CPO ECP ch. 9/10/11 and CCP ch. Russia/Mexico/Brazil

base

the economic system of a society, made up of technology (the means of production) and class relations between people (the relations of production)

bourgeoisie

the property-owning class

Central Committee

the legislature-like body of a communist party

central planning

a communist economic system in which the state explicitly allocates resources by planning what should be produced and in what amounts, the final prices of goods, and where they should be sold

dialectical materialism

process of historical change that is not evolutionary but revolutionary; the existing base and superstructure (thesis) would come into conflict with technological innovations, generating opposition to the existing order (antithesis) — this would culminate in revolution, overthrowing the old base and superstructure (synthesis)

nomenklatura

politically sensitive or influential jobs in the state, society, or economy that were staffed by people chosen or approved by the Communist Party

party-state

a political system in which power flows directly from the ruling political party (usually a communist party) to the state, bypassing government structures

Politiburo

the top policy-making and executive body of a communist party

proletariat

the working class

shock therapy

a process of rapid marketization

superstructure

all noneconomic institutions in a society (for example, religion, culture, national identity); these ideas and values derive from the base and serve to legitimize the current system of exploitation

vanguard of the proletariat

Lenin’s argument that an elite communist party would have to carry revolution, because as a result of false consciousness, historical conditions would not automatically lead to capitalism’s demise

Caesaropapism

the combining of social and political power in a political system so that the head of the states is also the head of the church and supreme judge in religious matters

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

a loosely integrated body that incorporates many former Soviet republics

insider privatization

a process in Russia whereby the former nomenklatura directors of firms were able to acquire the largest number of shares when those firms were privatized

parties of power

Russian parties created by political elites to support their political aspirations; typically lacking any ideological orientation

siloviki

“Men of power” who have their origins in the security agencies and are close to President Putin

soviets

name given to workers’ councils that sprang up in 1917

State Council

a cabinet-like body chaired by the president that includes regional governors and top federal officials

colonialism

an imperialist system in which a foreign territory is physically occupied, using military force, businesses, or settlers

developing countries

lower and middle income countries

export-oriented industrialization

a mercantilist strategy for economic growth in which a country seeks out technologies and develops industries focused specifically on the export market

import substitution

a mercantilist strategy for economic growth in which a country restricts imports in order to spur demand for locally produced goods

lower income countries

countries that lack significant economic development or political institutionalization or both; also known as less-developed countries (LDCs)

microfinance

a system in which small loans are channeled to the poor through borrowing groups whose members jointly take responsibility for repayment

middle income countries

historically less-developed countries that have experienced significant economic growth and democratization

middle income trap

a situation where countries experience economic growth but are unable to develop at the speed necessary to catch up with developed countries

neocolonialism

an indirect form of imperialism in which powerful countries overly influence the economies of less-developed countries

neoliberalism/structural-adjustment programs/Washington Consensus

a policy of economic liberalization adopted in exchange for financial support from liberal international organizations; typically includes privatizing state-run firms, ending subsidies, reducing tariff barriers, shrinking the size of the state, and welcoming foreign investment

Bracero Program

World War II program that allowed millions of Mexicans to work temporarily in the United States

camarillas

vast informal networks of personal loyalty that operate as powerful political cliques

Federal Electoral Institute

independent agency that regulates elections in Mexico; created in 1996 to end decades of electoral fraud

Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)

US immigration legislation (1986) that toughened American immigration laws while granting amnesty to many longtime undocumented workers

import substitution industrialization (ISI)

political-economic model followed during the authoritarian regime of the PRI, in which the domestic economy was protected by high tariffs in order to promote industrial growth

latifundistas

owners of latifundia (huge tracts of land)

maquiladoras

factories that import goods or parts to manufacture goods that are then exported

Mexican miricle

the spectacular economic growth in Mexico from the 1940s to about 1980

patron-client relationships

relationships in which powerful government officials deliver state services and access to power in exchange for political support

PEMEX

Mexico’s powerful state-owned monopoly

secretary of government (Mexico)

a top cabinet post that controls internal political affairs and was often a stepping-stone to the presidency under the PRI

Televisa

Mexico’s largest media conglomerate, which for decades enjoyed a close relationship with the PRI

abertura

the gradual opening of Brazilian politics by the military during the 1970s, a process that eventually led to democratization

Amazon Basis

the vast and sparsely populated area of Brazil’s interior that is home to the world’s largest tropical rain forest

Bolsa Família (Family Fund)

a Brazilian social welfare program that pays monthly stipends to families when their children receive education and health care

bureaucratic authoritarian

a form of authoritarian rule, common in Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s (in Brazil 1964-85), in which military leaders and civilian technocrats presided over conservative anticommunist regimes

Centrao (Big Center)

a group of centrist parties and politicians that have long been the dominant power in Brazi'l’s badly fragmented legislature

Christian base communities (Brazil)

small neighborhood groups of progressive Catholics who promotes liberation theology and political activism starting in the 1960s

coalitional presidentialism

term used to describe Brazil’s political system, in which presidents must cobble together legislative majorities from Brazil’s fractious legislature, doling out cabinet and other government posts to coalition members

Estado Nôvo

the populist authoritarian regime of Getúlio Vargas between 1937 and 1945

Landless Workers Movement (MST)

the large Brazilian social movement that has fought for land reform

liberation theology

a radical doctrine within the Catholic Church advocating that the church should act to improve the social and political power of the poor

multiparty presidentialism

political systems, like Brazil’s, that combine presidentialism and a highly fragmented legislature with many political parties

open-list proportional representation (PR)

Brazil’s electoral system for legislative elections; allows voters to select individual candidates instead of a party list

robust federalism

a system established by Brazil’s current constitution, in which states enjoy very strong power

state corporatism

a political system in which citizens are encouraged to participate in state-controlled interest groups

Bretton Woods system

an economic regime that manages international economic relations; this includes the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

foreign direct investment

the purchase of assets in a country by a foreign firm

international regime

the fundamental rules and norms that link states together and shape their relationships to one another, usually regarding some specific issues (such as greenhouse gases or trade)

nongovernmental organization (NGO)

a national or international group, independent of any state, that pursues policy objectives and fosters public participation

Trans-Pacific Partnership

Proposed agreement among 12 countries to liberalize trade through reduced tariffs and common regulations; abandoned by the United States in 2017