POL221 Exam 1

Miami University POL 221

Direct Democracy

A system where citizens vote directly on laws and policies.

Representative Democracy

A system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

Free and Fair Elections

Elections that are open, competitive, and conducted without fraud or coercion.

Civil Liberties

Basic rights and freedoms, such as freedom of speech and religion, protected by law.

Universal Participation

The principle that all adults should have the right to vote and engage in politics.

Responsible Government

A government that is accountable to the public and must justify its actions.

Majoritarian Democracies

Democracies where the majority rules, often with a strong executive and fewer checks on power.

Consensus Democracies

Democracies that seek broad agreement and power-sharing among multiple groups.

Government

The system or group of people in charge of running a country or state.

Cabinet

A group of senior officials, often ministers, who advise the head of government and oversee government departments.

Head of State

The official representative of a country, often a symbolic or ceremonial role.

Head of Government

The person in charge of running the government, such as a prime minister or president.

Hereditary Monarchs

Kings or queens who inherit their position through family lineage.

Presidents

Elected leaders who may serve as head of state, head of government, or both.

Ceremonial Presidents

Presidents with symbolic roles but little actual power.

Direct Election

A system where voters choose leaders directly rather than through representatives.

Separation of Powers

The division of government into branches (executive, legislative, judicial) to prevent concentration of power.

Fixed Terms of Office

A set length of time for an official to serve before re-election or replacement.

Runoff Election

A second-round election held when no candidate wins a majority in the first round.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures no branch of government becomes too powerful by allowing them to limit each other.

Divided Government

When different political parties control different branches of government.

Gridlock

A situation where government is unable to pass laws due to political conflict or divided government.

Veto Points

Places in the political process where decisions can be blocked or delayed.

Plurality

Winning an election by having the most votes, but not necessarily a majority.

Majority

Winning an election by receiving more than half of the votes.

Cohabitation

When a president and the legislative majority belong to different political parties, requiring power-sharing.

Zero-Sum

A situation where one person’s gain is another’s loss, often in political competition.

Vote of No Confidence

A parliamentary vote that can remove a government from power.

Parliamentary Sovereignty

The principle that parliament has the supreme legal authority to make and change laws.

Constructive Vote of No Confidence

A system where a government can only be removed if a new one is ready to take its place.

Coalition Government

A government formed by multiple political parties working together.

Minority Government

A government where the ruling party does not have a majority in the legislature.

Electoral System

The method used to elect leaders and representatives.

Single-Member Plurality (SMP)

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a district wins.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to their share of the vote.

Ranked Choice

A voting system where voters rank candidates by preference.

Instant Run-off Voting

A voting system where the least popular candidates are eliminated in rounds until one has a majority.

District Magnitude

The number of representatives elected from a district.

Party List Voting

A system where voters choose a party, which then fills seats from a ranked list of candidates.

Open List

A party-list voting system where voters can choose individual candidates within a party.

Closed List

A party-list voting system where voters can only vote for a party, not specific candidates.

Cabinet Portfolios

The specific responsibilities assigned to cabinet ministers.

Electoral Threshold

The minimum percentage of votes a party needs to gain seats in a legislature.

Pink Tide

A wave of left-wing governments elected in Latin America in the early 21st century.

Post-Communist Parties

Political parties that emerged from former communist regimes.

Social Democratic Parties

Parties that support a mix of free markets and government intervention for social welfare.

Green Parties

Parties focused on environmental issues and sustainability.

Liberal Parties

Parties that emphasize individual freedoms, democracy, and market economies.

Christian Democratic Parties

Parties influenced by Christian values, often centrist or center-right.

Conservative Parties

Parties that favor traditional values, stability, and limited government intervention.

Radical Right Parties

Parties that are nationalist, anti-immigration, and often populist.

Separatist Parties

Parties that advocate for a region to become independent from its country.

Nativist

A political ideology that prioritizes the interests of native-born citizens over immigrants.

Conflict Cleavages

Divisions in society, such as class, religion, or ethnicity, that influence political conflicts.

Duverger’s Law

The idea that single-member plurality systems lead to two-party systems.

Revolution

A major and often violent change in political power and social structures.

Coup d’état

A sudden, illegal overthrow of a government by a small group, often the military.

Social Revolution

A radical and large-scale transformation of society and government.

Political Revolution

A change in government without significant social transformation.

Relative Deprivation

The feeling of being deprived of something compared to others, often leading to unrest.

Revolutions from Above

Changes led by elites within the government.

Revolutions from Below

Changes driven by mass movements and popular uprisings.

Labor Repressive Agriculture

A system where landowners restrict workers’ freedoms to maintain control over labor.

Democratic Consolidation

The process of making democracy stable and long-lasting.

Democratic Transition

The shift from a non-democratic regime to a democratic system.

Unitary States

Countries where power is centralized in the national government.

Federal States

Countries where power is divided between national and regional governments.

Subsidiary Principle

The idea that decisions should be made at the lowest effective level of government.

Coordinate Governments

Governments where different levels of authority work together rather than hierarchically.

Devolution

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

Centralize/Decentralize

The degree to which power is concentrated or spread out in a government.

Infrastructural Capacity

A government’s ability to enforce laws and implement policies effectively.

Nationalism

Strong identification with one’s nation, often emphasizing national sovereignty and identity.

Primordialism

The belief that national identities are ancient and deeply rooted in history.

Modernization

The theory that economic and technological progress leads to social and political development.

Rational Choice

The idea that individuals act based on self-interest and strategic calculations.

Ethnonationalism

A form of nationalism based on ethnic identity.