POLI2302 Flashcards

Comparative Politics

A subfield of political science that focuses on studying and comparing political systems, institutions, processes, and behavior across different countries.

Case Study

A research method where a single case offers a detailed illustration of a theme of wider interest to deepen understanding.

Representative Case

The study of a typical, standard example of a wider category.

Prototypical Case

A case chosen because it is a trendsetter; its present is expected to become the future norm.

Deviant Case

An exception to the rule or norm (e.g., India's democracy despite its poverty).

Crucial Case

A case used to test a proposition; if it works when conditions are least favorable, it is likely valid in all circumstances.

Rational Choice

The application of economic principles to the study of political phenomenon.

LDCs (Least Developed Countries)

Countries characterized by a colonial history, low economic development, agricultural dependence, and inadequate social services.

Modernization Theory

The theory that developing countries must abandon 'traditional' values and embrace Western technical knowledge and expertise to advance.

Dependency Theory

The Neo-Marxist argument that developing countries are exploited by the global economic system and must de-link and establish domestic industries.

Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI)

An economic strategy to facilitate domestic growth by protecting local industries with subsidies and restricting foreign investment to replace imported goods.

SAPs (Structural Adjustment Programmes)

Neoliberal economic policies involving trade liberalization, privatization, export promotion, and deregulation to overcome poverty via free markets.

NICs (Newly Industrializing Countries)

Rapidly growing economies, like the Asian Tigers, marked by export-led growth, urbanization, and efficient bureaucracies.

Developmental State

A state that engages in strategic economic planning and market discrimination, using a 'carrot-and-stick' approach to support specific domestic industries.

Mass-Line (China)

A populist concept developed by Mao where party leadership takes cues from the masses, formulates a program, and persuades the masses to accept it.

Democratic Centralism (China)

An organizational principle where party members engage in criticism and self-criticism but must strictly obey central decisions.

Apartheid (South Africa)

A highly segregated system comprising four racial groups where whites were entitled to absolute control over the state.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission / TRC (South Africa)

A body established to help the country come to terms with its past by granting amnesty for politically motivated crimes in exchange for full disclosure.

Political Culture

People's subjective beliefs, values, and emotions concerning politics.

Parochial Political Culture

A culture where people have no understanding of the national political system and do not expect anything positive from the government.

Subject Political Culture

A culture where citizens are aware of the government but are acted upon, viewing politics as an elite domain rather than participating.

Participant/Civic Political Culture

A culture where people are keen to participate in the political system, influence its workings, and make reasonable demands.

Political Socialization

The life-long process through which political cultures are created and passed down via agents like family, schools, and media.

Interest Groups

Autonomous organizations that seek to influence government decisions regardless of which party is in office.

Pluralism

The theory that democracy is a marketplace with perfect competition where various groups compete to influence government policy without any single elite dominating.

Corporatism

A cooperative system where the government grants monopoly of representation to certain peak associations (labor, business) in exchange for their cooperation.

Civil Society

Private organizations and institutions (NGOs, clubs, social movements) operating outside the state to bargain, negotiate, and demand accountability.

Patriarchy

A system defined by men's power, authority, or dominance over women, structuring inequalities in society.

Gender Mainstreaming

The integration of a gender perspective into the preparation, design, and implementation of all policies to promote equality and combat discrimination.

Radical Feminism

A theory positing that patriarchy and gender oppression are biologically determined by inherently violent male characteristics, requiring the dismantling of the system.

Procedural Democracy

A view defining democracy purely by its procedures—regular multiparty elections and representative decision-making institutions.

Substantive Democracy

An expansive view that true democracy must combine political democratic procedures with social reforms like healthcare and education.

Democratic Consolidation

The strengthening of democracy to a point where anti-democratic forces are neutralized and democracy is accepted as the "only game in town".

Foreign Policy

The strategy or approach chosen by the national government to achieve its goals in its relations with external entities.

Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA)

The study of foreign policy seeking to explain behavior through the theoretical ground of human decision makers acting singly or in groups.

Realism / Political Realism

A theory positing that the international system is anarchic, states are unitary rational actors, and primary goals are security and survival determined by power.

Liberalism

A theory emphasizing individual rights, mutually beneficial cooperation, and institutions, asserting that democratization fosters a 'zone of peace'.

Democratic Peace Theory (DPT)

The theory that democracies are more peaceful (especially with one another) due to institutional accountability, norms of compromise, and economic interdependence.

Constructivism

A theory arguing that the material world is shaped by human action, relying on norms, culture, and the social construction of state identities.

Marxism

A historical materialist framework viewing the state as an instrument of class power and foreign policy as driven by capitalist exploitation and imperialism.

Postcolonialism

A theory emphasizing that Western power is based on the domination, racism, and dehumanization of colonization, seeking to eradicate its modern legacy.

Soft Power

The ability of a state to obtain preferred outcomes through attraction and emulation rather than coercion or payment.

Strategic Culture

The dominant system of ideas about foreign policy held by a sociopolitical community, linking national identity with FP behavior.

Rational Actor Model

A model assuming the government acts as a primary, unitary actor making cost-benefit calculations to maximize payoffs.

Organization Process Model

A model highlighting that decision-making is limited by time/resource constraints and relies on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and routines.

Bureaucratic Process Model

A model viewing policy as the outcome of 'court politics' and "pulling and hauling" negotiations among top leaders competing for power ("where you stand depends on where you sit").

Groupthink

A psychological dynamic where internal group cohesion leads to an illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalization, pressure on dissenters, and poor information gathering.

Prospect Theory

A psychological theory where decisions are based on a reference point; actors tend to be more risk-acceptant when they are in the "domain of loss".

Role Theory

Focuses on a state's National Role Conception (self-defined perception of its role) and the prescriptions emanating from the external environment.

Process-Tracing

A qualitative methodology used in FPA to establish a causal chain one point at a time to infer outcomes within a specific case.

Yoshida Doctrine

Japan's post-WWII pacifist foreign policy characterized by a focus on economic growth, reliance on US security ties, and self-defense only.

Populism (in FP)

A thin ideology focusing on an "us vs. them" divide that in foreign policy leads to marginalizing expert advisors, centralizing decisions, and contesting the liberal international order.