APCG Must Know Vocabs

Masterprep videos notes

Comparative politics

study and comparison of domestic politics across countries

Politics

struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for larger group

Power

ability to influence others or impose one’s will on them

comparative method

way to make comparisons and draw conclusions across case studies

empirical method

compare statistical or data based facts

normative approach

value or moral judgment based on or not on empirical data

independent variable

a variable (often denoted by x ) whose variation does not depend on that of another.

dependent variable

A variable in an experiment that is observed and measured to assess the effect of an independent variable.

• responds to changes made to the independent variable.

correlation

exists when one variable influences the other

three worlds

1. first world = US and allies

2. Second World = USSR and allies

3. nations that don’t fit in both (usually underdeveloped)

Advanced democracies

well established democratic government and high level of economic development

communist and post-communist countries

countries that limit individual freedoms in order to divide wealth more equally

less developed and newly industrializing countries

third world countries (Mexico, Iran, Nigeria)

state

series of institutions that:

• permanent population

• defined territory

• governing institution to exercise control over territory

• international recognition

sovereignty

ability to carry out actions in a territory independently

regime

rules and practices of politics

• software

government

leadership in charge of running the state

• software operator

nation

group of people that are bound together by common politics, religion, linguistic, or other identities

Treaty of Westphalia 1648

reduced authority of church in Europe and left states with power to direct religion within their territory

• getting religion out of politics

legitimacy

understanding that.a state has certain authority to carry out tasks

• acceptance and recognition from citizens

traditional legitimacy

• built on history and continuity

UK

charismatic legitimacy

• strong leader

Iran: Homeini

rational-legal legitimacy

• built on foundation of highly institutionalized laws

France, China, Mexico, Russia

common law

based on tradition, past practices, legal precedents set by courts through interpretations of statutes, legal legislation, and past rulings

code law

based on comprehensive system of written rules

federalism

significant powers reside in regional or local authorities

devolution

transfer of power from a central government to subnational units within a unitary state, which can be reversed or revoked by the center

asymmetric federalism

power is devolved unevenly between regional bodies

• ex: Russia, Nigeria

unitary states

most power is held in central government

strong state

ones that can fulfill basic functions and enforce rules

weak state

ones that cannot execute political tasks well

capacity

extent to which a government has the resources, institutions, and administrative ability to carry out its policies and maintain control over its population and territory

autonomy

a group or state’s ability to wield power without having to consult the public or another outside body

ethnic identity / ethnicity

set of institution that bind people together through common culture

• language

• religion

• geographic

• customs

• history

national identity

set of institutions that bind people with common political aspiration

nationalism

pride in one’s people and the belief that they have their own political sovereignty separate from others

citizenship

individual’s group’s relationship to the state

• states obligated to provide certain rights to citizens

• citizens require certain obligations → taxes / serving in military

patriotism

pride in one’s state

ethnic conflicts

struggles between ethnic groups to achieve political or economic goals

national conflicts

struggles between groups over sovereignty

Radicals

argue for dramatic/revolutionary change of current political/ economic order

liberals

argue for change but they believe change can come within existing political structures

conservatives

do not see change as necessary and argue that current system is working

reactionaries

seek to restore current political and economic structures to previously established ways

liberalism

informs our current notion of liberal democracy

• holds that politics should seek to achieve the highest level of freedom for all people

• want zero gov. intervention

communism

seek to achieve equality through state control of economic resources

social democracy / socialism

hopes to achieve economic equality

• but strives to do so through private ownership and market forces

fascism

prioritizes ethnic majority over minorities

rejects freedom and equality

• hierarchical divisions between people

anarchy

rejects notion of government

no rules & laws

fundamentalism

ideology that seeks to unite religion with state

• religious doctrine + politics

culture

social roadmap that people follow in society

political culture

basic norms for political activity in society

political economy

study of how relationship between politics and economics shapes the balance of freedom and equality

critical to any economy:

• market: interaction between supply and demand

• property: ownership of goods and services

public goods

those services or goods that no one person or organizatio can own

ex) national defense, public education

social expenditures

state’s spending on public benefits

central bank

state institution that controls flow money and how much it costs to borrow money in economy

tariffs

taxes on imported goods

nontariff regulatory barriers

• health

• packaging

• other restrictions that make it more difficult for goods to be traded

liberalism (economics)

individual freedoms over collective equality and the power of markets over state

• free market

• capitalism: private property

social democracy (economy)

emphasizes capitalism; however

• markets should be checked by state

• should provide more public goods

• neocorporatism

neo-corporatism

state plays larger role in interaction between business and labor

communism (economy)

state controls all aspects of market, including:

• property

• labor

• trade

- guarantees employment, health care, education, n other services

mercantilism

• favors neither freedom nor equality

focus on economic growth to increase power of state

command economy

government owns almost all industrial enterprises

• communism

market economy

based on private ownership of property & little interference from gov. interventions

• capitalism

mixed economy

mixture of command and market economy

• social democracy

Gini Index

mathematical formula that measure inequality and poverty

• low Gini = more equal distribution of income/wealth

Human development index (HDI)

measures overall-well being of country’s people

• overall happiness

economic liberalization

process of reducing state control over the economy by increasing the role of free markets, private ownership, and competition, often through privatization and deregulation.

• cutting taxes

• reducing regulation

• privatizing state-owned business

failed state index

rankings based on perceived social, economic, and political stability

freedom house

level of freedom (1-7 most free)

factors indicating democracy

• rule of law

• degree of state influence on media

• practice of free and fair elections

• transparency of government decision making

• citizen participation in government

illiberal democracy

A governing system that combines democratic electoral processes with the absence of civil liberties and political freedoms

• leading to:

  • limitations on political opponents

  • limit media

hybrid regime

A political system that exhibits a mix of democratic and autocratic features

democratic consolidation

process which a democratic regime is unlikely to revert to authoritarianism without external shock

government maintain legitimacy through

• policy effectiveness

• political efficacy

• tradition

• charismatic leadership

• peaceful resolutions of conflicts

• economic development

devolution advantages

promote policy innovation

• matching policies to local needs

• improve policies through competition

• increase political participation

devolution disadvantages

creating contradictory policies

• inequality between regions

• increasing competition for resources

• exacerbate ethnic tensions

parliamentary system

• combine lawmaking and executive functions

• national legislature select and remove head of government and cabinet

presidential systems

• cabinet responsible to the elected executive

• impeachment to remove members

• separated fixed term

• popular elections for national legislature

semi-presidential system

• separate popular elections for president and national legislature

• president nominate prime minister

executive institutions

• organizations that implement and enforce laws and policies

• include heads of state and government, cabinets, and administrative agencies.

legislature system

• the institution responsible for making laws, composed of elected representatives.

judiciary system

• the system of courts that interprets and applies the law, ensuring justice and resolving disputes.

executive term limits advantages

• check executive power

• inhibit emergence of dictators

• focus officeholder on governing rather than winning elections

• new ideas and policies

executive term limits disadvantages

• force good executives out of office

• insufficient time to achieve goals

• weaken accountability

• impede policy continuity

• create lame duck period

impact of removal of executives

• checks on abuse of power

• hold accountability

what independent legislature do

prevent executive from consolidating too much power

independent judiciary can strengthen democracy by:

• maintain checks and balances

• protect rights and liberties

• establish rule of law

• maintain separation of powers