AP Comparative Government Master Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the core themes of AP Comparative Government, including terminology for the State, and specific country profiles for Russia, the UK, China, Iran, Mexico, and Nigeria.

State

Powerful institutions within a country—executive, legislative, judicial, military, police—that set up policy and provide programs to protect citizens.

Nation

The common political identity that holds people together, such as a common set of beliefs, religion, language, or core values.

Political efficacy

A citizen’s capacity to understand and effectively influence political events.

Political socialization

How citizens learn about the politics of their country through influences like parents, media, and education.

Transparency

The degree to which a government operates openly and keeps its citizens informed.

Supranational Organization

A multinational political union where power is negotiated and delegated to an authority by member states, such as the EU.

Political Economy

How a government makes economic policy which in turn affects a country’s political process.

Neoliberalism

An economic philosophy promoting political freedom in conjunction with free trade, low tariffs, and individual economic opportunities with less state control.

ISI (Import Substitution Industrialization)

An economic strategy of substituting imports with domestically made industries and services to make a country more self-sufficient.

Tiger economy

An economy that takes successful parts of other economies and makes them cheaper, better, and more affordable, such as South Korea or Singapore.

GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

The market value of total final goods and services produced within a country during a given time period.

PPP (Purchasing Parity Power)

A measurement of the actual cost of living in a particular country by calculating the cost of local currency for living expenses.

Liberal Democracy

A tolerant system of government promoting participation, individual freedoms, and civil rights through civil liberties, rule of law, and a neutral judiciary.

Civil Society

A community of citizens linked by common interests and collective activity, operating separately from the government.

Consolidated Democracies

Political systems that have established and consistent adherence to core democratic principles, such as Britain or the United States.

Distributional Politics

The process of deciding how and why who gets what, often using data like the census to determine funding.

Cleavages

Divisions within a society that affect political allegiances and policy, categorized as coinciding (reinforcing) or cross-cutting.

Critical Juncture

An important historical moment that shapes political institutions and future outcomes, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in $1989$.

HDI (Human Development Index)

A measure of life expectancy, average years of schooling, and standard of living via GNP per capita.

GINI Index

A coefficient that measures income inequality and how income is distributed among the population; a lower score is better.

Austerity Measures

Government policies aimed at reducing public sector debt through increased taxes and decreased government spending.

Empirical Statement

A claim based on factual statements, statistics, and data such as GDP or PPP.

Normative Statement

A value judgment built on facts regarding whether something is good or bad.

Institutional Design

Arrangements defining the relationship between executive, legislative, and judicial branches and national/subnational units.

Nomenklatura

A system of appointments in the Communist party for important officials in political, social, and economic spheres.

Glasnost

Gorbachev's policy of 'openness,' easing control of media and allowing for public political discussions.

Shock Therapy

Yeltsin’s immediate conversion of the Russian economy from a command economy to a market economy.

Siloviki

Russian politicians drawn from the ranks of security, intelligence agencies, and the military and placed in high political posts.

Power Vertical

Putin's term for a unified and hierarchical structure where the executive holds power from the national to the local level.

Oligarchs

A small group of powerful insiders who became billionaire business owners during Russia's transition to a market economy.

Parliamentary Sovereignty

The principle in the UK Westminster Model where Parliament has the supreme authority to make or veto any law.

Unitary State

A system of government where power is concentrated in the central government and there are no powers reserved for subnational units.

Vote of No Confidence

A parliamentary procedure where the legislature votes on a key issue; if the government loses, the cabinet and PM must resign by tradition.

Quangos

Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organizations that act as policy advisory boards appointed by the British government.

Devolution

The transfer of certain powers from the central government to subnational units, such as the creation of the Scottish Parliament.

Mandate of Heaven

The traditional Chinese belief in the responsibility of the ruler to take care of the people as a source of legitimacy.

Mass Line

The Maoist principle of maintaining a line of communication between party leaders, members, and peasants to ensure unified policy.

Guanxi

A system of influential relationships and personal connections used to advance within the ranks of the Chinese Communist Party.

Technocrats

Leaders who are highly educated in technical fields like engineering, economics, or law, and base policy on expertise.

Velayat-e-faigh (Jurist Guardianship)

The Iranian constitutional principle giving the clergy all-encompassing authority over the Shia community based on their understanding of Sharia.

Rentier State

A country that obtains a large portion of its national revenue by renting indigenous resources, such as oil, to foreign interests.

Sexenio

The single six-year term served by the President of Mexico, after which they must retire from public life.

Prebendalism

Nigeria's specific form of patron-clientelism where political and economic favors are exchanged for loyalty, typically funded by oil revenues.

Authoritarian Regime

A government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms, where rule is often determined by a single entity or leader.

Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties

Civil rights refer to the protection of citizens from discriminatory treatment, while civil liberties are the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by law (e.g., freedom of speech).

Political Culture

The set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments that shape the political behavior and processes within a political system.

Political Parties

Organizations that seek to gain power by winning elections and influencing policy within a government.

Electoral Systems

The methods used to calculate the number of elected positions in government that individuals or parties are awarded after elections.

Constitutionalism

The principle that government authority is derived from and limited by a constitution.

Bureaucracy

The administrative system governing any large institution, often characterized by hierarchical structure and a set routine of procedures.

Federalism

A system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units, like states or provinces.

Social Movements

Organized efforts by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal relating to social change.

Public Policy

The principles and regulations established by government to address public issues and guide decisions.