AP Comparative Politics: Key Concepts in State, Regime, and Electoral Systems

State

Political institutions with a monopoly of force over territory.

Nation

A psychological sense of identity based on shared ethnicity, language, history or culture.

Government

Leadership/elite that administers or controls the State.

Legitimacy

The people's belief that the government has the right to rule.

Rational/legal legitimacy

Based on a fair and understandable system of laws that are followed and apply to everyone.

Traditional legitimacy

Because it has always been that way.

Charismatic legitimacy

Based on a ruler's engaging personality.

Strong States

Perform tasks of defending their borders from outside attacks & defending their authority from internal non-state rivals.

Weak States

Have trouble protecting their borders, suffer internal violence, poor infrastructure, unable to collect taxes & enforce the RULE OF LAW.

Failed States

Complete loss of legitimacy & power with increased anarchy/violence.

Unitary System

All power is held by the central government and state power is not protected. (Great Britain)

Federal System

Power is shared between the national and state government and some state power is protected. (Mexico & USA Constitution Amend?)

Devolution

When the national government grants more power to states. (Scotland vs. Great Britain??)

Political Regime

Norms & rules of governmental power and the use of that power = CONSTITUTION.

Democratic Regime

Large role for public in governance, protects basic rights/freedoms, ensure transparency, follows rule of law, accountable for actions. (Great Britain, Mexico)

Authoritarian Regime

Limit role of public in government, deny basic rights, restricts freedom, does not follow Rule of Law, not accountable for actions. (China, Iran)

Hybrid Regime

A government with both authoritarian and democratic elements. (Mexico, Russia?, Nigeria)

Regime Change

A total change in the type of government that a state has previously followed often but not always caused by violence.

Executive Branch

Carries out laws and policies of a state.

Head of State (HOS)

Symbol, representative of people nationally/internationally, gives voice to goals of the regime. (President USA, Queen Great Britain)

Head of Government (HOG)

Deals with day to day running of government (President USA, Prime Minister Great Britain).

Legislature Branch

Focus = making laws, A bicameral legislature has two houses, and a unicameral legislature has one.

Judicial Branch

Common Law systems, court decisions are written down and serve as precedent for future cases. (Gay Marriage = USA)

Code law systems

Based on rules written by the legislature. (Overtime Pay = USA)

Judicial Review

The ability of a Judiciary to overturn a law or executive action if it is unconstitutional.

Parliamentary Systems

Prime Minister = Head of Government, elected from within Legislature, usually a Member of Parliament (MP) within the largest party.

Presidential Systems

President = Head of Government & Head of State. Directly elected by people.

Semi-Presidential Systems

President = Head of Government & Head of State. Directly elected by people - shares power with PM.

Electoral Systems

Proportional Representation (PR) / Multi-Member Districts (MMDs) awards seats to political parties based on the percentage of votes received; there may be a threshold for getting seats. (Russia)

Single Member District (SMD)

Awards one seat to the candidate with the most votes in a district.

Cabinet

Execute Policy i.e. defense, agriculture, state etc.

Proportional Representation (PR) / Multi-Member Districts (MMDs)

Awards seats to political parties based on the percentage of votes received; there may be a threshold for getting seats. (Russia)

Single Member District (SMD) or First Person To Post (FPTP)

Awards one seat to the candidate with the most votes in a district. Only winner's votes count. (Great Britain, Nigeria)

Mixed Electoral System

Combines PR & SMD; voters given 2 votes (1 Candidate) + (1 Party). (Mexico)

Authoritarian State

A government where elections are not free and fair and civil rights and liberties are lacking.

Theocracy

A state led by religious rulers, like Iran.

Illiberal/Procedural Democracy

A government with elections that are not completely free and fair or lacking some civil rights and liberties.

Communism

A system of government based on the writings of Karl Marx in which the stated goal is economic equality.

Totalitarian Regimes

Using force create a strong ideology that shapes the state (Nazi Germany, Mussolini).

Personality Cult

State exaltation of a leader. (North Korea = Kim Jong-Un)

Corporatism

When large businesses and labor unions are brought into the policymaking process, limiting pluralism because small actors are left out.

Clientelism

Gov. leaders compromise public - provide benefits/favors to individual/groups in return for public support.

Rent Seeking / Rentier States

Gov. rents land/resources to other countries.

Co-Optation

To absorb, take over or compromise.

Suffrage

RIGHT to VOTE.

Civil Society

Consists of voluntary associations outside of government control which 'strengthen' society or specific agendas.

Grassroots movements

Occur when ordinary citizens push for reform.

Revolution

An overthrow of the government based on broad popular support.

Coup

A change in the leader brought about by a small group, often a military leader.

Ethnicity

Specific attributes that make one group of people culturally different from others: Customs, language, religion, geographical region, history.

Race

A socially defined population characterized by physical characteristics that are genetically transmitted.

Culture

Knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned and passed on from one generation to the next.

Political Culture

Pattern and norm of relating to politics: Citizen Trust & Respect for Gov. Civic- Knowledge, Citizen political efficacy (influence Gov.)

Nationalism

The belief that a group of people has its own unique destiny, often including a desire for a separate state.

Democratization

The transition from an authoritarian state to an illiberal democracy to a liberal democracy.

Liberal/Substantive Democracy

A government with free and fair elections and civil rights and liberties.

Transparency

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

Civil Rights

Protections granted by the government to prevent discrimination against groups, like ethnic or religious minorities and women.

Civil Liberties

Protect individuals from government infringement, like free speech.

Political ideology

An individual's belief system about the role of government.

Political socialization

The process through which an individual acquires his or her political beliefs and behaviors.

Pluralism

is when many groups compete in policy making

Conservative (Right)

favors the status quo/conservatives and does not like change.

Liberal (Left)

favors evolutionary change. Usually support Citizen focused programs.

Reactionaries

want rapid change, are extreme and want to go back to the past.

Radical

support rapid, revolutionary change.

Liberalism

favors high individual freedom but VERY low on equality.

Laissez-Faire

No government intervention.

Social Democracy

regulates capitalism with laws, high taxes for social good.

Regulated Democracy

regulates capitalism with laws and government oversight, high equality, high individual.

Fascism

merges corporation with politics, rejects equality, hostile to individual freedom.

Anarchism

Low value on government, high value personal freedom often violent.

Fundamentalism

(Christian, Muslim) unites religion and state.

Political Cleavage

is a division over a policy issue.

Cross Cutting Cleavages

bring different kinds of groups together, strengthening society.

Coinciding Cleavages

exacerbate feelings of difference, weakening society.

Political Recruitment

The process for selecting current and potential leaders, including formal and informal power structures.

Referendum

A measure sent by the legislature to the citizens for approval.

Economy

the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services.

Political Economy

Is the relationship between government policies and the economy.

Economic Liberalization

is the move to a free market by reducing tariffs, trade barriers, and government control over the economy.

Market

Interaction between forces of supply and demand.

Market Economies

set wages, production, and prices based on supply and demand with less government interference.

Command Economies

The government makes decisions regarding wages, prices, and production, and private property is limited.

Public Goods

the government often provides oversight of clean air, electricity (rural), water, roads, passenger trains etc.

Social Expenditures

The government provides support to citizens, such as unemployment benefits, education, transportation and health care.

Dependency Theory

The idea that colonial rule left a legacy of political and economic dependence making it difficult for former colonies to improve their economies and democratize.

Rentier States

States that derive a significant portion of their revenues from rent (such as renting land to oil companies).

Structural Adjustment

Structural adjustment programs require countries to DECREASE taxes and cut spending (austerity measures) to improve budgets.

Post-Materialism

Societies in which basic needs are met and citizens can concentrate on higher goals, like the environment.

Globalization

is the increasing interconnectedness of the world through economic, political and social relationships.

Sovereignty

is the ability of a government to rule without internal or external influence.

Developed Countries

have high GDP per capita and HDI rankings; service-based economies; basic rights, freedom.

Developing Countries

are emerging economies; based on production, improving rights and freedom.

Underdeveloped Countries

have low GDP per capita and HDI rankings; agricultural, limited rights and freedoms.

Least Developed

the poorest of the poor with weak states and higher levels of social violence.

Multinational Corporations

= MNC (Exxon Mobil, Apple, Microsoft)

Foreign Direct Investment

= FDI (Look up who owns Sony Pictures?)

Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)

(Doctors Without Borders, Water First, Red Cross, Red Crescent)

Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)

(UN, World Trade Organization WTO, International Monetary Fund IMF)