Review of Comparative Politics Examination Strategies

Flashcards focused on key vocabulary and concepts related to comparative politics and examination strategies.

Comparative Politics

The study of how countries compare and contrast in terms of political systems, behaviors, and institutions.

Typologies

Classifications of political systems used to categorize governments based on their characteristics.

Legislatures

The branches of government responsible for making laws.

Unitary State

A state governed as a single entity, where central government holds most power and can delegate but also revoke authority from local governments.

Federal State

A system in which power is divided between a central government and subnational entities like states or provinces, each with their own authority.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system in which parties gain seats in legislature in proportion to the number of votes they receive.

Democratic Backsliding

The process through which democratic institutions and practices are weakened.

Cohabitation

A situation in a semi-presidential system where the president and prime minister come from different political parties, leading to shared authority.

Most Similar Systems

A comparative method that analyzes countries with similar characteristics to identify differences and explanatory variables.

Most Different Systems

A comparative approach that studies countries that are quite different from each other to find commonalities.