Civic Culture & Cultural Modernization Theory

These flashcards cover key concepts related to civic culture and cultural modernization theory, providing essential vocabulary and definitions pertinent to the lecture notes.

Cultural modernization theory

The theory that economic development causes cultural change, which then causes democracy.

Ordinal measure

A type of measurement that involves a ranking or ordering on a scale, such as trust in national parliament.

Affirming the consequent

A logical fallacy that assumes if an outcome is true, the premise must also be true.

Constructivist approach

An approach to political culture that assumes cultural values are inherited from previous generations.

Survival values

Values that prioritize basic needs and security over self-expression and personal autonomy.

Civic culture

A cultural configuration emphasizing suspicion of powerful rulers along with high trust in fellow citizens and state institutions.

Collective action problem

A situation where individuals in a group have no incentive to contribute to a public good.

Public good

A good that is non-excludable and non-rivalrous, making it available for all without diminishing its availability to others.

Tragedy of the commons

A scenario illustrating the collective action problem, where individuals acting in their own self-interest deplete shared resources.

Ideology

A set of ideas and beliefs that justify and maintain an authoritarian regime.

Personality cult

A leadership style where a leader is glorified to the point of promoting loyalty and suppressing dissent.

Selective incentives

Benefits offered to individuals as an inducement to encourage participation in collective action.

Endorsement experiment

A survey technique that assesses support for policies or political figures based on the endorsements of different parties.

Randomized response technique

A survey method that randomizes how people answer sensitive questions to reduce bias.

List experiment

A survey technique asking participants how many items on a list they agree with, rather than addressing one sensitive question directly.

Veteran voting reasons

Reasons people vote despite the low impact of a single vote, such as personal commitment or peer participation.

Electoral participation costs

The burdens, such as time and effort, that may deter individuals from voting in a democracy.

Military dictatorship

A form of authoritarian regime where the military exerts substantial control over political authority.

Dominant-party dictatorship

An authoritarian regime where a single political party dominates the political landscape.

Monarchical dictatorship

An authoritarian regime led by a monarch who holds significant power and authority.

Ruling party dictatorship

A type of dictatorship where a specific party holds the reins of power, often for extended periods.

Control problem

An authoritarian dilemma faced by leaders who are uncertain about their military's loyalty.

Power-sharing problem

An authoritarian dilemma where elite factions do not trust each other enough to agree on rules of succession.

Social desirability bias

A tendency for survey respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others.

Audit experiments

A method used to study public opinion while reducing preference falsification.

Cultural toolkit

A concept suggesting that individuals use cultural attributes flexibly to act differently in varying contexts.

Path dependence

A concept in political science suggesting that historical decisions and events affect future trajectories.