Politics & Political Systems, SOC-TRU
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Politics & Political Systems Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Social Democratic Party (SDP), short-lived British political party that was formed in 1981 by a faction of the......
Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Germany’s oldest political party and one of the country’s two main parties......
Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), leftist party in Japan that supports an evolving socialized economy and......
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland, Swiss political party of the centre-left that supports an extensive government......
Social Gospel, religious social reform movement prominent in the United States from about 1870 to 1920. Advocates......
socialism, social and economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property......
Socialist International (SI), association of national socialist parties that advocates a democratic form of socialism.......
Socialist Party (PS), major French political party formally established in 1905. The Socialist Party traces its......
Socialist Revolutionary Party, Russian political party that represented the principal alternative to the Social-Democratic......
soft money, in the United States, paper money as contrasted with coins, or hard money; also, unregulated monetary......
Solidarity, Polish trade union that in the early 1980s became the first independent labour union in a country belonging......
sortition, election by lot, a method of choosing public officials in some ancient Greek city-states. It was used......
Soulbury Commission, commission sent by the British government to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1944 to examine a constitutional......
South Africa held national and provincial elections on May 29, 2024. Significantly, this year marked the 30th anniversary......
South African National Space Agency (SANSA), South African space agency that was founded to develop a national......
South African Party (SAP), South African political party formed in November 1911, in the aftermath of the 1910......
Sovereign Council, governmental body established by France in April 1663 for administering New France, its colony......
sovereignty, in political theory, the ultimate overseer, or authority, in the decision-making process of the state......
soviet, council that was the primary unit of government in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and that officially......
Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, Spanish socialist political party. Spain’s oldest political party, the PSOE was......
Spartacus League, revolutionary socialist group active in Germany from autumn 1914 to the end of 1918. It was officially......
special district, in U.S. politics, service providers created by local authorities to operate within specifically......
Specie Circular, (July 11, 1836), in U.S. history, an executive order issued by President Andrew Jackson requiring......
The Spectator, a periodical published in London by the essayists Sir Richard Steele and Joseph Addison from March......
sphere of influence, in international politics, the claim by a state to exclusive or predominant control over a......
spoils system, practice in which the political party winning an election rewards its campaign workers and other......
Square Deal , description by U.S. Pres. Theodore Roosevelt (served 1901–09) of his personal approach to current......
Stalinism, the method of rule, or policies, of Joseph Stalin, Soviet Communist Party and state leader from 1929......
Stalwart, in U.S. history, member of a faction of the Republican Party that opposed the civil-service reform policies......
Stamp Act, (1765), in U.S. colonial history, first British parliamentary attempt to raise revenue through direct......
Stamp Act Congress, meeting convened in New York City (October 1765) by representatives of nine of the American......
state, political organization of society, or the body politic, or, more narrowly, the institutions of government.......
state building, the construction of a state apparatus defined by its monopoly of the legitimate use of violence......
state monopoly on violence, in political science and sociology, the concept that the state alone has the right......
U.S. Department of State, executive division of the U.S. federal government responsible for carrying out U.S. foreign......
States General, body of delegates representing the United Provinces of the Netherlands (Dutch Republic; 1579–1795).......
states’ rights, the rights or powers retained by the regional governments of a federal union under the provisions......
Stolypin land reform, (1906–17), measures undertaken by the Russian government to allow peasants to own land individually.......
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), proposed U.S. strategic defensive system against potential nuclear attacks—as......
Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, nonprofit educational institution established at Santa Barbara,......
suffrage, in representative government, the right to vote in electing public officials and adopting or rejecting......
Sugar Act, (1764), in U.S. colonial history, British legislation aimed at ending the smuggling trade in sugar and......
Super Tuesday, in the United States, a Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year on which several......
superpower, a state that possesses military or economic might, or both, and general influence vastly superior to......
SWAPO Party of Namibia, political party that began as a liberation movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa)......
Swiss People’s Party, conservative Swiss political party. The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) was founded in 1971 by......
syndicalism, a movement that advocates direct action by the working class to abolish the capitalist order, including......
taifa, a faction or party, as applied to the followers of any of the petty kings who appeared in Muslim Spain in......
Taika era reforms, (“Great Reformation of the Taika Era”), series of political innovations that followed the coup......
Taliban, ultraconservative political and religious faction that emerged in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s following......
Tammany Hall, the executive committee of the Democratic Party in New York City historically exercising political......
tanistry, a custom among various Celtic tribes—notably in Scotland and Ireland—by which the king or chief of the......
Tanzimat, (Turkish: “Reorganization”), series of reforms promulgated in the Ottoman Empire between 1839 and 1876......
Tea Act, (1773), in British American colonial history, legislative maneuver by the British ministry of Lord North......
Tea Party movement, conservative populist social and political movement that emerged in 2009 in the United States,......
technocracy, government by technicians who are guided solely by the imperatives of their technology. The concept......
Telugu Desam Party (TDP), regional political party in Andhra Pradesh state, southeastern India. It also at times......
Tempō reforms, (1841–43), unsuccessful attempt by the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868) to restore the feudal agricultural......
Tenentismo, (from Portuguese tenente, “lieutenant”), movement among young, idealistic Brazilian army officers,......
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), U.S. government agency established in 1933 to control floods, improve navigation,......
terrorism, the calculated use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring......
On September 17, 1787, the United States Constitution—the oldest written constitution still in effect today—was......
To reclaim its longtime dominance of Olympic men’s basketball, the United States, beginning with the 1992 Games......
Although many of the Founding Fathers acknowledged that slavery violated the core American Revolutionary ideal......
For some time the question of the religious faith of the Founding Fathers has generated a culture war in the United......
The Rise of Andrew Jackson, This detailed original account of the life of Andrew Jackson written for Encyclopædia......
From precolonial times to the early 21st century, the role and status of women in Nigeria have continuously evolved.......
The most important development of the 20th century was the spread of democracy. The most important lesson was that......
theocracy, government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided. In many theocracies,......
Thermidorian Reaction, in the French Revolution, the parliamentary revolt initiated on 9 Thermidor, year II (July......
thing, in medieval Scandinavia, the local, provincial, and, in Iceland, national assemblies of freemen that formed......
Third Department, office created by Emperor Nicholas I (July 15 [July 3, old style], 1826) to conduct secret police......
Third Estate, in French history, with the nobility and the clergy, one of the three orders into which members were......
third way, in politics, a proposed alternative between two hitherto dominant models, namely left-wing and right-wing......
Thirty Tyrants, (404–403 bc) Spartan-imposed oligarchy that ruled Athens after the Peloponnesian War. Thirty commissioners......
Three Principles of the People, the ideological basis of the political program of the Chinese Nationalist leader......
Three-fifths compromise, compromise agreement between delegates from the Northern and the Southern states at the......
timar, in the Ottoman Empire, grant of lands or revenues by the sultan to an individual in compensation for his......
After a century-long struggle for freedom, India and Pakistan won independence from British colonial rule at midnight......
Napoleon Bonaparte rose from the ranks of the French Revolutionary army to become first consul (1799–1804) and......
The right to vote is a hallmark of democratic governments. The strength of a democracy can be measured by its free......
totalitarianism, form of government that theoretically permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate......
town meeting, in the United States, an assembly of local qualified voters in whom is vested the governmental authority......
Townshend Acts, (June 15–July 2, 1767), in colonial U.S. history, series of four acts passed by the British Parliament......
township, unit of government found primarily in the northeast and north central United States; it is a subdivision......
trade agreement, any contractual arrangement between states concerning their trade relationships. Trade agreements......
Board of Trade, English governmental advisory body established by William III in May 1696 to replace the Lords......
transitional justice, national institutions or practices that identify and address injustices committed under a......
Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. agency created following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks......
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), executive agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for programs......
U.S. Department of the Treasury, executive division of the U.S. federal government responsible for fiscal policy.......
treaty, a binding formal agreement, contract, or other written instrument that establishes obligations between......
Council of Trent, 19th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held in three parts from 1545 to 1563.......
Triangle shirtwaist factory fire, fatal conflagration that occurred on the evening of March 25, 1911, in a New......
tributary system, model by which China conducted foreign relations from approximately the Han dynasty (206 bce–220......
Trotskyism, a Marxist ideology based on the theory of permanent revolution first expounded by Leon Trotsky (1879–1940),......
Time of Troubles, period of political crisis in Russia that followed the demise of the Rurik dynasty (1598) and......
Trusteeship Council, one of the principal organs of the United Nations (UN), designed to supervise the government......
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, South Africa (TRC), courtlike body established by the new South African government......
truth commission, an official body established to investigate a series of human rights violations, war crimes,......