AP HuG Country & Local Vocab

Authoritarianism (authoritarian state)

A political system in which a single authority governs with limited political freedoms and little opposition.

Confederation (Confederal System)

A union of independent states that delegate some powers to a central government while retaining most power for themselves.

Democracy

A system of government in which power is held by the people, typically through elected representatives.

Federal system

A form of government in which power is shared between a central government and individual states or provinces.

Legitimacy

The general belief that a government has the right to rule or exercise power.

Neoliberalism

An economic and political approach emphasizing free markets, privatization, and limited government intervention in the economy.

Oligarchy

A government controlled by a small group of people, often from the same social, economic, or political class.

Self-determination

The principle that people have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status.

Sovereignty

The supreme authority of a state to govern itself or another state without external interference.

Totalitarianism

A political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.

Unitary system

A system of government in which all power is held by a central authority.

Autonomous region

A region within a country that has a degree of independence and can govern itself in certain areas.

Census

An official count or survey of a population, often including demographic details.

Centrifugal forces

Forces that divide a state, such as religious, ethnic, or linguistic differences.

Centripetal forces

Forces that unite a state, such as a shared language, culture, or national identity.

Devolution

The transfer of powers from a central government to regional or local governments.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group.

Irredentist movements

Political movements that seek to reclaim and reoccupy a lost homeland or territory.

Province

A principal administrative division of certain countries, similar to a state.

Majority-minority districts

Electoral districts in which the majority of the population belongs to a racial or ethnic minority group.

Malapportionment

Unequal representation in legislative bodies due to uneven distribution of population across districts.

Nationalism

Strong loyalty and devotion to a nation, often placing its interests above those of other nations.

Packing (electoral geography)

A gerrymandering tactic where voters of one type are concentrated into a single district to reduce their influence in other districts.

Reapportionment

The process of redistributing seats in a legislative body based on changes in population.

Redistricting

The redrawing of electoral district boundaries, often after a census.

Splitting (electoral geography)

A gerrymandering tactic that divides a group of voters across multiple districts to dilute their voting power.