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AP Comp > AP Comp General Terms > Flashcards

AP Comp General Terms Flashcards

1
Q

accountability

A

the concept that government officials are responsible to, and may be removed from office by their constituents or other government officials

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2
Q

advisory opinion

A

an opinion of a court that does not decide a specific legal case, but instead simply advises other parts of the government on the proper interpretation of the constitution, law, or regulation

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3
Q

agents of political socialization

A

the societal structures through which political orientation is passed from some members of a society to others

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4
Q

agricultural society

A

a society in which most economic production comes from agriculture

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5
Q

apostasy

A

the formal abandonment of one’s religion

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6
Q

apportionment

A

the process of allocating power to a set of consituencies

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7
Q

arable land

A

land that is suitable for raising crops (it need not be cultivated to count)

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8
Q

authoritarian system

A

a system led by a group of leaders that has complete authority and is unaccountable to the population

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9
Q

authority

A

similar to power, but with a claim of legitimacy

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10
Q

autocracy

A

a system of government in which one person has unlimited power

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11
Q

big tent parties

A

political parties that seek to build large coalitions across the cleavages within their society

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12
Q

bureaucracy

A

a body of unelected government officials

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13
Q

bureaucrat

A

a member of a bureaucracy

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14
Q

cabinet

A

a council of high-ranking government officials wielding at least some of the executive power of government (members often serve as advisers to a president or prime minister)

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15
Q

civil disobedience

A

the intentional breaking of laws with the intention of exposing those laws’ lack of fairness or justice

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16
Q

civil law (code law)

A

a system of laws in which only legislative acts, and properly executed regulations, have the force of law (judicial precedents rarely, if ever, have the force of law in these systems

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17
Q

cleavages

A

divisions that cause people within a society to support different sides of an issue, support a particular party, or vote differently from their fellow citizens

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18
Q

clientelism

A

the practice of exchanging public resources for votes, and political support. Often seen in corporatist systems, although its existence is not limited to such systems

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19
Q

code law system

A

(civil law) a system of laws in which only legislative acts, and properly executed regulations, have the force of law (judicial precedents rarely, if ever, have the force of law in these systems

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20
Q

co-equal branches

A

the concept frequently found in presidential systems that the three branches of government are equal in power to each other, with no branch superior to the other two

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21
Q

coinciding cleavages

A

when membership in a particular segment of society correlates with membership in another segment of society. (ex: membership in a particular ethnic group tends to correlate with membership in a particular social class)

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22
Q

collectivization

A

the process of bringing individual property and resources under communal control (normally seen in communist systems)

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23
Q

command economy

A

a governmental and political system under which the government is very involved in the planning and operation of the economy. Market forces are not allowed to operate freely

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24
Q

common law

A

a system of laws created through judicial precedents rather than legislative or executive actions. In common law systems, judicial precedents have the force of law, unless a specific legislative act, or executive regulation, is passed that supersedes these precedents

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25
Q

communism

A

a political ideology which advocates a political system in which all property is held in common, usually by the state

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26
Q

conservatism

A

a political ideology which advocates a political system in which traditional institutions are respected and maintained, while allowing for slow and minimal change

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27
Q

constitution

A

a set of fundamental laws, usually found in a single document, which lay out the powers and structures of a government, as well as the relationship between the government and the people

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28
Q

constitutional monarchy

A

a governmental system in which the power of a monarch is limited

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29
Q

co-option or co-optation

A

the political tactic of winning over opponents by assimilating some of their positions into your own

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30
Q

corporatist system

A

a political system based on the cooperation of the government and key interest groups

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31
Q

correlation

A

the association of two events in time and/or space without a clear causal relationship

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32
Q

coup d’etat

A

the forceful removal of a government, often by the military

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33
Q

cross-cutting cleavages

A

cross-cutting cleavages exist when membership in one segment of society does not correlate with membership in another segment of society. For example, membership in a particular ethnic group does not tend to correlate with membership in a particular social class

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34
Q

de facto

A

a latin term meaning in fact. Often used in politics to describe situations in which political realities differ from those required by law

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35
Q

de jure

A

a latin term meaning in or by law. Often used in politics to describe situations in which political realities differ from those required by law

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36
Q

democracy

A

rule by the people

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37
Q

democratic centralism

A

a highly centralized system of government in which members of the ruling party in a single-party state are allowed to debate policy, but once a decision has been reached by majority vote, all members are expected to abide by the decision

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38
Q

democratization

A

movements in society towards free, fair, and competitive elections of policy makers

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39
Q

developed country

A

a country with an industrial or post-industrial economy and a high standard of living

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40
Q

developing country

A

a country with an economy that has yet to fully industrialize

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41
Q

devolution

A

the process by which a government under a unitary system transfers power to sub-national governments

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42
Q

economic development

A

the measure of the social and economic progress of countries

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43
Q

electoral system

A

the system by which voters choose their representatives

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44
Q

electorate

A

voters as a group

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45
Q

empirical

A

information gained through observation

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46
Q

ethnic group (ethnicity)

A

a group of people who identify with each other due to a shared culture and/or language

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47
Q

executive power

A

the power to execute or enforce laws

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48
Q

fascism

A

a political ideology that advocates a political system in which the nation, or race, is seen as most important; not the individual nor even the people as a collective

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49
Q

federal system

A

a system of government in which some power of government ultimately rests in regional governments rather than in the central government

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50
Q

gerrymandering

A

the manipulation of electoral district boundaries for political purposes

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51
Q

GINI Index

A

a statistical measure of income inequality in a society

52
Q

Glasnost

A

the Russian word for openness. Describes the policy of increased political openness seen near the end of the U.S.S.R.

53
Q

Government

A

the people in charge of a territory at a given time

54
Q

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

A

the value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year

55
Q

Gubernatorial

A

of, or having to do with, governors

56
Q

Head of government

A

usually the person in charge of the executive power

57
Q

head of state

A

the representative of a country to the world. A largely ceremonial position in many systems

58
Q

Human Development Index

A

a statistical measure of the development of a society based on levels of health, education, and standards of living

59
Q

identity politics

A

politics based on membership in a particular interest group or segment of society rather than individualized self-interest

60
Q

ideology

A

a set of ethical principles that help provide an outline of the proper ordering of society and explain how society should work

61
Q

illiberal democracy

A

a system in which elections are not free, fair, or competitive, and/or political liberties are not respected

62
Q

industrialization

A

the process of moving from an agricultural society to an industrial society

63
Q

industrialized

A

describes a society in which mechanized production of goods is common

64
Q

industrial society

A

a society with an economy based in the production of machine-made goods

65
Q

interest groups

A

groups of people organized to support a particular cause

66
Q

judicial power

A

the power to interpret the laws

67
Q

legislation

A

laws passed by a legislature

68
Q

legislative power

A

the power to make laws

69
Q

legitimacy

A

the generally held belief that the government has the right to rule or exercies power

70
Q

liberal democracy

A

free, fair, and competitive elections are held, and political liberties such as free speech and press are respected

71
Q

liberalism

A

a political ideology that advocates individual autonomy, respect for civil liberties, and rapid progress

72
Q

Magna Carta

A

the first document that limited the power of the English monarch

73
Q

Majority

A

more than 50%

74
Q

market economy

A

a governmental and political system in which the governent lets market forces, for the most part, control

75
Q

minority

A

less than 50%

76
Q

monarchy

A

a system of government with a hereditary ruler

77
Q

multiparty system

A

a system in which more than two parties vie for real power within the political structure

78
Q

nation

A

a large group of people with ties to a particular piece of land or area who share a unified identity based in a shared culture, history, and language. Normally, the term is only used when such groups have or desire a government of their own.

79
Q

nation-state

A

a sovereign state largely populated by people who share a unified identity based in a shared culture, history, and language

80
Q

newly-developed country

A

a country that has recently moved significantly toward an industrial economy, and as a result, has seen a significant rise in its standard of living

81
Q

normative

A

relating to an ideal

82
Q

oligarchy

A

rule by the few

83
Q

patronage

A

the privileges a government grants to its supporters

84
Q

patron-client relationships

A

the relationships seen in systems of clientelism, in which governments hand out privileges to supporters

85
Q

parliamentary system

A

a system of government where the ministers who hold executive power are chosen from within the legislature and are accountable to it

86
Q

perestroika

A

the Russian word for restructuring, used to describe the liberalization of government structures in the Soviet Union under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev

87
Q

permanent crops

A

crops that need not be replanted after each harvest, such as coffee, olives, rubber, apples and oranges

88
Q

public policy

A

the actions of a state regarding a particular issues

89
Q

pluralist system

A

a system in which groups compete for influence and power

90
Q

political accomodation

A

an informal agreement among a government and important interest groups, in response to the interest groups’ concerns about government policy or program benefits

91
Q

political capital

A

describes the power of government officials derived from their political popularity

92
Q

political culture

A

the way a nation, or other group of people approaches issues of government and politics

93
Q

political participation

A

any means used by the people to express their opinions, and perhaps, influence political events and/or government actions

94
Q

political party

A

an organization created to get and maintain power, usually within a government

95
Q

political recruitment

A

the process through which citizens of a country are chosen to be involved in politics

96
Q

political socialization

A

the process by which people get their ideas about politics

97
Q

post-industrial society

A

describes a society in which a large portion of the economy is engaged in providing services rather than industrial or agricultural production

98
Q

presidentialism

A

describes a system of government in which the president wields extraordinary power and the legislative and judicial branches of government are subordinate to the president

99
Q

presidential system

A

a system of government where the executive power is held in a separate branch of government from the legislative power

100
Q

procedural democracy

A

a system under which elections are held and the institutions and processes of elected government appear to be in place but for any number of reasons, the results of those elections may not be reflective of the political views of the population

101
Q

regime

A

the system, rules, and laws in place in a particular territory at a particular time

102
Q

rentier state

A

a state that regularly derives a substantial portion of its revenues from payments by foreign concerns in the form of rent

103
Q

referendum

A

a vote by an electorate on an issue referred to it by the government

104
Q

republic

A

a system of government where the citizens elect their leaders

105
Q

right to self-determination

A

the concept that nations have a right to choose which government will exercise sovereignty over them

106
Q

secretarian

A

having to do with religion

107
Q

semi-presidential system

A

a political system with a dual executive, usually a president and a prime minister

108
Q

social capital

A

the social norms that lead to cooperation within and among groups in a society. Ex: When neighbors keep an eye on each others houses when the other neigbhor is out of town

109
Q

socialism

A

a political ideology that advocates a political system in which the means of production and distribution and held in common, usually by the state

110
Q

sovereignty

A

having independent legal authority over a particular territory, the legitimate power to rule and make laws for that territory

111
Q

state

A

the territory (or one of the territories) under the control of a government

112
Q

sub-national government

A

a regional or local government

113
Q

substantive democracy

A

a system of government under which elections are held and the results are likely representative of the political views of the population

114
Q

supranational organization

A

organizations consisting of a number of sovereign states

115
Q

theocratic system or theocracy

A

a system of government under which a deity is seen as the supreme ruler or the entity in which ultimate sovereignty rests

116
Q

totalitarian system

A

a system that seeks to forcibly control all fundamental aspects of state, society, and the economy

117
Q

transparency

A

the open and public operation of government

118
Q

under-developed country

A

a largely outdated term used to describe countries that have not fully industrialized

119
Q

unitary system of government

A

a system in which all power ultimately rests in the hands of the central government

120
Q

veto

A

the power to reject a piece of legislation

121
Q

vetting

A

evaluating for possible approval or acceptance

122
Q

vote of confidence

A

sometimes called “no confidence” votes. The means of removing the prime minister and cabinet from power

123
Q

voter turnout

A

a way to describe the degree of participation of eligible voters in an election. Can be described as a raw number or as a percentage

124
Q

wasted votes

A

votes cast that do not influence the outcome of an election

125
Q

welfare state system

A

a governmental system under which the government directly or indirectly provides pensions, healthcare, unemployment insurance, and assistance to the poor and others in need

AP Comp (7 decks)

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