GOVP1 definitions

Different political terms used in GOVP1 

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  • Created by: Hannah
  • Created on: 28-03-13 15:15
Dealignment
where voters move from a partisan to a non partisan relationship
1 of 30
Direct Democracy
a form of democracy where political power is exercised by citizen, rather than representatives acting on their behalf
2 of 30
Candidate Selection
the process by which political parties choose candidates to represent them in different constituencies
3 of 30
Pressure Group Pluralism
power and decision making is in government but pressure groups can use resources to influence decisions (power is diffuse)
4 of 30
Constituency
a body of voters within a defined geographical area who elect a legislative body or candidate
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Ideology
an orientation that characterizes the thinking of individuals or a group, based on their ideas and beliefs
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Outsider group
pressure groups who do not have privileged access to the government and therefore seek to achieve their goals by mobilizing public opinion and exerting pressure
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Insider group
pressure groups which have direct access to the government, due to ideological fit or power, they have frequent access to ministers and government and use this to achieve aims
8 of 30
Partisan Allignment
strong ties which existed between certain parties and voters (not as common now)
9 of 30
Constituency Parties
the local units of political parties, for instance the Constituency Labour Party
10 of 30
Access Points
Points where pressure groups can exert influence
11 of 30
Opinion Polls
surveys on peoples opinions on different issues, such as voting intentions and party performance
12 of 30
Democracy
power to the people
13 of 30
Representative Democracy
where a representative is elected by citizens to act on their behalf
14 of 30
Switchers
voters without a strong attachment to a particular party so may switch their vote at elections
15 of 30
Electoral Reform
changes made by an electoral system or a change from one electoral system to an alternative
16 of 30
Minority Government
a government formed by a political party which does not have a parliamentary majority
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Split-ticket Voting
where an elector can support a candidate from one party using one vote and a candidate from a different party with another vote
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Coalition
a government made up of more than one party
19 of 30
Tactical voting
voting for the candidate most likely to defeat the least favoured candidate
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Wasted Vote
a vote which has no effect on the outcome of an election, for instance votes cast for the winner surplus to those needed for them to win, or a vote for a losing candidate
21 of 30
Rational Choice Model
an approach to the study of politics that focuses on the actions of individuals who pursue their own interests
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Two-party System
where two fairly equally matched parties compete for power at elections and others have little chance of breaking their duopoly
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Multi-party system
where many parties compete for power and the government consists of a series of coalitions formed by different combinations of parties
24 of 30
Single-party system
one party dominates, bans other parties and exercises control over candidacy at elections
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Thatcherism
an ideological approach combining free-market, neo-liberal economic policy with orthodox conservative policy in areas such as the state, family and law and order
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Captive or Prisoner Groups
pressure groups dependent on the government, either due to needing their funding or because the government played a part in their creation
27 of 30
Direct Action
the use of strikes, demonstrations and sometimes civil disobedience to exert pressure on the government to achieve aims
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Lobbying
an act of seeking the ear of a member of government in order to influence decisions made in government
29 of 30
Liberal Democracy
a style of democracy incorporating free and fair elections and a belief in certain rights and responsibilities
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

a form of democracy where political power is exercised by citizen, rather than representatives acting on their behalf

Back

Direct Democracy

Card 3

Front

the process by which political parties choose candidates to represent them in different constituencies

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

power and decision making is in government but pressure groups can use resources to influence decisions (power is diffuse)

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

a body of voters within a defined geographical area who elect a legislative body or candidate

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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