AP Human - Supplementary Political and Economic Vocab - Quiz 2

Political Geography

The spatial analysis of political phenomena and processes

Administered Boundary

Enforcement of a boundary by government or people (final phase of boundary creation).

Antecedent Boundary

A boundary line established before an area is populated

Choke Point

A geographical land feature such as a valley or water way which can greatly decrease combat for an armed force trying to reach its objective.

Consequent Boundary

A boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language.

Demilitarized Zone

An area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel.

Failed State

A state within which the government has lost the ability to provide the most basic of public services.

Maritime Boundaries

A conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography.

Relic Boundary

A boundary that has ceased to function but can still be detected on the cultural landscape.

Subsequent Boundaries

Boundary line established after an area has been settled that considers the social and cultural characteristics of an area

Superimposed Boundaries

Boundary line drawn in an area ignoring the existing cultural patterns

East/West Divide

Geographic separation between the largely Democratic and Free-market countries of Western Europe and the Americas from the Communist and Socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Asia; Largely defunct, but old issues are preventing the East from catching up to the West

North/South Divide

The economic division between the wealthy countries of Europe, North America and Japan and the generally poorer countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America

African Union

An organization of African States aiming to encourage economic development and political stability through increased cooperation between its members.

Arctic Council

An organization consisting of 8 Arctic States that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic.

Association of South Eastern Asian Nations

Established in 1967, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia with the purpose of accelerating the economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region.

Shatterbelt

Is an area of instability between regions with opposing political and/or cultural values.

Confederation

A form of an international organization that brings several autonomous states together for a common purpose

International Organization

An alliance of two or more countries seeking cooperation with each other without giving up either's autonomy or self-determination

Irredentism

The doctrine that a region should be controlled by the country to which they are ethnically or historically related.

Supranational Organization

Voluntary association of three or more states to promote shared goals

Commonwealth of Independent States

Confederacy of independent states of the former Soviet Union that have united because of their common economic and administrative needs

European Union

International organization comprised of European countries promoting free trade amongst its members; recent (and controversial) members include Turkey, Former Soviet states

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Agreement between the USA, Canada and Mexico, promoting the goals of free trade amongst the member countries

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

International organization created to form a military alliance between the western, democratic countries during the Cold War, Includes USA and Western Europe

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

An international economic organization whose members all produce and export oil

United Nations

A Global Supranational Organization established at the end of World War Il to foster international security and cooperation

Democratization

Trending toward democracy

Domino Theory

The idea that political destabilization in one country can lead to collapse of political stability in neighboring countries, starting a chain reaction of collapse (often used to describe the spread of Communism from the USSR in the 1950s-1980s)

Enclave

A country that is entirely surrounded by the territory of another country

Exclave

A bounded territory that is part of a state but separated from it by the territory of another state

Exclusive Economic Zones

Coastal water and seabed areas where a country has exclusive rights to fishing, drilling, and other economic activities

Geopolitics

The study of how political relations interact with geographic and territorial factors

Law of the Sea

Laws defining states' rights and responsibilities for ownership and use of the oceans and their resources

Lebenstraum

Hitler's expansionist theory seeking additional "living space" for Germans during WWII

Military Alliances

Agreements between countries to provide mutual defense and support during crises

Territoriality

Attempts to control or influence people and relationships by asserting control over a geographic area

Territorial Dispute

A conflict over ownership or control of land

Territorial Organization

Political organization that divides power among smaller, manageable geographic units

Electoral College

A certain number of electors from each state proportional to and seemingly representative of that state's population. Each elector chooses a candidate believing they are representing their constituency's choice. The candidate who receives a higher proportion of electoral votes within a state receives all the electoral votes from that state.

Electoral Vote

The decision of a particular state elector that represents the dominant views of that elector's state

Popular vote

The tally of each individual's vote within a given geographic area

Reapportionment

The process of reallocation of electoral seats to defined territories

Redistricting

The drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes

Voting Districts

Is a geographical area which is represented by a seat or numerous seats in a legislative body such as a parliament or congress