AP Comp Gov: Nigeria Vocab

Accountability

government's responsibility to its population

Acephalous societies

"headless" societies governed by committee or consensus

Authoritarian

system of rule in which power depends not on popular legitimacy but on the coercive force of the political authorities

Autocracy

government in which one or a few rulers has absolute power—thus, a dictatorship

Balance of Payments

indicator of international flow of funds that shows the excess or deficit in total payments between or among countries

Clientelism

social order in which individuals with unequal economic and social status engage in reciprocal exchanges of goods and services based on personal links perceived in terms of moral obligation

Developmental state

nation-state in which the government carries out policies that effectively promote national economic growth

Economic Community of West African States

West African regional organization

Indirect rule

British style of colonialism in Nigeria and India in which local traditional rulers and political structures were used to help support the colonial governing structure

International financial institutions

organizations established by multiple countries to foster global financial stability, development, and cooperation

Jihad

Often meant to be an armed struggle against nonbelievers

Legitimacy

rightfulness or validity of an authority, institution, or government

Oligarchy

elite ruling class characterized by a small group of individuals or families holding significant political, economic, or social power

Prebendalism

system where political leaders distribute patronage (such as government positions, contracts, and benefits) to their supporters in exchange for loyalty

Rents

Economic benefits or revenues that accrue to specific groups or individuals due to their control over valuable resources, institutions, or positions within a political system

Resource curse

phenomenon where countries blessed with abundant natural resources (such as fossil fuels and certain minerals) experience less economic growth, weaker democracy, or worse development outcomes compared to countries with fewer natural resources

Shari'a

divine or religious law that forms part of the Islamic tradition.

Structural adjustment program

set of economic policies often prescribed by international financial institutions to help countries stabilize their economies and foster growth.

Unfinished state

Characterized by institutional instability and political uncertainty that may render it dysfunctional as a coherent ruling entity

Warrant chiefs

Leaders employed by British colonial regime in Nigeria, a system in which the chiefs were selected by the British to oversee certain legal matters and assist colonial governance