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
Constitution
Constitution: the rules and principles of government
Aspects of Canadian Charter
- Fundamental freedoms
- Democratic rights
- Mobility rights
- Legal rights
- Equality rights
- Language rights
Reasonable Limits
Reasonable Limits Clause:
Provision allowing for “reasonable” limits to be placed on rights and
freedoms.
For example,
•Limits on possession, production, and distribution of pornography
•Prohibit expression of hatred directed at certain groups
•Place limits on advertising directed at children
Legal Systems
Common law: law-based judgements that have
accumulated over centuries
Statutory law: passed by legislative body
Private law: deals with interests among individuals, groups
and businesses versus general public interest
Codified law: sets of principles that judges use to determine
the outcome of a particular case
Constitutional Amendment
Notwithstanding Clause
Majority vs. minority governments
Majority Government: a single party forms the government (majority of the members of the House of Commons)
Minority Government: a single party governs, however,
does not have the majority of seats. They must gain support of another party to pass legislation.
Coalition government
Coalition Government: two or more parties jointly govern
Collective responsibility
Collective Responsibility: the cabinet will defend,
explain, and take responsibility for the government
Cabinet Secrecy
Cabinet Solidarity
Cabinet Secrecy:
the views expressed in Cabinet remain secret (to enable full and honest discussion) but they will not be honest to public
Cabinet solidarity: to the public they represent themselves as a strong team
Party Discipline
Official Opposition
Official Opposition: the party with the 2nd highest number of seats leads the questioning / criticism
Public policy
Rigid and excessive regulations maybe harmful to the economy.
However, appropriate and carefully administered government regulations are essential to protect the economy and the environment.
Public choice theory
Public Choice Theory: assumes that ALL individuals involved in politics attempt to maximize their own individual interests or preferences.
Welfare State
The welfare state was developed•Income assistance (old age, disability, poverty, unemployment)
•Ensured that reasonable levels of healthcare, education, and housing are available to all.
SUppport from government
Third world/underdeveloped
Third World / Underdeveloped / The South: referring to
less developed, poorer countries
Human Development Index
Human Development Index (HDI)
annual index for countries
calculated by the United Nations
based on educational attainment, life expectancy, and income
Development
Development: A condition that involves the satisfaction of the basic needs of all people as well as the means for them to live fulfilling and productive lives – based on the creation of a diversified, sophisticated and sustainable economy.
Three Development Scenarios
- Failed development
- Reversed development
- Successful development
Modernization Theory
Modernization Theory: views the traditional values, practices,
and institutions of Third World countries as the basic cause of
underdevelopment
Dependency Theory
Dependency Theory: argues that underdevelopment results from unequal power relations between dominant countries and poorer countries
Coup D’Etat
Coup D’état: a forcible overthrow of government by the
military
Personalistic Leader
International Anarchy
International Anarchy: the absence of a central authority to
make and enforce rules globally.
Global Governance
Global Governance: a number of different organizations
provide a certain degree of order and predictability
Security Dilemma
Security Dilemma: states need power to feel secure, but
that power may lead other states to feel they are in danger
and to form an alliance to meet the perceived threat
United Nations
The general assembly seats diplomatic
representatives
•The closest thing to a global parliament
•Said to carry the moral authority of the world
•Responsible for peace and security issues
Why states cooperate with international law
States prefer to do what is right because they do not
wish to lose prestige in international public opinion.
States have learned over time that it is in their
interest to abide by international law and live in an
ordered, predictable world.
Collective Security
