Political Science 101: Introduction to American Politics in a Global Perspective (MID TERM)

Flashcards generated from lecture notes on Political Science 101, covering core concepts of politics, nation-states, regimes, legitimacy, and the European Union.

Politics (Shively definition)

The process of making a common decision for a group of people, and the use of power by one person or a group to affect the behavior of another person or group.

Externalities

Socially negative side effects of individual decisions.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Non-profit, voluntary citizens' groups organized on a local, national, or international level that practice politics.

Agenda Setting

The influence on deciding what issues are being discussed, even by those seeking to be 'neutral'.

Legislative Power

The formal ability to pass or block legislation.

Executive Power

The formal ability to implement legislation.

Judicial Power

The formal ability to interpret legislation.

Nation-State

A complex, historically developing, and contested concept considered a relatively new form of state that contrasts with earlier empires and local tribal societies.

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

A religious conflict within the Holy Roman Empire that spread through much of Europe and resulted in the death of as many as 8 million people.

Treaty of Westphalia (1648)

A treaty that led to the emergence of formal 'Nation-States' in the modern sense by establishing coherent, secular governments that recognized one another and respected mutual boundaries.

Sovereignty

The external recognition of a state's control within a mutually agreed-upon border.

Territoriality

The concept that states are granted control of those within their borders.

Governments

Formal institutions, laws, and especially office holders governing a defined territory.

Head of Government

The main holder of political power, such as a Prime Minister, responsible for administration.

States (general term)

A general term encompassing all those who have power and influence in a given territory, including formal office holders and interest groups.

Head of State

The symbolic leader of a country, such as a King of England.

Regime

Longer-term set of institutions and practices of a country, particularly the rules regarding how leaders are selected and replaced.

Nations

Groups with common cultural and/or linguistic identities tied to a geographic region.

Ethnicity

An identity-group not necessarily geographically bound, allowing for multi-ethnic societies.

Citizenship

Formal country membership, a legal concept particularly tied to the rise of the modern nation-state, independent of national or ethnic identity.

Legitimation

An central issue for any form of government, referring to the process by which a state's 'rightful monopoly on violence' is recognized.

Max Weber

A sociologist who identified three sources of legitimation for states: traditional, charismatic, and legal (rational-legal) authority.

Traditional Authority

Legitimation based on appeal to an 'eternal yesterday,' drawing from historical, religious, or communal traditions and habit.

Charismatic Authority

Legitimation based on a personal 'gift of grace' of the leader.

Rational-Legal Authority

Legitimation based on a belief in governmental competence and rationally created rules, where all are theoretically subject to an impartial legal code.

Absolute Monarchy

A traditional form of authority based upon hereditary rule, usually legitimated through the 'divine right of kings,' and sometimes having weak advisory parliaments.

Constitutional Monarchy

A system where royals serve a symbolic role and have very limited political power.

Theocratic Regime

Rule by religious authorities claiming to govern on behalf of God, potentially alongside a secular government with limited power.

Herrenvolk Regime

A racial oligarchy that excludes an ethnic majority or a substantial minority from effective political participation, while being democratic for the favored ethnic group.

Personal Dictatorship

Rule centered around a single individual, often coming to power by military force (coup d'état) or family ties, and sometimes promoted by a 'cult of personality'.

Coup d'état

An armed overthrow of the old political regime, often bringing a personal dictator to power.

Cult of Personality

The promotion of excessive public admiration for a political leader, often used to bolster charismatic authority.

Single-Party Regime

Political power centered around a single party that is the only one effectively allowed to run in or win elections, often associated with totalitarianism.

Totalitarian Regime

Highly ideological regimes that seek high levels of control over all aspects of the political, economic, and social systems, such as Communist and Fascist states.

Rule of Law

A principle where all individuals, institutions, and entities are theoretically subject to an impartial legal code.

Democratic Regime

A regime usually based on legitimacy provided by free and fair elections, continuously reliant on performance (e.g., economic growth) to maintain its legitimacy.

Bureaucratic Authoritarian (BA) Regime

An authoritarian regime usually based on collective rule by a 'junta,' claiming emergency circumstances require extra-constitutional power, seeking to repress civil society and rule in a technocratic manner.

Junta

A collective rule by various leaders of the armed forces, typically associated with Bureaucratic Authoritarian regimes.

Technocratic Rule

Rule in a theoretically apolitical manner based on claims of technical expertise, promising social peace and prosperity.

Illiberal Democracy

Also known as 'Semi-Authoritarian' or 'Competitive Authoritarian' regimes, which falsely claim democratic legitimacy through regular but carefully controlled elections that restrict political opposition.

Empirical (Truth Claim)

Questions of fact that are observable.

Normative (Truth Claim)

Questions of values and personal opinions.

Analytical (Truth Claim)

Questions of logic that exist only in language, though they can be applied to generate empirical tests.

Direct Democracy

A democratic form mostly associated with small, face-to-face groups, where citizens directly participate in decision-making.

Polyarchy

Robert Dahl's term for 'procedural democracy' or 'liberal democracy,' an empirical, real-world approximation of democracy focusing on mass, representative systems.

Procedural Democracy

An empirical approach to defining democracy based on observable rules and procedures, rather than philosophical ideals.

Representative Democracy

A form of democracy among large groups of people who elect officials to legislate on their behalf.

Presidentialism

A concept describing the degree of strength of a chief executive, such as whether there is a strong separation of powers between branches of government.

Federalism

A system characterized by a high degree of local rule, where power is divided between national and sub-national governments.

Unitary States

States where decisions are mainly made at a national level, with less local autonomy.

Supermajority

A qualified majority of over 50 percent required for exceptional circumstances, such as constitutional amendments or impeachment.

Congress of Berlin (1885)

An event recognizing British control over much of present-day Nigeria, part of the formal establishment of colonial rule.

Biafra War

A rebellion by the Igbo people in Eastern Nigeria (1967-1970) who tried to form a separate nation of 'Biafra,' leading to widespread famine.

Olusegun Obasanjo

A former Nigerian general who served as military head of state (1976–1979) and later as a civilian president (1999–2007), facilitating a democratic transition.

Boko Haram

An Islamist terrorist group whose growth and activities significantly increased instability in Nigeria during the 2010s, notably involved in the Chibok schoolgirl kidnapping.

All Progressives Congress (APC)

A generally center-left coalition that has been the governing party in Nigeria since 2015.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

A generally center-right party that was the politically dominant force in Nigeria from 1999 up until 2015.

European Union (EU)

An economic and political union of 27 (formerly 28) member states, originating as an effort to coordinate coal and steel production, which has expanded to include free movement of labor and capital, and common policies.

Paris Treaty (1951)

The treaty that began a six-country European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).

European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

A six-country community established by the Paris Treaty to coordinate coal and steel production among Western European nations.

Treaty of Rome (1957)

The treaty that established the European Economic Community (EEC), which included a free trade zone and later a common market.

European Economic Community (EEC)

Established by the Treaty of Rome, it aimed to create a free trade zone and common market among its member states.

European Parliament

A legislative body of the EU, initially created by the Merger Treaty (1965) and later given more power by the Treaty of Lisbon, directly elected by citizens.

European Commission

A quasi-cabinet that oversees the implementation and enforcement of EU rules, negotiates treaties, and has the exclusive right to submit legislation.

Schengen Agreement (1985) & Schengen Convention (1990)

Agreements that guaranteed open borders with the end of border checks between signatory nations.

Maastricht Treaty (1992)

The treaty that officially formed the European Union (EU) as a single market with free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor, and phased in the 'Euro'.

Euro (€)

The common currency adopted by many EU member states, phased in between 1999 and 2002 by the Maastricht Treaty.

Eurozone

The group of EU member states that have adopted the Euro as their official currency.

Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)

Policy area where EU member states cooperate on foreign policy and security matters, with increased police and criminal justice cooperation initiated by the Amsterdam Treaty.

Treaty of Lisbon (2007)

A treaty that addressed criticisms of a 'democratic deficit' in the EU by giving more power to the European Parliament and introducing a 'Qualified Majority' voting system for the Council of the EU.

Qualified Majority (EU)

A voting threshold in the EU requiring at least 55% of the body’s delegates and votes from delegates representing at least 65% of EU citizens.

Eurozone Crisis (2008+)

An economic downturn in the aftermath of the 2008 global economic crisis, primarily affecting Eurozone countries (e.g., Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Ireland) unable to devalue their national currencies.

Brexit (2016+)

The UK’s departure from the European Union, initiated by a referendum vote in June 2016, leading to a multi-year negotiation process.

European Council

The EU's informal executive branch, acting as a 'Collective Head of State' by defining the general policy direction of the EU, consisting of heads of government of member states.

Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers)

The EU's upper legislative house, consisting of one designee per country (representing the head of government), acting with the Parliament as a bicameral legislature.

European Court of Justice

The EU's judicial branch responsible for judicial review, deciding legal disputes between member nations, and ensuring uniform application of EU laws.

European Central Bank

The EU's autonomous monetary executive, based in Frankfurt, Germany, which oversees eurozone monetary policy.

European People's Party (EPP)

A center-right political party which is the largest in the EU Parliament since 1999.

Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D)

The second-largest political bloc in the EU Parliament, a coalition of Social Democratic and Labour parties.

Renew Europe

A market-oriented centrist political coalition in the EU Parliament advocating EU decentralization.