AP Comparative Government and Politics Flashcards

Vocabulary for AP comparative government and politics exam review.

Regime Change

A move from one type of political system to another, such as from authoritarian to democratic.

Democratic Consolidation

A process over time where a state deepens its commitment to free and fair elections and protects civil liberties.

Unitary System

A system that concentrates power in the central government to maintain uniform control over policymaking.

Federal System

A system that formally shares power between the national and subnational governments to decentralize policymaking.

Correlation

An apparent association between two variables.

Causation

When one variable causes an effect on another.

Empirical

Factual conclusions.

Normative

Value-related assertions.

Politics

"Who gets what, when, and how."

Authority

The right to use power.

State

A unified political entity that has a monopoly on the use of force within its borders.

Sovereignty

A state's ultimate authority over its territory.

Governments

The individuals who exercise authority for the state.

Nation

A self-identified group that shares a common culture, ethnicity, language, or religion and aspires for political control.

Legitimacy

When the people accept the government's authority to make policy.

Regime

A prevailing pattern of politics in a state over time; typically democratic, authoritarian, or transitional.

Democratization

The process of transitioning from an authoritarian to a democratic state.

Political Stability

A source of legitimacy for a government.

Reform

One type of political change.

Coup

One type of political change.

Revolution

One type of political change.

Constitution

A document that describes how the government is to be organized and what the powers of the government are to be.

Rule of Law

Exists when the formal rules of government are consistently applied.

Presidential System

The chief executive is chosen in separate elections from the legislature.

Parliamentary System

The prime minister is selected by the majority party in the legislature.

Head of State

The ceremonial leader of the country.

Head of Government

The chief legislator responsible for proposing legislation.

Cabinet

A group of advisors for the chief executive who provide advice, craft legislation, and manage the bureaucratic agencies.

Unicameral Legislature

A one-house legislature where a simple majority can make policy.

Bicameral Legislature

A two-house legislature where each house represents a different constituency and each house has a role in passing legislation.

Independent Judiciary

An effective check on executive and legislative power by upholding rule of law.

Judicial Review

The power of a court to overturn a law or executive action.

Common Law

A legal system that emphasizes the importance of precedence in making judicial decisions.

Code Law

A legal system that systematically applies the law as written to judicial decisions.

Sharia Law

A legal system based on Islamic law.

Bureaucrats

Unelected officials who carry out the law by writing regulations, enforcing rules, and assigning fines.

Social Cleavages

Divisions within society that can make governing difficult if they are coinciding or reinforcing.

Civil Society

Autonomous organizations, such as interest groups and churches, that are able to form free from government control.

Political Culture

The deeply held, shared attitudes of a group of people about their government

Political Socialization

The process by which people acquire their attitudes about government.

Political Ideology

A coherent set of ideas on what policy actions a government should take.

Independent Media

An important component of a democratic society that serves as an effective watchdog on government activity.

Linkage Institutions

Elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media that link people to the government.

Single-Member District (SMD)

An election system where the candidate must win a plurality of the votes to win a seat.

Proportional Representation (PR)

An election system where a party receives a percentage of the seats based on the percentage of the votes that it received.

Primary Elections

Allow voters to select candidates for the general election.

General Election

Voters select the officeholder.

Two-Ballot Elections

Occur when a candidate does not win a majority of the vote, and so a runoff must occur between the top two vote-getters.

Referendum

The government allows the public to vote directly on policy, thereby circumventing the legislature.

One-Party System

Only one party is allowed to exist by the government.

Dominant Party System

Smaller parties can compete, but the dominant party is assured of electoral victory and control of the government.

Two-Party Systems

Occur when the use of SMD overrepresents the larger parties with a “winner's bonus” and discourages voters from wasting their votes on third parties.

Multiparty Systems

Occur when numerous parties compete and win legislative seats; often, a coalition government must be formed.

Pluralism

The interest group system where many autonomous organizations compete for access to government policymakers.

Corporatism

A few peak associations are appointed by the government to negotiate policy.

Social Movements

Occur when large groups of people with a loosely defined organizational structure push for significant political or social change.

Political Liberalization

The process of a state becoming more responsive to the consent of the governed.

Market Economy

Goods are allocated according to the forces of demand and supply.

Command Economy

Government determines how resources are allocated.

Economic Liberalization

The process of freeing the economy from government control to promote economic growth.

Privatization

The sale of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Globalization

Increasing levels of integration of markets, communication networks, and culture characterize world trade.

Welfare State

Seeks to provide a universal safety net for its citizens.

Sustainability

The protection of natural resources is an important environmental goal.

Westminster Model

An essential characteristic is parliamentary sovereignty.

Theocracy

Government run by religious leaders with a legal system based on sharia, or Islamic law.

Rentier State

A majority of government revenues come from the sale of oil.

Traditional Legitimacy

A vital component of the British political system with strong adherence to common law, precedence and customs.

Multination State

A state with long-standing social cleavages between regional groups.

Sexenio

A single six-year term.

Prebendalism

An extreme form of patron-clientalism where officeholders use their position to enrich themselves.

Federal Character Principle

Each state has a guaranteed cabinet position.