CPO2001 ECP ch. 1/2 and CCP ch. intro/USA/UK

area studies

a regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered

behavioral revolution

a movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries

deductive reasoning

research that works from a hypothesis that is then tested against data

endogeneity

the issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another

inductive reasoning

research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses

institution

an organization or activity that is self-perpetuating and valued for its own sake

modernization theory

a theory asserting that as societies developed, they would take on a set of common characteristics, including democracy and capitalism

selection bias

a focus on effects rather than causes, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about correlation or causation

theory

an integrated set of hypotheses, assumptions, and facts

traditional approach

emphasis on describing political systems and their various institutions

legitimacy

the extent to which state authority is regarded as right and proper

purchasing power parity (PPP)

a mechanism that attempts to estimate the real buying power of income in each country, using US prices as a benchmark

Celtic fringe

refers to Scotland and Wales, which were not conquered by the Angles and Saxons

collective responsibility

(UK) tradition that requires all members of the cabinet to either support government policy or to resign

collectivist consensus

postwar consensus between the United Kingdom’s major parties to build and sustain a welfare state

common law

legal system based on local customs and precedent rather than formal legal codes

Commonwealth

organization that includes the UK and most of its former colonies

hereditary peers

aristocratic family members with seats in the House of Lords; these seats were largely eliminated by recent legislation

hung parliament

an election result in which no party wins a majority of parliamentary seats

life peers

distinguished members of society who are given lifetime appointments to the House of Lords

majoritarian (UK)

term describing the virtually unchecked power of a parliamentary majority in the UK political system

neoliberalism (UK)

a set of policies championed by Thatcher’s Conservative government in the 1980s, aimed at diminishing the role of the state in the economy

quangos

quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organizations that assist the government in making policy

Third Way

term describing recent policies of the Labour Party that embrace the free market

vote of no confidence (UK)

legislative check on government whereby a government deems a measure to be of high importance; if that measure fails to pass the legislature, either the government must resign in favor of another leader or new parliamentary elections must be called

Bush Doctrine

declaration by President George W. Bush that the US would use military force to preempt potential terrorist threats to US security

rule of law

a principle that holds that all citizens are equal before the law and no one is above the law, not even political leaders

utopian moralism

the principle describing the tendency of Americans to view the world in terms of good versus evil

War on Poverty

President Lyndon B. Johnson’s use of state spending to combat inequality

state

the organization with a monopoly of force/violence over a territory

sovereignty

the ability to carry out actions and policies within a territory independently of external actors and internal rivals

regime

the fundamental rules and norms of politics, including how much power is centralized and the relationship between freedom and equality

government

the leadership that runs the state

country

a political system that combines the state, regime, and government (and also those who live within that system)

two paths of political organization

consensus (democratic rule; bottom-up) and coercion (authoritarian rule; top-down)