Government and Power
This philosopher defined man as a “political animal” and emphasized the role of the state in human flourishing.
Who is Aristotle?
This economic system is based on private ownership of the means of production.
What is capitalism?
This is the definition of politics according to Van Belle, LGSA, and classical thought.
What is “the struggle for power to make decisions that allocate resources and values”?
This is the difference between a head of state and a head of government.
The head of state is a symbolic leader (e.g., monarch, president), while the head of government (e.g., prime minister, president) runs the government.
This is one of the five functions of legislatures.
This form of government is ruled by a small elite.
What is an oligarchy?
This ideology advocates for collective ownership of the means of production.
What is classical communism?
This political thinker advocated for natural rights and the social contract in his work Two Treatises of Government.
Who is John Locke?
This concept describes the mutually beneficial relationship between interest groups, bureaucracies, and legislatures.
What is the iron triangle?
This term describes the phenomenon where individuals avoid acquiring political knowledge due to low expected benefits.
What is rational ignorance
This concept, discussed by Van Belle, refers to the idea that anarchy (lack of central authority) creates the need for government
What is “anarchy as impetus for government”?
This is the difference between capitalism and socialism.
This ideology promotes a classless society through revolutionary means.
What is Marxist communism?
This model describes the relationship between a principal (e.g., citizen) and an agent (e.g., elected official) who may not act in the principal’s best interest.
What is the principal-agent model?
This concept describes how individuals interpret information to fit their preexisting beliefs.
What is selective perception
This is the difference between a state, nation, and nation-state.
This concept describes the failure of communism in practice due to inefficiencies and lack of incentives.
What is “the incentive problem”
This concept describes states’ ability to prioritize survival and power in an anarchic international system.
What is realism’s blind spot (e.g., ignoring non-state actors like NGOs and corporations)?
This theory, proposed by Max Weber, describes bureaucracy as an ideal form of organization based on hierarchy, rules, and meritocracy.
What is the Weberian ideal bureaucracy?
This phenomenon describes how individuals seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs.
What is selective exposure?
This theory argues that power is exercised through formal and informal institutions, shaping behavior and outcomes.
What is governmentality (Foucault)?
This term describes the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a political party.
What is gerrymandering?
This term describes the economic and political domination of weaker nations by stronger ones.
What is imperialism?
This term describes how bureaucracies resist reform and persist despite inefficiencies.
What is the cockroach theory?
These are the three types of representation in legislatures.
What are delegate, trustee, and politico?