Copy of `Political Science - Politics Glossary`

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Political Science - Politics Glossary Category: Government and organisations > Politics Date & country: 17/11/2008, USA Words: 290

bureaucracy
A type of administration characterized by specialization, professionalism, and security of tenure.

binational state
Two nations co-existing within one state.

bipolar
An international system in which there are two dominant nation-states. bourgeoisie. A Marxist term referring to those who own the means of production.

bill
A piece of legislation under consideration by a legislative body.

bicameralism
A system of government in which the legislature is divided into two chambers, an upper and lower house.

balance of power
The distribution of power in a system such that no one state may overwhelm others.

behavioural revolution
The introduction of more empirical analysis into the study of government and politics.

balance of power policy
The active prevention of any one state becoming too strong by the major powers in the system.

backbencher
Members of Parliament on the government side who sit on the backbenches and are not in cabinet, or those similarly distant from shadow cabinet posts in opposition parties.

balance of payments
A state's running account of economic transactions (exports and imports) with the rest of the world.

authoritarianism
A system of government in which leaders are not subjected to the test of free elections.

authority
A form of power based on consensus regarding the right to issue commands and make decisions.

auction politics
A danger in democratic politics in which state power may be 'sold' to the highest bidding groups.

auditor general
The official of Parliament whose staff audit the expenditures of government departments and who provides an annual report on instances of funds being unlawfully or unwisely spent.

asymmetrical federalism
A federal system of government in which powers are unevenly divided between provinces, i.e. some provinces have greater responsibilities or more autonomy than others.

associational group
Formally organized group which articulates the interests of its members over long periods of time.

aristocracy
A form of government in which a minority rules under the law.

anomic group
Spontaneously formed interest group with concern over a specific issue.

anarchic order
Order resulting from mutual coordination in the absence of a higher authority.

anarchism
A stateless society that allows total individual freedom.

agenda-setting
Controlling the focus of attention by establishing the issues for public discussion.

administration
The organized apparatus of the state for the preparation and implementation of legislation and policies, also called bureaucracy.

World Trade Organization
An international organization created to provide the ground rules for international trade and commerce.

Zionism
Jewish nationalist movement advocating establishment of a Jewish nation-state.

wilderness preservationism
A form of environmentalism positing the intrinsic importance of wilderness for humankind.

White House Staff
Special advisors to the President, part of the Executive office and similar to the Canadian Prime Minister's Office.

vote of censure
A motion of nonconfidence requiring the prime minister and the cabinet to resign.

welfare state
The provision for redistributive benefits such as education and health services by the state.

utopian socialism
Early-nineteenth century socialism based on a universal appeal to reason.

veto
The authorized power of a president to reject legislation passed by Congress.

violence
The utilization of physical force or power as a means of achieving ends.

unwritten constitution
An uncodified constitution established through traditional practice.

ultra vires
Term used to describe an action which exceeds the conferred constitutional powers of the actor. Literally, 'beyond the power.'

unitary system
A system of government in which a single sovereign government rules the country.

typology
A broad classification scheme of governmental systems.

tyranny
A form of government in which one person rules arbitrarily.

trustee
A representative who acts independently in deciding what is in the best interests of his or her constituents.

two-party system
A party system in which there are two credible contenders for power and either is capable of winning any election.

two-party-plus system
A party system in which there are two major contenders for power of approximately equal strength plus one or more minor parties able to win seats but not to control the government.

tribe
A community of people tied together by a myth of common ancestry.

traditional authority
Authority based on birthright and custom.

Treasury Board
A cabinet committee and government department whose primary responsibility is to oversee government spending.

syndicalism
A variation of socialism in which the workers own or control the factory or workplace.

totalitarianism
A modern form of despotic rule in which the state undertakes to remake society according to an ideological design.

symbolic laws
Laws designed to create special meaning for society, such as the adoption of a national anthem.

suffragism
A political movement by women to obtain the right to vote in an election.

superior courts
In Canada, courts organized by provincial statute, staffed by judges appointed by the federal government.

structuralism
A theory of international relations stressing the impact of world economic structures on the political, social, cultural and economic life of countries.

subjects
Members of a society who are not involved in the political process of that society.

statism
The heavy intervention of the state in societal affairs, especially in the economic system.

statute
A specific piece of legislation.

stare decisis
The legal principle that precedents are binding on similar subsequent cases; the basis of the common law system.

standing committee
Legislative committees that are set up permanently and parallel government functions.

stateless society
A society without a sovereign government.

spontaneous order
The pattern of mutual coordination that emerges as individuals pursue their own interests in society.

state
Combination of people, territory, and sovereign government. state-centric. An approach to international relations positing the sovereign state as the focus for understanding the nature and workings of the international system.

spoils system
The assumption that, after successfully winning an election, the political executive is entitled to appoint large numbers of supporters to the bureaucracy.

special (ad hoc) committee
Legislative committees appointed for special, temporary purposes, such as to investigate a problem before the government prepares legislation on the subject.

social justice
The partial equalization of wealth and income to reach a more desirable outcome.

society
A self-sufficient group of individuals living together under common rules of conduct.

sovereign
The highest or supreme political authority.

social democrats
Socialists emphasizing popular consent, peaceful change, political pluralism, and constitutional government.

socialism
A leftist political ideology that emphasizes the principle of equality and usually prescribes a large role for government to intervene in society and the economy via taxation, regulation, redistribution, and public ownership.

single transferable vote (STV)
A form of proportional representation in which electors vote for individuals rather than party lists, but they do so by ranking the candidates in their order of choice.

single-party system
A party system in which there exists only one party and no political alternatives are legally tolerated.

shadow cabinet
The cohesive group of specialized critics in the official Opposition party.

separation of powers
The separation of powers between executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

security dilemma
The spiral of preparations and tensions which emerge when the protective actions of one state lead to countermeasures by another state. self-government. The right of members of a group to control their own collective affairs.

runoff system
An electoral system in which additional rounds of balloting are held (with trailing candidates dropped) until a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.

scientific socialism
The term Marx and Engels used to stress that their ideology was based on analysis of class conflict.

royal assent
The approval of a bill by the Crown.

rule of law
Belief that all actions, of individuals and governments, are subject to an institutionalized set of rules and regulations.

residual powers
Those powers in a federal system of government not explicitly allocated in a constitution.

responsible government
A form of government in which the political executive must retain the confidence of a majority of the elected legislature or assembly, and it must resign or call an election if and when it is defeated on a vote of nonconfidence.

representative democracy
A system of government based on the election of decision-makers by the people.

report stage
The stage in the legislative process after the second reading when the House debates the committee's report on a proposed bill.

regressive tax
A tax that weights more heavily on low incomes.

regulative laws
Laws that control individual and organizational behaviour.

regulatory agency
Government agencies established to administer regulative laws in certain fields, e.g. the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

reform liberalism
A liberal ideology which advocates a larger role for the state in providing equality of opportunity.

Red Tory
A conservative with collectivist leanings.

redistribution
The process of reallocating wealth and income to achieve an economic or social objective.

referendum
A decision on policy proposals by a direct vote of the electorate.

recall
The ability of voters in a constituency to remove their elected representative from office by means of a petition.

public law
Laws controlling the relations between the state and individuals in society.

qualified majority
The raising of the simple majority requirement of '50 percent plus one' to a higher level, in order to protect the rights of the minority.

race
A group of individuals differentiated through distinct physical characteristics and common ancestry.

radical feminism
A belief that men and women constitute 'sexual classes' and that women's subordinated status is the result of a system which is controlled by men.

readings
First, second and third readings representing the introduction and debate of proposed bills in the legislative chambers.

realism
A theory of international relations holding that struggles are resolved on the basis of power of conflicting parties.