Core Political Concepts: Power, Regimes, and Legitimacy

Power

The ability of one person or group to get another person or group to do something they otherwise would not do.

Authority

The legal right or recognized entitlement to exercise power.

Constitution

The supreme law defining the structure of government.

Military Forces

Control over the armed forces allowing a leader to maintain order and coerce opponents.

Political Parties

Organizations that mobilize voters and elites.

Legislatures

Law-making bodies that represent the people.

Popular Support

The will of the people, usually demonstrated through elections.

The State

The set of political institutions that manage the population and generate policy.

Sovereignty

Legal authority over a valid territory.

The Regime

The fundamental rules and norms of politics determining how power is acquired and used.

Democratic Regimes

Regimes that base their authority on the will of the people.

Liberal Democracies

Systems that promote participation, competition, and liberty.

Authroritarian Regimes

Regimes where a small group exercises power without being constitutionally responsible to the public.

Civil Liberties

Basic rights and freedoms that are guaranteed to individuals.

Hybrid Regimes

Regimes that exhibit traits of both democracy and authoritarianism.

Legitimacy

The general belief that the government has the right to rule.

Traditional Legitimacy

Legitimacy built on history, rituals, and continuity.

Charismatic Legitimacy

Legitimacy based on the dynamic personality of a leader.

Rational-Legal Legitimacy

Legitimacy based on a system of laws and procedures that are highly institutionalized.

Policy Effectiveness

Delivering economic growth as a means of maintaining legitimacy.

Election Fraud

Rigged outcomes that undermine public trust in elections.

Conflating Rule of Law and Rule BY Law

Confusing the principle that the law applies to everyone with that where the law is used as a tool by the state.

State vs. Government

Distinguishing between the institutions of the state and the leadership running the government.

Sovereignty Definition

The independent legal authority over a population in a specific territory.

Regime Change vs. Government Change

Understanding that an election is a government change, while a military coup represents regime change.

Independent Judiciary

Courts that can check the power of the executive.