Studied by 42 PeopleTags & Description
Empirical statement
a verifiable fact
Normative statement
a judgement about what should be
Causation
when a change in one variable precipitates a change in another variable
Correlation
an apparent connection or pattern between variables
Human Development Index (HDI)
measures life expectancy, birth and death rates, education, quality of life- standard of living in a country.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
the total value of goods and services produced in a country. This measures economic activity in a country in a given year and offers comparisons between countries internationally.
GDP per capita
GDP divided by the population of a country. (It gives a more accurate picture than GDP alone).
Gini Index
measures income inequality between different classes in a country. (A score greater than 0.40 means income inequality is a problem).
Developed countries
high GDP per capita and HDI rankings; industrialized countries with service-based economies. Formerly known as 1st and 2nd world countries.
Developing countries
emerging economies; based on production. Formerly 3rd world countries that are working towards industrialization or have uneven pockets of cities, agricultural areas and/or subsistence farming.
Underdeveloped countries
low GDP per capita and HDI rankings; that are primarily agricultural (and struggle with industrialization, problems with rapid urbanization, poverty, health issues, etc. infrastructure of transportation and communication within the country is weak. )
Least Developed countries
the poorest of the poor countries. A lot of the same characters as underdeveloped countries.
Deviant
study of cases that contradict the pattern or are exceptions to the norm.
Most-Similar comparison
comparing similar cases that differ in the dependent variable.
Most-Different comparison
comparing different cases that vary in the independent variable
Nationalism
The belief that a group of people has its own unique destiny, often including a desire for a separate state
Nation
a psychological sense of identity based on shared ethnicity, language, history or culture.
State
all individuals or institutions like the executive, legislative, judicial branches of gov't, police force, armed forces and political parties who can make public policy through direct action or political participation. Political institutions with a monopoly of force over a territory.
revolution
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
Institutions
Stable long lasting organizations that make formal political policies within the government, including 3 branches of government and bureaucracies.
Sovereignty
the ability of a government to rule without internal or external influence.
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. Often written in a constitution.
Traditional legitimacy
the state is obeyed because there is a long tradition of it being obeyed
Charismatic legitimacy
based on a ruler's magnetic personality
Transparency
The ability of citizens to see what the government is doing
political cleavage
division over a policy issue
Cross cutting cleavages
brings different kinds of groups together, strengthening society. (For example, we might all be United as Americans against a foreign country even though we may have different genders, ages or racial backgrounds.)
Coinciding cleavages
exacerbate feeling of difference between 2 groups because they have conflicting or competing identities/ interests. Coinciding cleavages weaken society. (For example, racial tensions in the United States might divide Americans.)
Regime
a government in which the political system has not changed even though there have been different leaders
Hybrid regime
a government with both authoritarian and democratic elements
Democratization
The transition from an authoritarian state to an illiberal democracy to a liberal democracy
Illiberal/Procedural Democracy
A government with elections that are not completely free and fair or lacking some civil rights and liberties These characteristics exist but are flawed.
Liberal/Substantive Democracy
A government with free and fair elections, civil rights and liberties
Authoritarian State
A government where elections are not free and fair and civil rights and liberties are lacking
Authoritarian Populism
1)A party that fights a corrupt and crony elite; 2) lacks patience for the rule of law; 3) demands direct democracy; 4) pursues a more powerful state through police and military (common with right-wing populists) and nationalization of banks and big corporations (left-wing populists); 5)critical of immigration, free trade, globalization, and the institutions that represent those forces (EU and NATO); 6)and uses revolutionary language to promise dramatic upheaval.
Theocracy
A state led by religious rulers (like Iran)
Unitary System
all power is held by the central government and states'/regional power is not constitutionally protected
Federal System
power is shared between the national/central and state governments and some state/ regional power is constitutionally protected
Devolution
occurs when the national/ central government grants more power to states/regions. (This is often done in multi-ethnic countries to placate competing ethnic groups/ nations from complaining about lack of representation in government).
bicameral legislature
two houses of Congress. ( Upper house like US Senate/UK House of Lords and a lower house like US House of Representatives/ UK House of Commons).
unicameral legislature
one house
First Past The Post/Single Member District
awards one seat to the candidate with the most votes in a district
Proportional Representation
awards seats to political parties based on the percentage of votes received; there may be a threshold for getting seats
Common law systems
judges interpret laws and their rulings are used by courts to make future decisions. These court decisions are written down and serve as precedent for future cases.
Case law
concept that judicial laws have the force of law
Judicial review
is the ability of a Supreme Court to overturn a law or executive action if it is unconstitutional. (A country with judicial review is considered stronger than a country without it. This often indicates that there are checks and balances between the branches of government).
Code law/Civil Law systems
based on rules written by the legislature
Codified
written sets of laws often in a constitution or like a bill of rights; basically a systematic list of laws that are enforceable by law
Civil rights
are protections granted by the government to prevent discrimination against groups, like ethnic or religious minorities and women
Civil liberties
protect individuals from too government infringement. (For example, free speech would allow citizens to criticize government policies/actions without fear of punishment. )
Civil Society
consists of voluntary associations outside of government control which strengthen society like book clubs, soccer leagues, etc. (These groups may discuss political issues that relate to them but they don't have to. People belong to these groups because of their common hobbies. )
Grassroots movements
occur when ordinary citizens push for reform.
Referendum
A measure sent by the legislature to the citizens for approval.
Political Recruitment
The process for selecting current and potential leaders, including formal and informal power structures
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
Political culture
the shared beliefs of a group of people
Political Right
favors the status quo/conservatives
Political Left
favors change (usually favor social program)
Reactionaries
extreme and want to go back to the past
Liberalism
favor freedom in the economy and in civil rights and liberties
Globalization
increasing interconnectedness of the world
Political Economy
the relationship between government policies and the economy
Economic liberalization
the move to a free market by reducing tariffs, trade barriers, and government control over the economy
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
Cooptation
when the government buys off its critics
Corporatism
when large businesses and labor unions are brought into the policymaking process. This limits pluralism because small actors are left out
Pluralism
when many groups compete in policymaking
Post-Materialism
Societies in which basic needs are met and citizens can concentrate on higher goals, like the environment
Structural Adjustment
programs require countries to increase taxes and cut spending (austerity measures) to improve budgets
welfare state
the government provides support to citizens, such as unemployment benefits and health care
Communism
a system of government based on the writings of Karl Marx in which the stated goal is economic equality (This type of government may use characteristics of a welfare state.)
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)
Choice approach
seeks to explain political outcomes by looking at the effects of individual political actors and by gaining an understanding of their decision-making process
Rational-choice theory
focuses on how individuals act strategically in an attempt to achieve goals that maximize their interests
Middle-level theory
focuses on specific features of the political world
state formation
The historical development of a state, often marked by major stages, key events, or turning points (critical junctures) that influence the contemporary character of the state.
privatization
the sale of state-owned enterprise to private company
economic development
changes over time in an economy that enhance its productive capacity and improve society's prosperity
nationalization
Government takes over existing private companies and runs them as state-owned enterprises