U1 Comparative Government Terms

Empirical statements

fact based information from observation or experimentation

Normative statements

a value or opinion statement that cannot be proven or disproven.

Qualitative data

information that is difficult to measure including sources such as speeches, foundational documents, political cartoons, maps and political commentaries

Quantitative data

information based on numerical values

Correlation

when there is an association between two or more variables

Causation

difficult to determine with certainty in comparative politics, as often there are numerous variables that potentially influence political policies and/or regime stability, with no way to isolate and demonstrate which is producing the change

Human Development Index (HDI)

comes from the United Nations Development Programme as “a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development” including statistics about life expectancy, amount of schooling, and income

Gross domestic product (GDP)

the market value of goods and services produced over a certain time in a country. GDP can depict the overall all size of a national economy

GDP per capita

reflects the size of the national economy in comparison with the population size.

GDP growth rate

shows the rate of national economic expansion.

Gini index

shows income inequality within a country. A Gini of 100% indicates perfect inequality whereas a Gini of 0% indicates perfect equality.

Freedom House scores

reported by a nongovernmental organization (Freedom House) that ranks countries based on scores of 1-7 for political rights and civil liberties.  Freedom House ranks countries as Free, Partially Free or Not Free based on these scores in political rights and civil liberties. 0 (Least Free) to 100 (Most Free.)

Governmental transparency

the ability of citizens to access information about a government’s policy making and policy implementation to help hold officials accountable.

Governmental corruption

when public officials abuse power for personal benefit

Corruption Perception Index scores

reported by Transparency International which is a non governmental organization that assesses and ranks the perception of corruption in different countries. Higher scores on this index indicate lower perceptions of corruption.

The Fragile States Index

(formerly called the Failed States Index) is reported by The Fund for Peace which is a nongovernmental organization that assesses and ranks countries based on their potential to weaken due to conflicts and domestic turmoil. Countries scoring higher on the 120

Purchasing power parity

the idea that goods in one country will cost the same in another country, once their exchange rate is applied

Political systems

comprise the laws, ideas, and procedures that address who should have authority to rule and what the government’s influence on its people and economy should be

States

political organizations that combine a permanent population with governing institutions to exercise control over a defined territory with international recognition

Regimes

fundamental rules that control access to and the exercise of political power. Regimes typically endure from government to government. (can be characterized as democratic or authoritarian based on how it sets rules or makes decisions about how to exercise power)

Government

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

Sovereignty

the power to govern itself without outside interference; independent legal authority over a population in a particular territory

Nation

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

democratic regimes

based on the will of the people

authoritarian regimes

based on decisions made by political elites without much input from citizens and may include illiberal democracies or hybrid regimes, one party states, theocracies, totalitarian governments and military regimes

Civil Rights

the protection of groups of citizens from discrimination by the government or other individuals

Civil Liberties

an individual’s protection against abuse of powers by the government

transparency

the ability of citizens to access information about a government’s policy making and policy implementation to help hold officials accountable

free and fair elections

allow competition so that an opposition candidate and party can defeat the ruling candidate and party

rule of law

the principle that a state should be governed by law and not arbitrary decisions made by individual government officials

Independence of governmental branches

prevents any one branch from controlling all governmental power

separation of powers

the independence of the legislative, executive and judicial branches

checks and balances

the system that prevents any one branch of government from becoming too powerful

Illiberal democracies and hybrid regimes

hold elections with little competition toward the ruling party and that tend to have diminished civil liberties.

One party states

rival parties are prohibited from controlling governmental power.

Theocracies

require the state be controlled by leaders of a particular religion

Totalitarian governments

severely limit citizens’ rights to movement and free choice of employment.

Military regimes

when military leaders hold top positions of governing authority

Democratization

a transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic regime;aims to result in free and fair elections; increased citizen participation in policy making processes; universal suffrage for adult citizens; greater governmental transparency; protected civil rights and liberties; equal treatment of citizens; and establishment of the rule of independent election commissions that attempt to reduce voter fraud and manipulation and enhance electoral competition

suffrage

the right to vote

Corporatist system

government created and supported interest groups (typically for labor groups, business owners, and agricultural workers) that become the government’s preferred linkage institutions for citizen participation

Pluralist system

citizens can affiliate with more independent interest group to attempt to shape public policies

Patron clientelism

a system in which the state provides benefits or favors in return for support

Democratic electoral systems

accommodate ethnic diversity and increase multiparty competition with rule adjustments, including gender or cultural quotas, proportional representation, and changes in vote thresholds and district boundaries

gender quotas

party rules intended to increase female representation in legislatures

Democratic consolidation

to the process by which a democratic regime matures in terms of election rules, separation of powers, and protection of civil liberties, making it unlikely to revert to authoritarianism without an external shock.

Consensual political culture

general agreement among competing cultural and political groups about governmental policies associated with democratization and economic development

Conflictual political culture

competing cultural and political groups

Sources of power and authority

include constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support

Power

the ability of another to make one do something

Authority

the right to make one do something

Coup

a forcible takeover over governing power typically led by elites

Revolution

the removal and replacement of a long term form of government typically involving both the masses and elites

Federal states

divide power among different levels of government to confer a degree of local autonomy in supplying social and educational services, while also reserving powers for the national government

Unitary states

concentrate power at the national level with more uniform policies and potentially more efficient policy making.

Devolution

the delegation of power to regional governments that can enhance or weaken legitimacy; can create both opportunities for as well as obstacles to resolving social, political, and economic issues

Legitimacy

whether a government’s constituents believe their government has the right to use power in the way they do. Legitimacy

Sources of legitimacy

can include popular elections, as well as constitutional provisions. Other sources include nationalism, tradition, governmental effectiveness, economic growth, ideology, religious heritage and organizations, and the dominant political party’s endorsement.

Political efficacy

the belief that citizens have the ability to effect government policy making

Charismatic legitimacy

rests upon the dynamic personality of an individual or a small group

Traditional legitimacy

rests upon the belief that past practices rooted in myths, ceremony, ritual, religion and lineage should determine who should rule and how

Rational legal

legitimacy rests upon a system of well

Political stability

the ability of a government to consistently provide services that meet the basic needs of most of the population to foster the public’s confidence in the institutions of the state

Coercion

the use of government force to guide citizen behavior and actions. Can be as small as a citation and small fine to as large as brute force and violence. Coercion can range from the use of military or secret police, to regular police and a penal system.