Pols2 Final Ch. 4 - 8

comparative advantage

Ch.4 Comparative advantage is defined as a state's ability to produce goods more efficiently than other states. This is the competition among states to produce goods and services that benefit their economies. This can translate into policies such as tariffs, nontariff barrier, quotas, and other regulations in which the state tries to maximize its economic production and advantage over other states.

Property

Ch.4 Property refers to the ownership of goods and services, both tangible and intangible, that are available in the markets. Examples of tangible property include physical assets while examples of intangible property include intellectual property. This leads to the idea of property rights, in which an individual or organization's ownership of a property is recognized under the law and to be protected by the government. When states fail to defend rules and protect property rights, property becomes volatile, which explains why certain states can have wealth in property but have little property rights.

public goods

Ch.4 Public goods are the goods provided to the people by the state for public use such as road systems, healthcare, basic education. They are considered indivisible in which they belong to the people and do not belong private ownership. Public goods can lead to greater equality since everyone has equal access. Although all states provide public goods, the extent of goods depend and vary in according to the state's capacity and political-economic system and belief.

bicameral system

Ch.5 Bicameralism originated from England in which there are two houses to represent two economic classes and their interests. Balance of power between the two houses vary depending on the countries. Small countries are often unicameral, while liberal democracies are often bicameral

Proportional Representation

Ch.5 Proportional representation (PR), also known as Multimember districts (MMDs), is a process in which there is more than one representative in each district. Voters would vote for a party, the percentage of votes a party receives then translate into how many seats the party will gain. Party then draws up a list of candidates in ranking, leading to party members having more disciplined in fear of being dropped. Although there has been threshold to set a minimum of votes to earn a seat, this system allows small parties and the underrepresented minority to earn representation.

developed democracy

Ch.8 Developed democracies are states that have institutionalized democracy, specifically to which degree varies, and recognizable economic developments. Politically, developed democracies around the world adopt different types of democracy, Europe for example mostly adopts social democracy, but they all share a firm belief in participation, liberty, and competition. Economically, developed democracies can adopt different political economic systems, but they all believe in capitalism, private property and free markets. Their economies are increasingly being taken over by service sectors rather than industry or agriculture. Contemporary characteristics of developed democracies include a trend in shifting away from modern values to postmodern values with emphasis on the quality of life. The importance of developed democracies lie in their protection of human rights and representation as well as their tendency in integration, as seen in the EU, to facilitate peace and growth.

Devolution

Ch.8 Devolution is the tendency to transfer power from the national government to local authorities. This is due to the mistrust of state being too distant and ineffective in responding to the public needs. This is done through the transfer of responsibility and fund from the national government to the local governments so they can make policies to fit their needs. This can also be done through creation of new institutions. However, devolution might weaken state capacity and autonomy.

Postmodern

Ch.8 Postmodern values focus less on materialistic goods and more on the quality of life. Many developed democracies are undergoing a shift in becoming more postmodern. They are also working on converging toward a common set of postmodern values such as same sex marriage. However, postmodern values bring increased influx of immigration, changes in ethnic and racial composition of states, leading to xenophobia.

__________ are individual rights regarding freedom that are created by the constitution and the political regime.

Civil liberties

Democracy

Democracy can be defined as the exercise of power by the people, either directly or indirectly. This can be done through the forms of participation (voting), competition (political party), and liberty (freedom of speech). Rooted from democracy is liberal democracy, which further emphasizes individuals...

A country's __________ measures its economic inequality.

Gini index

__________ is the process by which multiple states pool sovereignty, surrendering some individual powers in exchange for political, economic, or social benefits.

Integration

Which of the following features defines a country as being a developed democracy?

It is an institutionalized democracy with high levels of economic development.

The welfare state is becoming more expensive for developed democracies, creating many economic challenges. Which major trend, also associated with economic development and modernization, is magnifying this strain on state resources?

Life expectancy is growing, and the birthrate is falling.

Which of the following has become one of the more negative consequences of the move toward modern high-tech, information-based economies?

More workers are becoming marginalized or unemployed, leading to greater inequality and less upward mobility.

__________, a statistic created by the UN Development Program, seeks to measure the overall well-being of a country's people.

The Human Development Index (HDI)

Which of the following BEST describes what current political science scholars think is the link between economics and democracy?

The concentration and nature of wealth matters. When economic assets are concentrated among those who are currently in power, those in power are unlikely to accept democratic government.

EU enlargement, especially into Eastern Europe, is one factor that seems to be fueling Euroskepticism. Why?

Western firms have relocated to Eastern European countries (to take advantage of lower labor costs). Meanwhile Eastern Europeans have migrated to Western European countries, resulting in job loss and greater employment competition.

International forces can play a significant role in promoting democracy, either through direct pressure or by building domestic civil society through education, media, and nongovernmental organizations. Which of the following types of countries would be MOST susceptible to international pressure in favor of democratization?

a lower-middle income country such as Tunisia, which has historically depended on international trade and tourism for its economic growth

What is a liberal democracy?

a political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights

When each constituency elects only one member to the legislature (whether the member wins a plurality or a majority of votes), the system is called which of the following?

a single-member district (SMD)

When a court considers the constitutionality of legislation without having a specific court case to refer to, what is this called?

abstract review

Federal systems such as the United States and Germany tend to have __________ legislatures.

bicameral

The main responsibility of a state's central bank is to

control the flow of the state's money and set interest rates.

Many developed democracies seem to be converging toward certain shared postmodern values, such as same-sex marriage, though certain factors may alter this trend. Besides religious heritage, what other major factor may push societies away from postmodern values?

economic stagnation or unequal development

Which of the following policies do we associate with economic liberalization?

expanding property rights

Supporters of devolution argue that it

increases representation, as it may give voice to marginal communities such as ethnic minorities.

A country experiencing __________ is seeing demand surpass supply; as a result, the price of goods and services increases, and the country's currency loses value.

inflation

In parliamentary systems,

legislatures and judiciaries are much weaker than the executive, as the prime minister is the major driver of policy.

When comparing modern to postmodern societies, postmodern societies are less

materialistic, focusing instead on quality of life issues.

If we compare social expenditures more broadly, we find that in many countries the __________ are the primary beneficiaries of social expenditures.

middle class

All airlines that fly within the United States must be U.S. owned. This is an example of which of the following?

nontarrif regulatory barrier

__________ are one of the MOST fundamental elements of a functioning democracy. They enact policy, establish political accountability, ensure political competition, and act as political symbols that allow voters to navigate and participate in what can be complex political processes.

political parties

One major advantage of __________ systems is that the executive has the ability to draw on a national mandate to create and enact legislation.

presidential

When first created, the primary goal of the European Union (EU) was to

prevent war.

Which electoral system tends to have multiple political parties as well as parties with the strongest party discipline and ideology?

proportional representation

While the political systems of developed democracies vary greatly, the majority use which of the following?

proportional representation electoral systems and a parliamentary system

For developed democracies, a major economic transformation has been the development of the welfare state. Supporters of this development would argue that, because of the welfare state,

quality of life has greatly improved, and extreme poverty has been reduced.

Liberals - those who support the political-economic system of liberalism - argue that the BEST role of the state is to

secure property rights and promote other (limited) policies that support the free market.

Which of the following traits is typical of a mercantilist political economic system?

state-owned or parastatal industries in sectors considered critical to the national interest

What does a country's purchasing power parity (PPP) seek to measure?

the buying power of income when compared to other countries

While social democracies may vary on a number of policies, which of the following economic policies do all social democracies have in common?

wealth redistribution in the form of high taxes and high social expenditures