Political Science 1

What is politics according to Heywood?
Politics is the activity where people create, keep, and change rules that affect everyone.

What are the three branches of government in a state?
The legislative (makes laws), executive (implements laws), and judiciary (interprets laws).

What is an independent variable in political science research?
It is a factor that influences the dependent variable but is not affected by it.

What is a dependent variable in political science research?
It is the outcome or effect being studied, which depends on changes in independent variables.

What is the difference between an idiographic and a nomothetic approach?
Idiographic focuses on a single case in great detail, while nomothetic looks at general patterns across multiple cases.

What is the difference between inductive and deductive research strategies?
Inductive starts with observations and builds a theory, while deductive starts with a theory and tests it using data.

What is qualitative data?
Data represented in words, images, or descriptions, often used to understand experiences or meanings.

What is quantitative data?
Data represented in numbers, used to measure variables in large-scale studies.

What are the features of liberal democracy?
Regular and competitive elections, universal suffrage, constitutional government, and a vigorous civil society.

What are the six key features of totalitarianism?
Official ideology, one-party state, terroristic policing, control of mass communication, control of armed forces, and state control of the economy.

What is the main characteristic of authoritarianism?
Authority is imposed without the consent of the people, and public influence on governance is limited.

What is negative freedom?
Freedom from external interference, such as the right to privacy and free speech.

What is positive freedom?
The ability to take control of one’s life and participate in society.

What is classical democracy?
A direct form of democracy where citizens make decisions themselves rather than through representatives.

What is protective democracy?
A system designed to protect citizens from government overreach by ensuring basic rights and separation of powers.

What is developmental democracy?
A system that emphasizes participation, education, and personal development to improve society.

What are communal groups?
Groups people belong to automatically, such as families or ethnic groups.

What are institutional groups?
Groups connected to formal organizations, such as the military or the government administration.

What are associational groups?
Organized associations formed intentionally for specific purposes, such as lobbying organizations or movements.

What is the difference between an interest group and a political party?
Interest groups seek to influence politics without holding office, while political parties aim to win elections and govern.

What are sectional interest groups?
Groups representing the interests of specific communities, such as trade unions.

What are promotional interest groups?
Groups advocating for an idea or cause, such as environmental movements.

What are hybrid interest groups?
Groups that combine aspects of both sectional and promotional groups, such as ethnic organizations that advocate for equality.

What is pluralist democracy?
A system where power is widely distributed, and different groups compete to influence government policies.

What is elite theory?
The idea that a minority or elite group holds power in society.

What is normative elite theory?
The belief that power should belong to a wise and enlightened minority who can govern better than the majority.

What is classical elite theory?
The belief that elite rule is an unchangeable fact of society.

What is modern elite theory?
A more critical approach that questions why elites rule and whether their legitimacy is justified.

What is neo-corporatism?
A system where governments collaborate directly with organizations like trade unions and employers' associations.

What is the Marxist view of political power?
Political power reflects economic power, with the ruling class controlling both.

What is the idealist view of the state?
The state is a moral institution that works for the good of society.

What is the functionalist view of the state?
The state exists to maintain order and stability in society.

What is the organizational view of the state?
The state is a collection of institutions such as bureaucracy, the police, and the military.

What is the difference between classical and modern liberalism?
Classical liberalism favors minimal government interference, while modern liberalism supports a larger government role in solving social issues.

What is socialism?
An ideology that values cooperation and aims to reduce economic inequality.

What are early forms of socialism?
Utopian and revolutionary movements, such as Marxism, which believed in the overthrow of capitalism.

What is modern socialism?
A reformed approach that seeks to improve capitalism rather than destroy it.

What are the main types of political parties?
Catch-all parties, representative parties, integrative parties, constitutional parties, and revolutionary parties.

What are catch-all parties?
Parties that try to gain support from as many people as possible, not just a specific group.

What are representative parties?
Parties that focus on giving people what they want and reflect public demands.

What are integrative parties?
Parties that try to shape public opinion by promoting specific ideas or policies.

What are constitutional parties?
Parties that work within the political system to achieve change through legal means.

What are revolutionary parties?
Parties that seek to completely change the system, often through revolution.

What is a dominant-party system?
A system where multiple parties exist, but one party consistently dominates elections.

What is civic engagement?
Participation in political and community activities, such as voting and volunteering.

What is the free-rider problem?
When individuals benefit from collective efforts without contributing to them.

What are the main models of representation?
Trusteeship, delegation, mandate, and resemblance models.

What is the trusteeship model of representation?
Elected leaders make decisions based on their own judgment rather than direct voter preferences.

What is the delegation model of representation?
Elected leaders act as direct representatives of voters and follow their instructions.

What is the mandate model of representation?
The winning party claims the right to implement policies promised during the election.

What is the resemblance model of representation?
The idea that leaders should reflect the characteristics of the population they represent, such as gender or class.

What are the main models of voting behavior?
The party-identification model, sociological model, rational-choice model, and dominant-ideology model.

What is the party-identification model of voting?
The idea that people vote based on long-term loyalty to a political party.

What is the sociological model of voting?
The idea that social factors like class, religion, and ethnicity influence how people vote.

What is the rational-choice model of voting?
The belief that voters make logical decisions based on self-interest and policy benefits.

What is political culture?
The shared beliefs, values, and attitudes people have about politics and government.

What are the three types of civic culture?
Participant culture, subject culture, and parochial culture.

What is social capital?
The networks of trust and cooperation that help society function.

How does the media act as a public watchdog in democracy?
It monitors powerful figures and exposes corruption.

What are social movements?
Groups of people working together to achieve a common goal, often outside formal political structures.

What is political culture?
The shared beliefs, values, and attitudes people have about politics and government.

What are the three types of culture?
Political culture, civic culture, and social capital.

What is civic culture?
A political culture that supports democracy by balancing participation, trust in government, and political awareness.

What are the three types of civic culture?
Participant culture, subject culture, and parochial culture.

What is participant culture?
A culture where people are actively involved in politics and believe their participation makes a difference.

What is subject culture?
A culture where people follow politics but feel they have little influence over government decisions.

What is parochial culture?
A culture where people are mostly focused on local issues and do not engage with national politics.

What is social capital?
The networks of trust and cooperation that help society function.

How does the media act as a public watchdog in democracy?
It monitors powerful figures and exposes corruption.

What are some concerns about media in democracy?
Media bias, misleading representation of events, and lack of accountability.

How does media influence governance?
It affects political leadership, encourages celebrity politics, and shapes public perception of leaders.

What is presidentialization in politics?
When leaders act more like presidents, focusing on media image rather than political institutions.

What is new media?
Digital platforms like social media, websites, and apps that provide an alternative to traditional media sources.

What are the effects of new media on politics?
Changes in election campaigns, increased access to information, and support for social movements.

What are social movements?
Groups of people working together to achieve a common goal, often outside formal political structures.

What are the types of action in social movements?
Mass action, collective behavior, and collective action.

What is mass action?
Individual acts that collectively create a large social effect, such as widespread boycotts.

What is collective behavior?
People acting in the same way due to a shared situation or influence, such as participating in a protest.

What is collective action?
A coordinated effort where people actively organize and work together toward a goal, such as planning a movement.

What are the six stages of social movements according to Neil Smelser?
Structural conduciveness, structural strain, generalized beliefs, precipitating factors, mobilization for action, and failure of social control.

What is structural conduciveness?
The presence of conditions that allow a movement to begin, such as free speech enabling public discussion of issues.

What is structural strain?
A situation causing dissatisfaction, like economic inequality or discrimination.

What are generalized beliefs in social movements?
Shared ideas about who is responsible for a problem and how to solve it, such as blaming corporations for climate change.

What are precipitating factors in social movements?
Specific events that trigger mass action, such as a major oil spill causing environmental protests.

What is mobilization for action?
The stage when people organize and participate in the movement through protests, campaigns, or social media efforts.

What is the failure of social control?
When authorities fail to stop a movement, sometimes leading to stronger public support for it.

What are new social movements?
Movements that focus on issues beyond economic interests, such as environmentalism, gender equality, and human rights.

What makes new social movements different from traditional movements?
They emphasize quality-of-life improvements rather than economic class struggles.

What are some examples of new social movements?
Environmental movements, feminist movements, LGBTQ+ rights activism, and animal welfare campaigns.

Who typically supports new social movements?
The new middle class, including teachers, academics, and students.

What are common strategies of new social movements?
Online activism, peaceful protests, and awareness campaigns through social media.