Chapter 10: Understanding Institutions: Politics and the Economy

Flashcards for key vocabulary terms from Chapter 10: Understanding Institutions: Politics and the Economy.

State

Human community that claims monopoly of legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.

Legitimate power

Exercised in a manner supported by the community.

Illegitimate power

Exercised without support of the community.

State of Nature

Before development of civil society; might makes right; property belongs to whomever can hold and keep it.

Social Contract

Agreement by the people to give up certain rights in exchange for protection.

Traditional Domination

Legitimacy of individual’s claim to wield power based on custom/tradition.

Rational-Legal Domination

Leaders draw power from occupying a legally defined position.

Charismatic Domination

Legitimacy from the devotion of followers and belief leader possesses extraordinary personal qualities.

Monarchy

States headed by individual sovereign who inherited position and will pass on to children; states governed through traditional domination.

Divine Right of Kings

Doctrine that king was given power by God; no mortal man can stand in judgement.

Democracy

Government by the people.

Direct Democracy

Citizens directly controlled entire political process making all decisions of the state.

Representative Democracy

Citizens vote to elect group of representatives who make decisions on behalf of voters.

Oligarchy

Type of government where power is held by small group of elites.

Plutocracy

Common type of oligarchy; power held by economic elites.

Iron Law of Oligarchy

All representative democracies would slowly transform into oligarchies.

Autocracy

Absolute power held by one person with unrestricted authority.

Dictatorship

Overthrow or subvert existing government and seize power through charismatic domination.

Totalitarianism

States attempt to exercise monopoly over every aspect of life.

Socialism

Means of production collectively owned; activity driven by desire to satisfy needs.

Democratic Socialism

State controls public utilities while leaving rest to be governed by heavily regulated capitalism.

Communism

Private ownership of property eliminated to create social, economic equality.

Fascism

Authoritarian system of militaristic nationalism; aggressive nationalism, highly authoritarian.