Comparative Politics and Government

First-Past-the-Post (FPTP)

An electoral system where each district elects one representative, and the candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority.

Single-Member District

A voting district that elects only one representative to Parliament.

How can a small party win a seat in the UK Parliament?

By concentrating its voters in specific districts so it can win those districts, even if it receives a small percentage of the national vote.

Hung Parliament

When no political party wins an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons.

What happens during a Hung Parliament?

Parties may form a coalition government or one party may govern as a minority government with support from other parties.

Magna Carta (1215)

A document forced upon King John that limited royal power and established that the king was subject to the law.

Rule of Law

The principle that everyone, including government leaders, is subject to the law.

House of Commons

The elected lower house of the UK Parliament that makes laws and holds the government accountable.

House of Lords

The unelected upper house of Parliament that reviews legislation and can suggest amendments.

Upper House vs. Lower House

The House of Lords is the upper house; the House of Commons is the elected lower house.

When do local governments have power in the UK?

When the central government devolves authority to regional or local governments, allowing them to exercise powers granted by Parliament.

Devolution

The transfer of political power from the central government to regional governments.

The Troubles

A decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland involving mainly unionists/loyalists and nationalists/republicans, with disagreements over Northern Ireland's political status.

Good Friday Agreement (1998)

A peace agreement that helped end the Troubles by establishing power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

Co-optation

When an authoritarian government brings individuals or groups into a beneficial relationship with the regime in exchange for loyalty.

Corporatism

A system where the government controls or approves organizations that represent groups in society, limiting independent organizations.

Clientelism

A system where politicians distribute jobs, money, favors, or other benefits in exchange for political support.

Rent Seeking

When individuals or businesses use political influence or government resources to gain wealth without creating new economic value.

Resource Curse

The idea that countries with abundant natural resources, such as oil, may experience corruption, weak accountability, and economic problems.

Kleptocracy

A government in which political leaders steal or exploit public resources for personal wealth.

Civil Society

Organizations and groups operating outside direct government control, such as NGOs, advocacy groups, and independent organizations.

Proletariat

The working class that sells its labor to earn wages, according to Marxist theory.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class that owns the means of production and employs workers.

Karl Marx

A philosopher and economist who developed Marxist theory and criticized capitalism.

Surplus Value of Labor

The value workers produce beyond what they receive in wages, which capitalists retain as profit according to Marx.

Glasnost

Gorbachev's policy of openness that reduced censorship and encouraged public discussion in the Soviet Union.

Perestroika

Gorbachev's policy of economic restructuring intended to reform the Soviet economy.

Shock Therapy

A rapid transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy through privatization, price deregulation, and economic stabilization.

KGB

The Soviet Union's main intelligence and state security agency.

FSB

The Federal Security Service, a Russian security agency and successor institution to parts of the KGB.

Asymmetric Federalism

A federal system in which different regions have different levels of political authority and autonomy.

Duma

Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, which formally passes legislation but has limited independence under Putin.

Siloviki

Russian political elites with backgrounds in the military, intelligence, and security services.

Oligarchs

Extremely wealthy Russian businesspeople who gained control of major industries and economic assets, particularly during the 1990s.

United Russia

The dominant pro-Putin political party in Russia, which holds substantial influence in the State Duma.

Founder of Communist China

Mao Zedong, who established the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

The ruling political party of China that controls the government and political system.

National People's Congress (NPC)

China's unicameral national legislature that formally approves laws and policies determined by Communist Party leadership.

Politburo Standing Committee

China's highest-level Communist Party leadership body, responsible for major political decisions.

Special Economic Zones (SEZs)

Areas established under Deng Xiaoping where market-oriented economic policies and foreign investment were encouraged.

KMT (Kuomintang)

The Chinese Nationalist Party that fought the Communists during the Chinese Civil War and retreated to Taiwan in 1949.

Beijing Consensus

An economic development model emphasizing state-led capitalism, gradual reform, and economic growth under authoritarian political leadership.

Rule by Law

A system where government leaders use laws as tools to control society rather than being restricted by the law themselves.

Drawing Borders of African Countries

European colonial powers drew many African borders during colonization, often ignoring existing ethnic, cultural, and political divisions.

Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs)

Economic reforms required by the IMF and World Bank in exchange for loans, often involving privatization, reduced government spending, and fewer trade barriers.

Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI)

An economic strategy that protects domestic industries from foreign competition using tariffs and other trade barriers.

Tariffs

Taxes on imported goods designed to make foreign products more expensive and protect domestic industries.

IMF (International Monetary Fund)

An international financial institution that provides financial assistance and promotes economic stability.

World Bank

An international institution that provides loans and funding for development projects and poverty reduction.

Informal Economy

Economic activities that are untaxed, unregulated, and not officially monitored by the government.

Neoliberalism

An economic approach emphasizing free markets, privatization, deregulation, and reduced government intervention.