CPO2001 Exam 1 (UF)

area studies

A regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered.

behavioral revolution

A movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries.

causal relationship

Cause and effect; when a change in one variable causes a change in another variable.

comparative method

The means by which social scientists make comparisons across cases.

comparative politics

The study and comparison of domestic politics across countries.

correlation

An apparent relationship between two or more variables.

deductive reasoning

Research that works from a hypothesis that is then tested against data.

endogeneity

The issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another.

equality

A shared material standard of individuals within a community, society or country.

formal institutions

Institutions usually based on officially sanctioned rules that are relatively clear.

freedom

The ability of an individual to act independently, without fear of restriction or punishment by the state or other individuals or groups in society.

game theory

An approach that emphasizes how actors or organizations behave in their goal to influence others. Built upon assumptions of rational choice.

inductive reasoning

Research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses.

informal institutions

Institutions with unwritten and unofficial rules.

institution

An organization or activity that is self-perpetuating and valued for its own sake.

international relations

A field in political science which concentrates on relations between countries, such as foreign policy, war, trade and foreign aid.

modernization theory

A theory asserting that as societies developed, they would take on a set of common characteristics, including democracy and capitalism.

multicausality

When variables are interconnected and interact together to produce particular outcomes.

politics

The struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group.

qualitative method

Study through an in-depth investigation of a limited number of cases.

quantitative method

Study through statistical data from many cases.

rational choice

Approach that assumes that individuals weigh the costs and benefits and make choices to maximize their benefits.

selection bias

A focus on effects rather than their causes, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about correlation or causation.

theory

An integrated set of hypotheses, assumptions and facts.

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

First separated the study of politics from that of philosophy; used comparative method to study Greek city-states; in The Politics, conceived of an empirical study of politics with a practical purpose.

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

Cited as first modern political scientist due to his emphasis on statecraft and empirical knowledge; analyzed different political systems, believing the findings could be applied by statesmen; discussed his theories in The Prince.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

Developed the notion of a "social contract", whereby people surrender certain liberties in favor of order; advocated a powerful state in Leviathan.

John Locke (1632-1704)

Argued that private property is essential to individual freedom and prosperity; advocated a weak state in Two Treatises of Government.

Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755)

Studied government systems; advocated the separation of powers within government in The Spirit of Laws.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

Argued that citizens' rights are inalienable and cannot be taken away by the state; influenced the development of civil rights; discussed these ideas in The Social Contract.

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Elaborated a theory of economic development and inequality in Das Kapital; predicted the eventual collapse of democracy and capitalism.

Max Weber (1864-1920)

Wrote widely on such topics as bureaucracy, forms of authority, and the impact of culture on economic and political development; developed many of these themes in Economy and Society.

asymmetric federalism

When power is divided unevenly between regional bodies; for example, some regions are given greater power over taxation or language rights than others- a more likely outcome in a country with significant ethnic divisions.

autonomy

The ability of the state to wield its power independently of the public.

capacity

The ability of the state to wield power to carry out basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy.

charismatic legacy

Legitimacy built on the force of ideas embodied by an individual leader.

country

Term used to refer to state, govt., regime, and the people who live within that political system.

devolution

A process in which political power is "sent down" to lower levels of state and government.

failed state

A state so weak that its political structures collapse, leading to anarchy and violence.

federalism

A system in which significant state powers, such as taxation, lawmaking and security, are devolved to regional or local bodies.

government

The leadership or elite in charge of running the state.

legitimacy

A value whereby an institution is accepted by the public as right and proper, thus giving it authority and power.

rational-legal legitimacy

Legitimacy based on a system of laws and procedures that are highly institutionalized.

regime

The fundamental rules and norms of politics, embodying long-term goals regarding individual freedom and collective equality, where power should reside, and use of that power.

sovereignty

The ability of a state to carry out actions or policies within a territory independently from external actors or internal rivals.

state

The organization that maintains a monopoly of force over a given territory; a set of political institutions to generate and execute policy regarding freedom and equality.

strong state

A state that is able to fulfill basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes and managing the economy.

traditional legitimacy

Legitimacy that accepts aspects of politics because they have been institutionalized over a long period of time.

unitary state

A state in which most political power exists at the national level, with limited local authority.

weak state

A state that has difficulty fulfilling basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy.

anarchism

A political ideology that stresses the elimination of the state and private property as a way to achieve both freedom and equality for all.

citizenship

An individual's relationship to the state, wherein citizens swear allegiance to that state and the state in return is obligated to provide rights to those citizens.

communism

A political/economic system in which all wealth and property are shared so as to eliminate exploitation, oppression, and ultimately, the need for political institutions such as the state.

conservatives

Those with a political attitude that is skeptical of change and supports the current order.

culture

Basic institutions that define a society.

ethnic conflict

A conflict in which different ethnic groups struggle to achieve certain political or economic goals at each other's expense.

ethnic identity/ethnicity

Specific attributes/societal institutions that make one group of people culturally different from others.

fascism

A political ideology that asserts the superiority and inferiority of different groups of people and stresses a low degree of both freedom and equality in order to achieve a powerful state.

fundamentalism

A view of religion as absolute and inerrant that should be legally enforced by making faith the sovereign authority.

liberal democracy

A political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights.

liberalism

Political attitude that favors evolutionary transformation; ideology/political system that favors a limited state role in society/economy. High freedom/high equality.

liberals

Those with a political attitude that favors evolutionary change and believes that existing institutions can be instruments of positive change.

national conflict

A conflict in which one or more groups within a country develop clear aspirations for political independence, clashing with others as a result.

national identity

A sense of belonging to a nation/belief in its political aspirations.

nationalism

Pride in one's people and the belief that they have a unique political destiny.

nation-state

A state encompassing one dominant nation that it claims to embody and represent.

patriotism

Pride in one's state.

political attitude

Description of one's views regarding the speed and methods with which political changes should take place in a given society.

political culture

The basic norms for political activity in a society.

political ideology

The basic values held by an individual about the fundamental goals of politics or the ideal balance of freedom/equality.

radicals

Those with a political attitude that favors dramatic, often revolutionary change.

reactionary

Someone who seeks to restore the institutions of a real or imagined earlier order.

social democracy (socialism)

A political/economic system in which freedom and equality are balanced through the state's management of the economy/provision of social expenditures.

society

Complex human organization, a collection of ppl. bound by shared institutions that define how human relations should be conducted.

Inglehart World Values Survey

Tracks differences between societies along two dimensions: traditional/secular-rational values and survival/self-expression values.

capitalism

A system of production based on private property and free markets.

central bank

The state institution that controls how much money is flowing through the economy, as well as how much it costs to borrow money in that economy.

comparative advantage

The ability of one country to produce a particular good or service more efficiently relative to other countries' efficiency in producing the same good or service.

deflation

A period of falling prices and values for goods, services, investments, and wages.

economic liberalization

Changes consistent with liberalism that aim to limit the power of the state and increase the power of the market and private property in an economy.

Gini Index

A statistical formula that measures the amount of inequality in a society; its scale ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 = perfect equality/100 = perfect inequality.

gross domestic product (GDP)

The total market value of all goods and services produced by a country over a period of one year.

Human Development Index (HDI)

A statistical tool that attempts to evaluate overall wealth, health and knowledge of people in a country.

hyperinflation

Inflation of more than 50% for more that two months in a row.

inflation

An outstripping of supply by demand, resulting in increase in prices and decrease in value of a country's currency.

laissez-faire

Principle that the economy should be allowed to do as it wishes with minimal state interference.

market

Interaction between forces of supply and demand that allocates resources.

mercantilism

Political economic system that heavily prioritizes national economic power and domestic economy primarily serves the needs of the state.

monopoly

A single producer that is able to dominate the market for a good or service without competition.

neocorporatism

A system of social democracy policy making in which a limited number of organizations representing business and labor work with the state to set economic policy.

non-tariff regulatory barriers

Policies and regulations used to limit imports through methods other than taxation.

parastatal

Industry partially owned by the state.

political economic system

Relationship between political and economic institutions in a particular country/the policies they make.

political economy

Study of interaction between states and markets.

property

Goods or services that are owned by an individual or group, privately or publicly.

public goods

Goods, provided or secured by the state, available to society. No private ownership.

purchasing power parity (PPP)

Statistical tool that attempts to estimate the buying power of income across different countries by using prices in the US as a benchmark.

quota

A nontariff barrier that limits the quantity of a good that may be imported into a country.

regulation

A rule or order that sets boundaries of a given procedure.

social expenditures

State provision of public benefits, such as education, health care and transportation.