Midterm Flashcards
Monopoly of force
is an organization that monopolizes coercive power and decision-making authority within a geographic territory.
The State
is an organization that monopolizes coercive power and decision-making authority within a geographic territory. - WEBER
Power
The ability to cause a person either to take an action that she would prefer not to take or to refrain from acting in ways that she would prefer.
Sovereignty
The power or authority to make and enforce decisions for a group of individuals.
War and conflict
The notion that the state became the dominant political unit because of its superiority in waging war and taking over territory.
Bureaucracy
An organization with rules and regulations that coordinates a large group of people whose jobs entail governing the population within a territory.
Taxation
The required contribution of resources from people living within a territory whose use is determined by the leaders governing the population.
Commerce and trade
The notion that the state became the dominant political unit because of its superiority in promoting economic exchange which led to an increase in the wealth of people living within the territory.
Imperialism
A political system in which some states exert influence over other territories through the use of diplomacy and military force.
Colonialism
A form of imperialism in which some states exert direct control over other territories through the establishment of settlements.
Public goods
Items that an individual can consume without reducing its availability to others and the consumption of which no one is excluded.
Free riding
When members of a group who benefit from a collective good fail to contribute to the provision of it.
Rivalrous
A characteristic of a good in that consumption of the item by some people prevents others from simultaneously consuming it.
Excludable
A characteristic of a good in that people can be prevented from consuming it.
Selective incentives
Rewards or punishments given out on the basis of whether individuals contributed to the provision of a good.
Coordination problem
A situation in which individuals will be better off if they choose the same course of action, but where there are multiple actions that will work well, and no obvious reason to prefer one over the other.
Shared beliefs
Beliefs about the action to take in a given situation which is shared among members of a group, allowing them to act in coordinated, predictable ways
Focal point
A natural center of focus for members of a group which helps coordinate their expectations and actions in the absence of direct communication.
Order
A situation in which individuals do not fear for their lives or the sources of their livelihood.
Disorder
A situation in which people face insecurity about their physical well-being or possessions because those who possess superior force can exercise it without restraint.
State Building
The process by which territorial units develop their ability to use force and extract taxes from the population.
Political regime
The rules that define who has power in a state, how the people with power are chosen, and who can hold these people accountable for how they use their power.
Tragedy of commons
A situation in which individuals, who have access to a common resource, act independently following their self-interest, resulting in depletion of the resource.
International organizations
Entities formed by agreements between states which enjoy legal status above the level of a state, and which are charged with pursuing goals embedded in international agreements.
Non-governmental organizations
Nonprofit entities which operate independently of states in the pursuit of humanitarian, political, economic, or social goals.
Closed-list system
System in which voters vote for a party list, not for individual, specific candidates within this list.
Open-list system
System in which voters vote for a party list and also for one or several candidates within that list.
Ranked-choice voting
System in which voters rank the candidate by order of preference (first, second, third, or more).
Plurality
Rule according to which the candidate with the most votes is elected, even if that is under 50%
Majority
Rule according to which a candidate must obtain more than 50% of the votes to get elected.
Proportionality
Rule according to which the share of seats that a party obtains in a given district corresponds to its share of votes, also known as proportional representation (PR).
Mixed system
A system that combines plurality (or majority) and proportional representation in the transformation of votes into seats
Modern State
- Defined borders and territory
- Within state territory government has monopoly on legitimate use of
force - Authority flows from center to regions
- Common legal system (with or without the rule of law)
- Common currency, flag, anthem
- Standing army, police, bureaucracy, judiciary, taxation, etc
- Social welfare system (schools, hospitals)
- Mass concept of citizenship (mass nation)
States in Premodern Period (pre 16th century)
Local personal and commercial relations define lives of people; broader ranges of authority were only
* vaguely defined
* Armies did not represent broader authority
* State borders not precisely defined
* No common legal system
* State building was a slow and violent process:
Regimes
the content of the rules that define who has power in a state, how the people with power are chosen, and who can hold these people accountable for how they use their power
