AP Comparative Government - Unit 1 Test

Politics

the struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group

State

A Country:

A monopoly of force over a territory -- has a set of political institutions that generate/carry out policies, as well as an army, police, taxes, judiciary, and a social-welfare system

Nation

A politically organized body of people under a single government

Government

Elected officials (i.e. the President or Prime Minister) who are elite leaders which run the state and are limited by the existing regime

Sovereignty

The ability to rule independently without interference

Authority

The RIGHT to do something

Power

The ABILITY to do something

Political Culture

Widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that define the relationship between citizens and government. This can help make sense of the way a country's government is designed, as well as the decisions leaders make. Beliefs about economic life are part of the political culture because politics affect economics.

Political Socialization

The forces which help citizens form opinions about politics

Democratic Regime

Political power is directly or indirectly exercised via participation, competition, and liberty. Elections are free, fair, and competitive.

Direct: Public participates directly in governance and policy making

Indirect: Public participates through elected officials

Authoritarian Regime

Often an oligarchy. The government is not responsible to the public, and the public has little/no role in selecting leaders. Freedom is restricted. This regime may be individualized/legitimate.

Capitalist Economic System

Economic system built around controlling market prices of goods and services, global free trade, and maximizing profits for the owners or stockholders whose financial capital the company is using to do business. Compare pure command economic system, pure free-market economic system.

Socialist Economic System

An economic system based on social (usually state) ownership and control of economy

Communist Economic System

A system in which the government owns and controls most, if not all, of the productive resources of a nation.

Legitimacy

The general belief of the people that the government has the right to rule and/or exercise authority

Liberal Ideology

Advocates redistribution of resources, protection on social issues, big government

Communist Ideology

A government based on state ownership of land and business. The Communist Party typically allows no opposition.

Socialist Ideology

Freedom is collective, dependent on equality of conditions

Fascist Ideology

Glorified the use of force and war as the noblest of human activities. Denounced liberalism, capitalism, democracy, socialism and communism. Defined the state as the supreme embodiment of human spirit.

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country

Ethnicity

Identity with a group of people that share distinct physical and mental traits as a product of common heredity and cultural traditions.

Unitary

A form of government in which power is held by one central authority

Federal

A form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities

Forms of Democracy

Procedural: Free elections with restrictions on civil liberties

Substantive: Free/fair elections with no restrictions on civil liberties

Supranational Governance

Governance that transcends state borders - level about state governance

World Bank

A United Nations agency created to assist developing nations by loans guaranteed by member governments

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

A United Nations agency to promote trade by increasing the exchange stability of the major currencies

European Union (EU)

An organization of 27 European states that have agreed to coordinate social, economic, judicial, and foreign policies. The E's goals are to establish European citizenship, assert a European role in the world, ensure freedom security, and justice, and promote economic and social progress.

United Nations (UN)

An international peacekeeping organization to which most nations in the world belong, founded in 1945 to promote world peace, security, and economic development

Globalization

The trend toward increased cultural and economic connectedness between people, businesses, and organizations throughout the world.

Regime

Rules regarding individual freedom/collective equality and a locus/use of power. They are institutional (changes are made by revolution) and often involve the creation of a constitution. The basic levels are democratic and authoritarian.

Institutions

Something that is implemented into a system

System

A closed environment which functions in a particular way

Empirical

Based on evidence/facts

Normative

Based on ideas/preconceptions

Political Attitudes

Concerned with the speed and methods of political change

Political Ideology

Stresses the role of government in providing security or freedom

Radical Attitude

Drastic Change

Liberal Attitude

Evolutionary Change

Conservative Attitude

"Keep the status quo"

Reactionary Attitude

"Return to the past"

Civil Society

Organizations OUTSIDE of the government

Democratic Deficit

A lack of democracy; the EU is often criticized for its lack of transparency and the fact that the Parliament is the only division of the EU to be democratically appointed