Political Science Flashcards
Autocracy
Government in which all political power rests with one person
Aristocracy
Government ruled by a small group of usually elite citizens
Constitutionalism
Government limited by fundamental laws
Detente
Relaxed political and military tensions during the Cold War
Domino theory
Idea that if one country becomes communist it’s neighbors will follow
Fascism
Radical authoritarian political ideology in which people are united by national identity and the state seeks to eradicate foreign influences
Federalism
Government that divides power between a central authority and smaller divisions
Habeas corpus
A person under arrest must be brought before a judge thereby preventing unlawful detention
Pluralism
Nongovernment entities exert influence on the government and have the belief that there should be diverse and competing centers of power in society
War powers resolution
Prevents the president of the United States from entering a war without approval from congress
John Aldrich
Author of “why parties? The origin and transformation of political parties in America”
Graham Allison
Analyzed government decision making in times of crisis
Louis hartz
Proponent of American exceptionalism- the belief that America is different from other countries and has an obligation to spread democracy around the world
Samuel p. Huntington
Wrote “clash of civilizations”, which asserts that in the post-Cold War world conflicts will be caused by the cultural and religious beliefs that people identify with
Giovanni sartori
Italian expert on comparative politics
