States Flashcards
the extent to which a state can act and implement policy decisions regardless of the public’s support of lack thereof
Autonomy
the extent to which a state can effectively execute a policy decision it has made
Capacity
a situation where people believe the state has the right to rule because of the trust in or popularity of a particular political leader
Charismatic Legitimacy
the seizure of control of the state apparatus by the military
Coup d’etat
the transfer of political power down from a central or national level of government to a local or regional level
Devolution
the political and economic union of more than a dozen European member states, all of which surrender some sovereign control over their own country in order to promote trade and cooperation among the member states
European Union
states that are so weak that they are incapable of providing necessary public goods or services to their citizens
Failed States
an arrangement that divides or shares power on a permanent or constitutional basis between a central or national government and regional governments
Federal System
the people currently holding office and wielding political power; they can be changed through normal regular political processes, such as elections
Government
the people’s belief in the state’s right to rule and exercise power
Legitimacy
organizations and systems that help connect citizens to the public policymaking process, most commonly including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media
Linkage institutions
a state’s sovereign power to use force legitimately and to determine what the legitimate and illegitimate uses of force are; Max Weber used this phrase to define the nature of a state
“Monopoly on violence”
a group of people united by a common political identity, usually the desire for self-rule or political autonomy, and commonly also united by ethnicity, language, religion, culture, or other factors
*Nation
Britain’s public health service system, which provides health care to all British citizens at taxpayer expense
National Health Service (NHS)
the use of media, propaganda, spectacles, social controls, and other mechanisms by the state to promote an idealized and heroic image of the country’s leader
Personality Cult
a situation where the people believe the state has the right to rule because of a rational system of laws and processes that those in power complied with to acquire power; these principles are usually expressed in a constitution with processes understood by the public
Rational-legal legitimacy
changes made to regimes through the existing political system and political institutions, without rapid trauma or revolutionary change
Reform
the fundamental rules and norms of the political system that determine how power is acquired and used, such as authoritarianism or democracy
Regime
rapid, traumatic wholesale changes to a regime, typically changing the nature of a political system and creating new political institutions while destroying old ones
Revolution
possessing supreme, autonomous power
Sovereign
a political institution that possesses sovereignty, or a “monopoly on violence” over a territory and the people residing within that territory
State
formal organizations and systems established to make and implement public policy, most commonly including legislative, executive, judicial, bureaucratic, and military institutions
State Institutions
groups of people sharing sharing a desire for sovereign self-rule or greater political autonomy but who are not currently integrated into or represented in an existing state
Stateless nations
states that are deemed legitimate by their citizens and possess the capacity to execute their policies and deliver political goods to their citizens
Strong States
institutions where member states collaborate on common goals or policy programs and usually accept some restrictions on their sovereignty to further these ends
Supranational organizations
a situation wherein the people believe the state has the right to rule because of longstanding customs or practices, such as the passing of the crown to the monarch’s firstborn child
Tradtional legitimacy
an arrangement that concentrates political power at the central or national level of government and provides very limited or impermanent powers to regional levels
Unitary state
states that operate with limited legitimacy or capacity and are thus less able than strong states to exercise sovereign control over their internal affairs
Weak states
a supranational organization that encourages its 164 member states to engage in freer trade and expand trade relationships by establishing agreed-upon rules of trade among the members
World Trade Organization (WTO)
