Unit 3: Political Culture & Participation

Civil Society

Voluntary associations independent from the state, including local religious and neighborhood groups, organizations, news media, business ad professional associations, and and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Nongovernmental Organizations

Civil society groups that provide services governments cannot offer from fire departments to groups that advocate for foster children.

Political Culture

The collective attitudes, values, and beliefs of the citizenry and the norms of behavior in the political system.

Political Socialization

The lifelong process of acquiring one’s beliefs, values, and orientations toward the political system.

Political Ideology

A set of values and beliefs about the goals of government, public policy, or politics.

Individualism

Belief in individual civil liberties and freedom from government restrictions.

Neoliberalism

Refers to the removal of barriers and restrictions on what internal/external economic actors can do; believes in limited governmental intervention in the economy; privatization of government-controlled industries; free trade to lower tariffs on imported goods, deregulation of governmental controls on business, and the elimination of state subsidies for industries.

Communism

Belief in the abolition of private property with near-total governmental control of the economy.

Socialism

Belief in the reduction of income disparities and the nationalization of major private industries.

Fascism

An extreme nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule and the rights of the ethnic majority over those of ethnic minorities and political opposition.

Populism

A political philosophy that supports the interests and rights of the ordinary people over those of the elites.

Determining Democracy or Authoritarianism of States

Must look at extent of state adherence to the rule of law, he degree of governmental influence on or control of the media; degree and practice of free and fair elections; degree of transparency of governmental decision-making; degree of political participation by citizens; and the degree of independence of governmental branches.

Power

The ability of the state to influence the conduct of individuals and organizations within the state.

Authority

The state’s legitimate right to enforce a power.

Rule of Law

The principle that a state should be governed by known laws and not arbitrary decisions made by individual government officials.

Civil Rights

The protection of groups of citizens from discrimination by the government or other individuals.

Civil Liberties

An individual’s protection against abuse of powers by the government.

Post-Materialism

Social values of self-expression and quality of life issues over materialism such as environmental issues and social and economic equality.

Political Participation

The ways citizens can attempt to shape government policy. It can be formal (casting a ballot in a government election) or informal (protests and political criticism expressed through social media.

Referenda

These allow citizens to vote directly on policy questions, as exemplified by the United Kingdom’s 2016 national vote that was held to determine whether citizens preferred leaving or remaining in the European Union.

Political Stability

The ability of a government to consistently provide services that meet the basic needs of most of its population. This fosters the public’s confidence in the institutions of the state.

Cleavages

Social and political cleavages are internal divisions that structure societies and may be based on class, ethnicity, religion, or territory.

Separatist Movement

When a group’s actions to gain greater autonomy from a government diminish the sovereignty of that government.