Intro to Comparative Politics Chapter 8 terms : Nondemocratic Regimes

authoritarianism

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

nondemocratic regime

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 nondemocratic 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

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 consistent ideological foundation, but the emphasizes hostility towards elites and established state and economic institutions and favors greater power in the hands of the public

corporation

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 pf approved by the state

clientelism

a process whereby the state co-opts member of the public by providing specific benefits or favors to a single person or a small group in return for public support

rent seeking

a process in which political leaders essentially rent out parts of the state to the patrons, who as a result control 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

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 system in which the state bureaucracy and the military share a belief that a technocratic leadership, focused on rational, objective, and technical expertise, can solve the problems of the country without public participation

illiberal regime

a regime where democratic institutions that rest on the rule of law are weakly institutionalized and poorly respected