Waples/Comparative Government and Politics 1e - Ch 2

State

Political institutions with international recognition that govern a population in a territory.

Government

Institutions and individuals, such as the executive, legislature, judiciary, and bureaucracy, that make legally binding decisions for the state and that have the lawful right to use power to enforce those decisions.

Bureaucracy

A set of appointed officials and government workers who carry out policies and implement laws.

Sovereignty

A state’s ability to act without internal or external interference.

International recognition

A formal step taken by a state to grant official status to another state and begin treating it as a member of the global community.

Regime

A type of government, such as liberal democracy or authoritarian.

Regime change

A change in the fundamental rules and system of government.

Coup d'état (coup)

An overthrow of government by a small number of people, often military leaders.

Revolution

An overthrow of a regime based on widespread popular support.

Change in government

A change in leaders, without fundamental changes in the system of government.

Nation

A group of people who share a sense of belonging and who often have a common language, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, political identity, or set of traditions or aspirations.

Nationalism

When a group has a strong sense of identity and believes it has its own destiny.

Liberal democracy

A system with free and fair elections in which a wide array of civil rights and civil liberties is protected.

Authoritarian state

A system without free and fair elections in which civil rights and liberties are restricted.

Totalitarian state

A political ideology that emphasizes domination of the state over citizens. In totalitarian systems, the government has complete control over citizens’ lives.

Illiberal, flawed, or hybrid democracy

A system in which elections may be marred by fraud and the state protects some civil rights and liberties but restricts others.

Rule of law

A clear set of rules where government officials are subject to the same laws and penalties as citizens.

Rule by law

Where the law is applied arbitrarily, and government officials are not subject to the same rules and penalties as citizens.

Transparency

The ability of citizens to know what the government is doing.

Democratization

The process of transitioning from an authoritarian to a democratic regime.

Democratic consolidation

The process by which a regime has developed stable democratic institutions and significant protections of civil liberties and is unlikely to revert to authoritarianism.

Democratic backsliding

Decline in the quality of democracy, including a decrease in citizen participation, rule of law, transparency, and accountability.

Power

The ability to make someone do something they would not otherwise do.

Authority

The legitimate power a state has over people within its territory.

Theocracy

A system based on religious rule.

Coercion

The use of force, or the threat of force, to get someone to do something they would not otherwise do. Also, a government’s use of force or threats to pressure individual behavior.

Legitimacy

The citizens’ belief that the government has the right to rule.

Political efficacy

A citizen’s belief that his or her actions can impact the government.

Traditional legitimacy

The right to rule based on a society’s long-standing patterns and practices.

Charismatic legitimacy

The right to rule based on personal virtue, heroism, or other extraordinary characteristics.

Rational-legal legitimacy

The right to rule based on an accepted set of laws.

Unitary system

A political system in which the central government has sole constitutional sovereignty and power.

Federal system

A political system in which a state’s power is legally and constitutionally divided among more than one level of government.

Devolution

Granting of powers by the central government to regional governments.