Terms Flashcards
Analytical approach
perspective that views politics as an empirical (that can be observed) discipline, rather than a science; argues that politics cannot be broken down into parts, but must be seen comprehensively.
Authoritarianism:
political system requiring absolute obedience to a constituted authority.
Behaviouralism:
perspective that concentrates on the “tangible” aspects of political life, rather than values; objective was to establish a discipline that was “scientific” and objective.
Citizenship
status granted to people that comes with responsibilities and duties as well as rights.
Comparative approach:
method of political analysis that compares different systems of political authority, based on system type, time period, or form of leadership.
Conflict:
differences in preferred outcomes among social groups.
Conflict resolution:
process in domestic or international affairs that attempts to reconcile antagonism (either existing or potential) through the use of mediation and negotiation.
Decision-making:
mechanism or pattern of relations involving different levels of government in which determinations and judgements regarding the governance of the political system are made (sometimes referred to as the “black box”).
Empirical
analysis based not on concepts and theory, but on what can be observed or experimented upon.
Ethnic and religious conflict:
war or opposition among different racial, linguistic, or religious groups.
Ethnocentrism
belief that one’s culture or group is superior to others or that other cultures or groups must be examined in relation to one’s own.
Globalization
the intensification of economic, political, social, and cultural relations across borders.
Government:
the institutions and people responsible for carrying out the affairs and administration of a political system.
Influence
the ability to change behaviour in others without exerting direct power over them.
International politics:
the study of foreign policy and relations among states and other actors at the international level; also called international relations.
Levels of analysis
approach to political studies that suggests that accurate analysis must be inclusive of international, domestic, and individual arenas of interaction.
Liberal democracy:
political system based freedom and individual liberty, and on the principle that governance requires the assent of all citizens through participation in the electoral process, articulation of views, and direct or indirect representation in governing institutions.
Most different systems:
method of comparative analysis that examines political systems that share no (or few) common features yet have similar outcome or phenomena.
Most similar systems:
method of comparative analysis that examines political systems that have common features in an effort to identify different variables.
Multiculturalism:
peaceful coexistence of several racial, cultural, or ethnic identities in one nation.
Multinational corporations (MNCs):
corporate bodies that operate in more than one country.
Non-governmental organization (NGO):
non-profit group organized on a local, national, or international level.
Political economy:
approach that views political and economic spheres as harmonious and mutually dependent perceptions of the world; relationship between people, government, and the economy.
Political studies:
formal study of politics within and among nations.
Post-behaviouralism:
approach that attempted to reconcile the problems of behaviouralism by allowing for values and ideology in its analysis.
Power
ability to achieve goals in a political system and to have others do as you wish them to.
Protectionism
tendency of countries to safeguard their own economic sectors or industries through tariffs, quotas, or other forms of trade and investment legislation.
Public goods:
resources that are present in a political system whose use by one individual should not affect use by others.
Social sciences:
scientific study of human society and social relationships.
Socialization:
process whereby individuals act in a social manner; creation of social and political authority and rules to regulate behaviour and thus permit operation of social units.
Structural-functionalism:
approach that focuses on the role of political structures and their functions in society.
Subjective reality:
perspective of reality that is influenced by our personal experiences and bias.
Systems theory
approach that views politics as a system of interaction, binding political structures, such as government to individual action; argues that politics is a dynamic process of information flows and responses that encompasses political institutions, groups, and individuals.
Traditional approach:
method in politics drawing heavily on fields of law, philosophy, and history and relying on subjective evaluation of the observer; also called the analytical approach
Agency
individual or group action in a social context.
Authority
the power or right to force obedience.
Community
social, political, cultural, and economic ties that bind individuals to one another.
Concept
general idea emerging from events or instances.
Body politic:
entirety of a political community.
Democracy
political system based on the principle that governance requires the assent of all citizens through participation in the electoral process, articulation of views, and direct or indirect representation in governing institutions.
Duties
related to rights; responsibilities to protect rights.
Economic justice:
redistribution of economic resources from certain groups in society to others
Equality
parity in a political system.
Freedom
ability to act without constraint.
Identity
a person’s understanding and expression of their individuality or group membership.
Institutions
groupings that have developed to attend to particular societal needs.
International system:
system of two or more actors that interact regularly in the global arena, using established processes in given issue areas.
Justice
state of affairs involving the maintenance of what is morally right and fair within a society.
Laws
rules imposed on society by the governing authority.
Leadership
group of individuals that lead society.
Legislation
laws enacted by governing authority.
Legitimacy
what is lawful, appropriate, proper, and conforms to the standards of a political system.
Liberty
freedom from despotic control.
Licence
unlimited freedom to do as one pleases.
Monarchy
form of government by a single ruler who holds at least nominally absolute power.
Nation
group of persons who share an identity that is based on, but not limited to, shared ethnic, religious, cultural, or linguistic qualities.
Nation-state:
autonomous political unit of people who share a predominant common culture, language, ethnicity, or history.
Negative liberty:
areas of activity in which governments do not interfere and an individual is free to choose.
Order
condition in which both units and interaction within a political system are marked by regularity and stability with the imposition of accepted and enforced rules, structures, and practices.
Organizations:
structured relations existing within a political community that are established to distribute both the responsibilities and the privileges that arise from formal association with others.
Policy
laws or principle of performance adopted by a government.
Positive liberty:
freedom to achieve one’s full potential
Progress
advancement in society towards a better and improved state of affairs; an integral element of liberal political theory.
Rights
socially acceptable, morally correct, just and fair privileges granted to members of a political community.
Security
freedom from danger or injury.
Separation of powers:
division of powers among several government institutions (e.g. legislature, executive) to avoid concentration of authority.
Social justice
equitable distribution of goods and values in society.
Social order:
recognized structure of power, responsibility, and liberty.
Sovereignty
recognition by other political authorities that a government is legitimate and rightful for a political community.
State
a recognized political unit, considered to be sovereign, with a defined territory and people, and a central government administration responsible for administration.
System
a group of individual entities or actors that interact with each other to form an integrated whole.
Tyranny
government by a single ruler who often exercises arbitrary power for his or her own benefit rather than that of the community.
Values
principles, standards; what an individual or community esteems as meaningful.
War
use of armed forces in conflict with an enemy.
Welfare
legislation or social action taken to provide citizens with physical, financial, health, or other
assistance.
Bourgeois
according to socialists such as Marx, the property-owning class that exploits the working class (proletariat).
Caliphate
government inspired by Islam that rules over its subjects using Islamic law.
Capitalism
economic system in which production and distribution of goods rely on private capital and investment.
Cold War:
period of rhetorical, non-violent hostility; most often used as a reference to the period of 1945–91 and the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Communism
political theory based on writings of Marx and Engels that espouses class conflict to form a system where all property is publicly owned and each citizen works to his or her own best ability and is compensated equitably.
Confucianism
philosophy and political thought of Confucius that stresses social harmony, obedience, and morality.
Dialectics
in Marxism, points where ideas and processes throughout history come up against each other and form a new reality
General will: the will of the community as a whole.
Ideology
set or system of ideas that form the basis of a political or economic system and provide guidance and direction for political leadership.
Invisible hand:
Adam Smith’s notion that economic forces left on their own would lead to maximize efficiency and economic growth over time as they engage in competition against each other; benefits to society as a whole exist without political interference.
Islamic fundamentalism:
religious movements advocating a return to the ‘fundamentals’ of Islamic religious texts.
Jihad
a moral struggle or struggle for righteousness; a form of holy war.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movement (LGBT):
movement recognizing diversity in sexual and gender identities.
Liberalism
view of politics that favours liberty, free trade, and moderate social and political change.
Libertarianism
ideology based on a limited government role and freedom of speech, action, and thought.
Materialist
in Marxism, understanding the physical and economic basis for society.
Particular will:
the will of the individual, as expressed by Rousseau.
Philosophy
study of questions about existence and knowledge, ethics, justice, and morality based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.
Political realism:
an approach to politics that emphasizes power and interests over ideas or social constructions.
Propaganda
spreading of information, true or otherwise, for the purpose of aiding a cause or to make an audience react in a certain way.
Republicanism:
political idea that gives supreme power to the people or elected representatives of the people.
Representative democracy:
political system in which voters elect others to act on their behalf; also called indirect democracy.
Self-determination:
ability to act in free choice without external compulsion.
Sharia law:
sacred law of Islam.
Social constructivism:
sociological and political meta-theory that explains the interactions between individual agents, their social groupings, and their environment.
Suffrage
granting of the right to vote.
Sustainable development:
model of economic growth that seeks to use renewable resources so as not to destroy the environment in which human beings have to live.
Toleration
the acceptance or protection of individuals, groups, and types of behaviour that may be disapproved of by the majority in society.
Utilitarianism
a branch of political thought that states that the worth of a particular action is determined by its contribution to overall utility, meaning the balance of happiness and unhappiness in society.
Utopian
idealized place or system, an ideally perfect society; individual or approach aspiring to impractical perfection.
Aristocracy
political system ruled by a hierarchical elite.
Balance of Power
situation in international politics in which states strive to achieve equilibrium of power in the world in order to prevent any other country or coalition of countries from dominating the system.
Bicameral
legislative or parliamentary body with two assemblies
Checks and balances
system of inspection and evaluation of different levels and branches of governments by others.
Constitution
the basic law of a country, upon which all other laws are based.
Deregulation
removal of government controls in an economic sector.
Despot
political leader who rules with absolute power and authority.
Genocide
deliberate and systematic killing of a group based on their ethnicity, nationality, culture, or race.
Gross domestic product (GDP)
total value of goods and services produced in a country in one year.
Insecurity: threat of danger or injury.
Junta
military government, usually a dictatorship.
Laissez-faire:
“to let be”; economic theory that suggests that a reduction in political control will benefit the economic system.
Member of Parliament (MP)
representative of voters in a parliamentary system.
Pluralism
society in which several disparate groups (minority and majority) maintain their interests and a number of concerns and traditions persist
Subsidies
payments made by governments to compensate businesses for inefficiencies and lack of competitiveness.
Terrorism
strategy of violence designed to bring about political change by instilling fear in the public at large.
Theocracy
political system ruled by religious leaders.
Totalitarianism
authoritarian political system that controls not only most social interactions, but also is marked by a desire by the government to force its objectives and values on citizens in an unlimited manner.
Transitional government
political system where the move from authoritarianism to liberal democracy results in elements of both with a gradual change to democracy.
Unicameral
legislative or parliamentary body with one assembly.
Bureaucracy
division of government responsible for carrying out public policy, and staffed by public employees.
Caucus
group of elected representatives, usually based on party membership, but also may be grouped by race, gender, geographic representation, etc.
Civil law
legal system where legislative bodies enact laws through statutes, ordinances, and regulations.
Common law
legal system where decisions are made on the basis of precedent, case law, or previous decisions.
Confederalism
political system of divided powers where added power is given to the non-central governments, and limited authority and power is conferred to the central government.
Constitutionality
being in accordance with a constitution.
Cronyism
in politics, the practice of choosing or preferring friends or associates for positions of authority.
Electorate
people in a political system with the right to vote in elections; enfranchised citizens.
Executive
usually the top level of government, or the leader; maintains leadership for the entire political system, and often reflects the leadership and preoccupations of the dominant political party.
Federalism
form of governance that divides powers between the central government and regional governments; often, particular roles and capacities are given to the regional governments.
Fusion of Powers
political system where legislature and executive powers are combined, though specific powers may be granted to each level.
Judicial Review
power of a country’s courts to interpret its constitution, varying from the ability to resolve disputes between levels of government in federal systems to the ability to annul legislative and executive actions outright.
Judiciary
judicial (courts) level of governance.
Legislative
referring to the body of a political system with the responsibility to make laws; known as the legislature.
Legitimation
providing legitimacy, or legal force or status to political decisions; in accordance with established or accepted patterns and standards.
Ministerial Responsibility
principle in parliamentary systems that requires members of the political executive, both individually and as a group, to remain accountable to the legislature.
Nepotism
in politics, the practice of choosing or preferring relatives, friends, or associates for positions of authority.
Opposition
one or more parties that are not part of government but form a check on the ruling power of the elected party.
Patriation
term used to describe the transfer of the constitution from the United Kingdom to Canada in 1982.
Political Culture
set of attitudes, beliefs, and values that underpin any political system.
Political gridlock
lack of political progress because of entrenched differing of opinions.
Question period
time allotted in the House of Commons for members of the house to ask questions of the prime minister or cabinet minister.
Representation
the act of standing for the views of others; election of a representative to symbolize the collective view of all constituents.
Centralization
concentration of power in a single body, usually the principal government.
Centralized federalism
process where federal government increases its power relative to the provinces.
Concurrent powers
the sharing of control between provincial and federal levels of government.
Conditional grants
funds given to provincial authorities from the federal government which assigns controls and conditions on how the monies may be spent.
Co-operative federalism:
cooperation and coordination of policy between the federal and provincial levels of government.
Decentralization:
process whereby power and authority is taken from the central government and conferred to non-central (for example, state, regional, or provincial) governments.
Declaratory power:
federal government power to take control of any local project if it decides that this would be for the greater national good.
Delegated authority
in a unitary system, the transfer of certain powers from the national government to sub-national authorities.
Devolution:
political system where some authority is given to regional governments, but the power to oversee, dismiss, or entrench these authorities is still held by the central government.
Disallowance
occurs when provincial legislation is rejected or vetoed by the federal cabinet.
European Union (EU)
economic and political union of 27 European states.
Executive federalism:
a generally conflictive relationship between the provinces and the federal government when provinces attempt (often successfully) to achieve greater autonomy from the federal government, which resists such attempts.
Non-excepted matters:
powers that are held by the central government but may be transferred to a regional government at a later date.
Non-reserved matters:
powers that are given to a region and may not be recalled by the central government.
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA):
agreement in which Canada, the United States, and Mexico have opened their markets to each other.
Reservation:
occurs when a lieutenant governor puts provincial legislation up for the federal cabinet’s consideration.
Sovereignty-association:
arrangement by which a state or province acquires independence from the federal government but retains strong links to the country, generally in the form of economic policy.
Unconditional grants:
payments from the federal government that may be spent by the provinces in any way they see fit.
Unitary systems:
political systems that concentrate political authority and powers within one central government, which is singularly responsible for both the domestic and foreign activities of the political unit.
Voter turnout:
number of voters who attend the polls on Election Day.
Additional member system:
mix of simple plurality and proportional representation voting; voters cast a vote for a representative and for a political party.
Attack ads
negative and aggressive television and media advertising by one political party or organization against another.
Ballot
card used to cast a vote; ballots are kept in a designated ballot box and counted by electoral officials.
Cadre party
parties that are created and directed by a small elite group; tend to control much power within legislatures.
Catch-all party
political parties that cover a wide range of ideologies and beliefs in society, with the idea of incorporating as many different societal groups as possible; also called umbrella party.
Competitive party system
electoral system found in liberal democracies in which political parties are permitted to compete with one another for the electorate’s support.
Compulsory voting:
system where citizens have a legal obligation to vote in elections.
Constituencies:
territorial or geographical localities (ridings) represented by a politician chosen through the electoral process; also called ridings.
Direct democracy
political system where citizens are directly involved in the decision-making process.
Election
a form of choosing governors whereby individual citizens cast their vote for their preferred candidate.
Election platforms
positions of political parties or individuals regarding issues and political intentions.
Enumeration
the process of determining the number of individuals eligible to vote in a constituency.
First-past-the-post
electoral system (simple plurality) where the winner receives the most (but not necessarily a majority of) votes.
Gerrymandering
controversial method of grouping together, or dividing, groups of voters in order to maximize or reduce their power.
Independents:
electoral candidates who do not belong to a political party.
Indirect democracy
political system of representation where citizens elect a delegate to act on their behalf; also called representative democracy.
Mass party
party organized in society at large rather than within government; has public influence through power of membership, not of a small minority elite.
Militia party
party systems with a centralized leadership system; they are often led by martial leaders, and are frequently found in one-party systems.
Minority government
government by party that received the most, but not a majority of, votes in an election.
Multi-party system
competitive party system with more than two parties.
One-party system
political system where only one political party is allowed to form the government, or compete in elections.
Party list
voting system in which voters in multi-member constituencies choose from a list of candidates; parties are rewarded with a percentage of the seats available in each constituency.
Patronage
awarding of key government positions to favoured and loyal supporters.
Pocket boroughs
in Britain, areas where very small electorates were in the pocket of (i.e. controlled by) the major local landowner.
Political party:
organization that seeks to gain and maintain political power.
Proportional representation:
electoral system where seats are designated according to the parties’ popular vote; used in country to institute proportions between votes allotted for all the parties.
Recruitment function
political parties’ efforts to help bring new voters into the political process.
Rotten boroughs
in Britain, where areas with very small populations and electorates were given equal standing with normal-sized constituencies.
Run-off system
a form of electoral system in which a first round of voting takes place and the two (or three) candidates receiving the most votes pass to a second round of voting to determine an outright winner; also called two-round system.
Simple plurality
electoral system (first-past-the-post) in which the winner receives the most (but not necessarily a majority of) votes; also called first-past-the-post.
Single Transferable Vote (STV)
voting system where voters cast their ballot in multi-member constituencies, expressing their first and second choice for candidates; second choices may be transferred and counted if all seats are not filled in first count.
Two-party system:
competitive party systems marked by two competing parties.
Two-round system:
see run-off system above.
Anomic interest group
ad-hoc interest groups that do not have a standard organized composition; formed to deal with short-term issues.
Associational interest group
interest groups closely related to particular political objectives.
Corporatism
approach to governance that entails close cooperation and coordination among government, business, and labour in the expectation that such activity will bring more stability to the political economy.
Editorial line
particular perspective on world events offered by news outlets.
Fourth estate:
media; other estates are the clergy, nobles, and commoners.
Interest groups
groups in a political system that seek to either alter or maintain the approach of government without taking a formal role in elections or seeking an official capacity in government.
Lobbying
method that business/interest groups apply to direct pressure to the executive, legislative, and bureaucratic branches of government.
Non-associational interest group
interest groups not closely related to, or not connected with, particular political objectives.
Opinion poll
investigation of public opinion conducted by interviewing a sample of citizens.
Policy community
collection of actors who have a direct or indirect interest in an issue.
Political action committees (PACs)
conglomerations of several interest groups with the purpose of influencing the decision-making process more effectively.
Pressure group
groups in a political system that seek to either alter or maintain the approach of government without taking a formal role in elections or seeking an official capacity in government.
