AP Comp Gov Topic One: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments

Human Development Index (HDI)

a statistic composite index of indicators, including life expectancy, education, and per capita income

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

the total value of goods and services produced in a country during one year

GDP per Capita

the total value of goods and services produced in a country during one year divided by population

GDP Growth Rate

percentage change in a state’s GDP over a specific period, typically a year or a quarter

Gini Index

a measure of income inequality within a country

Freedom House Index

a measure of political rights and civil liberties within a country

Corruption Perceptions Index

a measure of the degree which citizens believe officials use their positions for private gain

Fragile States Index

a ranking of 178 countries across 12 indicators of the risks and vulnerabilities faced by individual nations

State

a government with independent legal authority over a population in a particular territory

Regime

a system, such as authoritarian or democratic, that is the framework of government

Government

the set of institutions or individuals legally empowered to make binding decisions for a state

Regime Change

a change in the fundamental rules and system of government

Change in Government

a change in leaders, without a fundamental change in the system

Liberal Democracy

a system with free and fair elections and civil rights and liberties

Democratization

the transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic system

Democratic Consolidation

the process by which a democratic regime matures, making it unlikely to become authoritarian

Illiberal/Procedural Democracy or Hybrid Regime

a system that holds contested elections, but with limited competitiveness and minimal civil liberties and transparency

Authoritarian State

a regime that lacks free and fair elections and restricts civil rights and liberties

One Party State

a state that allows only one party to control the government

Theocracy

a state based on religious rule

Totalitarian Government

a state with complete political, social, and cultural control over citizens

Military Regime

a form of government where political power resides with the armed forces, often led by a general

Sovereignty

a state’s right and power to government itself without internal or external interference

Legitimacy

the state’s legitimate right to use power to enforce policies and decisions

Nation

a group of people with commonalities, including race, language, religion, ethnicity, political identity, and aspirations

Rule of Law

the principle that a state should not be ruled by arbitrary decisions made by officials, and that no one is above the law

Rule by Law

when the judicial system makes decisions according to the wishes of government officials, instead of using legal principles

Transparency

the ability of citizens to see what the government is doing, including openness and accountability

Corruption

the use of an official position for personal gain

Revolution

an overthrow of the political system with wide popular support

Coup

the seizure of power from a government, usually by a small group

Unitary System

a system where power is concentrated at the national level, where the power of subgovernments is not protected

Federal System

a system where power is divided among different levels of government, with some subgovernment power protected

Devolution

when the national government delegates power to regional government

Legitimacy

when government’s constituents believe it has the right to rule

Traditional Legitimacy

the right to rule based on long standing customs and beliefs

Charismatic Legitimacy

the right to rule based on the leader’s personality

Rational/Legal Legitimacy

the right to rule based on an institutionalized system of laws

Political Efficacy

a citizen’s belief that his or her political participation can make a difference

Private Capital

money invested in a business by an individual or a group of individuals

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

money invested in a business which is located in another country