AP COMP GOV VOCAB

Civil society

The way citizens organize themselves and define themselves and their interests.

Advanced democracies

Countries with well-established democratic governments and high levels of economic development.

Communism

A political ideology implemented by Karl Marx of a classless society, limiting individual freedom and dividing wealth equally.

The newly-industrializing countries

Countries experiencing rapid economic growth, tending towards democratization and political and social stability.

Less-developed countries

Countries lacking significant economic development, often with authoritarian governments.

States

Organizations that maintain control over a territory through political institutions.

Institutions

Organizations that help turn political ideas into policy.

Sovereignty

The authority to rule and carry out actions or policies within a territory.

Nation

A group of people bound together by a common political identity and common traits such as religion, race, ideals, etc.

Nationalism

The sense of belonging that differentiates one nation from another.

Binational or Multinational States or Stateless Nations

States with multiple nations or nations without a state.

Permeable Borders

Anything that crosses a nation-state's borders without official sanctions demonstrates a limit to that nation-state's capacity and sovereignty.

Regime

The rules that a state sets and follows in exerting its power.

Clientelism

The exchange of goods and services for political support.

Legitimacy

The right to rule.

Traditional

Tradition should determine who should rule and how.

Charismatic

Based on the personality of a determined ruler or small group.

Ration-legal

Based on a system of well-established laws and procedures.

Political culture (consensual/conflictual)

Collection of political beliefs, values, and practices that the government is based on and reflects.

Social capital

The amount of reciprocity and trust that exists among citizens and between citizens and the state.

Political ideology

Political values held by individuals regarding the basic goals of governments and politics.

Liberalism

Individual political and economic freedom, seeking to maximize freedom of speech, religion, association, etc.

Socialism

A mix of liberalism and communism, accepting and promoting private ownership of property and free market principles, but with state control or ownership of key industries.

Fascism

Belief in the existence of degrees of minority and superiority, seeking to mold society and eliminate obstacles that might weaken them.

Theocracy

A political system in which religious leaders control political decisions and religious law provides the basis for policy decisions.

Reform

Making changes to existing institutions or policies.

Revolution

Major revision or overthrow of existing institutions.

Coup d'etat

Replacing the leadership of a country with a new leader.

Radicalism

Support for radical change or revolution.

Conservatism

Support for maintaining traditional institutions and values.

Reactionary beliefs

Support for returning to a previous state of society or government.

Democracies

Systems of government where power is vested in the people.

Indirect Democracy

Elected officials represent the people.

Direct Democracy

The people have an immediate say over many government decisions.

Liberal (substantive) democracies

Democracies that prioritize civil liberties, open civil society, competitive elections, and neutrality of the judiciary.

Illiberal (procedural) democracies

Democracies with significant restrictions on civil liberties and limited political competition.

Three branches

Legislatures, executives, and judicial courts.

Parliamentary system

Citizens vote for legislative representatives, who then choose the leader of the executive branch from the majority party.

Head of State

Symbolic figurehead.

Head of Government

Prime Minister.

Fusion of powers

Executive and legislative branches share power.

Cabinet

Most important collective decision-making body, led by the Prime Minister or "first among equals."

Presidential system

Citizens vote for legislative representatives and executive branch leaders separately, with a separation of powers and system of checks and balances.

President

Head of State and Head of Government, with the power to veto legislation.

Supranational organization

A variety of states that pool their sovereignty together through integration to gain political and economic clout.

Globalization

Forces that tie the people of the world together, integrating social, economic, cultural, and environmental activities.

Fragmentation

Forces that tear the people of the world apart, based on loyalty to ethnicity, language, religion, and cultural identity.

Centripetal

Binds together the people of a state, such as nationalism.

Centrifugal

Tears apart the people of a state, destabilizing the country and forcing the government to fall apart, such as separatist movements or devolution.

FPTP

First Past the Post system where the candidate with the most votes in a district wins the seat.

PR

Proportional Representation system where seats are allocated based on the percentage of votes a party receives.

Judiciary

The branch of government responsible for interpreting and applying the law.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the judicial system with the power of judicial review.

Magistrates

Judges who serve 15-year terms and are nominated by the president and approved by the Senate.

Code Law

A legal system based on written laws and statutes.

Multiparty State

A political system with multiple political parties competing for power.

Electoral Reform

Changes made to the electoral system to improve its fairness or effectiveness.

Unitary Government

A system where power is concentrated in a central government with limited devolution to regional governments.

Devolution

The transfer of power from a central government to regional governments.

House of Commons

The lower house of the UK Parliament where Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected.

House of Lords

The upper house of the UK Parliament consisting of hereditary and appointed members.

Majority Party

The political party with the most seats in the parliament.

Speaker

The presiding officer of the House of Commons responsible for maintaining order and impartiality.

Loyal Opposition

The main opposition party in the parliament.

PM

The Prime Minister, the leader of the majority party in the parliament who appoints cabinet members.

Constitutional Monarchy

A system where a monarch is the head of state, but their powers are limited by a constitution.

House of Lords

The upper house of the UK Parliament consisting of hereditary and appointed members.

First Past the Post System

A voting system where the candidate with the most votes in a district wins the seat.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the judicial system with the power of judicial review.

Gradual Extension of Voting Rights

The gradual expansion of suffrage to include more groups of people.

Collective Consensus

A period after WWII where both Labour and Conservative parties agreed on the need for a welfare state.

Thatcherism

The political ideology and policies associated with Margaret Thatcher, including privatization and free-market reforms.

Neoliberalism

An economic ideology that emphasizes free competition and limited government intervention in the market.

Devolution

The transfer of power from a central government to regional governments.

Brexit

The decision for the UK to leave the European Union.

Labour Party

A leftist political party in the UK.

Conservative Party

A right-leaning political party in the UK.

Liberal Party

A centrist political party in the UK.

UKIP Party

A far-right political party in the UK committed to Brexit.

Illiberal Democracy

A political system that combines elements of democracy with authoritarian rule.

Bolshevik Revolution

The revolution led by Lenin in 1917 that overthrew the tsarist government and established communism in Russia.

Communist Party

The ruling party in the Soviet Union that advocated for the establishment of a communist society.

Stalinism

The period of rule under Joseph Stalin characterized by totalitarianism and state control.

Five-year plan

A set of goals for the production of heavy industry in the Soviet Union.

Glasnost

The policy of political openness introduced by Gorbachev in the Soviet Union.

Perestroika

The policy of economic reform introduced by Gorbachev in the Soviet Union.

Shock therapy

Rapid and radical market reform implemented in Russia in the 1990s.