, forms a hypothesis, gathers observations, and moves to confirmation. Inductive reasoning starts with observations, identifies patterns, formulates a hypothesis, and develops a theory.

How is development defined generally and according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Development is defined generally as a sustained increase in the standard of living in a society. Under Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it is defined as the struggle to fulfill human needs, ranging from basic biological needs to higher goals.

What is the distinction between economic development and socio-political development?

Economic development focuses on economic growth, increasing revenue, diversifying industries, and innovation. Socio-political development focuses on social values, social stability, gender equality, low corruption rates, and an impartial legal system.

What is the concept of 'Development as freedom'?

Development as freedom asserts that true progress is about expanding the real freedoms and choices people have in life to achieve self-actualization, rather than just growing a country's wealth.

What does the Gini coefficient measure, and what does its scale indicate?

The Gini coefficient measures income inequality within a country on a scale from $0$ (most equal) to $1$ (most unequal).

What are the three components of the Human Development Index (HDI)?

The three components of HDI are life expectancy, average number of years in school (to measure literacy), and gross national income (GNI) per capita.

What is a state?

A state is a political-legal entity that combines a permanent population with governing institutions to exercise control over a defined territory with international recognition, maintaining a monopoly on the legitimate use of force and sovereignty.

How does a country differ from a state?

A country is a spatial and geographical concept describing physical landmass and borders where a population lives. A state refers to the political institutions and government apparatus that hold sovereignty and a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within that territory.

What is the difference between internal sovereignty and external sovereignty?

Internal sovereignty is a state's ability to maintain order, enforce laws, and exercise a monopoly on force within its territory without challenge from internal rivals. External sovereignty is recognition by other states in the international community that a state has the independent right to exist and govern itself without external interference.

What is a regime?

A regime is the enduring set of rules, institutions, and norms that determines how leaders are selected, how power is exercised, and what limits exist on authority.

What is a government?

A government is the specific set of institutions or group of people currently holding political office and legally empowered to make binding decisions for a state.

What is a nation?

A nation is a body of people united by common descent, history, culture, language, or identity inhabiting a particular territory, which does not always correspond to a state.

What does institutionalization mean when describing political systems?

Institutionalization describes the degree of permanence or how 'set in stone' a structure, rule, or political process is within a system.

What is the difference between a change in government and a regime change?

A change in government occurs when officeholders or leaders change (via elections, appointments, or succession) while the fundamental rules and institutions remain the same. A regime change occurs when the fundamental rules and institutions governing access to and exercise of power are replaced (via revolutions, coups, or constitutional overhauls).

How do power and authority differ?

Power is the personal or coercive ability to control, direct, or assert one's will over others. Authority is the formal, socially recognized right or official permission attached to an institutional position to exercise power.

What are six recognized sources of power and authority in political systems?

Six recognized sources are constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support over time.

What is the difference between state capacity and state autonomy?

Capacity is a state's ability to wield power to carry out essential functions. Autonomy is a state's ability to wield power independently of interference from internal or external actors, including the public.

What is political legitimacy?

Political legitimacy is the widely held belief or perception among citizens that their government got into power fairly and possesses the rightful authority to rule and enforce laws.

What are key methods through which governments sustain political legitimacy?

Governments sustain political legitimacy through policy effectiveness, political efficacy, tradition, charismatic leadership, institutionalized rational-legal laws, economic development, peaceful conflict resolution, and reducing corruption.

What is political stability, and what can threaten it?

Political stability is a state's capacity to maintain functioning governing institutions, execute public policies, and maintain sovereignty without major upheaval. Threats include loss of territory, separatist groups, large-scale migration, loss of government legitimacy, sustained protest movements, revolutions, and coups.

How do unitary states and federal states differ in constitutional structure?

A unitary state concentrates constitutional authority in the central government, whereas a federal state constitutionally divides sovereignty between national and regional governments.

What is the difference between a devolved unitary state and an asymmetric federal state?

In a devolved unitary state, the central government retains ultimate authority and can alter or revoke devolved powers through ordinary legislation. In an asymmetric federal state, regional powers and varying levels of autonomy are constitutionally protected.

How did corruption and Boko Haram undermine stability and legitimacy in Nigeria?

Rampant state corruption and the government's inability to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency undermined public trust in the state's right to rule (legitimacy) and overwhelmed its coercive capacity to maintain order (stability), leading to democratic fragility and displacement.