EXAM REVIEW Flashcards
Explain the Alt- Right
an American, anti-democratic, racist group that
embraces violence. (FAR RIGHT)ideology of white nationalism and anti-Semitism.
- Many news organizations do not use the term, preferring terms like “white nationalism” and “far right.”
- Self-professed goal is the creation of a white state and the destruction of “leftism”
- Anti-immigrant, anti-feminist and opposed to homosexuality and gay and transgender rights
- Highly decentralized but has a wide online presence, where its ideology is spread via racist or sexist memes
Explain Antifa
Contraction of the word “anti-fascist.”
•It was coined in Germany in the 1960s and 1970s by a network of
groups that spread across Europe to confront right-wing extremists
•For some, the goal is to physically confront white supremacists
•Members of the “alt-right” broadly portray protesters who oppose
them as “antifa,” or the “alt-left,” and say they bear some
responsibility for any violence that ensuesan anti-democratic group from the FAR LEFT that
embraces violence and opposes the radical right.
Elaborate on Civil Disobedience
deliberate lawbreaking that accepts
state punishment as part of the action
define Political Protest
opposing political action outside of formal channels
Protest vs. Revolution
Revolution: the use of violence to overthrow government
All successful revolutions contain key elements – changed relations among classes, an economic collapse, or a crisis.
Characteristics of a Protest
1. Outside formal channels
opposite of “playing by the rules”
2. Involves those not considered important political figures
protest is sometimes referred to as a tool of the marginalized
3. Aimed at government making significant change
belief that ordinary measures have failed
Terrorism
Terrorism
•Deliberate use of violence
•Designed to induce fear to achieve an objective
•Deliberate targeting of the innocent
Suicide terrorism: terrorist kills self as well as target
Lone-wolf terrorism: undertaken by individual who sees
themselves as part of the group without a formal link
Political violence – what is it and how does it occur?
Political violence: the use of physical force with a political objective
Violence can enter politics in 3 ways:
1. Chosen tactic by a movement
2. Used by government against citizens
3. Unplanned and undesired affect of peaceful action
Regime violence: used by a government against citizens to keep orde
Marginalization
Democracy
“Rule by the people” where the ideal is that all adult citizens have an equal and
effective voice in the decisions of the political communities to which they
belong.
Direct Democracy: a system in which citizens make the governing decisions
Representative Democracy: Citizens elect representatives to the legislature
to make decisions on their behalf.
Democratic Deficit
Democratic Deficit – substantive public dissatisfaction with the government and belief that ordinary people have little influence on the government
Transparency
Transparency – obligation to provide timely access to information and to operate visibly
Accountability
Accountability – held responsible for actions and inactions
Recalling elected representatives
Recall – citizens remove representatives from office
Referendum
Referendum – a vote by citizens on a particular issue or law (i.e. 1995 vote re: Quebec becoming an independent country)
Citizen’s Jury
Citizen’s Jury – a randomly selected group of people who come together and deliberate in order to make important recommendations about particular issues.
Authoritarian/totalitarian regimes
Authoritarian Regimes – absolute rule, people do not choose their government or influence decisions
Not reliably controlled by their citizens
Governments act without responsibility to citizens
Votes that the government cannot lose
Only organizations aligned with govt can operate
Govt can influence the court of justice
Limit access to information to an extreme deg
Totalitarian Systems – seeks to control all aspects of life within a country
- An official ideology
- Single mass party led by a dictator (no more than 10% of the population)
- Police state used to terrorize the population
- Control over all mass communication
- Control over all means of armed combat
- Economy planned and controlled by the party
* Past Example – Nazi Germany
* Current Examples - Eritrea (Africa) and North Korea
Types of dictatorships
Absolute monarchy – king or queen has total power
Personal Dictatorship – single ruler
Party Dictatorship – controlled by one party
Military Dictatorship – run by military
Theocratic Dictatorship – run by religious elites
Hegemonic Party Regimes have opposition parties, however than cannot win because the government ensures that the ruling party does not lose.
Hegemonic Party Regime
Hegemonic Party Regimes have opposition parties, however than cannot win because the government ensures that the ruling party does not lose.
Plebiscite
Plebiscitary Democracy – citizens have greater control through referendums, citizens’ initiatives, and recall elections
