test 1 - plsc

Advantages of Parliamentary Systems:

-Easier to remove an unpopular leader.

-The legislature can vote the prime minister out of office.

Disadvantages of Parliamentary Systems:

-Leadership changes can create instability.

-The people do not directly elect the prime minister.

-There is less separation between the executive and legislative branches.

Advantages of Presidential Systems

-The president is directly elected by the people.

-Fixed terms create leadership stability.

-There is a separation of powers between branches of government.

Disadvantages of Presidential Systems

-It can be difficult to remove an unpopular president.

-Disagreements between branches can cause political deadlock.

-Power can become too concentrated in one individual.

-Smaller political parties may have difficulty winning elections.

Anarchy

A situation where there is no established government, authority, or organized system of power.

Athenian Democracy

An early form of direct democracy in ancient Athens where citizens participated directly in government decisions.

Checks and Balances

A system that prevents one branch of government from becoming too powerful by allowing branches to limit one another.

Confederal Government

A government where most power and sovereignty belong to smaller, regional governments rather than the central government.

Applied Research

Research that studies real-world problems with the goal of helping create public policies or solutions.

Area Studies

Studying and comparing countries based on their geographic regions.

Aristotle

Ancient Greek philosopher considered one of the founders of political science. He compared different Greek city-states to understand government.

Benedict Anderson

Political scientist known for the idea of "imagined communities." He argued that nations are socially created communities whose members feel connected even if they never meet.

Case Study

An in-depth study of one particular country, event, or situation.

Causation

When one variable directly causes a change in another variable. (Cause and effect.)

Cheka

The secret police organization created under Lenin in the Soviet Union to identify, control, and punish political opposition.

Citizenship

A person's legal membership in a country, giving them certain rights and responsibilities.

Clientelism

A system where political leaders give people resources or benefits in exchange for their loyalty and political support.

Comparative Method

Studying two or more countries or political systems to identify similarities and differences.

Congressional Legislature

A legislative body made up of elected representatives who create laws and share power with other government branches.

Constructivist Identity

The idea that identity can change over time and that people can have multiple identities depending on their experiences and surroundings.

Correlation

When two variables are related or change together, but one does not necessarily cause the other.

Coup d'état

A sudden attempt by a small group, usually political or military elites, to overthrow the government and take power.

Deductive Reasoning

Starting with a general idea or theory and testing it using evidence.

Democratic Backsliding

When a democracy gradually becomes less democratic through weakened elections, reduced freedoms, and less government accountability.

Devolution

When a central government transfers power to smaller, regional or local governments.

Direct Democracy

A system where citizens vote directly on laws and government decisions instead of using representatives.

Economic Class

A person's position in society based on their economic situation, such as income, wealth, and occupation.

Elite Theory

The idea that powerful and wealthy elites use their influence to benefit themselves.

Erdogan

President of Turkey. His leadership is often discussed as an example of democratic backsliding and the weakening of democratic institutions.

Exclusionary Nationalism

A type of nationalism that includes certain people as part of the nation while excluding others.

Experimental Method

A research method where researchers control conditions and test how one variable affects another.

Fair Election

An election where votes are counted accurately, each vote has equal value, and the results are accepted.

Formal Institution

Official rules, laws, and organizations that control how government operates.

Free Election

An election where eligible citizens can vote for the candidate of their choice without being prevented or threatened.

George Soros

A wealthy investor and philanthropist who funds organizations supporting democracy, education, and civil society. He has been a frequent target of political criticism and conspiracy claims by Viktor Orbán and his supporters.

Hard Power

Getting others to do what you want through force, threats, military action, or aggression.

Hard Science

Fields like chemistry, physics, and biology that study the natural or physical world.

Harold Lasswell

Political scientist known for describing politics as "who gets what, when, and how." He focused on how power and resources are distributed.

Head of Government

The person responsible for running the government and managing its daily operations.

Head of State

The person who officially represents the country, often performing ceremonial and diplomatic duties.

Hyperpluralist Society

A society with many different groups that have such different interests that reaching agreement or compromise becomes difficult.

Illiberalism

A political system or approach that does not fully protect individual rights, freedoms, and democratic principles, even if elections still occur.

Indirect Democracy

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

Inductive Reasoning

Looking at specific examples and observations to develop a general theory or explanation.

Inference

A conclusion made using available evidence and observations.

Informal Institution

Unwritten rules, traditions, customs, and behaviors that influence politics.

Irredentism

When a country wants to reclaim territory that it believes previously belonged to it.

John Stuart Mill

Philosopher who developed methods of comparison, including the Most Similar and Most Different Systems designs.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to determine whether laws or government actions follow the constitution.

Junta

A government controlled by a small group of military leaders.

Karl Marx

Philosopher and economist who believed society is divided into economic classes, especially the owners and the workers. He argued that conflict between these classes drives political and economic change.

Karl Popper

Philosopher who argued that scientific ideas must be testable and capable of being proven wrong (falsifiability).

Large-N Research

Research that studies many cases or observations, often using statistics.

Liberal Nationalism

The belief that every group with a distinct national identity should have its own independent state.

Max Weber

Sociologist who studied political authority, legitimacy, bureaucracy, and the relationship between religion and society.

Most Different Design (MDSD)

Comparing very different countries or cases that have the same outcome to find what they have in common.

Most Similar Design (MSSD)

Comparing similar countries or cases that have different outcomes to figure out what caused the difference.

National Identity

The way people identify with a nation based on shared culture, history, language, traditions, or values.

Nondemocracies

Political systems where citizens do not have meaningful opportunities to choose their leaders or influence government decisions.

Oligarchy

A system where a small group of wealthy or powerful elites controls the government and its resources.

Parliamentary Legislature

An elected legislative body that creates laws and also plays a role in selecting and holding the executive government accountable.

Parliamentary Systems

A government system where the prime minister is chosen by the legislature and must maintain its support to stay in power.

Patronage Network

A system where political leaders distribute jobs, money, or other resources in exchange for loyalty and support.

Pluralist Society

A society with many different cultural, religious, and identity groups that can coexist under one shared national identity.

Plurality Voting

An election system where the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not receive more than 50%.

Political Accountability

The ability to hold government leaders responsible for their actions and decisions.

Political Identity

The way individuals or groups identify themselves based on political beliefs, culture, religion, nationality, class, or other characteristics.

Political Institution

An organization or system that helps create, enforce, and manage political rules and decisions.

Presidential System

A government system where the president leads the executive branch and is separate from the legislature.

Primordial Identity

The belief that identity is fixed at birth and is something a person is naturally born into.

Protestantism

A branch of Christianity that developed during the Protestant Reformation. It is associated with religious and historical changes that influenced some political and social institutions.

Qualitative Research

Research that focuses on understanding ideas, experiences, and events through detailed descriptions rather than numbers.

Quantitative Research

Research that uses numbers, statistics, and large amounts of data to test theories.

Regimes

The systems and rules that determine how a government operates and who holds political power.

Regime Transition

When a government changes its leadership, structure, or political system.

Religiosity

The level of a person's religious belief, commitment, and participation in religious practices.

Representative Democracy

A system where citizens elect people to represent them and make government decisions.

Robert Dahl

Political scientist known for studying democracy and developing the concept of polyarchy, a system with political competition and participation.

Scientific Method

A process of asking questions, developing a hypothesis, collecting evidence, testing ideas, and drawing conclusions.

Scientific Research

A systematic way of studying questions using evidence, observations, and testing.

Semi-Presidential System

A government system that has both a president and a prime minister who share executive responsibilities.

Single-Party Rule

A political system where only one political party has control over the government.

Soft Power

Getting others to do what you want through persuasion, influence, culture, or diplomacy instead of force.

Soft Science

Fields that study human behavior and society, such as political science, sociology, and psychology.

Sovereignty

The government's power to control its territory and make decisions without outside interference.

States

Political organizations that control a specific territory, have a government, and make and enforce laws.

Subfields

Smaller areas of study within a larger subject. Political science includes areas like comparative politics, American politics, and international relations.

Theocracy

A government ruled by religious leaders or authorities who claim their power comes from religious beliefs or sacred texts.

Unitary Government

A government where most political power is centralized at the national level.

Variables

Factors or characteristics that can change and be measured in research. An independent variable is the possible cause, and a dependent variable is the outcome.

Viktor Orbán

Prime Minister of Hungary, often used as an example of democratic backsliding and illiberal government.

4 B's of Religious Identity

-Believing: Having religious beliefs and accepting religious teachings.

-Belonging: Identifying with a religion or religious community.

-Behaving: Following religious values and practices.
-Bonding: Connecting with others through religious activities and rituals.