Foundations of Comparative Government and Politics – Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational concepts, terms, and frameworks from the Foundations and early chapters of Hague & Harrop's Comparative Government and Politics.

Politics

The activity by which groups reach binding collective decisions by reconciling differences among members.

Government

The institutions responsible for making collective decisions; the top political level within such institutions (broader sense includes all organizations charged with reaching and implementing decisions).

Governance

The activity, process or quality of governing; coordination of public and private sector bodies; often operates through networks rather than a strict hierarchy.

The State

A political community with a territorial population under one government that holds the monopoly on the legitimate use of force.

Sovereignty

The ultimate source of authority in society; the state’s internal right to make laws (internal sovereignty) and international recognition of its jurisdiction (external sovereignty).

Internal Sovereignty

Law-making and governing power within a state’s territory.

External Sovereignty

Recognition by international law of a state’s jurisdiction over its territory.

Nation

A culturally distinct group with a homeland and a claim to self-determination within its territory; nations are imagined communities with a shared identity.

Nationalism

The doctrine that nations are entitled to self-determination and to govern themselves.

Nation-State

A state in which the population largely belongs to one nation.

Multinational State

A state that contains more than one nation within its borders.

Stateless Nation

A nation that lacks its own sovereign state.

Diaspora

A nation dispersed beyond its home state while maintaining a shared national identity.

Citizenship

Legal rights and duties flowing from membership in a state; related to the rights and obligations of equals under the law.

Power

The capacity to achieve one’s goals; includes power-to (ability to act), power-over (ability to compel others), incentive-shaping, and preference-shaping (influencing what others want).

Authority

The right to rule; based on tradition, charisma, or legal-rational offices (Weber’s three bases).

Legitimacy

Widely accepted right to rule; legitimacy is about public acceptance of the regime, not merely legality.

Traditional Authority

Rulership justified by long-standing custom and inherited status (Weber).

Charismatic Authority

Rulership justified by the leader’s personal charisma and inspiration (Weber).

Legal-Rational Authority

Rulership based on formal laws and office, not on personal characteristics (Weber).

Patrimonial Rule

Traditional rule where the ruler governs as a father figure; personal ties and loyalty underpin governance (Weber).

Direct Democracy

Citizens themselves gather to debate and decide on collective issues.

Representative Democracy

Citizens elect politicians to make decisions on their behalf, with accountability at elections.

Liberal Democracy

Representative government constrained by a constitution that protects individual rights and limits government power.

New Democracy

A democracy in which an authoritarian legacy continues to influence political action and debate.

Established Democracy

A consolidated democracy with an accepted framework for political competition and peaceful transfer of power.

Semi-Democracy

A regime that blends democratic legitimacy with illiberal practices; elections exist but rights may be curtailed.

Totalitarianism

A regime aiming for total penetration of society, seeking to transform political life and society.

Traditional Authoritarian Rule

Authoritarianism based on personal allegiance to a ruler; governance through patronage and palace politics.

Communist Rule

A state where a single party controls the state and economy, aiming for a classless society though often centralized and repressive.

Fascist Rule

Right-wing authoritarianism emphasizing nationalist mobilization, strong leadership and a以上 state; often militaristic and anti-democratic.

Military Rule

Government led by the armed forces, typically via a junta and often exclusionary of civilian rule.

Intergovernmental Organization (IGO)

An organization whose members are states; established by treaty and usually operating by consent (e.g., UN, EU, WTO).

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)

Private, non-state organizations with members across countries; often deliver aid and influence policy (e.g., Red Cross, Oxfam).

Globalization

A process in which geographic constraints on social and cultural arrangements recede, increasing interdependence and cross-border flows (trade, capital, information).

World Trade Organization (WTO)

An IGO that supervises global trade, negotiates reductions in barriers, and resolves trade disputes among members.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

An IGO that provides financial support and policy guidance to countries, often with conditions (conditionality).

World Bank (IBRD)

An IGO that funds development projects and policies to promote economic recovery and development.

Multinational Corporation (MNC)

A corporation with production and/or investments in multiple countries; its decisions affect and are affected by global markets.

Regional Organization

A regional IGO formed by neighboring states to pursue common economic or political aims (e.g., EU, NAFTA).

Constitution

A system of fundamental laws and principles that governs a state; can be written or unwritten.

Written Constitution

A codified document outlining the basic rules and powers of government.

Unwritten Constitution

A constitution not codified in a single formal document, relying on statutes, precedent and conventions.

Easton’s Political System

A model (inputs–outputs–feedback) showing how demands from society are transformed into policy outputs and fed back into society.

Levels of Analysis (Box 5.3)

Institution-centered (government structures), Society-centered (social factors shaping behavior), State-centered (state as an autonomous actor).

Case Study (Box 5.5)

A detailed examination of a single case used to illustrate broader theories or patterns; four types include representative, prototypical, deviant, and archetypal.

Most Similar Design

A focused comparison of similar countries to isolate the effect of a variable.

Most Different Design

A focused comparison across very different countries to test the robustness of a relationship.

Dependent Variable

The outcome a study seeks to explain (e.g., level of democracy).

Independent Variable

The factor believed to influence the dependent variable.

Intervening Variable

A variable that mediates the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable.