POL Exam 1 shorter answers

Regime

 The system that determines how political power is organized and exercised. Example: China's one-party regime.

State

The political organization that governs a territory and claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of force.

 Modernization Theory

 The idea that economic development promotes democracy. China challenges this because its economy grew without democratization.

Political Culture

A society's political beliefs, values, traditions, and expectations of government.

Path Dependence

The idea that past decisions and institutions shape and limit future political choices.

Historical Institutionalism

The study of how past political institutions influence present political systems.

Charismatic Legitimacy

Authority based on people's belief in a leader's extraordinary qualities. Example: Mao Zedong.

Legitimacy

The belief that a government has a justified right to rule.

Coercion

The use or threat of force to make people obey authority.

 Totalitarianism

 A system where the government attempts to control all aspects of life, including politics, society, and people's beliefs.

 Authoritarianism

 A system where power is concentrated in a leader or small group, with limited political freedoms.

Performance Legitimation

Gaining public support by providing economic growth, security, and government services.

Social Contract

The idea that people establish government to maintain order and protect their interests.

Politburo Standing Committee

The small, most powerful leadership group within the Chinese Communist Party.

Chinese Communist Party

 China's ruling political party since 1949, controlling the country's major institutions.

National People's Congress (NPC)

China's national legislature, which formally passes laws under Communist Party leadership.

 Party-State

 A system where the ruling political party controls the government and its institutions.

Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966–1976)

Mao's campaign to eliminate perceived political enemies and traditional influences, causing widespread violence and disorder.

Great Leap Forward (1958–1961)

 Mao's attempt to rapidly industrialize China through collectivization, resulting in widespread famine.

Mao Zedong

Communist leader who founded the People's Republic of China in 1949 and led the Cultural Revolution.

Deng Xiaoping

Chinese leader who introduced economic reforms beginning in 1978 while maintaining Communist Party control.

 Tiananmen Square Protests (1989)

 Pro-democracy protests that the Chinese government violently suppressed using military force.

Confucianism

 Chinese philosophy emphasizing respect for authority, hierarchy, and social harmony.

 Magna Carta (1215)

 Agreement that limited the English king's authority and helped establish the principle of rule of law.

Glorious Revolution (1688)

Political change that strengthened Parliament and limited the monarchy's power.

 Parliamentary Sovereignty

 The principle that the British Parliament holds the highest lawmaking authority.

House of Commons

The elected chamber of British Parliament responsible for passing laws and overseeing government.

Margaret Thatcher

Conservative prime minister (1979–1990) who promoted privatization, weakened labor unions, and strengthened executive power.

Devolution

The transfer of certain political powers from the British central government to regional governments.

 Brexit

 The UK's withdrawal from the European Union following the 2016 referendum, completed in 2020.