Political Behavior and Institutions - Lecture Notes

This set of flashcards covers concepts from the lecture on political behavior and institutions, focusing on definitions, systems of government, and key political science terminology.

Political Science

The study of political behavior, institutions, and systems.

Electoral System

The method used to convert votes into seats in a legislature.

Parliamentary Democracy

A form of government where the executive derives its legitimacy from and is directly accountable to the legislature (parliament).

Presidential Democracy

A system of government where the president is elected separately from the legislature and holds significant powers.

Proportional Representation (PR)

An electoral system that seeks to create a close match between the percentage of votes won and the percentage of seats allocated.

Majoritarian System

An electoral system where the candidate or party with the most votes wins, often leading to a two-party system.

Political Participation

Activities by individuals or groups aimed at influencing decisions in the political sphere.

Collective Action Problem

A situation in which individuals would benefit from working together but fail to coordinate their efforts.

Interest Groups

Organized groups that seek to influence public policy in their favor.

Social Movements

Collective efforts by groups of people to promote or resist change in society.

Constitutional Review

The process by which a court examines legislative and executive actions to determine their constitutionality.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body with two separate chambers or houses.

Majority Government

A government in which one party has more than half the seats in the legislature.

Minority Government

A government formed by a party that does not hold a majority of seats, relying on support from other parties.

Delegate Model

A model of representation where legislators act strictly in accordance with the wishes of their constituents.

Trustee Model

A model of representation where legislators use their judgment to make decisions they believe are in the best interest of their constituents.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy in which citizens directly participate in the decision-making process.

Representative Democracy

A system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

Political Regime

The form of government or the set of institutions and practices that govern a political community.

Social Capital

The networks of relationships among people in a society that enable it to function effectively.

Democracy

A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule directly or through freely elected representatives.

Political Science

The study of political behavior, institutions, and systems.

Electoral System

The method used to convert votes into seats in a legislature.

Parliamentary Democracy

A form of government where the executive derives its legitimacy from and is directly accountable to the legislature (parliament).

Presidential Democracy

A system of government where the president is elected separately from the legislature and holds significant powers.

Proportional Representation (PR)

An electoral system that seeks to create a close match between the percentage of votes won and the percentage of seats allocated.

Majoritarian System

An electoral system where the candidate or party with the most votes wins, often leading to a two-party system.

Political Participation

Activities by individuals or groups aimed at influencing decisions in the political sphere.

Collective Action Problem

A situation in which individuals would benefit from working together but fail to coordinate their efforts.

Interest Groups

Organized groups that seek to influence public policy in their favor.

Social Movements

Collective efforts by groups of people to promote or resist change in society.

Constitutional Review

The process by which a court examines legislative and executive actions to determine their constitutionality.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body with two separate chambers or houses.

Majority Government

A government in which one party has more than half the seats in the legislature.

Minority Government

A government formed by a party that does not hold a majority of seats, relying on support from other parties.

Delegate Model

A model of representation where legislators act strictly in accordance with the wishes of their constituents.

Trustee Model

A model of representation where legislators use their judgment to make decisions they believe are in the best interest of their constituents.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy in which citizens directly participate in the decision-making process.

Representative Democracy

A system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

Political Regime

The form of government or the set of institutions and practices that govern a political community.

Social Capital

The networks of relationships among people in a society that enable it to function effectively.

Democracy

A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule directly or through freely elected representatives.

Federalism

A system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units like states or provinces.

Unitary State

A state where the central government holds supreme power and any subnational units exercise only powers delegated to them.

Sovereignty

The full right and power of a governing body over itself, without any interference from outside sources or bodies.

Authoritarianism

A political system that denies citizens the right to participate in government and lacks constitutional accountability.

Separation of Powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to amend or veto acts of another branch to ensure no single body becomes too powerful.

Legitimacy

The popular acceptance and recognition by a public of the validity of a governing regime or law.

Civil Society

The space of collective action around shared interests, purposes, and values outside of the family, market, and state.

Political Culture

The set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments that give order and meaning to a political process.

Rule of Law

The principle that all individuals and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced.