Political Development
process that leads to a particular set of government institutions (and it may not lead to a democracy)
Social Cleavages
divisions within a society, can be along religious, ethnic, geography/land, linguistic or class
Monetarism
an approach to economic policy that assumes a natural rate of unemployment, determined by the labor market, and rejects the instruments of government spending to run budgetary deficits for stimulating the economy and creating jobs
Parliamentary Sovereignty
a constitutional principle of government by which legislature reserves the power to make or overturn any law without recourse by the executive, the judiciary, or monarchy
Fusion of powers
a constitutional principle that merges he authority of branches of government, in contrast to the principle of separation of powers
Constitutional Monarchy
system of government in which the head of state ascends by heredity, but is limited in powers and constrained by the provisions of a constitution
Quangos
Acronym for quasi-nongovernmental organizations, the term used in Britain for non-elected bodies that are outside traditional government departments or local authorities
Shadow Cabinet
group of British MPs who are members of the Opposition and whose job it is to scrutinize the current government and come up with alternative policies
Secularism
a doctrine that mandates maintaining separation of church and state
United Kingdom
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
New Labour
alternative to the collectivism of traditional Labour that emerged under PM Tony Blair
Reform Act of 1832 (UK)
act of parliament which expanded voting rights to 7% of the UK population
Non-Tariff Barriers
policies designed to prevents foreign imports in order to protect domestic industries, such as quotas, health and safety standards, packaging and labeling rules, and unique or unusual business practices
Deficit Spending
spending by governments even though there is a budget deficit that cannot be balanced through a tax hike
National Health Service
government health care program in the UK
Jus Soli
related to citizenship; means "right of soil
Head of State
a top figure who without much political power symbolizes the nation, receives foreign ambassadors and gives speeches on patriotic occasions
Referendum
an election in which citizens are asked to approve (or reject) a policy or law
Self-Defense Forces
Japanese military; confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed abroad
Tokai Village
the site of the two worst nuclear accidents Japan has ever experienced
Liberal Democrats
center-left British political party
Gaullist Party
social conservative, right, parties in France
Japans Emperor
head of state in Japan
Backbenchers
members of Parliament who are not top leaders in the government or the Shadow Cabinet
Proportional representation
a system of political representation in which seats are allocated to parties within multimember constituencies, roughly in proportion to the votes each party receives
Dirigisme
a French term denoting that the state plays a leading role in supervising he economy
National Champions
French term which refers to the creation of large firms with support from the central government
Privatization
the sale of state-owned enterprises to private companies or investors
Cohabitation
the term used by French to describe the situation in the Fifth Republic when a president and prime minister belong to opposing political coalitions
LDP (Liberal Democratic Party)
the predominate party in Japan's one-party-dominant regime
Keiretsu
a business group in Japan that consists of private companies with interconnected business relationships and shareholdings
Chief of Government
generally this position is held by the Prime Minister or President
Iron Triangles
in Japan; Bureaucrats, members of Parliament, and Business Interests all work together
APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation)
organization that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region
Meiji Restoration
the 1868 "restoration" of power to the emperor and the entire period of revolutionary changes (modernization and westernization)
National Front (NF)
Extreme right party in France; led by Marine Le Pen
Minamata disease
Neurological disease caused by severed mercury poisoning in Minamata city in Kumamoto prefecture
Unitary System
No powers are reserved constitutionally for sub-national units of government
Keynesianism
governments that use budget deficits to expand demand in an effort to boost consumption and investment when the economy is slowing down
Laissez-faire
an economic system which promotes free enterprise and no government interference
Jus sanguinis
related to citizenship; means "right of blood
Oxbridge
University prep-schools for those planning to attend Oxford or Cambridge
Diet
bicameral Japanese parliament (House of Representatives, House of Councilors)
UMP (Union for a Popular Movement)
French political party now known as the Republican Party (since 2015)
Tribe
members of the Diet with recognized expertise in particular policy areas and close personal connections with special interests in those areas; also known as Zoku
Political Culture
the attitudes and beliefs that influence political behavior
Crown
another way of referring to the monarch in Britain; "head of state
Social Conservatism
the political philosophy that focuses on support for traditional morality, social values, and the traditional family
MMP (Mixed Member Proportional System)
electoral system used in Japan which mixes first-past-the-post sing-member districts and proportional representation party lists
SMD (Single Member Districts)
an electoral district in which only one representative is elected, most commonly by the first-past-the-post method, that is, whoever gets the most votes
Federal System
a political structure in which subnational units have significant independent powers; the powers of each level are usually specified in the federal constitution
Monetary policies
attempt to control the money supply
SNTV (single non-transferable vote)
a method of voting used in multimember election district system. each voter casts only one ballot for a particular candidate and that vote mat not be transferred to another candidate even of the same party. as many candidates with the most votes are elect
First-past-the-post
candidate with the plurality of votes is the winner of the congressional seat
Ancien Regime
the monarchical regime that ruled France until the Revolution of 1789, when it was toppled by a popular uprising
Koenkai
In Japanese politics, a candidate's personal campaign organization, consisting mainly of his or her relatives, friends, fellow alumni,coworkers, and their acquaintances
UK parliament
the highest legislative authority in the United Kingdom, and it is made up of the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Crown
Social Market economy
a system that aims to combine the efficiency of market economies with a concern for fairness for a broad range of citizens
How is the British Prime minister selected?
The PM is not directly elected by the national electorate, but rather by his or her district. Also a member of parliament. the PM is designed to be the "first-among-equals" within the cabinet
What is the "Third Way" (UK)?
the "New Labour Party" has changed its position to be the "Third Way" between labour and Conservative; centrist movement, pioneered by Tony Blair in the late 90s, removed some socialist elements of the Labour Party
what year was universal suffrage granted to both men and women above the age of 21 in the UK?
1918? women were granted the right to vote
what is the difference between British Prime Minister and President in France?
British Prime Minister: Head of the UK government and is ultimately responsible for the policy and decisions of the government, doesn't command armed forces
President of France: Head of state but not head of government, can't veto legislation, commands ar
what kind of electoral system exists in the UK and how does it influence the electoral opportunities for large and small parties?
First-past-the-post or the plurality system with single member districts?
what is the "Le Pen Bombshell"?
the french presidential race has been rocked after an opinion pole showed leader of the National Front Party, Marine Le Pen is by far the most popular political figure among right-wing supporters, and also gaining ground among left-wing circles
What are the major differences between the French Forth and Fifth Republics?
4th republic: had its power focussed on Parliament- and while this made sure the government was held accountable by its people, it was also unable to act decisively on matters of war --> 5th republic: strong executive branch. limited accountability
What are some of the key features and presidential powers found in the French Semi-Presidential System as compared with the "classic(US)" presidential system?
French presidential powers: Head of State but not head of government, can't veto but can slow down, commands armed forces, no vice presidents--> President of Senate acts as place holder if President dies, most powerful president in Europe
US president pow
The mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting combines what two types of voting systems?
combines first-past-the-post single-member districts and proportional representation party lists
How would you characterize Japan's foreign trade (imports and Exports)?
Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI): coordinating international trade policy with other groups --> Banks and Businesses (most powerful until 2001)
Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI): replaced MITI
Non-tariff Barriers (NTBs): o
what is the relationship between policy and law?
Policies: guidelines that provide a general direction
laws: work to create the outcomes that are suggested in the policies
*Policy without laws means that the local officials can carry out the policy as they see fit
What are the three measures of political culture (civic culture)?
(1) Attitudes toward authority
(2) Attitudes toward society (tolerance and equality)
(3) Attitudes toward institutions
What country and political parties are associated with the term "two-party-dominate system"?
Great Britain; political parties: Labour and Conservative; a center party (liberal democrat); and national parties in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland; and United Kingdom Independence (UKIP)
what country and political party is associated with the term "predominate-party system"?
Japan; associated with the long rule of the Liberal Democratic Party (right/conservative)
What is the dual-structure (or double-deck) system in Japan?
modern corporate sector composed of large and powerful enterprises and a traditional small-business sectors side by side in the industrial economy (large corporations hire more male full-time employees while small corps. tend to hire more temporary or par
what countries boarder France?
Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and the UK
what are the capitals of Japan, UK and France?
Japan: Tokyo
UK: London
France: Paris
what is the difference between privatization and nationalization of industries?
Privatization: the sale of state-owned enterprises to private companies or investors
Nationalization: transforming private assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state