AP* Comparative Government and Politics: An essential coursebook. 7th Edition by Ethel Wood / Chapter 1 /

Advanced Democracies

Countries with well-established democratic governments and high levels of economic development.

Authoritarian Regime

A political system where power is concentrated in the hands of a leader or small elite not constitutionally responsible to the public.

Bicameral

A legislature with two houses, often for representing different interests (e.g., the U.S. Congress).

Unicameral

A legislature with one house.

Bureaucratic Authoritarian Regimes

A regime controlled by a highly structured bureaucracy that often suppresses political freedoms.

Bureaucracy

An organization structured hierarchically, where specialized workers administer policies in a systematic way.

Cabinet Coalition

An arrangement where multiple political parties cooperate to form a government.

Causation

A relationship where one event or action directly causes another.

Checks and Balances

A system ensuring that no branch of government becomes too powerful by allowing each branch oversight of the others.

Civil Liberties

Individual freedoms guaranteed by law, such as freedom of speech and religion.

Civil Society

Voluntary organizations outside of government that help people define and advance their interests.

Coinciding Cleavages

Divisions in society that align along the same fault lines, exacerbating conflicts.

Crosscutting Cleavages

Divisions that cut across demographic categories, reducing conflict.

Command Economies

Economic systems where the government controls production, pricing, and distribution.

Common Law

A legal system based on tradition, past practices, and court rulings.

Code Law

A legal system based on written statutes and laws.

Communism

An ideology advocating for collective ownership of production and a classless society.

Competitive Elections

Elections offering real choices between candidates or parties.

Confederal System

A system where power is concentrated in regional governments with limited central authority.

Conflictual Political Culture

A political culture with sharp divisions on fundamental issues.

Consensual Political Culture

A political culture where citizens broadly agree on political values and institutions.

Conservatism

A political ideology favoring tradition and resisting abrupt change.

Constitutional Courts

Courts tasked with interpreting and upholding a country's constitution.

Co-optation

Bringing individuals or groups into a beneficial relationship with the state, often to reduce opposition.

Corporatism

A system where the state interacts with specific groups, like labor or business, in a structured manner.

Correlation

A statistical relationship between two variables, not necessarily implying causation.

Cosmopolitanism

An ideology emphasizing global citizenship over national identity.

Coup d'État

A sudden overthrow of the government, typically by military forces.

Democratic Consolidation

The process through which a democracy matures, becoming stable and institutionalized.

Democratic Corporatism

A system where interest groups are formally integrated into the political process.

Direct Democracy

A system where citizens vote directly on policies.

Economic Liberalization

Reducing state control over the economy, promoting free markets.

Electoral Systems

Mechanisms for translating votes into political representation (e.g., proportional representation, first-past-the-post).

Elites

A small group of people with significant political or economic power.

Empirical Data

Information based on observed and measurable evidence.

Fascism

An authoritarian ideology emphasizing nationalism, militarism, and often racial superiority.

Federal System

A system dividing power between national and regional governments.

First-Past-the-Post (Plurality, Winner-Take-All)

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Investment by a firm or individual in one country into business interests in another.

Fragmentation

Division or disintegration of political or societal unity.

Freedom House Ratings

Measures assessing political rights and civil liberties worldwide.

Gini Index

A measure of income inequality within a population.

Globalization (Economic and Political)

The increasing interconnectedness of economies and political systems globally.

GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

Total economic output within a country.

GNP (Gross National Product)

GDP plus income from abroad.

GNP per Capita

GNP divided by population, indicating average income.

Government

The institutions and individuals responsible for public policy and governance.

Head of Government

The executive responsible for running the government (e.g., Prime Minister).

Head of State

The ceremonial leader of a state, symbolizing its unity (e.g., Monarch or President).

Hypothesis

A testable statement predicting a relationship between variables.

Illiberal Democracies

Democracies with regular elections but limited political freedoms.

Independent Variable

The factor influencing change.

Dependent Variable

The factor being affected.

Indications of Democratization

Signs that a country is moving toward a democratic system, such as free elections, civil liberties, and political participation.

Indirect Democracy

A system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

Informal Politics

Political actions and relationships outside formal structures, such as personal networks or grassroots movements.

Initiative

A process allowing citizens to propose legislation or constitutional amendments, often via petition and referendum.

Institutions

Structures or mechanisms of social order governing behavior.

Institutionalized

Established and stable institutions that persist over time.

Integration

The process of unifying separate entities into a cohesive whole, often in economic or political contexts.

Interest Group Pluralism

A system where multiple interest groups compete to influence policy.

Judicial Review

The authority of courts to review laws and executive actions for constitutionality.

Traditional Legitimacy

Based on longstanding customs or practices.

Charismatic Legitimacy

Derived from a leader's personality or vision.

Rational-Legal Legitimacy

Based on established laws and procedures.

Liberal Democracies

Democracies with fair elections, rule of law, civil liberties, and independent judiciary.

Liberalism as a Political Ideology

An ideology prioritizing individual freedoms, equality, and limited government intervention.

Liberalism as an Approach to Economic and Political Change

An approach advocating gradual, non-revolutionary reforms to increase individual rights and freedoms.

Linkage Institutions

Structures connecting citizens to the government, such as political parties, interest groups, and media.

Market Economies

Economic systems driven by supply and demand with minimal government intervention.

Marketization

The process of transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy.

Military Rule

A political system where the military directly controls the government.

Mixed Economies

Economic systems blending elements of market and command economies.

Mixed Electoral System

An electoral system combining proportional representation and first-past-the-post.

Multi-Member Districts

Electoral districts with multiple representatives.

Single-Member Districts

Electoral districts with one representative.

Multi-Party System

A system with multiple political parties competing for power.

Nation

A group of people with a shared sense of identity, culture, and often language or history.

Nationalism

A sense of pride and unity in one's nation, often tied to sovereignty.

Normative Questions

Questions focusing on how things "should" be, often involving value judgments.

Parliamentary System

A political system where the executive is drawn from the legislature and is accountable to it.

Party System

The structure and functioning of political parties within a country.

Patronage

The practice of giving government jobs and resources in return for political support.

Patron-Client System

A system where powerful figures provide resources in exchange for loyalty and support.

Plebiscite

A non-binding vote to gauge public opinion on an issue.

Pluralism

A system where power is distributed among various groups, preventing domination by one.

Political Culture

The set of attitudes, beliefs, and values influencing political behavior.

Political Efficacy

The belief that one can influence political decisions and processes.

Political Elites

Individuals with disproportionate influence over political decisions.

Political Frameworks

The structural organization of political systems, such as federal or unitary systems.

Political Ideologies

Sets of beliefs about political values and the role of government.

Political Liberalization

The expansion of freedoms and rights in a political system.

Political Rights

Rights enabling participation in government, such as voting and running for office.

Political Socialization

The process of acquiring political values, beliefs, and behaviors.

Politicization of Religion

Using religion as a basis for political identity and activity.

Presidential System

A system where the executive is separate from the legislature and serves as both head of state and head of government.

Privatization

The transfer of state-owned enterprises to private ownership.

Procedural Democracy

A democracy focused on electoral processes without fully protecting civil liberties or rights.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system where seats are allocated based on the percentage of votes received.

Purchase Power Parity (PPP)

An economic measure comparing the buying power of different currencies.