Studied by 0 peopleQuantitative method
analyzing empirical data, test hypothesis, cause and effect
Qualitative method
analyzing characteristics through case studies of history, culture, looking in depth for understanding
Empirical statement
factual and observable rather than purely theoretical or logical.
Normative statement
value-related questions
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
all the goods and services produced by a country’s economy in a given year, excluding income earned outside the country
GDP per capita
divides the GNP by population of the country
Gross National Product (GNP)
like GDP, but includes income earned outside the country
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)
like GDP, except that it takes into consideration what people can buy in their local economy. A way to compare GDP for countries fairly by standardizing the currency.
Gini Index
mathematical formula that measures amount of economic inequality in a society
Human Development Index (HDI)
measures well-being of a country’s people by factoring in life expectancy, and education enrollment, as well as per capita income.
Politics
the authoritative allocation of values through a society: the power to enforce who gets what, when, and how.
Power
the influence to get what one wants from others and instruct them to follow one.
Authority
the legal right to have and use power
Legitimacy
when people accept the power of the government and respect orders
Nation
group of people with one common relationship who claim a homeland
State
institutions that carry out policy, the only people who can legitimately carry out violence
sovereignty
ability to control what happens in their borders, to carry out laws over their people
institutions
stable, long-lasting organizations that help turn ideas in politics into policy.
supranational organization
organization with the states as members, and they give up sovereignty in the organization
regime
a type of political system or the set of rules that determine how decisions are made
government
the leadership or elite in charge of running the state or ruling institutions
democracies
power from the people to shape political decisions through free, fair, and competitive elections and when government is held accountable
cold wars
the hostile relations that prevailed between the US and the USSR from the late 1940s until the USSRs collapse
critical juncture
an important historical moment when political actors make critical choices, which shape institutions and future outcomes
collective identities
the groups with which people identify gender, class, race, region, and religion, and which are the “building blocks” for social/political action
comparitive politics
the field within political science that focuses on domestic politics and analyzes patterns of similarity and difference between countries
globalization
the intensification of worldwide interconnectedness associated with the increased speed and magnitude of cross-border flows of trade, investment and finance, and processes of migration, cultural diffusion, and communication
comparativist
a political scientist who studies the similarities and differences in the domestic politics of various countries
keynesianism
an approach to economic policy in which state economic policies are used to regulate the economy in an attempt to achieve stable economic growth
neoliberalism
government policies aiming to promote free competition among business firms within the market, including reduced governmental regulation and spending
country
a territorial unit controlled by a single state. They encompass governments as well as culture, economies, and collective identities
state
the most powerful political institutions in a country, including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, the police, and armed forces
executive
the agencies of government that implement or execute policy
cabinet
the body of officials who direct executive departments presided over by the chief executive
bureacracy
an organization structured hierarchically in which lower-level officials are charged with administering regulations codified in rules that specify impersonal, objectives guidelines for making decisions
legislature
one of the primary political institutions in a country, in which elected or appointed members are charged with responsibility for making laws and usually providing for the financial resources for the state to carry out its functions
judiciary
one of the primary political institutions in a country; responsible for the administration of justice and in some countries for determining the constitutionality of state decisions
state formation
the historical development of a state, often marked by major stages, key events, or turning points (critical junctures) that influence the contemporary character of the state
nation-state
politically defined territory where state and national identity coincide
casual theories
an influential approach in comparative politics that involves trying to explain why “if X happens, then Y is the result”
rational choice theory
an approach to analyzing political decision making and behavior that assumes that individual actors rationally pursue their aims in an effort to achieve the most positive net result.
middle-level theory
seeks to explain phenomena in a limited range of cases, in particular, a specific set of countries with particular characteristics, such as parliamentary regimes, or a particular type of political institution (political parties) or activity (protest)
dictatorships
a form of government which power and political and political control are concentrated in one or a few rulers who have concentrated and nearly absolute power
democratic transitions
the process of a state moving from an authoritarian to a democratic political system
institutional design
the institutional arrangements that define the relationships between executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government and subnational units such as states in the us
World Trade Organization (WTO)
a global international organization that oversees the “rules of trade” among its member states. The main functions are to serve as a forum for its members to negotiate new agreements and resolve trade disputes. Its fundamental purpose is to lower or remove barriers to free trade
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The global institution with a mandate to “foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty.
It has been particularly active in helping countries that are experiencing serious financial problems.
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
A treaty among the US, Mexico, and Canada implemented on January 1, 1994 that largely eliminates trade barriers among the 3 nations.
political economy
the study of the interaction between the state and the economy
sustainable develop,ent
an approach to promoting economic growth that seeks to minimize environmental degradation and depletion of nation resources
communist party-state
A type of nation-state in which the communist party attempts to exercise a complete monopoly on political power and controls all important state institutions.
social movements
large-scale grassroots action that demands reforms of existing social practices and government policies
social class
A group whose members share common world views and aspirations determined largely by occupation, income and well
distributional politics
the use of power, particularly by the state, to allocate some kind of valued resource among competing groups
typology
A method of classifying by using criteria that divide a group of cases into smaller cases with common characteristics
consolidated democracies
democratic political systems that have been solidly and stably established for an ample period of time and in which there is a relatively consistent adherence to the core democratic principles
mixed systems
countries whose political systems exhibit some democratic and some authoritarian elements
authoritarian regimes
a system of rule in which power depends not on popular legitimacy but on the coercive force of the political authorities
hegemony
the capacity to dominate the world of states and control the terms of trade and the alliance patterns in the global order
particilaristic
relative to the specific context of a given country
civil society
wide array of voluntary organizations independent from the state
social capital
networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit
civil liberty, rule of law, independent judiciary, open civil society, civilian control of the military
components of liberal democracy
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