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Pol > Midterm > Flashcards

Midterm Flashcards

1
Q

Direct Democracy

A

Citizens directly participate in decision-making without intermediaries.

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2
Q

Representative Democracy

A

Citizens elect officials to make decisions on their behalf.

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3
Q

Free and Fair Elections

A

Elections that are open, transparent, and competitive, ensuring equal participation and honest results.

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4
Q

Civil Liberties

A

Individual rights and freedoms that protect citizens from government overreach.

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5
Q

Universal Participation

A

All eligible members of a society have the right to participate in political processes.

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6
Q

Responsible Government

A

A government that is accountable to the public and must maintain the confidence of the legislature.

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7
Q

Majoritarian Democracies

A

Systems where the majority’s will is prioritized, often with a focus on majority rule.

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8
Q

Consensus Democracies

A

Political systems designed to include and balance the interests of a wide range of groups, promoting broad agreement.

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9
Q

Government

A

The institutions and individuals who exercise political authority in a state.

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10
Q

Cabinet

A

A group of senior government officials, usually heads of government departments, who advise the head of government.

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11
Q

Head of State

A

The official figurehead of a country, often with symbolic and ceremonial roles.

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12
Q

Head of Government

A

The leader responsible for running the government and implementing laws (e.g., a prime minister or president).

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13
Q

Hereditary Monarchs

A

Rulers who inherit their position by birth, often within a royal family

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14
Q

Presidents

A

Elected heads of state in republican systems, sometimes also serving as head of government.

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15
Q

Ceremonial Presidents

A

Presidents with mainly symbolic duties and little executive power.

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16
Q

Direct Election

A

An election where voters directly choose their representatives or leaders without intermediaries.

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17
Q

Separation of Powers

A

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising too much power.

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18
Q

Fixed Terms of Office

A

Elected officials serve for set periods of time before the next election is held.

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19
Q

Runoff Election

A

A second-round election held if no candidate achieves a majority in the first round.

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20
Q

Checks and Balances

A

A system where each branch of government has some measure of influence over the others to prevent abuses of power.

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21
Q

Divided Government

A

When different political parties control different branches of government.

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22
Q

Gridlock

A

The inability to pass legislation due to conflicts between different branches or political parties.

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23
Q

Veto Points

A

Opportunities within the political process where decisions can be blocked or vetoed.

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24
Q

Plurality

A

When a candidate or party wins more votes than any other, but not necessarily a majority.

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25
Q

Majority

A

More than half of the votes or seats in an election or decision-making body.

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26
Q

Cohabitation

A

When a country’s head of state and head of government come from different political parties, often in semi-presidential systems.

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27
Q

Zero-Sum

A

A situation in which one party’s gain is exactly balanced by another’s loss.

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28
Q

Vote of No Confidence

A

A parliamentary vote that can force the government to resign if it loses the support of the majority.

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29
Q

Parliamentary Sovereignty

A

The principle that the legislative body has supreme authority over other governmental institutions.

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30
Q

Constructive Vote of No Confidence

A

A mechanism where a government can only be removed if a replacement government is immediately proposed.

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31
Q

Coalition Government

A

A government formed by multiple political parties working together, often when no single party has a majority.

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32
Q

Minority Government

A

A government formed by a party that does not have a majority of seats but can govern with external support.

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33
Q

Electoral System

A

The method by which votes are counted and translated into seats in a legislature

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34
Q

Single-Member Plurality (SMP)

A

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a district wins, also known as “first-past-the-post.”

35
Q

Proportional Representation

A

An electoral system where parties receive seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive.

36
Q

Ranked Choice

A

A voting system where voters rank candidates in order of preference.

37
Q

Instant Run-off Voting

A

A type of ranked-choice voting where the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and votes are redistributed until one candidate has a majority.

38
Q

District Magnitude

A

The number of representatives elected from a particular district.

39
Q

Party List Voting

A

A proportional representation system where voters select a party, and seats are allocated based on party lists.

40
Q

Open List

A

A party list system where voters can influence the order of candidates on a party’s list. Voters vote for a specific candidate

41
Q

Closed List

A

A party list system where voters can only choose a party, and the party determines the order of its candidates.

42
Q

Cabinet Portfolios

A

Specific areas of responsibility assigned to individual members of the cabinet (e.g., health, defense, education).

43
Q

Electoral Threshold

A

The minimum percentage of votes a party needs to gain seats in a legislature.

44
Q

Pink Tide

A

A wave of left-leaning political movements and governments that rose to power in Latin America in the early 21st century.

45
Q

Post-Communist Parties

A

Political parties that emerged in former communist countries after the fall of the Soviet Union.

46
Q

Social Democratic Parties

A

Parties that advocate for social justice and welfare within a capitalist economy.

47
Q

Green Parties

A

Political parties focused on environmental issues, sustainability, and social justice.

48
Q

Liberal Parties

A

Parties that emphasize individual freedoms, democracy, and free-market policies.

49
Q

Christian Democratic Parties

A

Parties with a focus on conservative social values often based on Christian principles, while supporting welfare policies.

50
Q

Conservative Parties

A

Parties that advocate for traditional values, limited government, and free-market policies.

51
Q

Radical Right Parties

A

Parties that often promote nationalism, anti-immigration policies, and a strong central government.

52
Q

Separatist Parties

A

Political parties that seek independence or autonomy for a region or ethnic group.

53
Q

Nativist

A

A political stance favoring the interests of native-born inhabitants over those of immigrants.

54
Q

Conflict Cleavages

A

Deep divisions in society based on factors like ethnicity, religion, or class, which can drive political conflict.

55
Q

Duverger’s Law

A

The theory that single-member plurality electoral systems tend to favor a two-party system.

56
Q

Revolution

A

A fundamental and sudden change in political power or organizational structures, often through mass movements.

57
Q

Coup d’état

A

A sudden and illegal seizure of government power, typically by the military or a small group.

58
Q

Social Revolution

A

A revolution that fundamentally changes social structures along with political institutions.

59
Q

Political Revolution

A

A revolution focused on changing political institutions without drastically altering social structures.

60
Q

Relative Deprivation

A

The perception of disadvantage compared to others, which can lead to political unrest and revolutions.

61
Q

Revolutions from Above

A

Changes initiated by elites or leaders, rather than by mass movements from the population.

62
Q

Revolutions from Below

A

Mass movements or grassroots uprisings that seek to overthrow or reform the government.

63
Q

Labor Repressive Agriculture

A

Agricultural systems that rely on coercion of the labor force, typically linked to feudal or pre-industrial economies.

64
Q

Democratic Consolidation

A

The process by which a new democracy matures, becoming stable and unlikely to revert to authoritarianism.

65
Q

Democratic Transition

A

The process of moving from an authoritarian regime to a democratic system.

66
Q

Unitary States

A

Political systems where power is centralized in the national government with limited autonomy for regional governments

67
Q

Federal States

A

Political systems where power is shared between a national government and regional governments.

68
Q

Subsidiary Principle

A

The principle that political decisions should be made at the most local level possible.

69
Q

Coordinate Governments

A

Governments that share power across different branches or levels in a way that each has equal authority.

70
Q

Devolution

A

The transfer of powers from a central government to regional or local governments.

71
Q

Centralize/Decentralize

A

Centralizing refers to concentrating power at the national level, while decentralizing disperses power to regional or local governments.

72
Q

Infrastructural Capacity

A

The ability of a government to effectively implement policies and maintain control over its territory.

73
Q

Nationalism

A

A political ideology that emphasizes loyalty and devotion to the nation, often tied to a sense of shared identity and sovereignty.

74
Q

Primordialism

A

The theory that ethnic or national identities are ancient and unchanging.

75
Q

Modernization

A

The theory that as societies develop, they become more democratic and economically advanced.

76
Q

Rational Choice

A

A theory that assumes individuals act in their own best interest, making decisions based on cost-benefit analysis.

77
Q

Ethnonationalism

A

A form of nationalism in which the nation is defined by a shared ethnic identity.

78
Q

Barreto 2009

A

This study highlights how targeted, grassroots campaigns can effectively mobilize minority voters, increasing turnout and political engagement in underrepresented groups.

79
Q

Ziblatt 2004

A

The study argues that the strength of regional elites and institutions influences whether a nation develops federal or centralized governance systems.

80
Q

Skocpol 1976

A

Skocpol’s analysis emphasizes that revolutions occur not just from popular discontent but from structural state weaknesses, leading to power vacuums that enable revolutionary movements.

81
Q

Isaacs 1961

A

Isaacs shows that ethnic identity is socially constructed and maintained through shared experiences, especially when threatened by external forces, leading to stronger in-group solidarity.

82
Q

Duverger 1964

A

Formulates Duverger’s Law, which posits that electoral systems shape party systems—plurality voting tends to lead to a two-party system, while proportional representation fosters multiparty systems.

83
Q

Mainwaring 1991

A

Mainwaring argues that well-institutionalized party systems are crucial for democratic stability in Latin America, as weak or fluid party systems can lead to democratic breakdowns. Mainwaring argues that the country’s combination of a proportional representation electoral system and a strong federal structure encourages personalistic and clientelistic politics, weakening party cohesion

84
Q

Linz 1990

A

Critiques presidential systems for being prone to democratic instability, especially in Latin American contexts, due to fixed terms and potential for conflict between the executive and legislature.
More likely to gridlock

Pol (4 decks)

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