Unit 1- global citizenship key terms

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts related to democracy, state, sovereignty, human rights, and international law.

Democracy

A system of government where citizens exercise power, either directly or through elected representatives.

Representative Democracy

A form of democracy where citizens vote for representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy in which citizens vote on specific laws or policies directly.

Accountability in Democracy

The principle that leaders are responsible for their actions and can be voted out if they do not perform well.

Sovereignty

The full right and power of a governing body over itself, without outside interference.

Nation-State

A political entity where the boundaries of a nation (cultural identity) overlap with the state's political boundaries.

Globalisation

The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or operate on an international scale.

Decentralisation

The transfer of authority from central to local government.

Human Rights

rights that every human should have, simply because they are human. this is regardless of factors such as age, race, gender, religion, nationality and background.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

A document adopted by the United Nations outlining the fundamental rights and freedoms that should be universally protected.

Humanitarian Intervention

Intervention aimed at preventing or reduce human suffering, often in response to crisis.

Human Development Index (HDI)

produced by the UN every year to compare the level of social and economic development in different countries

Authoritarian Regime

A governmental system in which a single leader or party holds significant power and political opposition is often suppressed.

Constitutional Monarchy

A system of government in which a monarch (king/queen) acts as head of state, but their power is limited by a set of laws or a constitution

International Law

A set of rules generally accepted as binding in relations between states and nations.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

A court of law established to try individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The principal judicial body of the United Nations, resolving disputes between states.

NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations)

Non-profit, voluntary citizen groups that are organised on a local, national or international level to help those in need

Examples of Sovereignty

a country being able to create its own laws, have clearly defined territories, set its own currency, enter into international treaties, and protect its citizens. 

Categories used in the HDI

life expectancy at birth, expected years of schooling for children, mean years of schooling for adults and income per person (gross national income)

Example of a Low HDI country and the type of rule

Mali which is a hybrid democracy

Example of a Medium HDI country and the type of rule

Pakistan which is a hybrid regime

Example of a High HDI country and the type of rule

Denmark which is a nation state with a constitutional monarchy and full democracy

Strengths of Democracy

citizens help to decide who run the country, everyone’s vote is equal, the majority of people support the government

Weaknesses of Democracy

the majority wins- policies might therefore discriminate against minorities views, decision making takes a long time as everyones views must be heard, governments don’t always fulfil promises made during elections

2 NGO examples

Amnesty and Greenpeace

Case study for human rights abuses in Venezuela

Provides "humanitarian intervention" for those fleeing. For refugees, the UN is often the only provider of legal status, food, and shelter when their own state fails them.

What are rights?

they must be given to you (e.g. right to education)

What are freedoms?

the absence of interference (e.g. freedom of thought)

What does UNICEF and WHO do?

work together to project health and the environment such as providing vaccinations or supporting doctors working in conflict areas.