Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Human Geography > Political > Flashcards

Political Flashcards

0
Q

Balkanization

A

the contentious political process by which a state may break up into smaller countries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
1
Q

Antecedent boundaries

A

a boundary line established before an area is popuated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Buffer state

A

a relatively small country sandwiched between two larger powers. The existence of buffer sates may help to prevent dangerous conflicts between powerful countries.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

centrifugal forces

A

forces that tend to divide a country

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

centripetal forces

A

forces that tend to unite or bind a country together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

colonialism

A

the expansion and perpetuation of an empire

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

commonwealth of Independent States

A

Confederacy of independent states of the former Soviet Union that have united because of their common economic and administrative needs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Compact state

A

a state that possesses a roughly circular, oval, or rectangular territory in which the distance from the geometric center is relatively equal in all directions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Confederation

A

A form of an international organization that brings several autonomous states together for a common purpose.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Democratization

A

the process of establishing representative and accountable forms of government led by popularly elected officials.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Devolution

A

The delegation of legal authority from a central government to lower levels of political organization, such as a state or country.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Domino theory

A

the idea that political destabilization in one country can lead to collapse of political stability in neighboring countries, starting a chain reaction of collapse.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

East/west divide

A

Geographic separation between the largely democratic and free market countries of Western Europe and the Americas from the communist and socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Asia.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Electoral College

A

A certain number of electors from each state proportiinal to and seemingly representative of that state’s population. Each elector chooses a candidate believing they are representing their constituency’s choice. The candidate who receives a higher proportion of electoral votes within a state receives all the electoral votes for that state.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Electoral vote

A

the decision of a particular state elector that represents the dominant views of that elector’s state.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

elongated state

A

a state whose territory is long and narrow in shape.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

enclaves

A

any small and relatively homogenous group or region surrounded by another larger and different group or region.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

EU

A

International organization comprised of Western European countries to promote free trade among members.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Exclave

A

A bounded territory that is part of a particular state but is separated from it by the territory of a different state.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Federalism

A

a system of government in which power is distributed among certain geographical territories rather than concentrated within a central government

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

fragmented state

A

a state that is not a contiguous whole but rather separated parts.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

frontier

A

an area where borders are shifting and weak and where peoples of different cultures or nationalities meet and lay claim to the land.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Geometric boundary

A

political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Geopolitics

A

the study of the interplay between political relations and the territorial context in which they occur

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Gerrymandering
the designation of voting districts so as to favor a particular political party or candidate
25
Heartland theory
hypothesis proposed by Halford Machinder that held that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain enough strength to eventually dominate the world.
26
Imperialism
the perpetuation of a colonial empire even after it is no longer politically sovereign
27
International organization
an alliance of two or more countries seeking cooperation with each other without giving up either's autonomy or self-determination.
28
Landlocked state
a state that is completely surrounded by the land of other states, which gives it a disadvantage in terms of accessibility of and from international trade routes
29
Law of the sea
Law establishing states' rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use of the earth's seas and oceans and their resources.
30
Lebenstraum
Hitler's expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire "living space" for the German people.
31
microstate
a state or territory that is small in both population and size
32
nation
tightly knit group of individuals sharing a common language, ethnicity, religion, and other cultural attributes.
33
nationalism
a sense of national pride to such an extent of exalting one nation above all others.
34
nation-state
a country whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity
35
North American Free Trade Agreement
agreement signed on Jan. 1 1994, that allows the opening of borders between the US, Mexico and Canada.
36
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
An international organization that has joined together for military purposed
37
North/south divide
the economic division between the wealthy countries of Europe and North America, Japan, and Australia and the generally poorer countries of Asia, Africa, And Latin America
38
Organic theory
the view that states resemble biological organisms with life cycles that include states of youth, maturity and old age
39
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
An international economic organization whose member countries all produce and export oil
40
Perforated State
a state whose territory completely surrounds that of another state
41
Physical boundary
Political boundaries that correspond with prominent physical features such as mountain ranges or ranges.
42
political geography
the spatial analysis of political phenomena and process
43
popular vote
the tally of each individual's vote within a given geographic area
44
prorupted state
a state that exhibits a narrow, elongated land extension leading away from the main territory.
45
Reapportionment
the process of a reallocation of electoral seats to define territories.
46
rectangular state
a state whose territory is ractangular
47
redistricting
the drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes.
48
relic bouondaries
old political boundaries that no longer exist as international border, but that have left an enduring mark on the local cultural or environmental geography.
49
rimland theory
Nicholas Spykman's theorgy that the domination of the coastal fringes of Eurasian would provide the base for world conquest.
50
Self-determination
the right of a nation to govern itself autonomously
51
sovereignty
supreme or independent political power
52
state
a politically organized territory that is administered by a sovereign government and is recognized by the international community.
53
Stateless nation
a group of people with a common political identity who do not have a territorially redefined, sovereign country of their own.
54
States' rights
rights and powers believed to be in the authority of the state rather than the federal government.
55
Subsequent boundaries
boundary line established after an area has been settled that considers the social and cultural characteristics of the area
56
Superimposed boundaries
boundary line drawn in an area ignoring the existing cultural pattern
57
Supranational organization
organization of three or more states to promote shared objectives
58
territorial dispute
any dispute over land ownership
59
territorial organization
political organization that distributes political power in more easily governed units of land
60
theocracy
a state whose government is either believed to be divinely guided or a state under the control of a group of religious leaders
61
United Nations
a global supranational organization established at the end of WWII to foster international security and cooperation
62
Unitary state
a state governed constitutionally as a unit, without internal divisions or a federalist delegation of powers

Human Geography (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions