APHG Unit 4, part II, "Vital" Vocabulary: Political Patterns & Processes (Topics 4.6 - 4.10 ONLY!)

democratization

The establishment of competitive elections that are regular, fair, and free in countries around the world

redistricting

The process of redrawing legislative districts for administrative or electoral purposes

gerrymandering

The process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the political party in power

unitary state

A state with a system of government that concentrates all policy-making powers in one central geographic place

federal state

A state with a system of government that divides the power between the central government and its sub-units

territorial morphology

A term that describes the shapes, sizes, and relative locations of states

supranational/multinational organization

A cooperating group of nations, operating on either regional or international levels, to promote shared political, economic, and/or cultural objectives

devolution

The process whereby regional governments within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government

irredentism

A state's desire to reclaim lost lands, or those inhabited by people of a similar ethnicity in another nation-state

uneven development

The increasing gap in economic conditions between geographical locations at various scales as a result of the globalization of the economy

economies of scale

The cost advantages (to both producers and consumers) of conducting various economic activities at a particular scale of production

infrastructure

Necessary services that support economic activities, such as energy, communication, and transportation networks

ethnic cleansing

A process in which a more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region

failed state

A country whose government cannot project political or economic authority over its territory and peoples, and cannot protect its national boundaries

genocide

The mass killing of a group of people in an attempt to eliminate the entire group from existence

Balkanization

A process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities

municipalities

Political units (like cities, towns, or villages) incorporated for local self-government

centrifugal force

An attitude that tends to separate people, sometimes resulting in the destabilization of the state

centripetal force

An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for the state

ethnic nationalism

The process by which the people of a country identify as having one common ethnicity, religious belief, and language, creating a sense of pride and identity that is tied to the territory

globalization

Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope

terrorism

The use of violence in order to achieve political goals or to force a government to do something