AP Comp Gov Midterm

Autocrat: Leader with unrestricted authority over a state.
Assembly of Religious Experts: Iranian council selecting the Supreme Leader.
Authoritarian rule: Governance with limited political freedoms and centralized power.
Authority: Legitimate power to enforce laws or decisions.
Bazaaris: Iranian merchants influential in political and economic spheres.
Bicameral: Two-chamber legislative structure in government.
British laws: Laws primarily proposed by the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Cabinet: Executive advisors responsible for policy decisions.
Cabinet members: Senior officials in the executive branch of government.
Capitalism: Economic system with private ownership of production.
Catholic Church: Religious institution with significant sociopolitical influence historically.
Chief Executive: Highest-ranking officer in executive branch of government.
Class struggle: Conflict between different socioeconomic classes.
Clientelism: Exchange of resources for political support.
Civil liberties: Fundamental rights protecting individuals from government interference.
Civil rights: Rights ensuring equality and freedom from discrimination.
Co-optation: Inclusion of opposition to neutralize dissent.
Comparative politics: Study of political systems and behaviors cross-nationally.
Confidence of Parliament: Majority support enabling government to function.
Congressional-presidential system: Government with separate executive and legislative branches.
Consociation: Power-sharing governance in deeply divided societies.
Constitution: Fundamental principles governing a state.
Corporatist political structure: Power shared among interest groups and state.
Council of Guardians: Iranian body overseeing legislation compatibility with Islam.
Duma: Lower house of Russian Federal Assembly.
Electoral system: Mechanism for conducting and deciding elections.
Evolutionary theory: Gradual societal changes shaping governance.
Expediency Council: Iranian advisory body resolving legislative conflicts.
Federal Executive Committee: Nigerian council coordinating national policy implementation.
Federal system: Government dividing power between central and regional authorities.
Force theory: Idea of government emerging through conquest or dominance.
Fusion of powers: Legislative and executive branches interconnected in parliamentary systems.
Guardian Council: Iranian council vetting political candidates and laws.
Head of government: Leader managing executive branch of government.
Head of state: Symbolic national representative in government.
Ideology: System of ideas shaping political beliefs and actions.
Illiberal democracy: Democratic structure lacking substantial civil liberties.
Inputs, outputs, political articulation: Framework for understanding governmental decision-making processes.
Judiciary: Legal system interpreting and enforcing laws.
Judicial review: Court authority to evaluate law constitutionality.
Legitimacy: Public acceptance of government’s right to rule.
Liberal democracy: Government ensuring civil rights and electoral competition.
Managed democracy: Democracy controlled by dominant political forces.
Majority rule: Decisions determined by over half of participants.
Magna Carta: Foundational British document limiting monarchical authority.
Marxist theory: Analysis of class relations and societal conflict.
Minority rights: Protections for groups outside majority populations.
National People’s Congress: Chinese legislative body with limited power.
Neoliberalism: Economic policy favoring free markets and minimal state intervention.
Nigerian constitution: Legal framework guiding Nigeria’s governance.
Patron-client relationship: Exchange of resources for loyalty in governance.
Peak association: Centralized group representing specific interests.
People's Liberation Army (PLA): Military branch of China’s Communist Party.
Politburo: Top decision-making body in Communist Party.
Policy implementation: Execution of government laws and decisions.
Policy-making authority: Power to create and enforce laws.
Political articulation: Communication of political goals and demands.
Political clique: Group influencing decisions in political leadership.
Political executive: Leaders responsible for implementing policies.
Political ideologies: Frameworks guiding political beliefs and policies.
Political socialization: Process of acquiring political values and beliefs.
Presidential regime: System with an elected head of state.
Prime Minister: Leader of government in parliamentary systems.
Proletariat: Working-class individuals in Marxist theory.
Revolution: Rapid, fundamental change in political or social order.
Revolutionary Guards (IRGC): Iranian force protecting Islamic Republic’s principles.
Shadow cabinet: Opposition leaders preparing for governance.
Shari’a: Islamic law governing personal and societal conduct.
Shi’ite: Major Islamic sect predominant in Iran.
Social cleavages: Divisions influencing political preferences and behaviors.
Social contract theory: Idea of governance based on collective agreement.
Socialistic values: Principles favoring collective welfare and state intervention.
Sovereignty: Supreme authority over a territory and its people.
Structural separation of powers: Distinct branches dividing governmental authority.
Supreme Leader: Highest authority in Iran with extensive power.
Supreme People’s Procuratorate: Chinese body overseeing law enforcement.
Supreme Soviet: Former legislative body of the Soviet Union.
Traditional peonage: Historical system of servitude and debt repayment.
Unit of government: Fundamental organizational structure of governance.
Unitary form of government: Centralized government with unified authority.
Vote of no-confidence: Parliamentary motion removing government from power.