Political Glossary
Explore key political terms and concepts that will help you better understand political ideologies and positions.
A
Affirmative Action
Policies intended to remedy past or ongoing discrimination by improving opportunities for historically marginalized groups. Designs vary widely (e.g., outreach, targets, quotas), and legal status differs by country.
Anarchism
A family of philosophies seeking to abolish coercive hierarchies—especially the state—in favor of voluntary, self-governed associations. Traditions include anarcho-communism, mutualism, and anarcho-capitalism.
Authoritarianism
Political systems that centralize power and constrain civil liberties, competitive elections, and independent institutions. Can be personalist, party-based, military, or hybrid.
C
Capitalism
An economic order based on private ownership of capital and competitive markets. Real-world systems range from lightly regulated to 'coordinated' or 'mixed' economies with significant state roles.
Civil Liberties
Individual rights that protect citizens from government overreach (e.g., speech, privacy, due process). Often entrenched in constitutions or bill of rights.
Communism
In Marxist theory, a stateless, classless society with common ownership of the means of production. In practice, 'communist' states retained states and allowed personal property while abolishing private ownership of productive assets.
Conservatism
Broad traditions emphasizing continuity, social order, and skepticism toward rapid change. Includes varieties such as traditionalist, religious, national, and market-oriented conservatism.
D
Decentralization
Shifting decision-making and resources from central to regional/local authorities to improve responsiveness or preserve diversity. Can be administrative, fiscal, or political.
Democracy
Government by the people—directly or via free and fair elections—with civil liberties, rule of law, and constraints on executive power. Liberal democracy adds strong rights protections and independent courts.
E
Economic Left
Prefers redistribution, social insurance, labor protections, and public provision for basic goods—often with progressive taxation and regulation of markets.
Economic Right
Emphasizes market allocation, private enterprise, lower taxes, and limited regulation; trusts competition and price signals to coordinate the economy.
F
Fascism
Radical ultranationalist politics featuring one-party rule, mass mobilization, violence against opposition, and leader cults; typically subordinates markets and civil society to the state.
Federalism
Constitutional division of authority between national and subnational governments. Powers are shared or enumerated, and subnational units have institutional protections.
Free Trade
International commerce with minimal tariffs and barriers. Advocates cite efficiency and consumer benefits; critics emphasize adjustment costs, distributional effects, and strategic industries.
G
Globalization
Growing cross-border flows of goods, capital, people, and ideas. Benefits productivity and variety but can disrupt local industries and strain regulatory capacity.
Gun Rights / Gun Control
Debates over civilian firearm ownership and regulation (e.g., licensing, background checks, types). Weighs self-defense, recreation, and rights against public safety and harm reduction.
I
Identity Politics
Political mobilization centered on shared identities (e.g., race, religion, gender). Can empower marginalized groups; critics argue it risks essentialism or polarization.
Individualism / Collectivism
Contrasting emphases on personal autonomy and responsibility versus social cohesion and shared obligations. Most systems balance elements of both.
K
Keynesianism
Macroeconomic doctrine advocating countercyclical fiscal policy to stabilize demand and employment, especially in recessions.
L
Liberalism (Classical / Social)
Classical liberalism stresses individual rights, limited government, and market freedom. Social liberalism accepts market economies but supports a safety net and anti-discrimination to secure real freedom.
Libertarianism
Prioritizes individual liberty, private property, and minimal state. Left-libertarians stress anti-authoritarianism and often economic egalitarianism; right-libertarians emphasize free markets.
M
Monetarism
View that money supply is the main driver of inflation and output in the short run; emphasizes central bank rules and price stability.
Marxism
Analytical framework focusing on class relations, exploitation, and historical development; informs socialist and communist movements in diverse, sometimes conflicting, ways.
Mixed Economy
An economy combining market mechanisms with significant public sector roles (e.g., regulation, public services, state-owned firms). Most advanced economies fit this description.
N
Nationalism
Politics that centers the nation as the primary community of loyalty. Can be civic (shared institutions) or ethnic (shared ancestry/culture); ranges from inclusive to exclusionary.
Neoliberalism
A contested label for late-20th-century policy paradigms emphasizing liberalization, privatization, open trade/finance, and fiscal restraint—often coupled with independent central banks.
P
Pluralism
A political condition where multiple groups (parties, interests, associations) compete and share power within rules that protect minority rights.
Populism
A political style framing politics as a struggle between a virtuous “people” and a corrupt “elite.” Can be left or right, democratic or anti-institutional.
Protectionism
Policies (tariffs, quotas, subsidies, local content rules) that shield domestic producers from foreign competition to preserve jobs, security, or strategic capacity.
Progressivism
Reform-oriented politics seeking to expand inclusion and update institutions in light of new knowledge and values; specific policies vary by time and place.
R
Rule of Law
The principle that laws—not arbitrary rulers—govern; requires generality, publicity, stability, and independent courts applying laws equally.
Retribution vs. Rehabilitation
Competing aims of criminal justice: punishment proportional to wrongdoing versus reducing recidivism via treatment, education, and reintegration.
S
Secularism
Separation of religious authority from the state to ensure freedom of conscience for all faiths and none.
Separation of Powers
Institutional design dividing legislative, executive, and judicial power to prevent concentration and enable checks and balances.
Socialism
Approaches favoring social ownership (public, cooperative, or communal) of productive assets. Democratic socialist models often combine markets with extensive welfare states.
Surveillance (State / Corporate)
Collection and analysis of personal data by governments or firms. Raises trade-offs between security, convenience, competition, and privacy rights.
T
Theocracy
Political systems in which clerical authorities hold ultimate power or religious law is the supreme legal source.
Totalitarianism
Aims for total control over political, social, and cultural life via a single-party apparatus, pervasive propaganda, surveillance, and repression.
Trade-offs (Policy)
Recognition that policies typically involve costs and benefits across groups and time; serious analysis weighs distributional and long-run effects.
U
Unitary State
A state where ultimate authority resides with the central government; local bodies exist at the center’s discretion (contrast with federalism).
W
Welfare State
Public programs that insure against social risks (unemployment, illness, age) and ensure minimum living standards; varies from basic safety nets to universalistic models.