Edit · Comparative Politics Midterm Study Guide

Primordialism

Human beings are natural groupers; identity groups have always existed and are hard to undo.

Constructivism

Identities are created through a complex process of construction and change over time.

Instrumentalism

Elites manipulate people into identity groups to advance their personal agendas.

Nation

A group that proclaims itself a nation and seeks control of a state or territory.

Cultural Nationalism

Nationalism based on common cultural characteristics and jus sanguinis (law of blood/kinship).

Civic Nationalism

Membership in a nation based on commonly held political beliefs and jus soli (law of the soil/birthplace citizenship).

Ethnic Group

United by cultural attributes or common history, but does NOT seek control of a state or territory.

Relative Deprivation

The belief that a group is not getting their fair share relative to others.

Security Dilemma

The belief that another group poses an imminent threat and institutional constraints are insufficient for protection.

Contentious Politics

When two or more groups make claims on the same resource.

Social Cleavage

A division of society by religion, race, status, etc.

Polarizing Cleavage

When different social cleavages align with and reinforce each other.

Cross-cutting Cleavages

When an individual's membership in one social group does not determine how other social cleavages define them.

Centripetal Approach

Creating institutional incentives for political leaders and parties to appeal across ethnic lines to win power.

Consociationalism

Acknowledging ethnic groups and representing them through proportional representation and strong minority rights.

Parliamentary System

System where the legislature chooses the executive, voters vote for parties, and the prime minister controls the agenda (e.g., UK, India, Israel).

Presidential System

System with separate election of executive and legislature, defined by a separation of powers (e.g., US, Brazil).

Divided Government

When one party holds the executive office and another party controls the legislature.

Line Item Veto

Allows the president to eliminate specific parts of bills.

Presidential Decree

Executive orders issued by the president.

Semi-presidential System

System with two executives (a president elected by voters and a PM elected by parliament), allowing for cohabitation.

Judicial Review

The power of the judiciary to decide whether a law contradicts the constitution (established by Marbury v. Madison).

Common Law

Legal system where judges base decisions on written law as well as past court cases (stare decisis).

Code Law

Legal system where judges may only follow written law.

Unitary System

A system where the central government holds sole constitutional sovereignty and power.

Federal System

A system where a state's power is legally and constitutionally divided among more than one level of government.

Legitimacy

The recognized right to rule.

Fragile State Index

Index where high numbers indicate weak states and low numbers indicate strong states.

Resource Curse

Phenomenon where resource-rich states have weak domestic tax systems, rely on foreign funding, and struggle with state development.

Delegative Democracy

Concept by Guillermo O'Donnell where once elected, a president feels entitled to govern entirely as they see fit.