11: Exam Review

Question 1

A society organized through the exercise of political

authority; for Aristotle, rule by the many in the interests of all.

Answer 1

Polity.

Question 2

The theory that social, and indeed all forms of enquiry, should adhere strictly to the methods of the natural sciences.

Answer 2

Positivism.

Question 3

A well-established body with a formal role and status; more broadly, a set of rules that ensure regular and predictable behaviour, the ‘rules of the game’.

Answer 3

Institution.

Question 4

Human interaction, especially communication; disclose or illustrate power relations.

Answer 4

Discourse.

Question 5

A view of politics that emphasizes the importance of morality and ideals; philosophical idealism implies that ideas are more ‘real’ than the material world.

Answer 5

Idealism.

Question 6

A private sphere of autonomous groups and associations, independent from state or public authority.

Answer 6

Civil society.

Question 7

A belief in, or commitment to diversity or multiplicity; or the belief that power in modern societies is widely and evenly distributed.

Answer 7

Pluralism.

Question 8

The doctrine that earthly rulers are chosen by God and thus wield unchallengeable authority; a defence for monarchical absolutism.

Answer 8

Divine right.

Question 9

The duty of the citizen towards the state; the basis of the state’s right to rule.

Answer 9

Political obligation.

Question 10

A Marxist term, denoting the ruling class of a capitalist society, the owners of productive wealth.

Answer 10

Bourgeoisie.

Question 11

A Marxist term, denoting a class that subsists through the sale of its labour power.

Answer 11

Proletariat.

Question 12

Legal or moral entitlements to act or be treated in a particular way.

Answer 12

Rights.

Question 13

A morally justifiable distribution of material rewards.

Answer 13

Social justice.

Question 14

Change brought about within a system, usually by peaceful and incremental measures.

Answer 14

Reform.

Question 15

Assent or permission; in politics, usually an agreement to be governed or ruled.

Answer 15

Consent.

Question 16

A form of democracy that operates at supranational levels of governance and is based on the idea of transnational or global citizenship.

Answer 16

Cosmopolitan democracy.

Question 17

A form of democracy that favours decentralization and participation, the widest possible dispersal of political power.

Answer 17

Radical democracy.

Question 18

God-given rights that are fundamental to human beings and are therefore inalienable.

Answer 18

Natural rights.

Question 19

The genuine interests of a collective body, equivalent to the common good.

Answer 19

Common will.

Question 20

Answerability; a duty to explain one’s conduct and be open to criticism by others.

Answer 20

Accountability.

Question 21

A form of democracy that emphasizes the need for discourse and debate to help to define the public interest.

Answer 21

Deliberative democracy.

Question 22

A group recognized by government as representing the general or collective interests of businesses or workers.

Answer 22

Peak association.

Question 23

A Marxist term, denoting a class that dominates other classes and society at large.

Answer 23

Ruling class.

Question 24

The incorporation of national economies into a single ‘borderless’ global economy, through transnational production and capital flows.

Answer 24

Economic globalization.

Question 25

Cultural and moral resources that help to promote social cohesion, political stability and prosperity.

Answer 25

Social capital.

Question 26

Newspapers (and, by extension, other media

outlets) that are free from censorship and political interference by government and, usually, are privately owned.

Answer 26

Free press.

Question 27

A policy or act of control over what can be said, written, published or performed in order to suppress what is considered morally or politically unacceptable.

Answer 27

Censorship.

Question 28

A person who is vested with formal (and usually

legal) responsibilities for another’s property or affairs.

Answer 28

Trustee.

Question 29

A person who is chosen to act for another on the basis of clear guidance and instruction; delegates do not think for themselves.

Answer 29

Delegate.

Question 30

The principle that there is no higher authority than the will of the people.

Answer 30

Popular sovereignty.

Question 31

The largest number out of a collection of numbers, not necessarily an absolute majority.

Answer 31

Plurality.

Question 32

An arrangement in a semi-presidential system in which the president works with a government and assembly controlled by a rival party or parties.

Answer 32

Cohabitation.

Question 33

A style of government that fuses personal leadership with conservative nationalism.

Answer 33

Bonapartism.

Question 34

The branch of government whose chief function is to make laws, although it is seldom the only body with legislative power.

Answer 34

Legislature.

Question 35

A government that is answerable or accountable to an elected assembly and, through it, to the people.

Answer 35

Responsible government.

Question 36

Internal tensions within the governmental system that result from institutional fragmentation.

Answer 36

Checks and balances.

Question 37

A president-heavy constitutional order in which the presidency is invested with great power and the assembly or parliament operates as a mere ‘rubber stamp’.

Answer 37

Superpresidentialism.

Question 38

The belief that the world can be understood and explained through the exercise of human reason, based on assumptions about its rational structure.

Answer 38

Rationalism.

Question 39

The belief that society is made up of a collection of largely self-sufficient individuals who owe little or nothing to one another.

Answer 39

Atomism.

Question 40

Rule by the talented; the principle that rewards and positions should be distributed on the basis of ability.

Answer 40

Meritocracy.

Question 41

A system of fair and quitable exchange, in which individuals or groups trade goods and services with one another without profiteering or exploitation.

Answer 41

Mutualism.

Question 42

A group of people who share a common cultural and historical identity, typically linked to a belief in common descent.

Answer 42

Ethnic group.

Question 43

Government projects whose only, or primary, purpose is to bring money or jobs to a representative’s district or constituency.

Answer 43

Pork barrel politics.

Question 44

A constitution in which key constitutional provisions are collected together in a single legal document, popularly known as a ‘written constitution’ or ‘the constitution’.

Answer 44

Codified constitution.

Question 45

Law that is enacted by the legislature.

Answer 45

Statute law.

Question 46

A formal agreement between two or more states, on matters of peace, trade or some other aspect of international relations.

Answer 46

Treaty.

Question 47

Government operating within constraints, usually imposed by law, a constitution or institutional checks and balances.

Answer 47

Limited government.

Question 48

Rights that mark out a realm of unconstrained action, and thus check the responsibilities of government.

Answer 48

Negative rights.

Question 49

Rights that make demands of government in terms of the provision of resources and support, and thus extend its responsibilities.

Answer 49

Positive rights.

Question 50

The constitutional principle that there should be a strict separation between the judiciary and other branches of government.

Answer 50

Judicial independence.

Question 51

The manipulation of electoral boundaries so as to achieve political advantage for a party or candidate.

Answer 51

Gerrymandering.

Question 52

Conduct of legal proceedings strictly in accordance with established rules and principles, linked to ensuring a fair trial.

Answer 52

Due process.

Question 53

Literally, beyond the powers; acts that fall outside the scope of a body’s authority.

Answer 53

Ultra vires.

Question 54

The phenomenon in which psychological and professional pressures conspire to encourage a group of decision-makers to adopt a unified and coherent position.

Answer 54

Groupthink.

Question 55

A matter recognized as part of the policy agenda, over which there is public debate or disagreement.

Answer 55

Issue.

Question 56

A meeting of party members held to nominate election candidates, or to discuss legislative proposals in advance of formal proceedings.

Answer 56

Caucus.

Question 57

A style of politics in which party ‘bosses’ control a mass organization through patronage and the distribution of favours.

Answer 57

Machine politics.

Question 58

A relatively stable network of relationships between parties that is structured by their number, size and ideological orientation.

Answer 58

Party system.

Question 59

A minimum level of electoral support needed for a party to be eligible to win seats.

Answer 59

Threshold.

Question 60

Political action taken outside the constitutional and legal

framework.

Answer 60

Direct action.

Question 61

The construction of bodies that represent government, business and the unions, designed to institutionalize group consultation.

Answer 61

Tripartitism.

Question 62

Government policies designed to regulate or manage

economic life; more broadly, a policy of engagement or involvement.

Answer 62

Interventionism.

Question 63

A person or group that enjoys collectively provided benefits without needing to pay associated costs, which are shouldered by others.

Answer 63

Free-rider.

Question 64

Literally, ’rule by the skilled’; government or control by an elite of technical experts.

Answer 64

Technocracy.

Question 65

The absence of interest in or enthusiasm for things that are generally considered to be interesting.

Answer 65

Apathy.

Question 66

The participation of citizens in the life of their community, although this may range from formal political participation to wider communal activities or even ‘civic-mindedness’.

Answer 66

Civic engagement.