Unit 4 Political Geography / Modules 29-32

African Union (AU)

A continental organization of African states that seeks to drive Africa's growth and economic development through cooperation and integration of member states

Arctic Council

An international governmental forum that promotes interaction among the Arctic states and indigenous communities on common Arctic issues, particularly sustainable development and environmental protection

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

A regional intergovernmental organization comprising 10 countries in Southeast Asia to promote intergovernmental cooperation and facilitate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region

Democratization

Occurs when a sovereign state moves from a non-democracy to a democracy

economies of scale

Cost advantages that can come with a larger scale of operations

European Union (EU)

A political, economic, and social union of 28 independent European countries that promotes the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital among its members

failed state

A state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control

federal states

An independent country that disperses significant authority among subnational units

forward capital

a symbolically relocated capital city usually because of either economic or strategic reasons

gerrymandering

The manipulation of voting district boundaries to favor a particular political party, group, or election outcome

irredentism

The political claim to territory in another country based on ethnic affiliations and historic borders

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) - USMCA

A 1994 trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico; revised as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2020

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

An intergovernmental military alliance among 29 North American and European countries with the purpose of guaranteeing the freedom and security of its members

reapportionment

The process by which the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are divided proportionately by population among the 50 states following every U.S. census

Redistricting

The process of drawing new boundaries for U.S. congressional districts to reflect the population changes since the previous U.S. census

regional trading bloc

A multi-country agreement that reduces or eliminates taxes to promote the free flow of goods and services across international borders

state terrorism

Terrorism committed by government agents whose leaders have ordered them to murder, imprison, or force into exile perceived enemies of the state

subnational units

The smaller areas into which a larger state is divided (e.g., states in the United States, provinces in Canada)

supranational organizations

International political body that nation-states establish in cooperation with their neighbors for mutual political, military, economic, or cultural gain

supranationalism

Occurs when a collection of nation-states and their citizens relinquish some sovereign rights to a larger-scale body that exercises authority over its member states

terrorism

The calculated use of violent acts against civilians and symbolic targets to publicize a cause, intimidate or coerce a civilian population, or affect the conduct of the government

uneven development

Occurs when core states have advanced economies and a high standard of living while peripheral states have relatively little industrial development, simple production systems based mostly on raw materials, and low levels of consumption of manufactured goods

unitary state

An independent state that concentrates power in the central government and grants little or no authority to its subnational units

United Nations (UN)

International organization that is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and harmonizing the actions of nations

voting district

A territorial division for casting votes in public elections; generally, only those who live in the voting district are permitted to cast their votes there