18 concepts the spec wants you to use precisely, drawn from the Panther database. Read them, then test yourself.
In test mode, tap a concept to reveal its definition.
The concepts
Cultural approach(tap to reveal)- The idea that politics is shaped by what a culture values. For example, Americans value individual rights (like gun ownership) while British culture values tradition and respecting institutions.
Neo-institutionalism(tap to reveal)- An updated version of structural theory that says institutions don't just affect what politicians can do - they also affect what politicians want and how they think.
New institutionalism(tap to reveal)- A theory with three parts showing how institutions matter: some focus on how people use institutions to get what they want, some focus on how history locks in choices, and some focus on culture and shared meanings.
Path dependency(tap to reveal)- The idea that early historical choices lock countries into certain paths that are hard to change later. This explains why the US and UK have stayed different despite facing similar modern pressures.
Political culture(tap to reveal)- The shared way of thinking and believing in a country's politics. For example, Americans believe in individual freedom while British culture emphasises fairness and tradition.
Rational approach(tap to reveal)- The idea that politicians act in their own self-interest. This explains why US politicians break party discipline to get re-elected, while UK MPs stay loyal to their party because they depend on it for their career.
Rational choice theory(tap to reveal)- A theory saying that people make choices to get the best outcome for themselves. Politicians, voters and interest groups all act to maximise what benefits them most.
Structural approach(tap to reveal)- The idea that institutions shape politics. The US President has more trouble with Congress than a UK PM does with Parliament, because the US system separates powers while the UK fuses them.
Absolute gains(tap to reveal)- The liberal idea that countries can work together and both benefit, even if one country gets more benefit than the other. What matters is that everyone wins something.
Anarchical society / society of states(tap to reveal)- Hedley Bull's idea that even without a world government, states form a loose society with shared norms and rules that they generally follow.
Balance of power(tap to reveal)- The idea that when one country gets too powerful, other countries team up against it to stop it from dominating. Realists say this happens naturally.
Classical realism(tap to reveal)- Realism based on the idea that people naturally want power. This explains why countries fight - not because of how the system works, but because human nature wants power.
Commercial liberalism(tap to reveal)- The liberal idea that when countries trade a lot with each other, they don't want to fight because war would hurt their economy. Trade makes peace profitable.
Complex interdependence(tap to reveal)- The theory that states are linked by so many economic and social ties that conflict becomes very costly and cooperation becomes more likely.
Constructivism(tap to reveal)- A theory saying that what countries care about isn't fixed by power or nature - it's created by their ideas, culture and how they interact with each other.
Cosmopolitanism(tap to reveal)- The liberal idea that all people in the world matter equally, regardless of which country they're from. This supports human rights and helping people in other countries.
Defensive realism(tap to reveal)- A type of realism saying states only want enough power to be safe, because if they get too powerful, other states will join together to stop them.
Democratic peace theory(tap to reveal)- The liberal idea that democracies don't go to war with each other. This is why liberals think spreading democracy makes the world more peaceful.