Midterm 1: terms (ch 1-8) Flashcards
political socialization
the process by which ones attitudes and values are shaped to support the political system.
public-opinion polls
surveys that seek to determine how different groups of people perceive political issues.
Demographics
classifications of different groups of people that usually refer to ones race, class, ethnicity, gender, wealth, age, place of residence, employment status, level of education etc…
Social contract theorists
thinkers beginning in the 17th century who sought to explain human nature by looking at the terms by which governments are set up in the first place
“politics is…
who gets what, when and how”
Capitalism
an economic system in which the means of production, such as land and factories, are privately owned and operated for profit.
Communism
the economy, including capital, property, major industries, and public services, is controlled and directed by the state and in that sense is “communal”
Direct democracy
democracy in which the people as a whole make direct decisions, rather than have those decisions made for them by elected representatives
Liberal
A person who believes it is the duty of the government to ameliorate social conditions and create a more equitable society.
Libertarianism
the belief that the government should not interfere in the lives of citizens, other than to provide police and military protection.
Monarchy
form of rulership whereby a king or queen, empress or emperor holds absolute or limited power, usually inherited.
Representative Democracy
a system of government in which the people elect agents to represent them in a legislature.
Republic
the form of govt. in which ultimate power resides in the people, who elect representatives to participate in decision making on their behalf.
Socialism
a political system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are mostly owned by the state and used, at least in theory, on behalf of the people.
who was the first woman to serve on the supreme court?
Sandra Day O’Connor
Arab Spring
the pro-democratic political movements (2011) spreading throughout the middle east and northern Africa.
“Hard power”
nations exert hard power when they compel other nations to modify their behavior through military and/or economic force.
“soft power”
where leverage is gained through the sway of diplomatic and cultural persuasion.
Counterterrorism
a police or military strategy that employs offensive tactics to preempt or deter future terrorist attacks.
Counterinsurgency
military strategy that includes military, political, economic, and humanitarian efforts in an attempt to win over the hearts and minds of the domestic population.
Counterinsurgency
military strategy that includes military, political, economic, and humanitarian efforts in an attempt to win over the hearts and minds of the domestic population.
political science
the academic discipline that seeks to understand the relationship between individuals and political institutions.
traditionalism
the methodological tradition that seeks to understand if certain government or political institutions are behaving in ordinance with how they”ought to behave”
Normative
a normative approach is any approach that seeks to determine how onw “ought” to live.
Variable
features or attributes of social science research. in particular, a variable might look at the relationship between race and voting, age and voting, or religious preference and voting.
postbehavioralism
the school of thought that seeks to combine elements of the traditional approach, especially the idea of values, with those of behavioralism.
comparative politics
subfield of political science that examines different types of institutions and issues within different countries .
international relations
field of political science that studies the way nations interact with one another and the influence of global trendson nation-states.
The Socratic method of teaching
a belief that we can only come to knowledge by recognizing our own ignorance.
Socrates employed (?) theory to philosophy
normative
Socrates is considered to be a “?” philosopher, not a “political” philosopher.
moral philosopher
who is considered the first Western political philosopher?
Plato
Plato believed that human behavior is comprised of three competing states of mind:
craftspeople/appetites, auxiliaries/spirits, and guardians/rational.
who wrote the “Republic”?
Plato
Plato sets out his theory of forms in order to prove that…
only those with perfect knowledge can place public interest over self-interest, and, therefore, be qualified to rule a polis.
Aristotle used a more (?) approach to politics
Scientific/ Empirical
Plato’s theory of forms
- The world of appearances (things we can see)
- The intelligible world (things beyond our physical senses)
Aristotle theorized that there are three distinct form of human communities:
- the family unit
- the village
- the polis (state)
what is Aristotles’ view of happiness?
he believes happiness is acheived when we as humans actually realize our potential by achieving our preexisting purpose.
what are the 6 political systems that Aristotle explained
- monarchy
- tyrant
- aristocracy
4.oligarchy - polity
6.democracy
who were the Sophists?
a group of political thinkers who were primarily responsible for shifting the focus of Greek philosophy from the universe to the individual. they believed that human beings are naturally power seeking and predisposed to the pursuit of self-interest.
The Theory of Being
the belief that underlying our ever-changing material world is a preexisting and permanent design.
The Theory of Becoming
the belief that universe was in a constant state of random and arbitrary change (becoming) and could be understood in material terms.
Civil disobedience
the refusal to obey governmental demands or commands,especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the govt.
Peloponnesian War
the war between Athens and Sparta (431 to 404 BCE). Sparta with the assistance of Persia, built a massive fleet that destroyed the Athenian navy at Aegospotami in405 bce, the war destroyed Athens.
what was the purpose of Platos’ “The Republic”
to highlight Socrates contention that knowledge goes well beyond simply understanding individual self interest and is needed to understand the larger objective truth: that the highest form of happiness is attained when we nurture the human soul by pursuing justice rather than self-interest.
Aristocracy
a govt. in which power is vested in a minority, consisting of those believed to be best qualified
Timocracy
a govt. in which the love of honor is the highest ruling principle.
Oligarchy
govt. in which a small group exercises control over the masses.
Tyrant
an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution
Natural Law
a body of law or a special principle held to be derived from nature and binding upon human society.
Positive Law
a body of law established or recognized by a governmental authority.
Democracy- Middle class
Aristotle argued that democracy required a strong middle class to help balance the interests of the wealthy and the poor.
Wealth of congress
70% of U.S. senators are classified as millionaires. With the most wealthy man having a total of $135.7 million.
Social Contract theory
a wide range of theories related closely with John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the most appropriate relationship between the state and the individual. Social contract theorists typically provide an 1. observation on human nature 2. observation on problems that arise in the absence of govt. and 3. a recommendation
Social Contract theory
a wide range of theories related closely with John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the most appropriate relationship between the state and the individual. Social contract theorists typically provide an 1. observation on human nature 2. observation on problems that arise in the absence of govt. and 3. a recommendation
Describe Machiavelli’s contribution to political theory.
he is one of the first to assert that power, and not justice, is the key unit of analysis in politics. and his text “The Prince” provides practical yes amoral advice on how to attain and maintain political power.
Hobbes’ departure from Ancient Greek political thought.
Greeks saw political power as merely a means to promote justice. Hobbes believed political power was a means toward the more limited aim of preventing chaos and warfare. Hobbes broke from Greek traditions by denying the existence of a universal objective truth, Hobbes was a nominalist.
Hobbes’ view of Human nature
He believed that not all humans were virtuous, though most were good, and instead they were born as blank slates without any preconceived notions of anything. Locke also believed that our sense of right and wrong is developed from the knowledge we gain through our five senses (external) and our powers of reflection (internal).
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
the father of the French Revolution, and is seen as the last great social contract theorist. his social contract theory differed from Locke’s, because his social contract called for greater quality under law, and he advocated for a more direct democracy. He also proposed a new social contract whereby individuals surrender all rights to a general will in exchange for having an equal voice in what that general will should be.
