Political Action, Protests & Social Movements

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms and definitions related to political action, protests, social movements, and representation, as discussed in the lecture notes.

Institutional (Formal) Action

Working within the system through voting, contacting politicians, lobbying, donating to parties, and interest groups.

Contentious Politics

Disruptive and direct ways people advance claims on authorities, including protests, boycotts, and civil disobedience.

Political Protest

Actions outside formal channels aimed at significant government policy change by groups not ordinarily important.

Civic Engagement

Membership in organizations reflecting social capital, vital for a well-functioning democracy.

Free Rider Problem

When individuals benefit from collective action without contributing, creating an incentive for others to do the work.

Collective Action Problem

A social dilemma where individual self-interest leads to worse outcomes for all participants than feasible alternatives.

Revolution

The use of violence to overthrow a government, especially followed by rapid, thoroughgoing social, economic, and political restructuring.

Preference Falsification

In authoritarian regimes, the public preference differs from true private preference, keeping revolutionary sentiment hidden.

Political Apathy

A lack of desire or motive to take an interest in politics; characterized by indifference.

Political Alienation

A person's sense of estrangement from politics and government, feeling excluded or powerless.

Descriptive Representation

Numeric similarity between legislature and electorate in gender, race, ethnicity, etc.

Substantive Representation

Advocating the interests and issues of a group through actions, not just appearance.

Surrogacy

Representing group interests outside one's elected constituency.

Electoral Accountability

Holding representatives to account through elections, the mechanism that encourages government responsiveness.

Expectancy-Value Theory

Theory that posits people participate if they are aware of opportunities, capable, and willing, with willingness based on expected outcomes.

Collective Motive

Belief that participation helps achieve the collective good, shaped by expectations of protest success.

Social Motive

Influence of social pressure and approval from significant others regarding participation.

Reward Motive

Expected individual costs and benefits of participating versus not participating.

Legitimacy

Acceptance by members of a political community that those in authority have the right to govern.

Normative Legitimacy

Philosophical legitimacy—whether representation is rightfully legitimate by principle.

Perceived (Empirical) Legitimacy

Whether citizens believe the political system is legitimate in practice.

Political Violence

The use of physical force with a political objective, such as through tactics like terrorism.

Guerrilla Warfare

A form of irregular warfare in which small groups use military tactics to fight a larger traditional military.

Tipping Model

The model explaining how individuals’ participation can trigger broader collective action through aligning thresholds.

Indigenous Representation

Unique representation of Indigenous people balancing advocacy for their nationhood and participation in colonial democratic institutions.

Irony / Satire

Using language to point out contradictions and absurdities in political situations, differing from the stated meaning.

Social Capital

The networks of relationships among people in a society, enabling that society to function effectively.

Civil Society

The aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that manifest interests and will of citizens.

Interest Groups

Organizations of people who share common objectives and actively seek to influence policymakers.

Political Mobilization

The process by which individuals or groups engage in collective action to influence political outcomes.

Voter Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election, often indicative of civic engagement.

Political Revolution

A fundamental change in political power in a relatively short period of time, often involving upheaval.

Activism

The policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.

Public Opinion

The collective preferences and attitudes of citizens concerning issues, candidates, and political events.

Political Representation

The activity of making citizens' voices, opinions, and perspectives present in the public policy-making process.

Deliberative Democracy

A form of democracy in which deliberation is central to decision-making, with inclusive participation.