Political Theory and Foundations Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated directly from lecture notes covering key thinkers, political theories, regime types, legal systems, and historical documents.

State of Nature (Hobbes)

A theoretical condition described as 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,' driven by self-interest and fear of death in a constant war of each against all.

Relations of Ideas

A category in Hume's Fork consisting of necessarily true statements known by reason alone (such as math and logic), where denying one creates a contradiction.

Matters of Fact

A category in Hume's Fork consisting of claims learned only through experience that could always turn out otherwise.

Common Sense (1776)

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine (1737-1809) that sold more copies per capita than any pamphlet in American history, arguing that society arises from practical necessity and government from wickedness.

Classical Liberalism

A political vision where rule is granted by the people's consent, the economy aims for individual prosperity, natural rights are paramount, and the ultimate goal is individual liberty.

Marxism

A political theory centered on class struggle and the critique of capitalism, envisioning rule by the proletariat/party to achieve equality and a classless utopia.

Theocracy

A political vision where God or clergy rule under severe religious law, individuals are subordinate to the faith, and the ultimate goal is salvation or God's will.

Statism / Mercantilism

A political vision where the state or monarch rules to enrich the state, placing the individual subordinate to the state to achieve national power and glory.

Communism

A regime system characterized by single-party rule where the state owns the means of production, based on the USSR model.

Socialism

An umbrella political term referring to public or social ownership of key economic features.

Politics as Virtue

Aristotle's (384-322 BC) perspective that the purpose of politics is to cultivate the good life, human flourishing, justice, practical wisdom, goodwill, and moral virtue in the polis.

Politics as Process

Sir Bernard Crick's (1929-2008) view from 'In Defense of Politics' (1962) defining politics as ethics done in public and the only alternative to governing by coercion, violence, or force.

Harm Principle

John Stuart Mill's principle that the only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs.

Minimal State

Robert Nozick's concept that government should only protect citizens from force, theft, and fraud, arguing that wealth redistribution violates individual rights.

General Will

Rousseau's theory that true freedom is realized by participating in the collective good and that individual freedom is only meaningful within a community.

Rule of Man

The default state of human society where power is vested in an individual or small group whose immediate will effectively serves as the law.

Common Law

A legal tradition rooted in medieval England where law grows from judicial decisions that bind future courts through precedent (stare decisis).

Civil Law

A legal tradition where comprehensive written codes are enacted by legislators in advance for judges to apply rather than make law.

Positive Law / Legal Positivism

A theoretical view that law is socially constructed and valid based purely on its source, maintaining that morality and law are separate.

Natural Law Theory

A framework evaluating what law ought to be, asserting that a system which fundamentally abuses legal form forfeits its claims to be a legal system.

Unitary Form

A government structure where the central government holds all governing power and subnational units are strictly subordinate (e.g., France).

Confederation Form

A government structure where sovereign states voluntarily unite for limited common purposes, leaving the central body weak and dependent on member consent.

Authoritarianism

A regime where power is concentrated in a single leader or small elite with suppressed dissent and limited pluralism, lacking an all-encompassing official ideology.

Totalitarianism

An extreme form of authoritarianism in which the state seeks to control virtually all public and private life, driven by an official, all-encompassing ideology.

Oligarchy

A regime quality in which political power is held by a small group of elites, such as wealthy or powerful families, who use it to benefit themselves.

Normative State

The visible administrative and judicial component of a dual state that operates on established, predictable rules to maintain economic order and public services.

Prerogative State

A parallel system of arbitrary power within a dual state that operates unconstrained by legal limits and can arbitrarily intervene or override normal legal protections.

Moralistic Political Culture

Elazar's typology defining government as a tool for the common good, where public service is a duty, politics is issue-driven, and corruption is a moral failure.

Individualistic Political Culture

Elazar's typology defining government as a marketplace and utilitarian mechanism for tasks individuals cannot accomplish alone, treating politics as a practical business.

Traditionalistic Political Culture

Elazar's typology defining government as a tool to preserve the existing social order, reserving active political participation for an established elite.

Soft Despotism

An immense tutelary power described by Tocqueville that bends and stifles citizens' will and self-governance while retaining formal democratic appearances.

Bonding Capital

A form of social capital consisting of ties within a specific group that strengthens shared identity and in-group trust.

Bridging Capital

A form of social capital consisting of social ties built across different groups.

Petition of Right (1628)

An English legal document produced in response to Charles I raising unauthorized money through forced loans, imprisoning refusers, and quartering soldiers.

English Bill of Rights (1689)

A constitutional document establishing Parliament above the Crown, ruling that the King cannot suspend laws without consent or maintain a standing army in peacetime.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

A document created by 41 men off course in Massachusetts who lacked legal authority under their patent, forming a written 'civil body politic' to self-govern.