APCOMPGOV_Midterm Vocab Review_FLOOD

Comparative Politics

the study and comparison of domestic politics across countries

Political Institutions

organizations and structures that have an impact on a nation that create, enforce, and apply laws

Types of Political Systems

communist, democracy, republic, monarchy, authoritarian

Political Regime

an institution with established legal and geographic limits, bound by explicit rules that are agreed upon by governments

Courts

uphold the law and guarantee protections to the populace, per any governing documents and structures

Political Parties

dictate and direct policy into legislation

Union/Labor Organizations

collectively represent large portions of the population based on common interests and needs

Government

the leadership that runs the state

Primordial Individualism

the need to survive based on instincts

Modernization Theory

a theory stating that as societies developed, they would become capitalist democracies

Formal institutions

institutions that are based on officially sanctioned rules that are relatively clear

Informal Institutions

have unwritten and unofficial rules

State

the organization that maintains a monopoly of force over a territory, a set of political institutions that generates and executes policy regarding freedom and equality

Nation

A group of people with common identifiers and/or beliefs. Examples:religious groups, fan bases of sports teams, speakers of a language

Human Development Index

a statistical tool that attempts to evaluate the overall health, wealth, and knowledge of a country’s people, a number between 0-1, 1 is the highest you can have and the best

Regime

the fundamental rules and norms of politics that guide the state regarding individual freedom and collective equality, where power should reside, and how power should be used

Democratic Regime

the rules and norms of politics give the public a large role in governance

Nondemocratic regime

limits public participation and favors those in power

Sovereignty

the ability of a state to carry out actions and policies within a territory independently of external actors and internal rivals

Failing state

a state that has difficulty fulfilling basic tasks such as defending territory, making, and enforcing rules, collecting taxes and managing the economy

Democratization

the transformation process from a nondemocratic regime to a procedural democracy to a substantive democracy

Constitution

a set of rules and principles established on principles or precedents that a state must abide by

Political Party

Parties primarily serve as linkage institutions between voters and policymakers, Pick Candidates, Run, Campaigns, Give Cues to Voters, Articulate Policies, Coordinate Policymaking

Modern State

a state in which power and authority are centralized and exercised by an independent administration organization over a clearly defined territory.

Legitimacy

Being recognized as right, proper, and necessary, confers authority and power

Traditional Legitimacy

the idea that someone of something is valued because it has “always been that way”, viewed as part of the historical identity of the people themselves, ex. Royal family

Charismatic Legitimacy

based on the power of ideas or beliefs and the people who present them, not institutionalized, ex. Hitler

Rational-Legal legitimacy

based on a system of laws and procedures that are pressured to be neutral or rational, ex. Elected Congresspeople

Unitary state

power is concentrated and the national level and local authority is limited, ex. China

Federalism

a system in which significant powers such as taxation, lawmaking and security are devolved to regional bodies, and are defined in the national constitution and cannot be easily constricted or eliminated by any government, ex. Germany, USA

Asymmetrical Federalism

where power is dived unevenly between regional bodies, more likely in a country with significant ethnic divisions

Autonomy

the ability of the state to wield its power independently of the public or international actors

Capacity

the ability of a state to wield power in order to carry out the basic tasks of providing security and reconciling freedom and equality

State

the organization that maintains a monopoly of force over a territory, the primary authority over its territory and the people who live there

Fragile State Index

highlighting not only the normal pressures that all states experience, but also in identifying when those pressures are outweighing a states' capacity to manage those pressures. 0-120 120 being full failed

Corruption Perception Index (CPI)

A ranking of nations based on perceived levels of government corruption, based on experts in the field of government study, measured annually, shows the prevalence of corruption, citizens’ experiences, and citizens attitude towards corruption and their government, 0-highly corrupt, 100- no corruption

Transparency

A government that acts in full disclosure of its actions and accountability to the people

Rule of Law

supports the quality of all citizens before the law, prevents an arbitrary use of power

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Plurality/First Past the Post

When a candidate receives more votes than any other but does not receive an absolute majority.

House of Lords

Made up of inherited seats, Church of England bishops, and law lords. They have limited power and can amend legislation from the House of Commons, but they can easily override and delay legislation. They also debate topics that are too controversial for Members of Parliament (MPs).

Political Patronage

The Prime Minister's power to appoint and dismiss government ministers, also known as the spoils system.

House of Commons

MPs support their party, assess the political reputations of other MPs to be cabinet ministers, share the problems they see with policy outside of chambers, and must appear as party loyalists at all times. They can check the Prime Minister with a vote of no confidence, provide government oversight, and vote on legislation proposed by the government.

Brexit

The name given to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union (EU). It was the result of a referendum vote in 2016 that voted to leave by a narrow majority. The UK left the trading bloc in 2020, ending freedom to work and live between the EU and the UK. The UK can now set its own trade policy and negotiate deals with other countries, while Northern Ireland continues to abide by EU rules.

Coalition

A government formed jointly by more than one political party. Political parties cooperate to form a majority and establish a government.

Direct Vote

A voting system where people vote directly on the candidate, without a third-party intermediary like an electoral college.

Semi-presidential

A political system where the constitution includes both a popularly elected president and a Prime Minister (PM) and cabinet accountable to the parliament.

Prebendalism

The appropriation of state offices by elected officials and government workers, and the diversion of their resources to serve themselves, their cronies, and their ethnic and identity groups.

Patrimonialism

A form of political organization in which authority is based on the personal power of a ruler who can extend personal grace and favors at the expense of traditional limitations on the exercise of authority.

State Corporatism

A political system in which the state requires all members of a particular economic sector to join an officially designated interest group. It allows political input from selected interest groups.

National Assembly

The bicameral legislature of Nigeria, consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives. Established in 1999, representatives and senators serve 4-year renewable terms. The National Assembly has the power to oversee revenues, but the president often controls oil revenues.

Autonomy

The degree to which a state can implement policies independent of the populace or the amount of sovereignty a nation-state can exercise in the global environment.

Interest Groups

Any organization that seeks to influence government policy-making to better serve the self-perceived wants and needs of its members.

Free Press

An uninhibited institution that places an additional check on the government to maintain honesty, ethics, and transparency.

Mass Media

Modes of mass communication whereby information, opinion, advocacy, propaganda, advertising, artwork, entertainment, and other forms of expression are conveyed to a very large audience. Nigeria has a well-developed, independent press that reflects ethnic divisions within the country.

Military Coup

An illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership by force. Nigeria experienced a military coup in 1966, leading to the Nigerian Civil War.

Boko Haram

An Islamic extremist group that originated from northeastern Nigeria. It began a military campaign in 2009 to impose Islamist rule in northern Nigeria. Boko Haram opposes the Westernization of Nigerian society and seeks the establishment of an Islamic state in Nigeria.

ECOWAS

The Economic Community of West African States. Nigeria is a major actor in the creation of ECOWAS and the largest contributor of troops to the West African peacekeeping force.

Crown Colony Constitution

The 1914 Constitution that handed power to the Governor-General and the appointed Executive Council.

Richards Constitution

The 1946 Constitution that established an expanded legislative council.

Macpherson Constitution

The 1950 Constitution that allowed for regional autonomy and federal union, with the inability of the federal legislature to overrule local/regional ordinances.

1960

The year of Nigeria's independence. Queen Elizabeth is the head of state, and Nnamdi Azikiwe is the Governor-General.

First Republic of Nigeria

Established in 1963, it was a federalist republic that removed the Queen as the head of state, with Azikiwe becoming the first president

Second Republic of Nigeria:

1979, adopts an American president system of direct elections, political parties had to be registered in at least 2/3 of the states, the Federal executive Council (the Cabinet) had to have at least one representative from each state

Third Republic of Nigeria:

1993, return to democratic rule, after (1983-1999) years of a military controlled government but it was never fully put into place

Fourth Republic of Nigeria:

the 1999 complete return of democratic rule