APCOGO Ch 2 Vocab

State

Political institutions with international recognition that govern a population in a territory

Government

Institutions and individuals that make legally binding decisions for the state and that have the lawful right to use power to enforce those decisions

Bureaucracy

A set of appointed officials and government workers who carry out policies

Sovereignty

A state’s ability to act without internal or external interference

Regime

A type of government, either democratic or authoritarian

Coup d’etat

An overthrow of government by a small number of people, often military leaders

Revolution

An overthrow of a regime based on widespread popular support

Nation

A group of people who share a sense of belonging and who often have a common language, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, political identity, or traditions

Nationalism

When a group has a strong sense of identity and believes it has its own destiny

Liberal democracy

A system with free and fair elections and in which a wide array of civil liberties and civil rights are protected

Authoritarian state

A system without free and fair elections and in which civil liberties and civil rights are restricted

Totalitarian state

A type of authoritarian government where the state controls nearly all aspects of citizens’ lives

Illiberal, flawed, or hybrid democracy

A system in which elections may be marred by fraud and the state protects some civil liberties and civil rights but restricts others

Rule of law

A clear set of rules where government officials are subject to the same laws and penalties as citizens

Rule by law

Where the law is applied arbitrarily and government officials are not subject to the same rules as citizens

Democratic backsliding

A decline in the quality of democracy, including a decrease in civic participation, rule of law, transparency, and accountability

Power

The ability to make someone do something they would otherwise not do

Authority

The legitimate power a state has over people within its territory

Theocracy

A system based on religious rule

Coersion

The use or threat of force to get someone to do something they would otherwise not do

Legitimacy

The citizens’ belief that the government has the right to rule

Political efficacy

A citizens’ belief that their actions can impact the government

Traditional legitimacy

The right to rule based on a society’s long-standing patterns and practices

Charismatic legitimacy

The right to rule based on personal virtue, heroism, and other characteristics

Rational-legal legitimacy

The right to rule based on an accepted set of laws

Unitary system

A political system in which the central government has sole constitutional power and sovereignty

Federal system

A political system in which a state’s power is legally and constitutionally divided among more than one level of government

Devolution

Granting of powers by the central government to regional governments