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Intro to World Politics Midterm
political science - intro to democracy, UK, EU, Russia, China
29
Political Studies
Undergraduate 1
10/08/2010

Additional Political Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Shock Therapy / Gradual Approach
Definition
  • Policies in formerly communist countries that envisage as rapid a shift to a market economy as possible.
  • (Russia) western inspired, emphasizes privatization of state owned industry and macroeconomic policies to bring inflation under control, shift towards democracy
  • (Russia) the first Yeltsin governments emphasized privatization, businesses gained private owners
  • in short term, many lost jobs, income shrinks -  led Russian economy to deteriorate

 


  • The belief that change should occur slowly or incrementally
  • (Britain) democracy evolved over centuries

 

Term
Great Leap Forward
Definition
  • failed chinese campaign of late 50s to speed up development
  • radicals under Mao took China to brink of disaster
  • industrial production declined, chaotic in countryside
  • million starved to death
  • eventually led to Mao giving up position as chairman of PLA
Term
Dialectical Materialism
Definition

dialectic - belief that change occurs in dramatic bursts from 1 type of society to another (Marx, Hegel)

 

historical materialism - Marx believed progress occurs as result of changes in distribution of economic power

-progress occurs as result of conflict through classes, ruling class must exploit others


1. man is defined by his material conditions and how he survives

2. dialectic - 2 opposed classes are defined by how they make a living

progresses linearly through history

Term
Prime Minister / Parliament
Definition
  • appoints cabinet, is head of majority party, the executive branch
  • has much leverage over what happens in legislation

  • members make up the House of Commons
  • ability to impeach PM
  • have committees, debates, votes
Term
Single Member District / Proportional Representation
Definition
  • electoral system in which only one representative is chosen from each constituency


  • electoral system in which parties receive a number of seats in parliament proportionate to their share of the vote
Term
First Past the Post / Proportional Representation
Definition

electoral system based on single member districts in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins


electoral system in which parties receive a number of seats in parliament proportionate to their share of the vote

Term
Regime
Definition
the institutions and practices that endure from govt to govt, such as the constitutional order in a democracy
Term
Party-State
Definition
  • party held more power than state
  • 2 institutions: Secretariat (internal affairs) and Politburo (decision making body)
  • most important individuals were the general secretary and members of the Politburo (equivalent of prime minister and cabinet)
Term
Parlimentary System / Presidential System
Definition

Parliamentary

PM rarely compromises, quick decisions

party that wins majority of seat takes office

parliament chooses PM

power is fused not seperated

PM + cabinet form govt

votes of confidence show support for govt

cabinet responsibility (govt remains only if it retains support)


Presidential

US

based on compromise, slow decsision making

cannot control final outcome of bill


Both

based on democratical principle that free competitive elections determine who governs

Term
Linear Progression of History / Theory of Contradiction
Definition

Linear - (Marx)

  • the basic level of society: slave society, the exploited will eventually oppose, revolution achieved through violence
  • next stage: feudalism (lords and serfs)
  • then: Capitalism (bourgeoisie/capitalists vs proletariat/workers)
  • then: Socialism (workers oppose exploitation, state will eventually wither away, society can function without a state)
  • then: Communism


Contradiction

(Mao)

  • there is no ideal stage of history
  • no classless society
  • always contradictions (not always violent)
  • Primary Contradiction: most important, dealt with first
  • Secondary Contradiction: less important
  • no Vanguard party
  • party should go to masses and ask
  • history isnt linear; it can jump phases
Term
Continuous Revolution
Definition
  • explains increasing radicalization of politics under Mao
  • Theory of, :will always be contradictions, must always fight against, constant revolution, neverending spiral
Term
Collective Responsibility
Definition

(UK)

  • cabinet governed by it
  • remains in office as long as the govt retains support of its parliamentary majority
  • ministers must support all cabinet decisions, or else resign

 

  • the doctrine that all cabinet members must agree with all decisions
Term
Perestroika/Glasnost 
Definition

P:

  • economic restructuring, from a command economy to a market economy
  • ill fated program to reform the Soviet econ in late 80s

 

G:

  • openness, encouraged citzens to speak mind, brought popular opinion in to overcome resistance
  • soviet policies that opened up political system, allowed for freedom of expression
Term
Glasnost/100 Flowers Campaign
Definition

G: lead to the fall of the UN

 

  • 100: did not lead to fall of CCP, was shot down by Mao before it became out of control
  • also pushed citzens to speak mind, eventually caused too much opposition to the party, scared Mao
Term
International Organization/ Supranatural Organization
Definition

supranatural - above national level, sovereignty is the control

states seed power

authority trancends national borders

 

international - state is central unit

Term
Marxism-Leninism/Maoism 
Definition

ML: ideal communism, revolution must be in urban

  • idea that workers will rebel
  • revolution is imminent
  • society is exploitative
  • capitalists will always manipulate
  • trade union consciousness - will never overthrow, dialectect remains
  • Vanguard party will lead

 

 

Mao: peasant based, vanguard party, through mass line, continuous conflict and revolution

  • no ideal stage of history
  • not always through violence
  • masses must be connected through a party
  • history isnt linear
  • always contradictions
Term
Vanguard Party
Definition

elite group must lead masses to revolutionary consciousness

(trade union consciousness)

(Lenin)

Term
3 Waves of Democracy
Definition

1820-1922 1st Wave

 

1945-1962 2nd Wave

 

1974-? Third Wave

 

Third Wave

economic growth, rise of middle class

countries follow one another into democracy

external actors (US USSR EU)

1989 Berlin wall

Term
5 Pre-Conditions to Democracy
Definition

1. economic development

2. literate

3. desire for representatives (taxation)

4. social mobility

5. political trust

Term
Mao Zedong Theory
Definition

Rural based

mass line

Voluntarism v Materialism

National Bourgeoisie

Unity of Opposites (Theory of Contradictions)

Continuous Revolution

Term
Mao Zedong / Deng Xiaoping
Definition

Z:

command econ, communism, party state

 

X:

1978 - era of reform, away from command econ, ARS

Term
Command Econonomy/Market Economy
Definition

a centrally planned and controlled economy. (SU/ other communist countries)


economic decisions are guided by citizen influence

little govt intervention

Term
Soviet Economic Model
Definition

focused on urban industrial development

needed for money, kept wages low

collectivized agriculture, "war on peasantry"

use surplus from peasants to invest in cities

Term
Uigher/Minority Nationality
Definition

influence on other counties

in every country, esp. SU and China

SU - minorities had own union republic, separated into nation-states

C - seek independence, source of conflict

Term
Hukou
Definition

internal passport system

kept people from flooding into urban areas

gave govt. ability to track people

Term
Personal dossier (dang'an)
Definition

elaborate system of personal files

contains class label, political activities

Term
Superstructure
Definition
marxist term for the govt, religion, and other instiutions whose primary role is to help support the dominance of the ruling class
Term
Security Council/General Assembly
Definition

the two key bodies in the UN

 

SC-

15 members: 5 permanent (china, US, UK, russia, france), 10 elected

maintanance of international peace and security

peacekeeping, sanctions, military action

 

GA-

all member nations have equal representation

deals with: budget, social and economic issues

health issues, human rights

resolutions are not binding

1 country, 1 vote

appoints members to SC

contains many other committees

Term
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Definition

part of UN

general principles of law recognized by civil nations

prevents currency collapse

contains specialized agencies within UN (world health organization, world bank, UNICEF, etc)

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