Unit 4 Vocab

authoritarianism

a political system in which a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without constitutionally responsible to the public

nondemocratic regimes

A political regime that is controlled by a small group of individuals who exercise power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public

Totalitarianism

A non-democratic regime that is highly centralized, possessing some form of strong ideology that seeks to transform and absorb fundamental aspects of state, society, and the economy, using a wide array of institutions

-use violence as a tool for remaking institutions

-have a strong ideological goal

resource curse

theory of development in which the existence of natural resources in a given state is a barrier to modernization and democracy

populism

a political view that does not have a specific ideological foundation, but that emphasizes hostility towards elites and established state and economic institutions and favors greater power in the hands of the pubic

coercion

compelling individuals by threatening their lives of livelihoods

co-optation

the process by which individuals outside an organization are brought into a beneficials relationship with it, making them dependent on the regime for certain rewards

corporatism

A method of co-optation whereby authoritarian systems create or sanction a limited number of organizations to represent the interests of the public and restrict those not set up or approved by the state

clientelism

a process whereby the state co-opts members of the public by providing specific benefits to people in return for public support (such as voting in elections)

-relies on individual patronage

rent seeking

a process in which political leaders essentially use parts of the state to extract income for their supporters, giving them preferred access to public goods that would otherwise be distributed in a nonpolitical manner

kleptocracy

rule by theft, where those in power seek only to drain the state of assets and resources

personality cult

the public is encouraged to obey the leader, based on his or her extraordinary qualities and compelling ideas.

patrimonialism

An arrangement whereby a ruler depends on a collection of supporters within the state who gain direct benefits in return for enforcing the ruler's will

bureaucratic authoritarianism

a regime in which the state bureaucracy and the military share a belief that a technocratic leadership, focused on rational, objective, and techical expertise, can solve the problems of the country

personal and monarchical rule

rule by a single leader with no clear regime or rules constraining that leadership, patrimonialism

military rule

rule by one or more military officials, often brought to power through a coup d'état; bureaucratic authoritarianism, increasingly common in the

one-party rule

rule by one political party that bans or excludes other groups from power; corporatism, clinetlism

theocracy

'rule by god', holy texts serve as foundation for regime and politics, religious leadership and political leadership fused into single sovereign authority

illiberal regimes

rule by an elected leadership through procedures of questionable democratic legitimacy; a regime where democratic institutions that rest on the rule of law are weakly institutionalized and poorly respected

inflation

rapid increases result in government policy to correct and control problems

rising unemployment

governments seek to take control of numbers, both for the workforce's sake as well as optics

destabilization of the political order

restoration of order amidst perceived chaos and political turbulence

social disparities examples

urban v. rural, development, oppportunity

elitism

that the wealthy and those in power are likely to monopolize economic and political power over sharing it, resource-rich nations are likely to be nondemocratic to control those resources

populism

power is drawn from an anti-institutional approach, such that a constitution or Bill of RIghts obstructs authoritarianism

international relations

imperialism, neo-imperialism results in authoritarianism

political culture

a state and its people value nondemocratic views and beliefs: secularism, theocracy, conformity, confucianism and obedience

monarchy

rule by a single leader, no clear regime or rules that constrain leadership

coup d'état

when the military or a related government agency seizes control of the government, often done to protect the interests of the nation, done with "reluctance", return the state and government to the people once stability is returned, involves use of coercion often by violence

one-party rule

when a single political party rules, monopolizes political power, excludes all others from power, often via a ban

communism

philosophy of government and society based on the ideals of marxism and socialism, stresses classless and stateless society, common ownership, no private property, social equality

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

German by birth, former college professor, author, philosopher, hated conditions that the industrial revolution had brought to workers

Frederick Engels (1820-1895)

German by birth, college educated, journalist, social critic, had reported on teh conditions of working people in Europe during the Industrial Revolution, financially supported Marx and his writings

Communist Manifesto

Marx and Engel's greatest work, published in 1848,

surveillance

keeping a close eye on the population, prevent opposition from organizing and instill uncertainty among the population

censorship

the suppression of words, images, and ideas that are either offensive or counter to the political culture fostered by government

residual category

a group of dissimilar things

regime

institutionalized rules and norms for political activity

absence of a middle class

modernization is necessary for the development of an urban, educated middle class with specific political, social, and economic interests that it can articulate and advance

- helps to generate demands for democratic rule

-polarization between the few in power and a wider weakly organized population

civil society

a fabric of organization created by people to help define their own interests

- crucial for democratic action

limitations for Western imperialism

-borders badly drawn by imperial powers

-create countries with sharp ethnic and religious divisions

-uneven modernization

-weak state autonomy and capacity

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'secret police'

internal security force that conducts surveillance by monitoring public activity, spying on individuals, and interrogating members of the public suspected of political activity hostile to the regime

-can lead to public informer network