Unit 1 Key Concepts Flashcards
(14 cards)
Democracy
System of governance where citizens directly or indirectly decide the law, policies, leadership, power, and undertakings of a state. Democracy comes from the Greek word demokratia meaning “rule by people”.
Authoritarianism
System of governance where people in leadership have power and control over the people and citizens have to strictly obey authority and have a lack of personal freedom of speech, choice, etc.
Sovereignty
To have supreme power in the political world. A sovereign state is a state that has power over its own territory, government, population and is recognised as a state. It is able to govern itself without interference from other nation states.
The State
A state is a defined territory with a centralised government. A nation state is when a country has language, culture, heritage in common. A sovereign state is a state that has power over its own territory, government, population and is recognised as a state.
International Relations
The study of interactions between different countries that examines the policy, conflict, and cooperation to understand how the different states work in our world.
Power
The ability to make others do what you would like them to do. You can obtain civic power with physical force, wealth, norms, action, ideas, etc. The three laws of power are that power is never static, it flows like water, and power compounds. Good citizenship is when they use power for the greater good.
Governance
How governments excersize power and authority. Different systems of government are democracy or dictatorship/authorotarianism. Governments can be dictators (total power over a country, usually obtained by force) where they follow an authoritarian regime, or they can be democratic.
Rule of Law
Everyone is subject to the law, so that it ensures fairness in legal actions. In democracies, laws are equal for everyone, but in places with authoritarian leadership, laws may be enforced on certain people only based on factors.
Transparency
Being able to hold political bodies accountable for their actions by informing the public about everything that happens in the government through the media and not censoring stories.
Legitimacy
Actions that are considered acceptable in a nation and that is rational for all forms of government.
Accountability
Rule that governments of a nation should reply to their actions and be held accountable for anything they do/say which can be used against them in voting for new government officials. This is made sure by creating transparency in the media so citizens can see exactly what governments are doing/saying and reply to them based on their opinions.
Responsibility To Protect (R2P)
A commitment that says that we should try to prevent genocide, wars, discrimination. R2P makes sure that the international community has a role in intervening if a state does not succeed in protecting their citizens from harm.
Human Rights
The declaration of human rights consists of 30 articles about all the different rights humans should have internationally. These rights are basic rights that should be the form of treatment for everyone, but in relation to respect, it can be changed on what you think is right for an individual (their actions)
Humanitarian Aid
Humanitarian aid is assistance provided to reduce suffering of humans during natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises. Some organizations such as the Red Cross give out forms of aid to affected people, making sure that they have access to the basic needs for living.
