Comparative Government & Politics – Course Vocabulary
Unit 1 – Intro, Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments
Chapter 1
1. Comparative Politics – The study of similarities and differences between states,
how different government systems operate, and why political changes occur
2. Causation – When a change in one variable precipitates a change in another
variable
3. Correlation – An apparent connection between variables
4. Empirical statement – An assertion of fact that can be proven (look at qualitative
vs. quantitative data)
5. Normative statement – A value judgment, usually in the form of a should or
ought statement
6. Human Development Index (HDI) – An aggregate measure of life expectancy,
education, and per capita income
7. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – The total value of goods and services
produced in a country in a year (also know: GDP per capita, GDP growth rate)
8. Gini Index (coefficient) – A measure of income inequality within a country
9. Freedom House – A nongovernmental organization that advocates for
democracy and human rights and measures freedom around the world
10. Democratic consolidation – The process by which a regime has developed stable
democratic institutions and significant protections of civil liberties and is
unlikely to revert to authoritarianism
11. Corruption – The abuse of official power for personal gain
12. Corruption Perceptions Index – A measure of how corrupt a system is believed
to be
13. Strong state – A state that is capable of providing necessary government services
to its citizens
14. Failed state – A state that has lost control over all or part of its territory
15. Fragile state Index – A measure of state strength, highlighting concerns about
fragile and failed states
Chapter 2
16. State – Political institutions with international recognition that govern a
population in a territory
17. Government – Institutions and individuals, such as the executive, legislature,
judiciary, and bureaucracy, that make legally binding decisions for the state and
that have the lawful right to use power to enforce those decisions
18. Sovereignty – A state’s ability to act without internal or external interference
19. International recognition – A formal step taken by a state to grant official status
to another state and begin treating it a member of the global community
20. Regime – A type of government, such as liberal democracy or authoritarian
21. Regime change – A change in the fundamental rules and system of government
22. Coup d’etat (coup) – An overthrow of government by a small number of people,
often military leaders
23. Revolution – An overthrow of a regime based on widespread popular support
24. Change in government – A change in leaders, without fundamental changes in
the system of government
25. Nation – A group of people who share a sense of belonging and who often have
a common language, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, political identity, or a set of
traditions or aspirations
26. Nationalism – When a group has a strong sense of identity and believes it has its
own destiny
27. Liberal democracy – a system with free and fair elections in which a wide array
of civil rights and liberties is protected
28. Authoritarian state – A system without free and fair elections in which civil
rights and liberties are restricted
29. Totalitarian state – A type of authoritarian government where the state controls
nearly all aspects of citizens’ lives
30. Illiberal, flawed, or hybrid democracy – A system in which elections may be
marred by fraud and the state protects some civil rights and liberties but restricts
others
31. Rule of law – A clear set of rules where government officials are subject to the
same laws and penalties as citizens
32. Rule by law – Where the law is applied arbitrarily, and government officials are
not subject to the same rules and penalties as citizens
33. Transparency – The ability of citizens to know what the government is doing
34. Democratization – The process of transitioning from an authoritarian to a
democratic regime
35. Democratic consolidation – The process by which a regime has developed stable
democratic institutions and significant protections of civil liberties and is
unlikely to revert to authoritarianism
36. Democratic backsliding – Decline in the quality of democracy, including a
decrease in citizen participation, rule of law, transparency, and accountability
37. Power – The ability to make someone do something they would not otherwise do
38. Authority – The legitimate power a state has over people within its territory
39. Theocracy – A system based on religious rule
40. Coercion – The use of force, or the threat of force, to get someone to do
something they would not otherwise do
41. Legitimacy – The citizens’ belief that the government has the right to rule
42. Political efficacy – A citizen’s belief that his or her actions can impact the
government
43. Traditional legitimacy – The right to rule based on a society’s long-standing
patterns and practices
44. Charismatic legitimacy – The right to rule based on personal virtue, heroism, or
other extraordinary characteristics
45. Rational-legal legitimacy – The right to rule based on an accepted set of laws
46. Unitary system – A political system in which the central government has sole
constitutional sovereignty and power
47. Federal system – A political system in which a state’s power is legally and
constitutionally divided among more than one level of government
48. Devolution – Granting of powers by the central government to regional
governments
Chapter 3
49. Patron-Clientelism – When those in power offer benefits to citizens in exchange
for political support
50. Head of state – The symbolic representative of a country
51. Head of government – The key executive in the policymaking process
52. Sexenio – The single six-year term for the Mexican president
53. Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) – A nonprofit group outside the
government’s control
54. Bicameral – A legislature with two chambers
55. Chamber of Deputies – The elected lower house of the Mexican Congress, which
has the power to pass legislation, levy taxes, approve the budget, and certify
elections
56. Lower house – The legislative body in a bicameral system that typically has more
members, shorter terms, and less prestige than the upper house, but it may be
the more powerful body in the legislatures
57. Senate – The elected upper house of the Mexican Congress, which has the power
to confirm appointments, ratify treaties, and approve federal intervention in the
states
58. Upper house – The legislative body in a bicameral system that typically has
fewer members and may have more prestige but less power than the lower house
59. Civil society – Groups that form outside the government’s control
60. Mandate – The broad support of the people to carry out proposed policies
61. Mixed electoral system – A system for electing members of the legislature that
includes both single-member districts and seat awarded through proportional
representation
62. Single-member plurality system (SMD) – a system in which the candidate who
earns the most votes in a district wins a seat in the legislature
63. Proportional representation (PR) system – A system in which seats in the
legislature are awarded according to the percentage of votes a party receives
64. Corporatism – A system in which the state controls interest groups and chooses
the ones it wishes to recognize
65. Peak association – An organization authorized by the government to represent a
group, such as labor, business, or agriculture
66. Pluralism – A system in which groups are allowed to form and advocate for
their interests outside of government control
67. Political culture – A set of collectively held attitudes, values, and beliefs about
government and politics, and the norms of behavior in the political system
68. Civil liberties – Fundamental rights and freedoms protected from infringement
by the government
69. Civil rights – Protections granted by the government to prevent people from
being discriminated against when engaged in fundamental political actions, such
as voting
70. Social cleavage – A division in society among social factors such as ethnicity,
class, religion, or language
71. Political cleavage – A division among citizens according to political beliefs
72. Economic liberalism – Economic policies that support the free market and
reduce trade barriers
73. Globalization – The increased interconnectedness of people, states, and
economies
74. Protectionist economic policies – Policies designed to protect domestic industry
and reduce foreign influence
75. Nationalized industry – A state-owned company controlled by the government
76. Import substitution industrialization (ISI) – Enacting high tariffs and providing
incentives to encourage the growth of domestic manufacturing
77. Privatization – When a government transfers ownership and control of a
nationalized industry to the private sector
Unit 2 – Political Institutions
Chapter 4
1. Institutions – The executive and bureaucracy, the legislature, and the judiciary
2. Executive – The chief political power in a state, usually a president or prime
minister
3. Bureaucracy – A large set of unelected officials who implement the laws
4. Legislature – A group of lawmakers that passes laws and represents citizens
5. Judiciary – The system of courts that interprets the law and applies it to
individual cases
6. Parliamentary system – A system in which the executive and legislature are fused
7. Prime Minister (PM) – The head of government in a parliamentary or semi-
presidential system. In a parliamentary system, the PM is a member of the
legislature and is selected by the majority party.
8. Coalition government – When two or more parties agree to work together to form
a majority and select a prime minister
9. Member of Parliament (MP) – A representative in the legislature elected by
citizens
10. Vote of no confidence – In parliamentary systems, a vote by parliament to
remove a government (the prime minister and cabinet) from power
11. Presidential system – A system in which the executive and legislature are
elected independently and have separate and independent powers
12. Separation of powers – A division of power among the major branches of
government
13. Divided government – When one or both houses of the legislature are controlled
by a political party other than the party of the president
14. Semi-presidential system – A system that divides executive power between a
directly elected president and a prime minister
15. Term limit – A restriction on the number of terms the executive may serve
16. Term of office – A specified number of years that an executive can serve
17. Impeachment – The process of removing a president from office before the end
of his or her term
18. Cabinet – The heads of major departments, or ministries, in the bureaucracy
19. Legislative oversight – The power of the legislature to hold cabinet officials and
members of bureaucracy accountable for their actions and policies
20. Unicameral legislature – A legislature with one chamber
21. Common law – a legal system in which previous written opinions serve as
precedent for future cases
22. Code law – A legal system in which judges follow the law written by the
legislature, and previous court decisions do not serve as precedent
23. Judicial independence – The ability of judges to decide cases according to the
law, free of interference from politically powerful officials or other institutions
Chapter 5
24. Civil-service system – A method of staffing the bureaucracy based on
competitive testing results, education, and other qualification, rather than
patronage
25. Welfare state – Government programs to benefit the health and well-being of
citizens
26. Parliamentary sovereignty – The principle that parliament’s power is supreme
and extends over all aspects of the state
27. Monarch – A hereditary ruler who serves for life
28. House of Commons – The directly elected lower house of Parliament, which
holds most of the policymaking power
29. House of Lords – The unelected upper house of Parliament, which has the
power to suggest amendments to bills and delay legislation
30. Supreme Court – A high court. In the United Kingdom it cannot overturn acts of
Parliament but has the authority to protect civil rights and liberties and rule on
cases involving devolution
31. First-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system – Another term for an SMD plurality
system, in which the candidate with the most votes wins the seat in a legislative
district. This is also called a winner-take-all system
32. Referendum – A vote on a policy issue sent by the government to the people
33. Regulated market economy – An economy in which wages, prices, and
production are mostly set by supply and demand, with some regulation, and
mostly private control of businesses and natural resources
34. National Health Service (NHS) – The government-financed and managed
health-care system in the United Kingdom
35. Austerity measures – Raising taxes and/or cutting spending in an effort to
reduce the deficit and the national debt
Unit 3 – Political Culture and Participation
Chapter 6
1. Civil Society – Groups that form outside the government’s control
2. Political culture – A set of collectively held attitudes, values, and
beliefs about government and politics
3. Political socialization – The process through which an individual
learns about politics and is taught about society’s common political
values and beliefs
4. Postmaterialism – A set of values in a society in which most citizens
are economically secure enough to move beyond immediate
economic(materialist) concerns to “quality of life” issues like human
rights, civil rights, women’s rights, environmentalism, and moral
values.
5. Individualism – The belief that people should be free to make their
own decisions and that the government should not unnecessarily
regulate individual behavior or restrict civil liberties
6. Political ideology – An individual’s set of beliefs and values about
government, politics, and policy
7. Neoliberalism – A philosophy favoring economic policies that support
the free market and reduce trade barriers.
8. Communism – An ideology that advocates state ownership of all
property, with the government exercising complete control over the
economy
9. Socialism – A political ideology in which economic equality is a core
value, with the belief that government ownership of the major means
of production is a way to reduce income inequality within the state
10. Fascism – A nationalist political ideology in which nationalism and the
primacy of the state are the core beliefs. It emphasizes the rights of
the majority, oppress the minority, and supports strong authoritarian
rule
11. Totalitarianism – A political ideology that emphasizes domination of
the state over citizens. In totalitarian systems, the government has
complete control over citizens’ lives.
12. Populism – A political ideology based on the idea that the
government should put the rights and interests of the common people
above the elites.
13. Coercion – A government’s use of force or threats to pressure
individual behavior.
14. Formal political participation – Voting in elections and on
referendums, contacting government officials, joining political groups,
working on a campaign, and donating money to a cause or candidate.
15. Informal political participation – Protest, civil disobedience, and
political violence, including terrorism.
16. Protest – A public demonstration against a policy or in response to an
event, often targeting the government.
17. Political violence – The use of physical force by non-state actors for
political ends.
18. Terrorism – Political violence or the threat of violence that
deliberately targets civilians to influence the behavior and actions of
the government.
19. Civil liberties – Fundamental rights and freedoms protected from
infringement by the government
20. Civil rights – Positive actions taken by the government to prevent
people from being discriminated against when engaged in fundamental
political actions, such as voting.
21. Social movement – A large group organized to advocate for political
change
22. Social cleavage – Division based on ethnicity, race, religion, class, or
territory
23. Political cleavage – Division based on different ideas about the role
of government and policymaking goals.
24. Ethnic group – A group of people who see themselves as united by
one or more cultural attributes or a common history.
25. Race – a group of people socially defined mainly on the basis of one
or more perceived common physical characteristics
26. Social class – A group of people who perceive themselves as sharing
a social status based on a common level of wealth, income, type of
work, or education
Chapter 7
27. Asymmetrical federalism – A system in which some regions have
more formal power and autonomy than others.
28. Duma – The directly elected lower house of the Russian parliament
that represents the people and has the power to pass laws, confirm the
prime minister, and begin impeachment proceeding against the
president.
29. Federation Council – The appointed upper house of the Russian
parliament that represents the regions and has the power to initiate,
review, and amend legislation, approve troop deployments, and
remove the president.
30. Rentier state – A state that relies on the export of oil or from the
leasing of resources to foreign entities as a significant source of
government revenue.
31. Resource curse – A problem faced by countries that have a valuable
and abundant natural resource, which limits diversification of the
economy, makes government revenue dependent on the world market,
increases opportunities for corruption, and lessens the government’s
responsiveness to citizens.
Unit 4 – Party and Electoral Systems
Chapter 8
1. Electoral system – The formal rules and procedures for selecting the executive or
members of the legislature
2. Mandate – The broad support of the people to carry out proposed policies
3. Runoff election – A second and final election held between the top two vote-
getters when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first round of
voting
4. Multimember district (MMD) system – A method for electing members of a
legislature in which two or more representatives are elected from a district
5. Single-member district (SMD) system – A system for electing members of the
legislature in which the candidate who earns the most votes in a district wins a
seat in the legislature
6. Plurality – The most votes, but not necessarily a majority
7. “First-past-the-post” (FPTP) – An election rule in an SMD system in which the
candidate with a plurality of votes wins a seat in the legislature
8. Proportional representation (PR) system – A system for electing members of the
legislature in which seats are awarded according to the percentage of votes a
party receives
9. Mixed electoral system – A system for electing members of the legislature that
includes both single-member districts and seats awarded through proportional
representation
10. Party system – The number of an strength of political parties within a country
11. One-party state – A country where only one party in allowed to control the
government
12. Dominant party system – A party system in which multiple parties exist, but one
party dominates the executive branch and wins most of the seats in the
legislature
13. Two-party system – A party system in which only two parties are able to garner
enough votes to win an election, although more may complete
14. Multiparty system – A party system in which more than two parties can win a
national election and control the government
15. Catch-all party – A party that takes ideologically diverse, usually milled-of-the-
road, positions to capture as many voters as possible
16. Interest group – An association of individuals or businesses that attempts to
influence government
17. Pluralism – A system in which groups are allowed to form and advocate for their
interests outside government control
18. Corporatism – A system in which the state controls interest groups and chooses
the ones it wishes to recognize
19. Single-peak association – An organization that brings together all interest groups
in a particular sector to influence and negotiate agreements with the government
20. Social movement – A group that has a loosely defined organizational structure
and seeks major socioeconomic or political change through collective action
21. Grassroots movement – Citizens at the local level banding together to advocate
for a cause
Chapter 9
22. Sharia Law – A legal system based on principles derived from Islam
23. National Assembly – Nigeria’s bicameral legislature
24. Structural adjustment program – requirements for receiving assistance from
international lenders (such as the IMF), including the privatization of state-
owned companies, reducing tariffs, and reducing subsidies for domestic
industries