Final Flashcards
Political violence
violence outside of state control that is politically motivated
ideational
having to do with ideas
revolution
public seizure of the state in order to overturn the existing government and regime
coup d’etat
a move in which military forces take control of the government by force
relative deprivation
model that predicts revolution when public expectations outpace the rate of domestic change
terrorism
the use of violence by nonstate actors against civilians in order to achieve a political goal
state-sponsored terrorism
terrorism supported directly by a state as an instrument of foreign policy
guerilla war
a conflict whereby nonstate combatants who largely abide by the rules of war target the state
nihilism
a belief that all institutions and values are essentially meaningless and that the only redeeming value is violence
integration
a process by which states pool their sovereignty, surrendering some individual powers in order to gain shared political, economic, or societal benefits
advanced democracy
a country with institutionalized democracy and a high level of economic development
modern
characterized as secular, rational, materialistic, technological, and bureaucratic, and placing a greater emphasis on individual freedom than in the past
postmodern
characterized by a set of values that center on “quality of life” considerations and give less attention to material gain
intergovernmental system
a system in which two or more countries cooperate on issues
supranational system
an intergovernmental system with its own sovereign powers over member states
postindustrialism
the shift during the last half century from an economy based primarily on industry and manufacturing to one in which the majority of people are employed in the service sector, which produces the bulk of profits
service sector
work that does not involve creating tangible goods
communism
1) a political-economic system in which all wealth and property are shared so as to eliminate exploitation, oppression, and, ultimately, the need for political institutions such as the state; 2) a political ideology that advocates for such a system
base
the economic system of a society, made up of technology (the means of production) and class relations between people (the relations of production)
superstructure
all noneconomic institutions in a society (e.g., religion, culture, national identity); these ideas and values derive from the base and serve to legitimize the current system of exploitation
bourgeoisie
the property owning class
dialectical materialism
process of historical change that is not evolutionary but revolutionary; the existing base and superstructure (thesis) would come into conflict with new technological innovations, generating growing opposition to the existing order (antithesis) - this would culminate in revolution, overthrowing the old base and superstructure (synthesis)
proletariat
the working class
vanguard of the proletariat
Lenin’s argument that an elite communist party would have to carry out revolution, because as a result of false consciousness, historical conditions would not automatically lead to capitalism’s demise
nomenklatura
politically sensitive or influential jobs in the state, society, or economy that were staffed by people chosen or approved by the Communist Party
Politburo
the legislature-like body of a communist party
party-state
a political system in which power flows directly from the ruling political party (usually a communist party) to the state, bypassing government structures
central planning
a communist economic system in which the state explicitly allocates resources by planning what should be produced and in what amounts, the final prices of goods, and where they should be sold
glasnot
literally, openness; the policy of political liberalization in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s
perestroika
literally, restructuring; the policy of political and economic liberalization implemented in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s
shock therapy
a process of rapid marketization
Newly industrializing countries
a historically less-developed country that has experienced significant economic growth and democratization
less developed countries
a country that lacks significant economic development or political institutionalization or both
empire
a single political authority that has under its sovereignty a large number of external regions or territories and different peoples
imperialism
a system in which a state extends its power to directly control territory, resources, and people beyond its borders
colonialism
an imperialist system of physically occupying a foreign territory using military force, businesses, or settlers
neocolonialism
an indirect form of imperialism in which powerful countries overly influence the economies of less-developed countries
import substitution
a mercantilist strategy for economic growth in which a country restricts imports in order to spur demand for locally produced goods
export-oriented industrialization
a mercantilist strategy for economic growth in which a country seeks out technologies and develops industries focused specifically on the export market
structural adjustment programs
a policy of economic liberalization adopted in exchange for financial support from liberal international organizations; typically includes privatizing state-run firms, ending subsidies, reducing tariff barriers, shrinking the size of the state, and welcoming foreign investment
informal economy
a segment of the economy that is not regulated or taxed by the state
microcredit
a system in which small loans are channeled to the poor through borrowing groups whose members jointly take responsibility for repayment
microfinance
a loan system covering a broad spectrum, including credit, savings, insurance, and financial transfers
comparative politics
the study and comparison of domestic politics across countries
international relations
a field in political science which concentrates on relations between countries, such as foreign policy, war, trade, and foreign aid
institution
the humanly devised constraints that structure political, economic, and social interaction
politics
the struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group
power
the ability to influence others or impose one’s will on them
comparative method
the means by which social scientists make comparisons across cases
inductive reasoning
research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses
correlation
an apparent relationship between two or more variables
causal relationship
a connection between two entities that occurs because one produces, or brings about, the other with complete or great regularity
multicausality
when variables are interconnected and interact together to produce particular outcomes
area studies
a regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered
selection bias
a focus on effects rather than causes, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about correlation or causation
endogeneity
the issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another
theory
a systematic, detailed means of explaining why a social phenomenon exists that recognizes the influence of a multitude of factors, is subject to change, and avoids moral arguments in favor of empirical arguments
modernization theory
a theory asserting that democracy can be expected as a consequence of the emergence of economic development, industrialization, education, and urbanization, all of which contribute to the emergence of a middle class
behavioral revolution
a movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries
qualitative method
study through an in-depth investigation of a limited number of cases
quantitative method
study through statistical data from many cases
rational choice
approach that assumes that individuals weigh the costs and benefits and make choices to maximize their benefits
game theory
an approach that emphasizes how actors or organizations behave in their goal to influence others; build upon assumptions of rational choice
formal institutions
institutions usually based on officially sanctioned rules that are relatively clear
informal institutions
institutions with unwritten and unofficial rules
freedom
the ability of an individual to act independently, without fear of restriction or punishment by the state or other individuals or groups in society
equality
a shared material standard of individuals within a community, society, or country
state
the human community that successfully claims a monopoly of legitimate force over a given territory
sovereignty
the legal authority of a state to carry out actions or policies within a territory independently from external actors or internal rivals
regime
the fundamental rules and norms of politics, embodying long-term goals regarding individual freedom and collective equality, where power should reside, and the use of that power
government
the leadership or elite in charge of running the state
country
term used to refer to state, government, regime, and the people who live within that political system
legitimacy
a value whereby an institution is accepted by the public as right and proper, thus giving it authority and power
traditional legitimacy
legitimacy that accepts aspects of politics because they have been institutionalized over a long period of time
charismatic legitimacy
legitimacy built on the force of ideas embodied by an individual leader
rational-legal legitimacy
legitimacy based on a system of laws and procedures that are highly institutionalized
federalism
a system in which significant governing powers, such as taxation, lawmaking, and security, are divided between a national government and several subnational governments, each of which is legally supreme in its assigned sphere; the powers of each level of governance are usually specified in a federal constitution
asymmetric federalism
when power is divided unevenly between regional bodies; for example, some regions are given greater power over taxation or language rights than others
unitary state
a state in which most political power exists at the national level, with limited local authority
devolution
a process in which political power is “sent down” to lower levels of state and govenment
strong state
a state that is able to fulfill basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy
weak state
a state that has difficulty fulfilling basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy
failed state
a state so weak that its political structures collapse, leading to anarchy and violence
capacity
the ability of the state to wield power to carry out basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and managing the economy
autonomy
the ability of the state to wield its power independently of the public, external actors or internal rivals
society
complex human organization, a collection of people bound by shared institutions that define how human relations should be conducted
ethnic identity
specific attributes and societal institutions that make one group of people culturally different from others
nation
a group that desires self-government through an independent state
national identity
a sense of belonging to a nation and a belief in its political aspirations
nationalism
pride in one’s people and the belief that they have a unique political destiny
citizenship
an individual’s relationship to the state, wherein citizens swear allegiance to that state and the state in return is obligated to provide rights to those citizens
patriotism
pride in one’s state
nation-state
a state encompassing one dominant nation that it claims to embody and represent
ethnic conflict
a conflict in which different ethnic groups struggle to achieve certain political or economic goals at each other’s expense
national conflict
a conflict in which one or more groups within a country develop clear aspirations for political independence, clashing with others as a result
political attitudes
description of one’s views regarding the speed and methods with which political changes should take place in a given society
radicals
those with a political attitude that favors dramatic, often revolutionary change
conservatives
those with a political attitude that is skeptical of change and supports the current order
reactionary
someone who seeks to restore the institutions of a real or imagined earlier order
political ideology
the basic values held by an individual about the fundamental goals of politics or the ideal balance of freedom and equality
liberalism
1) a political attitude that favors evolutionary transformation; 2) an ideology and political system that favors a limited state role in society and the economy, and places a high priority on individual political and economic freedom
social democracy
1) a political-economic system in which freedom and equality are balanced through the state’s management of the economy and the provision of social expenditures; 2) a political ideology that advocates such a system
fascism
a political ideology that asserts the superiority and inferiority of different groups of people and stresses a low degree of both freedom and equality in order to achieve a powerful state
anarchism
a political ideology that stresses the elimination of the state and private property as a way to achieve both freedom and equality for all
fundamentalism
a view of religion as absolute and inerrant that should be legally enforced by making faith the sovereign authority
culture
a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society
political culture
set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments that provide basic assumptions and rules that govern political behavior
political economy
the study of the interaction between states and markets
market
the interaction between the forces of supply and demand that allocates resources
property
goods or services that are owned by an individual or group, privately or publicly
public goods
goods, provided or secured by the state, available to society and which no private person or organization can own
social expenditures
state provision of public benefits, such as education, health care, and transportation
gross domestic product
the total market value of all goods and services produced by a country over a period of one year
central bank
the state institution that controls how much money is flowing through the economy, as well as how much it costs to borrow money in that economy
inflation
an outstripping of supply by demand, resulting in an increase in the general price level of goods and services and the resulting loss of value in a country’s currency
hyperinflation
inflation of more than 50 percent a month for more than two months in row
deflation
a period of falling prices and values for goods, services, investments, and wages
regulation
a rule or order that sets the boundaries of a given procedure
monopoly
a single producer that is able to dominate the market for a good or service without effective competition
tariff
a tax on imported goods
quota
a nontariff barrier that limits the quantity of a good that may be imported into a country
nontariff regulatory barriers
policies and regulations used to limit imports through methods other than taxation
comparative advantage
the ability of one country to produce a particular good or service more efficiently relative to other countries’ efficiency in producing the same good or service
political-economic system
the relationship between political and economic institutions in a particular country and the policies and outcomes they create
laissez-faire
the principle that the economy should be “allowed to do” what it wishes; a liberal system of minimal state interference in the economy
capitalism
a system of production based on private property and free markets
neocorporatism
a system of social democratic policy making in which a limited number of organizations representing business and labor work with the state to set economic policy
mercantilism
a political-economic system in which national economic power is paramount and the domestic economy is viewed as an instrument that exists primarily to serve the needs of the state
parastatal
industry partially owned by the state
purchasing power parity
a statistical tool that attempts to estimate the buying power of income across different countries by using prices in the U.S. as a benchmark
Gini index
a statistical formula that measures the amount of inequality in a society; its scale ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 corresponds to perfect equality and 100 to perfect inequality
human development index (HDI)
a statistical tool that attempts to evaluate the overall wealth, health, and knowledge of a country’s people
economic liberalization
changes consistent with liberalism that aim to limit the power of the state and increase the power of the market and private property in an economy
democracy
a political system in which political is exercised either directly or indirectly by the people
liberal democracy
a political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights
republicanism
indirect democracy that emphasizes the separation of powers within a state and the representation of the public through elected officials
separation of powers
the clear division of power between different branches of government and the provision that specific branches may check the power of other branches
direct democracy
democracy that allows the public to participate directly in government decision-making
indirect democracy
democracy in which representatives of the public are responsible for government decision-making
civil society
organizations outside of the state that help people define and advance their own interests
executive
the branch of government that carries out the laws and policies of a state
head of state
the executive role that symbolizes and represents the people both nationally and internationally
head of government
the executive role that deals with the everyday tasks of running the state, such as formulating and executing policy
legislature
the branch of government charged with making laws
bicameral system
a political system in which the legislature comprises two houses
unicameral system
a political system in which the legislature comprises one house
rule of law
a system in which all individuals and groups, including those in government, are subject to the law, irrespective of their power or authority
constitutional court
the highest judicial body in a political system that decides whether laws and policies violate the constitution
judicial review
the mechanism by which courts can review the actions of government and overturn those that violate the constitution
concrete review
judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on the basis of actual legal disputes brought before it
abstract reveiw
judicial review that allows the constitutional court to rule on questions that do not arise from actual legal disputes
parliamentary system
a political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are assigned to separate executive offices
vote of no confidence
vote taken by a legislature as to whether its members continue to support the current prime minister; depending on the country, a vote of no confidence can force the resignation of the prime minister and/or lead to new parliamentary elections
presidential system
a political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are combined in one executive office
semi-presidential system
an executive system that divides power between two strong executives, president and a prime minister
electoral system
a set of rules that decide how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats in a legislature
constituency
a geographical area that an elected official represents
single-member district
an electoral district with one seat
proportional representation
an electoral system in which political parties compete in multimember districts, voters choose between parties, and the seats in the district are awarded proportionally according to the results of the vote
first past the post
an electoral system in which individual candidates compete in single member districts; voters choose between candidates, and the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat
multi-member district
an electoral with more than one seat
mixed system
an electoral system that uses a combination of single-member districts and proportional representation
referendum
a national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to the constitution
initiative
a national vote called by members of the public to address a specific proposal
civil rights
individual rights regarding equality that are created by the constitution and the political regime
civil liberties
individual rights regarding freedom that are created by the constitution and the political regime
authoritarianism
a political system in which a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public
nondemocratic regimes
a political regime that is controlled by a small group of individuals who exercise power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public
totalitarianism
a nondemocratic regime that is highly centralized, possessing some form of strong ideology that seeks to transform and absorb fundamental aspects of state, society, and the economy, using a wide array of institutions
populism
a political view that does not have a consistent ideological foundation, but that emphasizes hostility toward elites and established state and economic institutions and favors greater power in the hands of the public
coercion
compelling behavior by threatening harm
co-optation
the process by which individuals are brought into a beneficial relationship with the state, making them dependent on the state for certain rewards
corporatism
a method of co-optation whereby authoritarian systems create or sanction a limited number of organizations to represent the interests of the public and restrict those not set up or approved by the state
clientelism
a process by which the state co-opts members of the public by providing specific benefits or favors to single person or small group in return for public support
rent seeking
a process in which political leaders essentially rent out parts of the state to their patrons, who as a result control public goods that would otherwise be distributed in a nonpolitical manner
kleptocracy
“rule by theft,” where those in power seek only to drain the state of assets and resources
personal/monarchical rule
rule by a single leader, with no clear regime or rules constraining that leadership
personality cult
promotion of the image of an authoritarian leader not merely as a political figure but as someone who embodies the spirit of the nation and possesses endowments of wisdom and strength far beyond those of the average individual and is thus portrayed in a quasi-religious manner
patrimonialism
an arrangement whereby a ruler depends on a collection of supporters within the state who gain direct benefits in return for enforcing the ruler’s will
bureaucratic authoritarianism
a system in which the state bureaucracy and the military share a belief that a technocratic leadership, focused on rational, objective, and technical expertise, can solve the problems of the country without public participation
theocracy
a nondemocratic form of rule where religion is the foundation for the regime
illiberal or hybrid regime
rule by an elected leadership through procedures of questionable democratic legitimacy
empirical
analysis drawn from observations of the world
normative
analysis concerned with specifying which sort of practice or institution is morally and ethically justified
operationalization
the process through which we take our basic concepts and render them measurable
evidence
information that has implication for a theory or hypothesis
level of analysis
the level (e.g., individual, organizational, societal) at which observations are made , or at which causal processes operate
case
in comparative analysis, a unit or example of a phenomenon to be studied
variable
an element or factor that is liable to change, or vary, from case to case
outcome
typically used as a synonym for “effect;” something that is produced or changed in any social or political process
dependent variable
in hypothesis testing, the effect or outcome that we expect to be acted on (or have its value altered) by the independent variable
independent variable
in hypothesis testing, the variable that we expected to “act on” or change the value of the dependent variable
variation
difference between cases in any given study of comparative politics
most-similar-systems
a research design in which we compare cases that are similar with respect to a number of factors but with distinct outcomes
most-different-systems
a research design in which we compare cases that differ with respect to multiple factors but in which the outcomes is the same
comparative checking
the process of testing the conclusions from a set of comparisons against additional cases or evidence
generalizability
the quality that a given theory, hypothesis, or finding has of being applicable to a wide number of cases
within-case comparison
the comparative analysis of variation that takes place over time or in distinct parts of a single case
hypothesis
a specific prediction, derived from a theory or model, that can be tested against empirical evidence
deductive reasoning
the process of moving from general claims or theories to specific observations or predictions about a phenomenon or set of cases
deviant case
a case that does not fit the pattern predicted by a given theory or model
inductive reasoning
the process of moving from a specific observation to more general claims
thesis
a statement for which one argues on the basis of evidence
qualititative
a form of analysis that aims to discern relationships between events of phenomena as described in narrative form, such as an account of an historical process
quantitative
a form of analysis that aims for the mathematical discernment of relationships between variables, typically involving a large number of empirical observations
inference
the process through which we aim to test observable implications (often about cause and effect) of any given theory
causation
when one thing can be shown to cause another
falsifiablity
the testability of a model or hypothesis; a good hypothesis could be logically demonstrated to be false by evidence
empirical critique
an effort to point to important evidence that does not support a conventional version of any theory or model
theoretical critique
an effort to show that a given theory or model has logical limitations
scope conditions
the conditions or range of cases for which an argument works
indicator
an element or feature that indicates the presence of an underlying factor; an observed value of a variable; a sign that a concept is present or absent in a particular case
measurement error
either an episodic error, such as improperly recording data, or a systematic error, meaning that a measurement does not fully reflect what it is designed to measure
measurement bias
a measure is biased if it will not produce comparable results for all observations
measurement validity
whether a given measurement effectively captures or represents the concept we are researching
model
a simplified picture of a part of the real world; a set of interrelated guesses about the processes that led to outcomes in the real world
truth
a criterion for assessing a causal model’s accuracy
circular model
a model that is not testable
critical experiments
a method of comparing alternative models by finding a question for which they give different answers
simplicity
a causal model that has a small number of assumptions is more attractive than one having a large number of assumptions
fertility
a causal model that produces a relatively large number of interesting predictions per assumption
justice
a criterion for assessing a model’s likely implications for the world
beauty
a model that is simple, fertile and/or surprising
dictator’s dilemma
when a dictator relies on repression to stay in power, but this repression creates incentives for everyone to falsify their preferences so that the dictator never know his true level of societal support
pacting
a mode of regime transition when elites agree upon a multilateral compromise among themselves to bring about the transition; requires elite-dominance in transition and perceived balance of power between government and opposition
resource trap
theory of development in which the existence of natural resources in a given state is a barrier to modernization and democracy
technocracy
rule by technical experts
globalization
the process of expanding and intensifying linkages between states, societies, and economies
Which of the following would NOT be an example of political violence?
crime
Terrorism - both domestic and transnational - may be most common in which type of countries?
illiberal or transitioning states
Which of the following is NOT true of Al Queda, the National Alliance, Aum Shinrikyo?
all three operate in poor countries, demonstrating the link between religious terrorism and low economic development
One common feature of religiously based political violence is
hostility to modernity
The main difference between terrorism and guerrilla warfare is that guerrilla warfare
targets state actors; terrorism targets civilians
According to the text, terrorism is the use of political violence by nonstate actors against ____ in order to achieve a political goal
civilians
Some scholars argue that revolutions occur when the public’s expectations do not match the realities of their current conditions. This is called
the relative deprivation theory
Political violence is defined as violence that is politically motivated and
outside of state control
Which of the following is NOT true about revolutions?
They include secessionist movements.
Some scholars argue that, despite the particular idea they base it on, terrorists tend to believe that all institutions and values are meaningless. This is known as
nihilism
What factors help explain why the Arab Spring emerged?
Individual action by Mohamed Bouazizi tapped into common frustrations in the region: the desire for dignity and change
Which of the following would NOT be an example of an individual explanation for political violence?
People who belong to an extreme nationalist organization may be taught that violence is necessary to achieve their goals
Terrorism has
affected economies and politics, often weakening these institutions
Which of the following is NOT a typical outcome of revolutions?
maintenance of the status quo
Which of the following is true about terrorists?
They are often driven by feelings of injustice coupled with alienation or humiliation
Some scholars argue that democratic regimes are able to reduce the threat of terrorism because of
greater political participation
Which of the following is NOT a connection between terrorism and revolution?
They can be undermined by negotiations, as both terrorist groups and revolutionary movements merely desire a seat at the negotiating table
In comparing the institutional, ideational, and individual explanations for political violence, which of the following is true?
These three factors are often interconnected, and they often work in conjunction with each other
An example of an institutional explanation for political violence would be that
electoral and executive systems (like presidentialism) reduce power sharing and block other forms of political expression.
Theda Skocpol argued that international competition with rival states leads weaker states to seek reform, but these reforms destabilize elite power and sow discord in the public. This explanation would be an example of
institutional theory
Most advanced democracies are postindustrial, meaning their economies are based on
the service sector and high-tech industries
One example of postmodern value is
diversity
While all advanced democracies are economically prosperous, they differ significantly on
the degree of inequality (measured by the Gini index) and income redistribution
The welfare state is becoming more expensive for advanced democracies, a trend magnified by what challenge?
Life expectancy is growing and the birth rate is falling.
While many advanced democracies pride themselves on postmodern values like tolerance and diversity, a major challenge that has sparked a backlash against these values is increased
immigration
Advanced democracies vary in how they regulate abortion. This would best be an example of how they differ in
defining liberty
Which of the following is NOT one of the European Union’s state-like institutions?
the European Court of Human Rights
Among the different goals of the euro, which one has been the most successful?
It rivals the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency.
Because its state-like institutions have gained considerable power over time, people now describe the European Union as:
a supranational system
The main reason behind Greece’s current economic problem is
clientelism and an extensive civil service
Which of the following is true regarding the countries that we consider advanced democracies?
As a category, they have grown remarkably more diverse over the past decade.
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic that defines an advanced democracy?
a high level of taxation
Advanced democracies are considered modern. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a modern country?
community focused
The best way to describe the evolution of the European Union is that it
developed incrementally but is now radically different from its early days
The EU challenges national sovereignty and has led to increased economic and political connection, making it one of the best-known examples of
integration
Political scientists critique the “three worlds” approach to classifying countries because
many countries do not neatly fit into these categories
Which of the following would NOT be an example of devolution?
the European Union’s establishment of the euro
While all advanced democracies are characterized by their sovereignty, in recent years we have seen a tendency toward
greater integration between countries and devolution within countries
The main reason that Sweden, Denmark, and the UK have refused to join the monetary union is because they feel that
it is a threat to state sovereignty
Which of the following has NOT been a benefit of the welfare state?
increased national defense and security
Lenin led a communist revolution in Russia in 1917; he changed Marx’s original theory by
arguing that revolution would occur not in most developed societies, but rather in less advanced countries
Regarding societal changes, which of the following identities has NOT resurfaced or changed in the postcommunist era?
urbanism
In communist countries, the top policy-making and executive body of the party was the
politburo
Marx was highly critical of __, which he argued was used to exploit people and legitimize inequality.
religion
Marx believed that tensions between classes would lead to ___, eventually moving society to a communist utopia.
revolutions
Communist political economics relied on central planning with often little care to individual well-being. Which of the following was NOT a problem stemming from these policies?
Societies reduced their industrial output in favor of more agricultural production.
Communist parties used co-optation to maintain control. This can be seen most clearly in the nomenklatura, which involved
staffing jobs in the state, government, and society with people approved by the party.
For Marx, the system of government that would emerge in the communist utopia would be
a stateless anarchy
Marx and most other communists rejected liberal democracy because they said that
it deluded the people into thinking they had a say in politics when, in fact, the wealthy had control.
With regard to their economic transitions, postcommunist countries had to
establish private property and free markets.
In China, Mao broke with Marxism and Leninism by
focusing on the peasantry instead of the working class
For Marxists, the name for all the noneconomic institutions in society (e.g., religion, national identity, culture) is the
superstructure
From 1989 to 1991, mass protests emerged across the communist world, toppling governments and leading to regime change. The one country where these mass movements failed was
China
__ was weak under communism, so establishing it was a significant democratic challenge for postcommunist countries.
The rule of law
While Marx argued that differences in __ would disappear, during the communist experience, they actually increased.
ethnicity and nationalism
During the 1980s, __ was one of Gorbachev’s major reform policies, which encouraged public debate and criticism of the government; it literally means “openness”.
glasnot
The transition toward democracy has been more successful in Eastern Europe than in the former Soviet Union, partly because Eastern European countries
adopted parliamentary systems, whereas the former Soviet Union favored strong presidencies.
Which of the following best describes Marx’s views on gender relations?
Men exploit women through the family structure, and in the communist utopia, the institution of marriage would disappear.
Communism is an ideology that seeks to create human equality by eliminating
private property and market forces.
A number of factors made some countries more successful than others in their economic transitions. Which of the following is NOT a factor that has increased the success of these transitions?
a greater history of religious activism
European imperialism was driven primarily by
economic and religious motives
One of the first major effects of imperialism was the transfer of ___ to the rest of the world.
the state
To establish state power and authority, European colonizers made the following changes to their colonial territories except
establishing democratic institutions
The main difference between colonialism and imperialism is that colonialism
involves a greater degree of physical occupation of a foreign territory using military force, businesses, or settlers.
Despite their differences, a common feature shared by many newly industrializing and less-developed countries is
a history of imperialism and colonialism
The main difference between colonialism and imperialism is that colonialism
involves a greater degree of physical occupation of a foreign territory using military force, businesses, or settlers.
Despite their differences, a common feature shared by many newly industrializing and less-developed countries is
a history of imperialism and colonialism
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are associated with structural adjustment programs. Which of the following is NOT a policy traditionally promoted by these organizations?
centralizing and nationalizing industry
Which of the following is NOT a common feature of less-developed countries?
political institutionalization
Which of the following was NOT a consequence of imperial economics?
a growth in local entrepreneurs
The best way to describe the impact imperialism had on gender identities was that
each region and each imperial power viewed gender somewhat differently.
Used by some newly industrializing and less-developed countries, ___ focuses on creating goods that can be sold to other countries.
export-oriented industrialization
Modern imperialism began when technological advancement allowed countries to project their military power far overseas. Which of the following countries possessed this capability but chose instead to retreat from overseas travel?
China
Why do many newly industrializing and less-developed countries face a significant challenge in creating cohesive national identities?
In these societies, the ethnic groups given economic advantage by the empire often continue to hold economic power after independence.
The system of small-scale loans given to local people to help them start and sustain businesses is called
microcredit
Among former “third world” countries, some, like Brazil or South Korea, have experienced significant economic growth and democratization in the past 50 years. These are known as the
newly industrializing countries.
Which of the following is true regarding import substitution?
Patents and intellectual property rights are weakened to tap into foreign innovation.
With regard to development, what does the idea of “shared sovereignty” refer to?
an arrangement in which international organizations play a more direct role in building and maintaining political institutions
Many less-developed countries lack state capacity, a trend that can often be traced back to the early days of independence, because after independence
most imperial bureaucrats left, leaving few experienced bureaucrats in these countries.
Empires functioned using which political-economic system?
mercantilism
Lichbach and Zuckerman, 1997
The reading argues that all of the three main comparativist ideologies, rationalism, culturalism, and structuralism, seek to understand important events of both the past and present by employing and applying unique modes of comparison.
Lerner and Pevsner, 1957
This reading argues that the people of Balgat would desire more than life inside their small village if they are exposed to the world outside of Balgat.
Weber, 1918
The reading suggests that modernization has led to the expropriation of political organization from numerous individual lords to the state, leading to states becoming more bureaucratic, with the political power residing with one body and staff being delegated jobs that keep them dependent upon the state.
Rotberg, 2002
The reading argues that a nation-state fails when it is unable to provide adequate goods or services to its people due to bad leaders or groups in the state, removing the legitimacy of its government and causing a power vacuum that can be filled by unsanctioned violence and corruption.
Herbst, 1990
The reading argues that Africa has not seen the political organization and state development that Europe experienced because it has not had significant interstate war to cause a more efficient tax system and a national identity to develop.
Posner, 2004
“I argue that the political salience of a cultural cleavage will depend on the sizes of the groups that it defines relative to the size of the arena in which political competition is talking place.”
Fearon and Laitin, 2003
This reading argues that civil war cannot be predicted by ethnic or religious differences, but by how favorable conditions in a state are for insurgency.
Acemoglu, 2003
The reading argues that while geographic conditions in an economically underdeveloped country may contribute to its lagging economy, bad institutions are actually the cause of the lack of economic development.
Krugman, 1994
This reading argues that rapid Asian economic growth can be accounted for, like the growth seen in the Soviet Union in the 1950s, due to growth inputs such as labor and capital, instead of gains made in efficiency, thus Asian economic growth is not sustainable.
Schmitter and Karl, 1991
This reading argues that democracy is a regime in which people placed in authority are held accountable by citizens, often indirectly through their elected representatives, but democracy is not necessarily more efficient economically and administratively, more orderly and governable, or economically free, often because of the ability of citizens to hold their leaders accountable.
Ansell and Samuels, 2014
This reading argues that democracy emerges when economically up-and-coming groups act to limit the power of the elite, which is particularly likely during times of high economic inequality that has created fragmentation among the elite.
Berman, 1997
This reading argues that civil society is neutral in the promotion or downfall of democracy, but, rather, the strength of political institutionalization determines the success of democratization.
Linz and Stepan, 1996
This reading argues that solely using democracy, totalitarianism, and authoritarianism to classify regimes is too limiting, and the addition of post-totalitarianism and sultanism as classifications would help further the study of how prior regime type affects democratic transition.
Levitsky and Way, 2002
This reading argues that competitive authoritarianism’s distinct mix of democratic institutions and norms mixed with authoritarian leadership that are often widely ignored has a significant historical basis in each state that is impactful for its economy, human rights, and chances of democracy.
King, Pan, and Roberts, 2013
This reading argues that the Chinese government censors internet posts based not on how critical it is of the government, but how likely the post is to incite collective action.
Crenshaw, 1981
This reading argues that there are three factors that need to be studied to identify the cause of terrorism: the circumstances for terrorism, the logic for terrorism, and the personal motivation for terrorism.
Abrahms, 2008
This reading argues that the goal of terrorists isn’t to achieve a political goal, but, instead, to form a community and gain social acceptance from a group.
Skocpol, 1976
This reading argues that social revolutions occur due to the inability for central administrations and the military to function acceptably, large peasant uprisings, and ostracized elites instituting political change.
Kuran, 1991
This reading argues that the Eastern European Revolution that marked the end of the Cold War was not expected or guaranteed, but what was ensured was that the revolution would catch everyone off guard.
Diamond, 2008
This reading argues that while Africa has seen significant movement toward democratization in order to further that progress and keep it from regressing, it will require taking measures that ensure good governance.
Marx and Engels, 1978
This reading argues that Europe was on the verge of an uprising of the proletariat to overthrow the bourgeoisie’s system of oppression of the working class to institute a system of no private property, with the state controlling industry, banking, communication, and transportation.
Darden and Grzymala-Busse, 2006
This reading argues that countries voted out communist-affiliated parties at higher rates of pre-communist schooling that would have established a pre-Soviet Union national identity, creating an environment more hostile to communism.
Hale, 2016
This reading argues that Eurasia has not democratized due to its presidential system that is highly patronalist.
Evans and Popova, 2014
This reading argues that the argument that the argument that cash transfers should not be used in developing countries because the excess money will be spent on alcohol and tobacco cannot be supported.
Inglehart, 2008
This reading argues that people hold post-materialist values when they are raised in a period of relative security and prosperity and hold materialist values when raised in times of uncertainty, and those values don’t change for people over time as they age.
Rodrik, 2011
This reading argues that global governance is not realistic due to logistical concerns, as well as, ultimately, a lack of desire among people around the world.
