AP Comparative Government and Politics Vocabulary

The collective attitudes, values, and beliefs of the citizenry and the norms of behavior in the political system. It sets expectations about the exercise of power to establish a balance between social order and individual liberty

• communism

• civil society

• political culture

• formal participation

the lifelong process of acquiring one’s beliefs, values, and orientations toward the political system

• political socialization

• civil society

• fascism

• political ideology

Comprises of a range of voluntary associations that are autonomous from the state including local religious and neighborhood organizations, news media, business and professional associations and nongovernmental organizations

• political and social cleavages

• socialism

• civil society

• welfare state

can be described as internal divisions that structure societies and may be based on class, ethnicity, religion, or territory

• political ideology

• political and social cleavages

• post-materialism

• informal participation

belief in the abolition of private property with near total governmental control of the economy

• communism

• fascism

• neo-liberalism

• political socialization

extreme nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule and the rights of the ethnic majority over that of ethnic minorities and the political opposition

• post-materialism

• fascism

• socialism

• formal participation

belief in individual civil liberties and freedom over governmental restrictions

• communism

• fascism

• individualism

• neo-liberalism

can be encouraged across regime types to enhance legitimacy, gather input, act as a safety valve, or apply a check on governmental policies, though authoritarian regimes are more likely to use citizen participation to intimidate opposition or give an illusion of influence, while democratic regimes hold elections to allow citizen control of the policy-making process

• formal participation

• informal participation

• political ideology

• political culture

such as protests and political criticism expressed through social media, is treated differently across regime types. In authoritarian systems, there is less tolerance of critical viewpoints that may challenge authoritarian regimes

• formal participation

• informal participation

• post-materialism

• welfare state

belief in limited governmental intervention in the economy and society; supports privatization, free trade, deregulation, and the elimination of state subsidies

• post materialism

• communism

• non governmental organization

• neoliberalism