COGO Final Review

Liberalism

A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity.

political efficacy

A citizen's capacity to understand and influence political events High level of political efficacy = govt takes their input seriously, cares abt what they have to say, believe they can understand issues and participate in solving problems Low level of political efficacy = not important to vote/participate, ignore govts laws, etc

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

authoritarian regime

A government in which one leader or group of people holds absolute power.

correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables

military rule

A nondemocratic rule in which the military intervenes directly in politics as the organization that can solve the problems. more common in states that are struggling with legitimacy and stability and in those where there is a high level of public unrest or violence

Facism

A political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism and racism and has no tolerance for opposition

initiative

A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment.

nationalism

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

fusion of powers

A system of governance in which all or most of the authority of the gov't is concentrated in one body

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Pluralism

A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group.

Communism

A theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state. These countries have sought to create a system that limits individual freedoms in order to divide wealth more equally.

devolution v federalism

Power can be taken away in a unitary system (by the central government) Subnational government's powers are not constitutionally protected In a unitary system decentralization is not necessarily symmetrical Local legislature/government can be dissolved in unitary systems but not in federal systems

democracy

political power exercised either directly or indirectly through participation, competition, and liberty. 1.elections that are regular, free, and fair 2.active participation/civil society 3. protection of human rights 4..Rule of law (govt limited by constitution) applies equally to all citizens

politics

power to make decisions - formal and informa -how is power maintaines

rule of law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern constitutionalism; a governance system operating predictably under a known and transparent set of procedural rules (laws)

regime

(n.) a form or system of rule or management; a period of rule ex. constitution

semi-presidential system

, a president and a prime minister coexist

political idealogies

- sets of political values held by individuals regarding the basic goals of govt and politics. ex. liberalism :Liberals seek to maximize freedom for all people, Believe citizens have the right to disagree with state decisions ex. communism: Believe liberal democracies value equal opportunity, but a great deal of inequality, esp in economy Communism rejects idea that personal freedom will ensure prosperity for the majority.

federal system/unitary system/confederation

-Divides the power between the central government and subunits. Regional bodies have significant powers (taxation, lawmaking, keeping order) - concentrates all policymaking powers in one central geographic place in which the central government is responsible. -an organization which consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league.

multi-member districts/single-member districts

-electoral system in which more than one legislative seat is contested in each district - and electoral system where the candidates compete for a single representative seat

cabinet

Most important decision making body in parliamentary systems

bureaucracy

Agencies that implement government policy In democracies: 1. Discretionary power:power given to bureaucrats to make small decisions in implementing leg/ex decisions. 2. Continuity over time In authoritarian regimes; 1. Head of government exercises control 2. Patronage system:political supporters receive jobs in return for getting leader elected

Unitary

Are in a better position to redistribute resources from richer regions to poorer regions (thus creating more equality)

Presidential

Adv: checks power of legislature; since directly elected, more of a national mandate Disadv: difficulty removing unpopular president until next election, gridlock!, creeping authoritarianism

Semi Presidential

Adv: shields pres from criticism (can blame on PM), can remove unpopular PM and maintain stability from pres. fixed term, additional checks and balances Disadv: confusion about accountability, confusing and inefficient legislation

Federalism

Advantages: Makes it easier to govern a very physically large country Better accommodates regional differences Helps guard against concentration of political power Disadvantages: Lack of uniformity in policy (ex: voting registration requirements, education requirements) If territorial lines of subunits correspond to deep social divisions, federalism reinforces those divisions

Parliamentary

Advantages: efficiency in passing legislation, clearer accountability to voters Disadvantages: instability, hasty decision-making

bicameral, unicameral legislatures

Bicameral = two houses, more practical w federalism BUT gridlock unicameral = one house BUT no check on power

Political Institutions

Carry out the work of governing Vary by country Common structures that exist in most countries are legislatures, executives, judicial systems, bureaucracies, and armies

presidential system

Citizens vote for legislative reps and executive branch leaders President - both Head of State & Head of Gov't Separation of powers/System of checks and balances President picks cabinet members President can veto leg/exec branches are seperate

Parliamentary System

Citizens vote for legislative reps, which pick leader of executive branch from majority party (UK) Head of State = mostly symbolic figurehead Head of Gov't = day to day (PM, Premier, Chancellor) Fusion of powers between executive & legislative branches Cabinet members = leaders of majority party in Parliament Chief executive usually does not have veto power Irregular intervals between elections* and votes of confidence

mixed electoral system

Combines first past the post & proportional Some # of seats are single-member & some are proportional

common law/code law

Common Law: based on tradition, past practices, and legal precedents (Britain) Code Law: based on written rules/codes of law (China, Mexico, Russia)

liberal/substantive democracies

Competitive Elections Civil liberties Rule of law Neutrality of the judiciary Open civil society Civilian control of the military

institutions

Complex social organizations such as governments, economies, and education systems

proportional representation

Creates multi-member districts More than one legislative seat in each district Ballots are cast for a party, not an individual Open vs closed list - Open - people pick; Closed - party picks Percentage of votes a party gets determines # of seats advantages: minorties rep disadv: too many small parties PRfacilitates extremist parties

Newer Approaches

Democracy vs. authoritarianism (political) Communism vs. capitalism (economic) New approaches must also take into account: Role of informal politics Importance of political change Integration of political and economic systems

Devolution

Ethnic Forces Identity based on language, religion, customs Ethnonationalism See themselves as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy Economic Forces Regional inequalities in income or standard of living Spatial Forces Usually occur on the margins/borders of the state Esp if water/mountains separate from central power and neighbor nations support separation

ethnic/spatial devolution examples

Ethnic: Britain has devolved power to Scottish and Welsh parliaments Spatial: Puerto Rico is island close to other independent islands

political socialization

How citizens learn about politics in their country Agents of Socialization Involves schools, families, communications, media, religious organizations, and all the various political structures that develop, reinforce, and transform the political culture, the attitudes of political significance in the society.

comparative politics

Field within political science that focuses on domestic politics (internal) and analyzes patterns of similarity and difference

Vote of No Confidence

Fixed Term Parliament Act provides for general elections to be held on the first Thursday in May every five years. 2 provisions can also trigger election 1. A motion of no confidence is passed in Her Majesty's Government by a simple majority and 14 days elapses without the House passing a confidence motion in any new Government formed 2. A motion for a general election is agreed by two thirds of the total number of seats in the Commons including vacant seats

legitimacy (traditional, charismatic, rational-legal)

General belief that the gov't has the right to rule and exercise authority (popular acceptance of authority) Authoritarian Governments generally ARE legitimate Traditional Tradition determines who should rule/how (monarch) Charismatic Dynamic personality of a leader Rational-legal Based on well-established laws and procedures (adherence to rule of law) : common/code law

Globalization

Globalization: Integration of social environmental, economic, cultural activities of nations resulting from increased international contacts

corporatism

Gov't officials interact with people/groups outside gov't before they set policy

interest groups in authoritarian=

Groups have almost no independence Used as agents to extend party's influence beyond its membership to shape views of citizens. Also used as transmission belt to convey to their members the views of the party elite.

political parties as linkage institutions

Help bring different people and ideas together to establish the means by which the majority can rule. Provide labels for candidates that help citizens decide how to vote. Hold politicians accountable to the electorate and other political elites.

linkage institutions

Institutions that connect citizens to government. The mass media, interest groups, and political parties are the three main linkage institutions.

interest groups in democracy

Interest Group Pluralism Compete with each other and with govt for influence over state policy. Multiple groups may represent a single societal interest. Group membership is voluntary and limited. Select their own leaders/raise their own funds Groups often have a loose or decentralized organizational structure. There is clear separation between interest groups and the government.

interest group pluralism

Interest-group system in which many groups exist to represent particular interests and the government remains officially neutral among them; the United States is a key example

Chief Executive

Most important person in policymaking Varies by government

power v authority v sovereignty

Power The ability to direct the behavior of others through coercion, persuasion, or leadership Authority Legal right exercise power on behalf of society and/or gov't Sovereignty Legal right and ability (power) of a state to carry out actions & policies within its territory

fascism

Often confused with communism bc they both devalue the idea of individual freedom. Rejects the value of equality and accepts the idea that ppl and groups exist in degrees of inferiority/superiority. Believe that the state has the right/responsibility to mold society/economy to eliminate obstacles (including ppl) that might weaken them.

old approach

Old Approach: Three Worlds 1 - United States and its allies 2 - Soviet Union and its allies Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Russia maintains many relationships 3 - Third world nations Economically deprived and underdeveloped

social movement

Organized collective activities that aim to bring about/resist change in an existing group/society

patron-client system

Patron-Client Systems - Favors and services to their supporters

empirical data

based on factual statements and statistics Economic development of countries, including GNP, per capita income, imports/exports, etc

Socialism

Shares value of equality with Communism But, favors freedom, private ownership and free market principles State has a strong role to play in economy and public benefits In contrast to liberals, socialist believe that the state has a strong role to play in regulating the economy and providing benefits to public in order to ensure some measure of equality.

social cleavages types

Social Class Examples? Ethnic Cleavages Based on different cultural identities, including religion/language Most divisive and explosive Examples? Religious Cleavages Closely intertwined with ethnicity Examples? Regional Cleavages Involves competition for jobs, money and development projects Examples?

social capital

Social capital Amount of trust between citizens and the state Societies with low social capital may be more inclined toward authoritarian and anti-individual govts. Societies with more social capital may be inclined toward democracy

capacity of sovereignty

The degree to which a state or gov't is able to implement its policies (i.e., able to exercise its sovereignty) Some nation-states have greater capacity than others & therefore greater sovereignty ex. Permeable borders - anything that crosses a nation-state's borders without official sanction demonstrates a limit to that nation-state's capacity and sovereignty (refugees)

head of government

The executive role that deals with the everyday tasks of running the state, such as formulating and executing policy

what is corporatism and the two types

The group's monopoly over its sector is officially approved by the state and sometimes protected by the state State Corporatism State determines which groups are brought in Neocorporatism Interest groups take the lead and dominate the state

judicial review

The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional

head of state

The role of the president as ceremonial head of the government.

Two-and-a-Half Party system (UK?)

party system in which two large parties exist alongside a third party that receives a smaller but notable share of the national vote The votes that one of the large parties loses to the 3rd party determine which of the two large parties control the govt Presence of a third party can prevent a majority govt...would eventually lead to a multiparty system

Referendum

Votes on policy issues

interest group

Want to influence & shape public policy Often have a great deal in common with political parties Differences: Parties influence govt primarily through the electoral process (run candidates); Interest groups often support candidates, but do not run their own candidates. Parties generate and support a broad spectrum of policies; interest groups support one or a few related policies.

coinciding/crosscutting cleavages

When every dispute aligns the same groups against each other, explosive;divisions that include people with differences strengthens societies.

normative questions

Whether or not statistics bode well for country

plurality first-past-the-post (plurality, winner-take-all)

Winner must get more votes than anyone else Does NOT require a majority to win* Single member districts (SMD) - candidates compete for a single representative's seat (voters choose 1)

illiberal/procedural democracies

a governing system in which, although elections take place, citizens are cut off from knowledge about the activities of those who exercise real power because of the lack of civil liberties. It is not an 'open society'.

nation

a politically organized body of people under a single government. they are largely bound together by a shared culture, religion, language, etc. ex. china

nation-state

a sovereign state whose citizens or subjects are relatively homogeneous in factors such as language or common descent.

non-governmental organizations (NGO's)/ Global civil society

are usually non-profit and sometimes international organizations independent of governments and international governmental organizations that are active in humanitarian, educational, health care, public policy, social, human rights, environmental, and other areas to effect changes according to their objectives

Integration of political and economic systems

cannot be truly separated. Attitudes/behaviors of citizens are affected in many ways by ec inefficiency, ec inequality, & ec decision-making. They may turn to gov't for solutions and gov't must respond

liberal/substantive democracies

civil liberties, rule of law, neutrality of the judiciary, open civil society, civilian control of the military

political culture

collection of political beliefs, values, practices, institutions that government is based on Traditions can be important Varies from one country to another 1. Consensual General agreement on how decisions are made 2. Conflictual Citizens are sharply divided on legitimacy of regime

state

country/nation STATES ARE SOVEREIGN: population + defined territory + governing institutions + sovereignty + international recognition

seperation of powers

dividing the powers of government among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches

independent variable/dependent variable

independent: cause dep: effect

international relations v comparative politics

international relations: between countries. ex.Conflict Foreign Policy International Organizations comparative politics: w/i countries ex. Party Systems Executive-Legislative Relations Interest Groups Legislatures

totalitarianism

is a highly centralized regime that possesses some form of strong IDEOLOGY that seeks to transform and absorb aspects of the state, society, and the economy. Ex. Nazis

coup d'état

means the overthrow of an existing government; typically, this refers to an illegal, unconstitutional seizure of power by a dictator, the military, or a political faction. Once they take control, leaders often restrict civil rights and keep political parties from forming Usually lack a specific ideology or source of authority

why does plurality systems encourage large, broad-based parties

no matter how many people run in a district, the person with the largest # of votes wins this encourages parties to become larger, spreading their "umbrellas" to embrace more voters Parties without big groups of voters supporting them have little hope of winning

civil society

non governmental Organizations outside of the state that help people define and advance their own interests Voluntary groups strong in liberal democracies no "tyranny of the majority" civil society is weak in ldc/ndc One step in the development of civil society is civic education (citizens learn about rights) authoritarian states do not encourage civil society - does not necessarily disappear under authoritarian rule

Plebicite

nonbinding vote to gauge public opinion

supranational organization

organizations in which nations are not totally sovereign actors International or regional Trend towards states pooling their sovereignty to gain political, economic or social clout Examples: EU, NATO, NAFTA, OPEC Growing because of globalization

multi-party system/two-party system

political party system that recognizes 3 or more major political parties The two-party system is said to promote governmental stability because a single party can win a majority in the parliament and govern

sovereignty

states may choose to implement a law by force without regulation from a higher power External: not overly dependent on resources or decisions of another power Internal: sole authority within a territory capable of making and enforcing laws and policies

informal politics

takes into consideration not only the ways that politicians operate outside their formal powers, but also the impact that beliefs, values, and actions of ordinary citizens have on policy-making. gain a deeper understanding of political systems if you connect civil society (way that citizens organize/define themselves and their interests) to the ways that formal government operates.

causation

the belief that events occur in predictable ways and that one event leads to another

advanced democracies

the countries have well-established democratic governments and a high level of economic development (Great Britain and the USA)

government

the leadership and institutions that make policy decisions for a country

electoral systems

the rules that decide how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats in a legislature

devolution

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states