AP Comparative Government Terms 2024

AP Comparative Government Terms 2024 State - Correct Answer synonymous with country. A nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government, exercise sovereignty & has institutions Nation - Correct Answer a group of people with a national identity, may or may not transcend borders of a state (e.g. Palestinians) Sovereignty - Correct Answer the ability to carry out actions or policies within a state's borders independently from interference either from the inside or outside. Parliamentary system - Correct Answer no separation between executive and legislative branches. Controlled by majority party and strong party ties/discipline, prime minister chosen from majority party Presidential System - Correct Answer Separation of powers between executive and legislative branches, with a system of checks and balances. Power is diffused, and policymaking can be less effective (divided government) Civil society - Correct Answer the way citizens organize and define themselves and their interests. Formal and informal organizations that operate in public but are not part of the governmen Regime - Correct Answer set of fundamental institutions and rules that govern political activity. Regime changes involve a complete overhaul of a state's system of governing (Egypt - Mubarak, Morsi, military all different regimes) Government - Correct Answer organization of individuals who are legally empowered to make binding decisions on behalf of a community (e.g. Obama administration, 113th congress etc.) Legitimacy - Correct Answer the right to rule, as determined by the citizens. Pluralism (interest groups) - Correct Answer power is split among many groups that compete for the chance to influence the government's decision making. Corporatism - Correct Answer an arrangement in which government officials interact with people/groups outside the government before they set policy Political culture - Correct Answer the collection of political beliefs, values, practices and institutions that the government is based on Coup d'etat - Correct Answer Leaders are challenged by others who use force to depose them, replace old leaders with new ones, usually carried out by the military Democratization - Correct Answer process where more and more countries are turning toward some form of popular government; also countries that are un-democratic becoming more so. Liberal democracies - Correct Answer display other democratic characteristics beyond having competitive elections (civil liberties, rule of law, neutrality of the judiciary, open civil society, civilian control of the military) Illiberal democracies - Correct Answer a.k.a. "procedural democracies;" countries with democratic procedures in place, but have significant restrictions on them. (e.g. rule of law may be in place, but might not be followed consistently by those in power.) Head of state - Correct Answer a role that symbolizes the power and nature of the regime (e.g. queen of england) Head of government - Correct Answer a role that deals with everyday tasks of running the government (e.g. prime minister of england) Socialism - Correct Answer communism/capitalism hybrid; shares values of equality but also freedom. Promotes private ownership and free market principles, but state has a strong role to play in regulating the economy and providing benefits to the public to ensure some equality Power - Correct Answer the ability of one person or group to get another person or group to do something it otherwise would not do Cleavages - Correct Answer divisions/distinctions between groups (religion, ethnicity, race, social/economic class). Cross-cutting cleavages divide society into many potential groups that may conflict on one issue but cooperate on another. Coinciding cleavages are divisions that pile on top of each other, and are resultingly very divisive Political socialization - Correct Answer how citizens learn about politics, print and media influence (propaganda). Combination of identifications (national, ethnic/class groups, religion), current issues and general political attitudes. NGO - Correct Answer nongovernmental organization, national and international groups that are dependent of any state that pursue policy objectives and foster public participation Unitary state - Correct Answer state that concentrates all policy making powers in one ventral geographic place, and the central government is responsible for most policy areas Federalism - Correct Answer decentralization of power; division between the central government and subunits. Regional bodies have significant powers (taxation, law making, keeping order) Supranational organizations - Correct Answer cooperating groups of nations that operate either on a regional or international level; policymaking power over sub-groups (e.g. EU) Proportional representation - Correct Answer voters vote for party rather than candidates, percentage of votes a party receives determines how many seats the party gains in the legislature GDP per capita - Correct Answer all goods and services produced by a country's economy in a given year, divided by the number of people in said country. generally an indicator of quality of life Clientelism (patron/client) - Correct Answer systems that provide reciprocal favors and services to their supporters Authoritarian - Correct Answer favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, esp. that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom Nationalization - Correct Answer process of transferring (a major branch of industry or commerce) from private to state ownership or control; make distinctively national; give a national character to Globalization - Correct Answer the process of international integration arising from the interchange of worldviews, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture Single/Multi-party system - Correct Answer In a multi-party system, there are numerous political parties that compete for power. In a single party system, there is only one political party that is allowed and that consistently holds the power Dominant party system - Correct Answer Multiple parties can compete for power, but only one party typically gains power on a national level. Oligarchy - Correct Answer a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution; a state governed by such a group Post-materialism - Correct Answer when countries are developed enough that they can focus on things other than the day-to-day survival. Can focus on issues such as climate change, inequality etc. since have the luxury and flexibility of many resources, whereas other, less-developed/developing countries need to focus energy on survival Noblesse oblige - Correct Answer UK, duty of the upper classes to take responsibility of the lower classes. Comes from feudal times & lords' obligations to serfs; reflected in willingness to accept "welfare state" Collective consensus - Correct Answer UK, whole idea of pulling together after WWII, supported development of modern welfare system Magna Carta - Correct Answer UK, Document signed by King John in 1215; agreed to consult nobles before making important political decisions, esp. those regarding taxes. Forms the basis of limited gov't that restricts monarchs Glorious Revolution - Correct Answer UK, Despite events like the English Civil War, the English kings did not always respect the power of parliament, so there was a "Glorious Revolution" where the current king was ousted, and parliament put William and Mary on the throne. They signed the English Bill of Rights, firmly confirming the ascension and power of parliament over the power of the monarchy. Constitution of the Crown - Correct Answer The British "Constitution;" evolved over time; consists of important documents, common law and customs combining Devolution/Home Rule - Correct Answer UK, Westminster has steadily been giving pack powers to the individual nations within the UK in an effort to accommodate these nationalistic cleavages. This has included giving back the republic of Ireland "home rule;" later the majority of Ireland was granted independence. Backbenchers - Correct Answer UK, Less influential members of parliament who are not part of the cabinet or "government" Quangos - Correct Answer UK, Quasi-autonomous non governmental organizations; develop policy in different areas and deliver public services (sponsored by the gov't) Thatcherism (Enterprise Culture) - Correct Answer UK; policies of privatization, cutting social welfare, and a more market based economy Neoliberalism - Correct Answer UK; revival of classic liberal values that support low levels of government regulation, taxation and social expenditures, plus the protection of individual property rights. New Labour/Third Way - Correct Answer UK; a centrist alternative to the old, very leftist labor party promoted by Tony Blair in late 90s IRA - Correct Answer Irish Republican Army; used guerilla warfare tactics to pressure Britain to allow Irish independence, which happened in 1949. Conflict in Northern Ireland between Protestants and Catholics is still fueled primarily by the IRA MP - Correct Answer Member of Parliament