POL 204 MIDTERM

Comparative Politics (CP)

The study of the domestic politics of countries.

International Relations (IR)

The study of interactions between countries.

Falsification

The process of ensuring that hypotheses can be tested and potentially disproven, driving progress in scientific inquiry.

Independent Variable

The variable that is intentionally changed or controlled; it is the presumed cause.

Dependent Variable

The factor that is measured and changes in response to the independent variable; it is the observed effect.

Tautology

A statement that is true by definition.

Endogeneity

A situation where the explanatory variable is correlated with the error term, often indicating that the explanatory variable is caused by or correlated with the outcome.

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

The best research design for overcoming endogeneity concerns, it eliminates selection bias by randomly assigning subjects to treatment and control groups.

Regime

The rules, norms, or institutions that determine how the government is constituted.

Nation

A group of people who share a common identity, culture, language, or history.

Government

The people who run the country.

State

An entity that uses coercion and the threat of force to rule over a territory.

Measurement Validity

How well a tool measures what it is intended to measure.

Reliability

The consistency of a measurement over time or across conditions.

Polity IV

An index often considered more reliable due to its consistent coding rules.

Freedom House

An index often seen as more valid because it captures a broader range of democratic principles.

Sovereignty

Supreme authority over a defined territory.

Impersonal Bureaucratic Institutions

Rule-based governance that is separate from individual rulers.

Predatory View of State Formation

The theory that states emerge as rulers extract resources from populations to fund wars and consolidate power.

Social Contract View of State Formation

The theory that states form through a mutual agreement between rulers and citizens.

Newspapers

Facilitated the rise of modern states by fostering a shared national identity, disseminating information, and enabling centralized communication.

Democracy

A political system characterized by free and fair elections and multiple political parties.

Binary Measures

Simple and clear democracy indexes, such as the Democracy-Dictatorship Index, that may oversimplify nuances.

Scalar Measures

Democracy indexes, like Polity IV and Freedom House, that provide gradations but can be subjective.

Component-Based Measures

Detailed assessments of democracy, like V-Dem, that are complex and data-intensive.

Survival Theory

Focuses on how democracies persist once established, emphasizing institutions, elite behavior, and economic stability.

Modernization Theory

Arguments that economic development creates social and cultural conditions conducive to democracy.

Protestantism

A cultural argument emphasizing individualism and egalitarianism that fosters democratic values.

Civic Culture

A culture of trust, participation, and tolerance that supports stable democratic institutions.

Economic Development

Higher income levels and education that create a middle class demanding political participation.

Inequality Reduction

Lower economic inequality reducing elite resistance to democratization and fostering inclusive institutions.