Political Patterns and Processes Vocab

Irredentism

A policy of advocating the restoration of land formerly owned back to the country

Stateless Nation

Ethnic group (nation) that does not possess its own state or comprise of the majority of any state

Ethnic Separatism

The separation of a smaller ethnic group from the larger society; this can be involuntary or voluntary.

Autonomous Region

An area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or freedom from an external authority.

Sovereignty

Independence from control of other states

Microstates

States with very small land area; like Micronesia, Kiribati, Grenada.

Centripetal Forces

Forces which create better bonds (Ethnic tolerance, Socioeconomic equity, Fair legal system, Good leadership, Religious tolerance, Nationalism, Common heritage/language)

Centrifugal Forces

Forces which break relationships (Ethnic conflict, Social injustice, Poverty, Dictatorship, Religious intolerance, Separate nationalist movements, Loss of rights, Weak economy and leader)

A nation-state

A group of people who live as a majority in a state

State

Area defined by lines on a map

Democracy

When citizens elect leaders and can run for office

Autocracy

When a country is run by the interests of the leader

Antecedent boundaries

Boundaries placed before the cultural landscape developed

Consequent Boundaries

Type of boundary that is drawn to accommodate existing language, religious, or other cultural boundaries.

Conservation agriculture

Farming system that can prevent losses of arable land while regenerating degraded lands.

Domino theory

Popular anticommunist theory between 1945-1990 that greatly influenced the foreign policy decision of the US. Once a country became communist, the neighborhood countries would also become communist.

Enclave

A piece of territory that is completely surrounded by another territory of which is not a part of

Exclave

A piece of a country that is separate from the main territory that is enclosed within the borders of another country

Deindustrialization

Decline in industrial activity in a region or economy

Sustainable Development

When the land is used in more efficient ways

Growth Poles Theory

Economic development originates in concentrated 'poles' of advanced industries and infrastructure, which then stimulate growth in linked businesses and surrounding regions through inter-industry linkages

Agglomeration

Concentration of business or production in one area for mutual benefits

Deglomeration

Businesses or industries leave an area where they were concentrated because of technology, increased costs, or competition

Comparative Advantage

A business will produce goods and services that have the greatest ratio of advantage for that area in comparison to other areas; this is based on the assumption that free trade exists

Bulk-Reducing Industry

Economic activity in which the final product weighs less than its inputs

Bulk-Gaining Industry

Economic activity in which the final product weighs more than its inputs

Labor Intensive Industry

Industry where labor costs are a higher percentage of total expenses

Fordist Industries

Industries where each person is assigned a specific task in an assembly line.

Post Fordist Industries

Industries where relatively skilled workers master a wide variety of tasks

Market Equilibrium

The price at which the supply equals the demand

Transnational Corporations (Multinational)

Operates factories in countries other than which the main headquarters is located.

Trading Bloc

Group of countries near each other which promote trade amongst themselves

Exclusive Economic Zone

As prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.

Federate state

Type of government that gives local political units (states or provinces within a country) a measure of power.

Forward capital

City deliberately established or relocated to a less developed region to stimulate growth and balance national development

Fragmented state

Has several noncontiguous pieces of territory, such as archipelagos or islands.

Growth pole

A draw of people and jobs into undeveloped interior.

Heartland-rimland theory

Justified European colonization. Eurasia was the heartland and the territories around were the rimland.

Nation

A social group with a collective identity based on shared features such as language, history, culture or territory.

Imperialism

The use of military threat, cultural domination and economic sanctions to gain control of a country and its resources.

Irredentism

Situation arises when an ethnic group supports and seeks to reunite with its ethnic population in a neighboring country.

Relic boundaries

Old boundaries that are no longer used between countries such as the now nonexistent boundary between north and south Vietnam.

Separatism

When a country is divided when an ethnic or cultural minority seeks political autonomy or the right to self-governance.

Devolution

A breakdown or weakening of central authority.

Subsequent boundaries

Boundaries drawn after the cultural landscape is in place

Superimposed boundaries

Sometimes forced on existing boundaries as in the case of the division of Africa by European colonial powers