AP Comparative Government and Politics Overview

These flashcards cover terminology and concepts from the AP Comparative Government and Politics lecture notes.

Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments

The study of various types of governmental structures and their functions in different societies.

Political Institutions

The formal structures through which political power is exercised, including legislatures, executives, and courts.

Political Culture

The shared values, beliefs, and norms that influence political behavior in a society.

Core Countries

The six main countries discussed in AP Comparative Government that serve as primary examples in the course.

Democratization

The transition process through which a country adopts democratic systems and practices.

Causation

The relationship where one event or variable directly affects another, often difficult to prove in comparative politics.

Correlation

A statistical relationship between two or more variables, where changes in one variable correspond to changes in another.

Human Development Index (HDI)

A composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, used to rank countries based on human development.

Political Legitimacy

The acceptance and recognition by the public of a state's right to govern.

Traditional Legitimacy

Legitimacy derived from historic and cultural norms, often seen in monarchies.

Charismatic Legitimacy

Legitimacy based on the personal appeal and leadership qualities of an individual leader.

Rational-legal Legitimacy

Legitimacy grounded in established laws and regulations that govern the authority of leaders.

Unitary State

A state governed by a central authority, where most or all power is held by the central government.

Federal State

A political system where power is divided between a central government and regional governments.

Cleavages

Divisions in society that can lead to political conflict, such as race, ethnicity, or class.

Political Ideology

A set of beliefs about the nature of politics and the role of government.

Fascism

An authoritarian political ideology that emphasizes the state over individual freedoms and often includes dictatorial power and suppression of opposition.

Communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society in which all property is publicly owned.

Social Democracy

A political ideology advocating for political democracy alongside social ownership of the means of production.

Liberalism

A political ideology emphasizing individual freedoms and limited government intervention in both personal and economic matters.

Anarchism

A political philosophy that advocates for a society without government or authority, prioritizing voluntary associations.

Political Economy

The study of how economic theories intersect with political practices and policies.

Protectionism

Economic policy of restraining trade between nations through tariffs and restrictions on imports.

Free Trade

A trade policy that allows imports and exports to occur without tariffs or other barriers.

Public Goods

Goods that are provided by the state for the benefit of all citizens, such as law enforcement and infrastructure.

Welfare State

A government system that provides social safety nets for citizens, including healthcare and assistance for the needy.

Single-Member-District (SMD) system

An electoral system in which a single member is elected from each electoral district.

Proportional Representation (PR)

An electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive.

Authoritarianism

A political system characterized by the concentration of power in a leader or an elite with limited political freedoms for the populace.

Totalitarianism

An extreme form of authoritarianism where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and seeks to regulate all aspects of public and private life.