Midterm 1 - Key Terms

Question 1

hypothesis

Answer 1

argument that links cause to effect; this leads to that
A → B

Question 2

independent variable

Answer 2

changes the value of the dependent variable

Question 3

dependent variable

Answer 3

effect or outcome that we expected to have its value altered

Question 4

method of agreement (MDSD)

Answer 4

most different systems design; compares and contrasts cases with different attributes but same outcomes

Question 5

method of difference (MSSD)

Answer 5

most similar systems design; identify key features among similar countries; compares and contrasts cases with same attributes but different outcomes

Question 6

quantitative research

Answer 6

looking for correlations about cause/effect; emphasis of BREADTH OVER DEPTH; used to generalize about the world and not learn about a specific country

Question 7

qualitative research

Answer 7

mastery of a few cases through a detailed study of their history, language, and culture; emphasis of DEPTH OVER BREADTH; focus on only a few countries and go extremely in depth on those countries - may do interviews that are semi-structured

Question 8

institutions

Answer 8

structure or a mechanism of social order governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a community; difficult to change

Question 9

endogeneity

Answer 9

variable ambiguity - which variable is cause and which is effect?

Question 10

state

Answer 10

a political organization that maintains a monopoly of force over its given territory

Question 11

regime

Answer 11

fundamental rules and norms of politics that shape long term goals regarding individuals freedom and equality where powers should reside and use of that power; type can change over time

Question 12

government

Answer 12

leadership or elite who run the state and make policies

Question 13

sovereignty

Answer 13

state’s ability to control what’s going on within its own borders without interference from outside forces (other states, organizations) or people within its borders

Question 14

state strength (Fukuyama)

Answer 14

the abilities and capacity of a state to carry out its duties

Question 15

state scope (Fukuyama)

Answer 15

the range of abilities a state carries out

Question 16

head of state/head of government

Answer 16

dispersed medieval authority (no sovereignty)
centralized modern authority (sovereignty)

Question 17

modern international state system (its characteristics: sovereignty, more centralized, consolidated, etc)

Answer 17

territory is more consolidated, unified, centralized, and under a sovereign government; historical endpoint of medieval era is Peace of Westphalia (1648)

Question 18

state making through marriage

Answer 18

people in royal families of various countries get married and form alliances between countries (Ex. France-Brittany in 16th century)

Question 19

state making through wars

Answer 19

conflicts between centers of power leads to the winner forcibly annexing the loser’s territory

Question 20

the Peace of Westphalia/sovereignty

Answer 20

Peace of Westphalia in 1648 following the 30 Year’s War; lead to the creation of sovereignty and king’s recognizing each other and authority is bound by territory and greater incentive to regulate and promote economy

Question 21

fragile state index

Answer 21

measures state strength/weakness

Question 22

federalism

Answer 22

shared agreement on how the government is going to function; the principle of sharing - in this case how the government is going to function
US, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Brazil

Question 23

asymmetric federalism

Answer 23

one or more of the substates has considerably more or less autonomy than other substates, although they have the same constitutional states
In Spain, distributive tensions between regions (led to Catalonia independence referendum in 2010s)

Question 24

unitary states

Answer 24

sovereignty resides within the center; power is not constitutionally divides between layers of government but resides exclusively in the central government
Netherlands, France, Turkey, Sweden, UK, Peru, Colombia, Japan

Question 25

decentralization

Answer 25

the concept of power being allocated away from the center; found in both federal and unitary states; not a constitutional distinction

Question 26

dual federalism

Answer 26

national and state governments operate independently; each tier acts autonomously; linked through constitutional compact; federal government collects taxes, pays debts, provides defense, welfare

Question 27

cooperative federalism

Answer 27

more collaboration between levels - overall leadership of central government; national-state government work as partners; solidarity and subsidiarity; aims to ensure social peace by giving share in decision making

Question 28

nation

Answer 28

a collectively held political identity; a group thought of as sovereign and equal comprised of a large bounded population

Question 29

nationalism

Answer 29

the belief that the nation has a unique, sovereign political destiny

Question 30

nation building

Answer 30

states develop national identities to become more legitimate (public education, invented traditions, conscription)

Question 31

xenophobia

Answer 31

excluding foreign individuals from the territory of the state

Question 32

irredentism

Answer 32

seeks to create a greater nation beyond the limits of an already existing political unit

Question 33

minority seeking more autonomy

Answer 33

seeking to reform the political system of a state to give more autonomy to a political identity

Question 34

minority seeking independence

Answer 34

seeking independence for a national minority locked within another nation state

Question 35

constructivist view of the nation/imagined communities

Answer 35

imagined communities, Benedict Anderson; essentially states that you might not get to know every member of your nation yet there is still a sense of community