Kesselman Chapter 1 Introduction to Comparative Politics Vocabulary

Critical juncture

An important historical moment when political actors make critical choices, which shape institutions and future outcomes

Collective Identities

The groups with which people identify, including gender, class, race, region, and religion and which are the building blocks for social and political action

Neoliberalism

A term used to describe government policies aiming to reduce state regulations and promote competition among business firms within the market

Bureaucracy

A system of government in which the most important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives

Causal Theories

An influential approach in comparative politics that involves trying to explain why "if x happens, then y is the result"

Rational Choice Theory

An approach to analyzing political decision-making and behavior that assumes that individual actors rationally pursue their aims in an effort to achieve the most positive net result

Middle Level Theory

Theories focusing on specific features of the political world, such as institutions, policies, or classes of similar events, such as revolutions or elections

Democratic Transition

The process of a state moving from an authoritarian to a democratic political system.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

A global organization that oversees the rules of trade among its member states. Its main purpose is to lower or remove barriers to free trade by serving as a forum for its members to negotiate new agreements and resolve trade disputes.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Organization that works to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty. Particularly active in helping countries that are experiencing serious financial problems

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

A treaty among the United States, Mexico, and Canada that largely eliminates trade barriers among the three nations and establish procedures to resolve trade disputes. Implemente on January 1st, 1994

Sustainable development

An approach to promoting economic growth that seeks to minimize environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The value of the total output of goods and services produced in a country in a given period of time (normally one year)

Gross National Product (GNP)

The value of the output of goods and services produced in a country in a year, including money that leaves and enters the country

Human Development Index (HDI)

An indicator of the level of development for each country, constructed by the United Nations, that is based on income, literacy, education, and life expectancy

Distributional Politics

The use of power, particularly by the state, to allocate some kind of valued resource among competing groups

Consolidated Democracies

Democratic political systems that have been solidly and stably established for an ample period of time and in which there is relatively consistent adherence to the core democratic principles

Transitional Democracies

Countries that have moved from an authoritarian government to a democratic one

Authoritarianism

A system of rule in which power depends not on popular legitimacy but on the coercive force of the political authorities

Hegemony

The capacity to dominate the world of states and control the terms of trade and the alliance patterns in the global order

Cold War

The hostile relationship that prevailed between the United States and the Soviet Union from the late 1940s until the demise of the USSR in 1991

Comparative Politics

The field within political science that focuses on domestic politics and analyzes patterns of similarities and difference

Globalization

The intensification of worldwide interconnectedness associated with the increased speed and magnitude of cross-border flow of trade, investment and finance, and process of migration, cultural diffusion, and communication

Global Gender Gap

A measure of the extent to which women in 58 countries have achieved equality with men

Environmental Performance Index

A measure of how close countries come to meeting specific benchmarks for national pollution control and natural resource management

Corruption Perception Index

A measure developed by Transparency International that ranks countries in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians

Freedom in the World rating

An annual evaluation by Freedom House of the state of freedom in countries around the world measured according political rights and civil liberties

Comparativist

A political scientist who studies the similarities and differences in the domestic politics of various countries

Keynesianism

An approach to economic policy in which state economic policies are used to regulate the economy in an attempt to achieve stable economic growth.

Country

A territorial unit controlled by a single state

State

The most powerful political institutions in a country, including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, the police, and armed forces

Executive

The agencies of government that implement or execute policy

Cabinet

The body of officials who direct executive departments presided over by the chief executive

Legislature

One of the primary political institutions in a country, in which elected members are charged with responsibility for making laws and usually providing for the financial resources for the state to carry out its functions

Judiciary

One of the primary political institutions in a country; responsible for the administration of justice and in some countries for determining the constitutionality of state decisions

Legitimacy

A belief by powerful groups that broad citizenry that a state exercises rightful authority

State Formation

The historical development of a state, often marked by major stages, key events, or turning points that influence the contemporary characteristic of the state

Nation-state

Distinct, politically defined territory in which the state and national identity coincide

Independent variable

The variable symbolized by y that the analyst wants to explain

Dependent variable

The variable symbolized by x that is believed to be influence the outcome or result

Dictatorship

A form of government in which power and political control are concentrated in one of a few rulers has who have concentrated and nearly absolute power

Institutional Design

The institutional arrangement that define the relationships between executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government and between the central government and sub-central units such as states in the Unites States

Failed States

States in which the government no longer functions effectively

Anarchy

The absence of any form of political authority or effective rule

Political Economy

The study of interaction between the state and the economy, that is, how the state and political processes affect the economy and how the organization of the economy and strategic choices made by the government and state actors affect political processes

Communist party-state

A type of nation-state in which the communist party attempts to exercise a complete monopoly on political power and control all important state institutions

Purchasing Power Parity

A method of calculating the value of a country's money based on the actual cost of buying goods and services in that country rather than how many U.S. dollars they are worth

Democracy

A political system that features the following: selection to important public offices through free and fair elections; the right of all adults to vote; political parties that are free to compete in elections government that operates by fair and relatively open procedures; political rights and civil liberties; judiciary (court system); civilian control of the military

Social Movements

Large-scale grass-roots action that demands reforms on existing social practices and government policies

Social class

A group whose members share common world views and aspirations determined largely by occupation, income, and wealth

Typology

A method of classifying by using criteria that divide a group of cases into smaller cases with common characteristics

Third World

Refers to countries with a low or relatively low level of economic development, particularly as measured by gross national income or gross domestic product per capita

World Bank

Officially the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The World Bank provides low-interest loans, no-interest credit, policy advice, and technical assistance to developing countries with the goal of reducing poverty.