AP Comp Gov Master Set

Electoral System

A set of rules used to determine the results of an election. These rules govern all aspects of the voting process: when elections occur, who is allowed to vote, who can stand as a candidate, how ballots are marked and cast, how the ballots are counted, how votes translate into the election outcome, limits on campaign spending, and other factors that can affect the result.

Electoral Rules

The institutional regulations that determine how votes are translated into seats/political positions.

Proportional Representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion/percentage of the vote.

Single Member District

An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official.

Runoff Election

A second election to determine a clear winner, usually between the top two candidates, following a first election in which no candidate received a required proportion of the votes.

Plurality

The number of votes cast for a candidate or party is more than any other, but they do not have an absolute majority (more than 50% of the vote.)

Political Party System

The system of government by political parties in a democratic country. The idea is that political parties have basic similarities: they control the government, have a stable base of mass popular support, and create internal mechanisms for controlling funding, information and nominations.

Catch-All Parties

Political parties that are flexible on their ideological positions and aim to attract support from a broad range of interest groups and voters.

Social Movement

A movement that represents the demands of a large segment of the public for political, economic, or social change.

Interest Group

An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy.

Grassroots Movement

A political movement that begins at the local or community level, inspired by average citizens concerned about a given issue.

Pluralism

The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation.

Corporatism

A political system in which corporate interest groups become an institutionalized part of the state or dominant political party; public policy is typically the result of negotiations among representatives of the state and key interest groups.

Single Peak Associations (SPA's)

Interest groups that have close ties with a particular political party or ideology. They align themselves closely with one dominant party or movement rather than being independent entities.

Economic Globalization

The development of increased interconnections and interdependence of many different economic systems marked by free trade and the free flow of capital, labor, and resources.

Economic Liberalization

Changes consistent with liberalism that aim to limit the power of the state and increase the power of the market and private property in an economy.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

An international organization formed in 1944 that acts as a lender of last resort, providing loans to troubled nations, and also works to promote trade through financial cooperation.

The World Bank

A specialized agency of the United Nations that makes loans to countries for economic development, trade promotion, and debt consolidation. Its formal name is the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Administers the rules governing trade between its 144 members. Helps producers, importers, and exporters conduct their business and ensure that trade flows smoothly.

Multinational Corporations (MNC's)

A corporate organization that owns and controls the production of goods or services in at least one country other than its home country.

Foreign Direct Investment

Investment made by a foreign company in the economy of a country.

Intergovernmental Organizations

An organization composed of several nations or international organizations (UN, EU, OPEC).

Economic Sanctions

Boycotts, embargoes, and other economic measures that one country uses to pressure another country into changing its policies.

International Organizations

An alliance of two or more countries seeking cooperation with each other without giving up either's autonomy or self-determination.

Supranational Organizations

A venture involving three or more nation-states involving formal political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives, usually member states cede some sovereignty in exchange for membership. The European Union is one such organization

Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI)

The use of trade barriers to keep certain products out of one's country so that domestic industry can emerge and produce the same goods.

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The organization established in 1975 among 16 governments in West Africa. Its goals are to strengthen and broaden the economies in the region through the removal of trade barriers among its members (such as import quotas and domestic content laws), freedom of movement for citizens, and monetary cooperation.

European Union (EU)

An economic association established in 1957 by a number of Western European countries to promote free trade among its members.

Industrialization

The development of industries for the machine production of goods.

Tariff

A government tax on imports or exports.

Austerity

Difficult economic conditions created by government measures to reduce a budget deficit, especially by reducing public expenditure.

Rentier State

A country that obtains a hefty income by exporting raw materials or leasing out natural resources to foreign companies.

Resource Curse

The difficulties faced by resource-rich developing countries, including dependence on exporting one or a few commodities whose prices fluctuate, as well as potentials for corruption and inequality.

Qualitative Data

Describes qualities or characteristics. It is collected using questionnaires, interviews, or observation, and frequently appears in narrative form.

Quantitative Data

Data that can be counted or measured in numerical values.

Empirical Statements

(factual/objective) apply concepts, support generalizations, or make arguments.

Normative Statements

(value) argue how situations should be.

Correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables

Causation

A cause and effect relationship in which one variable controls the changes in another variable.

Human Development Index (HDI)

Indicator of level of development for each country, constructed by United Nations, combining income, literacy, education, and life expectancy.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a nation.

Gini Coefficient

A measure of income inequality within a population, ranging from zero for complete equality, to one if one person has all the income.

Freedom Index

A publication written by the Freedom House; it measures how free a country is based on political rights (such as the right to vote) and civil rights (such as the rights to speak and worship freely).

Transparency International

A non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in countries around the World.

Fragile States Index

The Fragile States Index (FSI; formerly the Failed States Index) is an annual report published by the United States think tank the Fund for Peace and the American magazine Foreign Policy.

Regime

At its most basic it is categorized somewhere on the scale of democratic to authoritarian. The "programming" of politics.

State

The monopoly of force over a given territory. The set of political institutions that carry out policy. The "machinery" of politics.

Nation

A group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity.

Government

The leadership or elite in charge of running the state. Composed of elected, or unelected officials. The "operator" of politics.

Power

The ability to achieve a desired goal.

Authority

The legal right to exercise power on behalf of the society/government.

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Legitimacy

Political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution.

Stability

The capability of the government to achieve its specified goals while staying in power.

Liberal Democracy

A political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights.

Illiberal Democracy

A procedural democracy, with elections, but without real competition, and lacking some civil rights and liberties.

Authoritarianism

The enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders.

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the government has total control over the lives of individual citizens.

Nationalism

Identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.

Rule Of Law

Principle that the law applies to everyone, including those who govern.

Rule By Law

Leaders use the law for their own purposes and are not accountable to those laws themselves.

Democratization

A process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one.

Democratic Consolidation

The widespread acceptance of democracy as the permanent form of political activity; all significant political elites and their followers accept democratic rules and are confident everyone else does as well.

Federal System

A system of government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments.

Unitary System

System of government in which all power is invested in a central government.

Social Cleavages

Divisions theoretically outside the realm of politics (religion, ethnic groups, race, social and economic classes) that interact with the political system and have a tremendous impact on policy-making.

Political Cleavages (Cross-Cutting Cleavages)

When national, ethnic, religious, or linguistic divisions affect political allegiances or policies.

Devolution

The process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government.

Internal Actors

Individuals, groups, or institutions within a country that influence and participate in the political processes and decision-making.

Presidential System

A form of government in which a head of government, typically with the title of president, leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch in systems that use separation of powers. This head of government is in most cases also the head of state.

Parliamentary System

A democratic form of government in which the party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the parliament (legislature) forms the government, its leader becoming prime minister or chancellor. Executive functions are exercised by members of the parliament appointed by the prime minister to the cabinet.

Semi-Presidential System

A republic in which a president exists alongside a prime minister and a cabinet, with the latter two being responsible to the legislature of the state. It differs from a parliamentary republic in that it has a popularly elected head of state; and from the presidential system in that the cabinet, although named by the president, is responsible to the legislature, which may force the cabinet to resign through a motion of no confidence.

Executive

The executive, also referred as the executive branch or executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state.

Legislature

A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.

Judiciary

The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law in legal cases.

Civil Society

Can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere. By other authors, civil society is used in the sense of 1) the aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that advance the interests and will of citizens or 2) individuals and organizations in a society which are independent of the government.

Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)

Independent organizations with specific agendas, such as humanitarian aid or environmental protection, that conduct international programs and activities.

Political Culture

Commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate.

Social Order

An arrangement of practices and behaviors on which society's members base their daily lives.

Individual Liberty

The liberty of an individual to exercise freely those rights generally accepted as being outside of governmental control.

Political Socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.

Political Ideologies

Sets of political values held by individuals regarding the basic goals of government and politics.

Individualism

A social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.

Neoliberalism

A strategy for economic development that calls for free markets, balanced budgets, privatization, free trade, and minimal government intervention in the economy.

Communism

A political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Socialism

A system in which society, usually in the form of the government, owns and controls the means of production.

Fascism

A far-right governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

Populism

The political doctrine that supports the rights and powers of the common people in their struggle with the privileged elite.

Welfare State

A government that undertakes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens through programs in public health and public housing and pensions and unemployment compensation etc.

Post-Materialism

The transformation of individual values from materialist, physical, and economic to new individual values of autonomy and self-expression.

Referendum

A method of direct democratic legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed piece of legislation or policy.

Formal Participation

Engaging with political institutions in traditional ways, such as through voting, joining a political party, or standing for election.

Informal Participation

Activism, volunteerism, protests, advocacy campaigns and other methods of political action away from traditional, formal avenues.

Civil Liberties

Freedoms to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair legal treatment.