Midterm 1 - Key Terms Flashcards
hypothesis
argument that links cause to effect; this leads to that
A → B
independent variable
changes the value of the dependent variable
dependent variable
effect or outcome that we expected to have its value altered
method of agreement (MDSD)
most different systems design; compares and contrasts cases with different attributes but same outcomes
method of difference (MSSD)
most similar systems design; identify key features among similar countries; compares and contrasts cases with same attributes but different outcomes
quantitative research
looking for correlations about cause/effect; emphasis of BREADTH OVER DEPTH; used to generalize about the world and not learn about a specific country
qualitative research
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
institutions
structure or a mechanism of social order governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a community; difficult to change
endogeneity
variable ambiguity - which variable is cause and which is effect?
state
a political organization that maintains a monopoly of force over its given territory
regime
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
government
leadership or elite who run the state and make policies
sovereignty
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
state strength (Fukuyama)
the abilities and capacity of a state to carry out its duties
state scope (Fukuyama)
the range of abilities a state carries out
head of state/head of government
dispersed medieval authority (no sovereignty)
centralized modern authority (sovereignty)
modern international state system (its characteristics: sovereignty, more centralized, consolidated, etc)
territory is more consolidated, unified, centralized, and under a sovereign government; historical endpoint of medieval era is Peace of Westphalia (1648)
state making through marriage
people in royal families of various countries get married and form alliances between countries (Ex. France-Brittany in 16th century)
state making through wars
conflicts between centers of power leads to the winner forcibly annexing the loser’s territory
the Peace of Westphalia/sovereignty
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
fragile state index
measures state strength/weakness
federalism
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
asymmetric federalism
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)
unitary states
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
decentralization
the concept of power being allocated away from the center; found in both federal and unitary states; not a constitutional distinction
dual federalism
national and state governments operate independently; each tier acts autonomously; linked through constitutional compact; federal government collects taxes, pays debts, provides defense, welfare
cooperative federalism
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
nation
a collectively held political identity; a group thought of as sovereign and equal comprised of a large bounded population
nationalism
the belief that the nation has a unique, sovereign political destiny
nation building
states develop national identities to become more legitimate (public education, invented traditions, conscription)
xenophobia
excluding foreign individuals from the territory of the state
irredentism
seeks to create a greater nation beyond the limits of an already existing political unit
minority seeking more autonomy
seeking to reform the political system of a state to give more autonomy to a political identity
minority seeking independence
seeking independence for a national minority locked within another nation state
constructivist view of the nation/imagined communities
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
