Political Flashcards
Political Geography
The study of the political organization of the world.
State
A politically organized territory with a permanent population, a defined territory, and a government … aka a Country
Territory
An area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state.
Sovereignty
A government’s right to control its own territory, both politically and militarily.
Mercantilism
The accumulation of wealth through plunder, colonization, and the protection of home industries and foreign markets.
Peace of Westphalia
In 1648 ended the Thirty Years War and marked the formal beginning of the modern state system.
Nation
A group of people who think of themselves as one based on a sense of shared culture and history, and who seek some degree of political-territorial autonomy.
Nation-State
A politically organized area in which nation and state occupy the same space.
Democracy
A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
Multinational State
A state with more than one nation inside its borders.
Multi State Nation
When a nation stretches across borders and across states.
Stateless Nation
When nations do not have a state.
Colonialism
The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. (Geometric)
Berlin conference-divided Africa
- No Africans
- Superimposed boundaries-disregarded african ethnic boundaries
World-Systems-Theory
1) The world-economy has one market and a global division of labor.
2) Although the world has multiple states, almost everything takes place within the context of the world-economy.
3) The world-economy has a three-tier structure.
Capitalism
An economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.
Core
More developed countries-economically dominant (higher levels of education, higher salaries, and more technology).
Periphery
Lesser developed countries with lower social standing and little technological advances.
Semi Periphery
Places where core and periphery processes are both occurring.
Centripetal Forces
Forces within a state that unify the people within that state.
Centrifugal Forces
Forces within a state that divide the people within that state.
Unitary State
A sovereign state governed as a single entity in which the central government is the supreme authority. (1 central government)
Federal State
A territorial and constitutional community forming part of a federation. (Central government, shares power with regional/sub-state).
Devolution
The movement of power “downwards” from the central government to regional governments within the state.
Reapportionment
Process by which districts are moved according to population shifts, so that each district encompasses approximately the same number of people.
