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Human Geography > Political > Flashcards

Political Flashcards

0
Q

Balkanization

A

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

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1
Q

Antecedent boundaries

A

a boundary line established before an area is popuated

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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.

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3
Q

centrifugal forces

A

forces that tend to divide a country

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4
Q

centripetal forces

A

forces that tend to unite or bind a country together

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5
Q

colonialism

A

the expansion and perpetuation of an empire

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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

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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.

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8
Q

Confederation

A

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

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9
Q

Democratization

A

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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14
Q

Electoral vote

A

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

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15
Q

elongated state

A

a state whose territory is long and narrow in shape.

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16
Q

enclaves

A

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

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17
Q

EU

A

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

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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.

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19
Q

Federalism

A

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

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20
Q

fragmented state

A

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

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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.

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22
Q

Geometric boundary

A

political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines.

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23
Q

Geopolitics

A

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

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24
Q

Gerrymandering

A

the designation of voting districts so as to favor a particular political party or candidate

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25
Q

Heartland theory

A

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
Q

Imperialism

A

the perpetuation of a colonial empire even after it is no longer politically sovereign

27
Q

International organization

A

an alliance of two or more countries seeking cooperation with each other without giving up either’s autonomy or self-determination.

28
Q

Landlocked state

A

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
Q

Law of the sea

A

Law establishing states’ rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use of the earth’s seas and oceans and their resources.

30
Q

Lebenstraum

A

Hitler’s expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire “living space” for the German people.

31
Q

microstate

A

a state or territory that is small in both population and size

32
Q

nation

A

tightly knit group of individuals sharing a common language, ethnicity, religion, and other cultural attributes.

33
Q

nationalism

A

a sense of national pride to such an extent of exalting one nation above all others.

34
Q

nation-state

A

a country whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity

35
Q

North American Free Trade Agreement

A

agreement signed on Jan. 1 1994, that allows the opening of borders between the US, Mexico and Canada.

36
Q

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

A

An international organization that has joined together for military purposed

37
Q

North/south divide

A

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
Q

Organic theory

A

the view that states resemble biological organisms with life cycles that include states of youth, maturity and old age

39
Q

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

A

An international economic organization whose member countries all produce and export oil

40
Q

Perforated State

A

a state whose territory completely surrounds that of another state

41
Q

Physical boundary

A

Political boundaries that correspond with prominent physical features such as mountain ranges or ranges.

42
Q

political geography

A

the spatial analysis of political phenomena and process

43
Q

popular vote

A

the tally of each individual’s vote within a given geographic area

44
Q

prorupted state

A

a state that exhibits a narrow, elongated land extension leading away from the main territory.

45
Q

Reapportionment

A

the process of a reallocation of electoral seats to define territories.

46
Q

rectangular state

A

a state whose territory is ractangular

47
Q

redistricting

A

the drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes.

48
Q

relic bouondaries

A

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
Q

rimland theory

A

Nicholas Spykman’s theorgy that the domination of the coastal fringes of Eurasian would provide the base for world conquest.

50
Q

Self-determination

A

the right of a nation to govern itself autonomously

51
Q

sovereignty

A

supreme or independent political power

52
Q

state

A

a politically organized territory that is administered by a sovereign government and is recognized by the international community.

53
Q

Stateless nation

A

a group of people with a common political identity who do not have a territorially redefined, sovereign country of their own.

54
Q

States’ rights

A

rights and powers believed to be in the authority of the state rather than the federal government.

55
Q

Subsequent boundaries

A

boundary line established after an area has been settled that considers the social and cultural characteristics of the area

56
Q

Superimposed boundaries

A

boundary line drawn in an area ignoring the existing cultural pattern

57
Q

Supranational organization

A

organization of three or more states to promote shared objectives

58
Q

territorial dispute

A

any dispute over land ownership

59
Q

territorial organization

A

political organization that distributes political power in more easily governed units of land

60
Q

theocracy

A

a state whose government is either believed to be divinely guided or a state under the control of a group of religious leaders

61
Q

United Nations

A

a global supranational organization established at the end of WWII to foster international security and cooperation

62
Q

Unitary state

A

a state governed constitutionally as a unit, without internal divisions or a federalist delegation of powers

Human Geography (8 decks)

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