AP Comp Govt: Unit 4 + UK Vocab

Self-Explanatory

State

A group of people living in a defined territory with a government that wields absolute power within its borders.

Sovereignty

Supreme power or authority within the borders of a state.

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

Power

The ability to rule.

Authority

The right to rule.

Legitimacy

The belief of the people that a government has the right to rule.

Nation

A group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity

Regime

A system of government existing for a length of time.

Authoritarian

A government in which one leader or group of people holds absolute power.

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Rule of Law

The law applies to everyone, even those who govern.

Rule by Law

The government decides how the law is applied.

Transparency

People can observe and influences the actions of government.

Democratization

A process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one.

Suffrage

The right to vote

Civil Rights

The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Civil Liberties

Basic freedoms guaranteed to all citizens.

Sharia Law

A system of fundamentalist Islamic Law

Guardian Council

Appointed body that vets candidates for office and can overturn legislation.

Unitary System

A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

Federal System

The sharing of power between the central and regional governments.

Confederate System

A system of government with a very weak central government and strong regional governments.

Devolution

Granting of powers from the central government to regional or local level governments.

Asymmetric Federalism

A system where power is shared unequally across the country and its regional governments.

Cleavage

A social or cultural division.

Collective Responsibility

Cabinet members always support party policies, especially in public.

Referendum

Process in which a policy issue must be approved directly by the voters.

Backbenchers

Members of Parliament in a Westminster system that don't hold government or cabinet positions.

Collectivist Consensus

Post World War 2 period that contained popular support for the creation of the British welfare state.

Gradualism

Concept that democratic change should occur incrementally.

Euroskeptic

People opposed to the inclusion and expansion of the European Union.

Shadow Cabinet

The leadership of the opposition party.

Third Way

Ideology that is a cross between Thatcherism and the Welfare State developed by New Labor.

QUANGOS

Quasi autonomous non-government organization

Thatcherism

Conservative political and economic culture in the 1980s.

Vote of No Confidence

A parliamentary vote in which MPs vote against a Prime Minister.

Welfare State

Concept of government playing a primary role in the economic and societal wellbeing.

Whitehall

The nickname of the administrative government center of the United Kingdom.

Member of Parliament

Elected members of parliament

Austerity

Massive cuts to government and social welfare spending to reduce debt.

Unitary Government

System in which power is distributed from a central government

Noblesse Oblige

The inferred act of the upper class to take responsibility for the welfare of the lower class.

Good Friday Agreement

Allowed for devolved regional power in Northern Ireland. Considered the end of The Troubles.

Parliamentary Sovereignty

The principle that Parliament is the supreme legal authority.

"The Government"

The group of people that are currently in power in office.

The Troubles

Conflict in Northern Ireland from 1968

European Union

Supranational organization of European states with common economic, social, and foreign policies.

Brexit

The British Exit from the European Union

Democratic Consolidation

The widespread acceptance of democracy as the permanent form of political activity; all significant political elites and their followers accept democratic rules and are confident everyone else does as well.

Beveridge Report

Published during WWII, it suggested a social insurance program that made all citizens eligible for health, unemployment, pension, and other benefits.

NHS

National Health Service

Lower House

House of Commons

Upper House

House of Lords

Center Left Party

Labour

Center Right Party

Conservative

SNP

Pro Scotland Party

Plaid Cymru

Pro Wales Party

Sinn Fein

Pro Irish nationalist

SDLP

Pro Irish reunification