MONSTER VOCAB AP COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT

Austerity measures

Economic policies that cut social programs and raise taxes to reduce state deficits.

GDP Growth Rate

The rate at which the total value of goods and services produced in a country changes from one year to another.

Authority

The state's legitimate right to use power to enforce policies and decisions.

GDP Per Capita

The total value of goods and services produced in a country during one year divided by population.

Authoritarian

A regime that lacks free and fair elections and restricts civil rights and liberties.

Gini Index

A measure of income inequality within a country.

Bicameral

A two-house legislature.

Globalization

The growing interconnectedness of the world.

Catch All Parties

Political parties that try to attract popular support with ideologically diverse platforms, trying to appeal to as many voters as possible.

Government

The set of institutions or individuals legally empowered to make binding decisions for a state.

Causation

When a change in one variable precipitates a change in another variable.

Grassroots Movement

Large groups of people pushing collectively for significant political or social change.

Change in Government

A change in leaders.

HDI

A statistic composite index of indicators, including life expectancy, education, and per capita income.

Civil Service

A bureaucracy staffed based upon qualifications.

Head of Government

The executive who oversees policy making and administration.

Coalition Government

When no party wins a majority of seats in the legislature in a parliamentary system and parties band together and cooperate to run government.

Head of State

The executive who officially represents the country.

Charismatic Legitimacy

The right to rule based on the leader's personality.

Illiberal democracy/Hybrid Regime

A system that holds contested elections, but with limited competitiveness and minimal civil liberties and transparency.

Civil Liberties

Individual protections from government action, such as freedom of speech.

Competitive Authoritarian Regime

A regime that lacks free and fair elections and restricts civil rights and liberties.

Civil Rights

Protections granted by the government to prevent groups from discrimination.

Import Substitution Industrialization

Economic policies aimed at reducing foreign dependence by raising tariffs and encouraging local production of industrialized products.

Civil Society

Autonomous groups (outside of government control).

Individualism

The belief in individual civil liberties and freedom over government restrictions.

Coercion

The use of force or the threat of force to get someone to do something.

Informal Political Participation

Participating in politics through protests or criticism.

Common Law

A system of law in which court decisions serve as precedent for future cases.

Institutions

Organizations in a government that create, enforce, and apply laws, such as the executive, legislature, and judiciary.

Communism

The belief in the abolition of private property with near total governmental control of the economy.

Intergovernmental/International Organizations

Organizations made up of states cooperating to achieve common goals.

Corporatism

An association of trade unions and industries with allied interests working with government to make policy.

Organizations

Groups organized to represent and advocate for a specific policy issue.

Correlation

An association between two or more variables.

Interest Group

A group organized to represent and advocate for a specific policy issue.

Corruption

The use of an official position for personal gain.

Judicial Review

The ability of a court to overturn laws or executive actions that violate the constitution.

Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International)

A measure of the degree which citizens believe officials use their positions for private gain.

Legitimacy

When government's constituents believe it has the right to rule.

Mandate

The idea that the winner of an election has popular support to carry out his or her policies.

Coup d'etat

The seizure of power from a government, usually by a small group.

Military Regime

A form of government where political power resides with the armed forces, often led by a general.

Democracy

A system with free and fair elections and civil rights and liberties.

Multinational corporations

Corporations doing business in more than one country.

Democratization

The transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic system.

Multi Member District

A system where more than one person represents a district in the legislature.

Democratic Consolidation

The process by which a democratic regime matures, making it unlikely to become authoritarian.

Multi Party System

A system where more than two parties influence government.

Devolution of Power

When the national government delegates power to regional government.

Nation

A group of people with commonalities, including race, language, religion, ethnicity, political identity, and aspirations.

Dominant Party System

A system where there are multiple parties, but where one party wins all of the important elections and controls government.

Nationalization

When the government takes over major industries, becoming the owner.

Electoral System

The method used to calculate the number of elected positions in government that parties and individuals are awarded after an election, such as single-member district or proportional representation.

Normative Statement

A statement of opinion about what should occur.

Empirical Statement

A provable statement of fact.

Neoliberalism

Economic policies that support free trade, privatization, and a reduction of government control over the economy.

Neoliberal Economic Reform

Economic politics that support free trade, privatization, and a reduction of government control over the economy.

Fascism

Extreme nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule and the rights of the ethnic majority over those of ethnic minorities and the political opposition.

One-Party State

A state that allows only one party to control government.

Federal System

A system where power is divided among different levels of government, with some subgovernment power protected.

Party System

Classification of the number of political parties in countries.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Money invested in a business by an individual or a group of individuals

Pluralism

A system promoting competition among autonomous groups.

Formal Political Participation

State-advocated means of participating in politics, such as voting.

Political Cleavages

Internal divisions based on different beliefs about the role of government.

Freedom House Score

A measure of political rights and civil liberties within a country.

Political Culture

The core beliefs and values of citizens as a group.

GDP

The total value of goods and services produced in a country during one year.

Political Efficacy

A citizen's belief that his or her political participation can make a difference.

Political Ideology

An individual's set of values and beliefs about the goals of government.

Populism

Political philosophy that supports the interests and rights of the common people over that of the elite.

Post Materialism

When people have their basic needs met and value self expression and quality of life, such as environmental protection and the reduction of income inequality.

Privatization

When the government gives up control of major industries, placing them in private hands.

Private Capital

Money invested in a business by an individual or a group of individuals.

Proportional Representation

A system where voters cast their votes for political parties, which are awarded seats in the legislature based on the percentage of votes received.

Rational/Legal Legitimacy

The right to rule based on an institutionalized system of laws.

Referendum

A policy issue sent by the government to the voters.

Regime

The fundamental rules and system of government.

Regime Change

A change in fundamental rules and system of government.

Rentier State

States that obtain a sizable percentage of total government revenue from the export of oil and gas or from leasing the resource to foreign entities.

Resource Curse

The idea that countries that rely on a valuable commodity as a major source of revenue suffer economically in the long run.

Revolution

An overthrow of the political system with wide popular support.

Rule by Law

When the judicial system makes decisions according to the wishes of government officials, instead of using legal principles

Rule of Law

The principle that a state should not be ruled by arbitrary decisions made by officials, and that no one is above the law

Runoff Election

An second election between the top two vote getters to select the final winner.

Single Member District/First-Past-the-Post/Plurality

A system where the candidate who receives the most votes represents a district in the legislature.

Single Peak Association

An association of trade unions and industries with allied interests working with government to make policy.

Socialism

The belief in the reduction of income disparities and the nationalization of major private industries

Social Cleavages

Internal divisions that structure societies and may be based on class, ethnicity, religion, or territory.

Social Movement

A movement made up of ordinary citizens pushing for change

Sovereignty

A state's right and power to govern itself without internal or external interference.

State

A government with independent legal authority over a population in a particular territory.

Supranational Organizations

Organizations made up of states where the organization has authority superseding the authority of member states.

Theocracy

A state based on religious rule.

Totalitarian Government

A state with complete political, social, and cultural control over citizens.

Traditional Legitimacy

The right to rule based on long standing customs and beliefs.

Transparency

The ability of citizens to see what the government is doing, including openness and accountability.

Two-Party System

A system in which two parties dominate government and policy making.

Unitary System

A system where power is concentrated at the national level, where the power of subgovernments is not protected.