1st Midterm

Question 0

Sovereignty

Answer 0

Quality of a state of having an independent legitimate authority over a geographic area that is recognized by its citizens and neighboring states.

Question 1

Government

Answer 1

Entity exercising control or regulation of a political unit (city, state, etc.)

Ex: Logan, Utah, Obama administration

Question 2

Politics

Answer 2

Collective process for dealing with conflict (through government) or process by which human communities make collective decisions.

Question 3

Social Contract Theory

Answer 3

Theory from Thomas Hobbes that people surrender some freedoms to submit to the authority of a ruler in exchange for the protection of their remaining right. Contract between government and the people.

Ex: we pay our taxes for basic necessities like roads, schools, etc.

Question 4

Authoritarian Regime

Answer 4

A regime lacking democratic characteristics, ruled by a single leader or group of leaders. Few civil liberties.

Ex: Communist China, Cuba

Question 5

Totalitarian Regime

Answer 5

A regime that controls virtually all aspects of society and eliminates all traces of civil society.

Ex: Germany/Hitler, Soviet Union/Stalin, Cuba

Question 6

Anarchy

Answer 6

No legitimate source of government. Chaos, failed states.

Ex: Somalia

Question 7

Charismatic Legitimacy

Answer 7

The right to rule based on personal virtue, heroism, sanctity, or other extraordinary characteristics.

Ex: George Washington was a war hero, JFK was classy and charming, Hitler was a good speaker.

Question 8

Rational/Legal Legitimacy

Answer 8

The right of leaders to rule based on their selection according to an accepted set of laws, standards or procedures.

Ex: U.S. President is elected by the people and the electoral process. He is in office once he has enough votes. (But he might obtain that office through charisma)

Question 9

Traditional Legitimacy

Answer 9

The right to rule based on a society’s long-standing patterns and practices.

Ex: The European “Divine Right of Kings”. In absolute monarchies the right to rule was passed on father to son.

Question 10

State

Answer 10

A set of ongoing institutions that develops and administers laws and generates and implements public policies in a specific territory.

Ex: U.S, U.K, Denmark. Recognized “governments” with internal AND external legitimacy.

Question 11

Nation

Answer 11

A group that proclaims itself a nation and has or seeks control of a state.

Ex: The United States is a nation. It has control of states and it has nationalism (the desire to be a state)

Question 12

Failed State

Answer 12

A state that is so weak that is loses effective sovereignty over part or all of its territory.

Ex: Lebanon (randomly created by Europeans after WWI in order to create a majority Christian country) is considered a failed state because it hasn’t had working government in 11 months. It had no separation of church and state (each position of power was held by a different religion), a non-flexible constitution, and an armed militia.

Question 13

Absolutism

Answer 13

Rule by a single monarch who claims complete, exclusive power and sovereignty over a territory and its people.

Ex: An early version of a modern state. Fifteenth century, absolutist leaders own power by defeating other lords because they had the resources to do so. Legitimacy was still based on tradition.

Question 14

Science

Answer 14

A system of acquiring knowledge that uses observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena. Testable/falsifiable.

Ex: Gravity can be tested. Physics, chemistry.

Question 15

Rational Choice Theory

Answer 15

Explanation of political behavior that assumes that individuals are rational beings who bring a set of self-defined preferences to maximize self gain; these assumptions are then used to model political behavior.

Ex: Prisoner’s dilemma. Arrested for murder. Do you out your friend or hope he keeps the secret?

Question 16

Correlation

Answer 16

A mutual relationship or connection between two or more things.

Ex: the majority of smokers might be overweight but that does not mean that smoking causes obesity.

Question 17

Political Ideology

Answer 17

A systematic set of beliefs about how a political system ought to be structured.

Ex: Political ideologies define everything about the system that they are imposed on. China is based on communism, Nazi Germany was based on fascism.

Question 18

Fascism

Answer 18

A political ideology. Unity in the state is emphasized, the state’s legitimacy is more important than the people’s rights. Hyper nationalistic. Typically grows out of disaster.

Ex: Hitler and the nazis (but they added the racism)

Question 19

Bourgeoisie

Answer 19

The class that owns capital; according to Marxism, the ruling elite in all capitalist societies.

Ex: The white collar, upper-class in the U.S. The one percent. They Romney’s. The people that the rest of us hate.

Question 20

Proletariat

Answer 20

A term in Marxist theory for the class if free wage laborers who own no capital and must sell their labor to survive; communist parties claim to work on the proletariat’s behalf.

Ex: the blue collar workers in the U.S. Obama tries to appeal to them. The people who start revolutions.

Question 21

Marxism

Answer 21

Structuralist argument that says that economic structures largely determine political behavior; the philosophical underpinning of communism.

Ex: Communist China- elites have all the money while the rest work their butts off. Leaders claim to care about the workers. Bolshevik revolution, French Revolution.

Question 22

Vanguard Party

Answer 22

Lenin’s concept of a small party that claims legitimacy to rule based on understanding of the proletariat before that are a majority of the populace.

Ex: Lead the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. Wanted the party to rule until the country was fully industrialized. Lenin wanted this movement to spread through all of Europe.

Question 23

Liberalism

Answer 23

Political ideology to maximize individual liberties and limit state power. Legitimacy comes from the people.

Ex: the Framer’s U.S.

Question 24

Socialism

Answer 24

Political ideology that emphasizes common ownership and promotes welfare. Citizens are the main source of legitimacy.

Ex: Denmark. Equality is considered the most important value. Welfare benefits, high taxes.

Question 25

Social Democracy

Answer 25

A blend of socialism and liberalism. Provisions of social rights, public control of the economy, minimal welfare systems.

Ex: U.S. Currently

Question 26

Patrimonial System

Answer 26

It’s who you know not what you know. Leaves room for corruption.

Ex: Ancient Egyptians were thought of as patrimonial.

Question 27

Nationalism

Answer 27

The desire to be a nation and thus to control a national state. Heightened sense of nationalism.

Ex: U.S. after 9/11

Question 28

Modernizing Authoritarianism

Answer 28

Legitimacy is based on the claim that the government will modernize or develop the country.

Ex: China. Must go through westernization, develop technology and education.

Question 29

Simple Democracy

Answer 29

Direct democracy, people have the power to vote on everything.

Ex: Important because it makes the people feel like they have direct effect on policies however it is flawed because majority rules and people are uninformed

Question 30

Republic Democracy

Answer 30

Citizens elect representatives who they believe are capable to make decisions about government related policies.

Ex: America is a republican democracy. However, the downfall of this system is uninformed voters.

Question 31

Aristocracy

Answer 31

Power is held by a small, rich ruling class.

Question 32

Oligarchy

Answer 32

Power is held by a small number of elites. Royal, wealthy, or military legitimacy.

Ex: China is communist and mainly governed by a small number of elites.

Question 33

Theocracy

Answer 33

Rule by religious authority.

Ex: Iran is a democratic and theocratic hybrid. Many governments policies are based on rules of Islam.

Question 34

Jihad

Answer 34

Arabic for "the struggle to improve oneself" 
1. Live faithfully
2. Resist evil
3. Protect the Muslim community 
From the Koran 

Ex: highlights the Muslim desire to build a good society based on these virtues

Question 35

Ijtihad

Answer 35

Independent reasoning to understand God. Application of his word to more modern circumstances.

Ex: during the enlightenment period it was believed that the denunciation of the strict religions would cause the political evolution in Islamic countries to become stagnant

Question 36

Plato’s Republic

Answer 36

Socratic dialogue of what justice is and how the state should be run (by a philosopher king).

Ex: Socrates believed that democracy was the worst form of government, below aristocracies, oligarchies and theocracies. He believed democracy was one step above mob rule.

Question 37

Philosopher King

Answer 37

Meant to be the absolute ruler in Plato’s republic. Believed to be the wisest and most enlightened man.

Ex: does that mean all other rulers are corrupt? Is it right to have an absolute leader even if he is an “enlightened” man? (Thomas S. Monson discussion)

Question 38

Straw Man Argument

Answer 38

Oversimplification or misrepresentation of your opponent’s argument. Oversimplifying to make it easy to attack.

Ex: if you are pro-choice you like to kill babies.

Question 39

Elite

Answer 39

Supposedly, the best qualified to run society. Disproportionate amount of power and influence.

Ex: the 1%

Question 40

Civil Society

Answer 40

A voluntary association with an organization outside of government control.

Ex: Choosing to be a member of a religion or special interest group. They hold a lot of power in our government. Able to influence legislation because of their votes and money.