Politics & Political Systems, DIC-FAR
Monarchies, republics, democracies, dictatorships, and hybrids of every kind all offer ways of organizing power. Explore the systems and ideas through which societies govern themselves.
Politics & Political Systems Encyclopedia Articles By Title
dictator
dictator, in modern political systems, a single person who possesses absolute political power within a country......
dictator, Roman
Roman dictator, in the Roman Republic, a temporary magistrate with extraordinary powers, nominated by one of two......
dictatorship
dictatorship, form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective......
dictatorship of the proletariat
dictatorship of the proletariat, in Marxism, rule by the proletariatâthe economic and social class consisting of......
Digger
Digger, any of a group of agrarian communists who flourished in England in 1649â50 and were led by Gerrard Winstanley......
digital activism
digital activism, form of activism that uses the Internet and digital media as key platforms for mass mobilization......
diplomacy
diplomacy, the established method of influencing the decisions and behaviour of foreign governments and peoples......
- Introduction
- Negotiation, Protocol, Relations
- Greece, Negotiation, International Relations
- Roman Catholic, Church, Relations
- Italian, System, Spread
- Concert Europe, WWI Outbreak
- International Relations, Negotiation, Peace
- Summit, Negotiation, International Relations
- Negotiation, Multilateralism, Mediation
- Negotiation, Protocol, Relations
- Negotiation, Representation, Communication
- Negotiation, Multilateral, International
Diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity, in international law, the immunities enjoyed by foreign states or international organizations......
diplomatic recognition
diplomatic recognition, term that may refer either to the procedure by which a new state is formally accepted by......
direct democracy
direct democracy, forms of direct participation of citizens in democratic decision making, in contrast to indirect......
direct primary
direct primary, in the United States, a form of election in which voters directly choose a political partyâs candidates......
director of national intelligence
director of national intelligence (DNI), head of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), a collection of 18 military......
directors of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Since its inception in 1908 the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has had fewer than 15 directors. This......
disarmament
disarmament, in international relations, any of four distinct conceptions: (1) the penal destruction or reduction......
divan
divan, in Islamic societies, a âregister,â or logbook, and later a âfinance department,â âgovernment bureau,â or......
Dixiecrat
Dixiecrat, member of a right-wing Democratic splinter group in the 1948 U.S. presidential election organized by......
dominion
dominion, the status, prior to 1939, of each of the British Commonwealth countries of Canada, Australia, New Zealand,......
domino theory
domino theory, theory adopted in U.S. foreign policy after World War II according to which the âfallâ of a noncommunist......
Donoughmore Commission
Donoughmore Commission, committee sent by the British government to Ceylon in 1927 to examine the Ceylonese constitution......
Donât Ask, Donât Tell
Donât Ask, Donât Tell (DADT), byname for the former official U.S. policy (1993â2011) regarding the service of homosexuals......
Drang nach Osten
Drang nach Osten, (German: âDrive to the Eastâ), German policy or disposition to colonize the Slavic lands east......
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), regional political party in India, principally in the southeastern state of Tamil......
Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Agency of the U.S. Department of Justice charged with enforcing laws that......
Duma
Duma, elected legislative body that, along with the State Council, constituted the imperial Russian legislature......
durbar
durbar, in India, a court or audience chamber, and also any formal assembly of notables called together by a governmental......
département
département, largest unit of local government in France and in some former French colonies. The départements were......
détente
détente, period of the easing of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from 1967 to 1979. The......
DÄr al-Islam
DÄr al-Islam, in Islamic political ideology, the region in which Islam has ascendance; traditionally it has been......
e-democracy
e-democracy, the use of information and communication technologies to enhance and in some accounts replace representative......
e-government
e-government, the use of information and communication technologies, particularly the Internet, in government.......
EAM-ELAS
EAM-ELAS, communist-sponsored resistance organization (formed September 1941) and its military wing (formed December......
East Timor and Indonesia Action Network
East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), American grassroots organization founded in 1991 that committed......
Eastern Question
Eastern Question, diplomatic problem posed in the 19th and early 20th centuries by the disintegration of the Ottoman......
Ecclesia
Ecclesia, (âgathering of those summonedâ), in ancient Greece, assembly of citizens in a city-state. Its roots lay......
Economic Freedom Fighters
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), South African political party formed in 2013 by former African National Congress......
economic regionalism
economic regionalism, institutional arrangements designed to facilitate the free flow of goods and services and......
economic sanctions
economic sanctions, restrictions, including those on trade, travel, and access to financial assets, imposed by......
economic statecraft
economic statecraft, the use of economic means to pursue foreign policy goals. Foreign aid, trade, and policies......
Economist, The
The Economist, weekly magazine of news and opinion published in London and generally regarded as one of the worldâs......
Edinburgh Review, The, or The Critical Journal
The Edinburgh Review, or The Critical Journal, Scottish magazine that was published from 1802 to 1929, and which......
Education, U.S. Department of
U.S. Department of Education, executive division of the U.S. federal government responsible for carrying out government......
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism, the belief in human equality, especially political, social, and economic equality. Egalitarianism......
Eight Elections That Changed History
The amazing thing about studying history is the way in which it can remind us that chaos isnât always a bug but......
Eighth Route Army
Eighth Route Army, larger of the two major Chinese communist forces that fought the Japanese from 1937 to 1945.......
election
election, the formal process of selecting a person for public office or of accepting or rejecting a political proposition......
Election Commission of India
Election Commission of India (ECI), constitutionally mandated autonomous body that was established in 1950 to foster......
Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission, in U.S. history, commission created by Congress in 1877 to resolve the disputed presidential......
electoral system
electoral system, Method and rules of counting votes to determine the outcome of elections. Winners may be determined......
electronic voting
electronic voting, a form of computer-mediated voting in which voters make their selections with the aid of a computer.......
elite theory
elite theory, in political science, theoretical perspective according to which (1) a communityâs affairs are best......
Emancipation Manifesto
Emancipation Manifesto, (March 3 [Feb. 19, Old Style], 1861), manifesto issued by the Russian emperor Alexander......
emergency powers
emergency powers, extraordinary powers invoked as a means of resolving a crisis or protecting a political regime.......
EMILYâs List
EMILYâs List, American political program and donor network dedicated to identifying and helping to elect to political......
empire
empire, major political unit in which the metropolis, or single sovereign authority, exercises control over territory......
Ems telegram
Ems telegram, report of an encounter between King William I of Prussia and the French ambassador; the telegram......
Energy, U.S. Department of
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), executive division of the U.S. federal government responsible for administering......
Ennahda Party
Ennahda Party, Tunisian political party, founded in 1981 by Rached Ghannouchi (RÄshid al-GhannĆ«shÄ«) and Abdelfattah......
Enragé
Enragé, any of a group of extreme revolutionaries in France in 1793, led by a former priest, Jacques Roux, and......
environmental policy
environmental policy, any measure by a government or corporation or other public or private organization regarding......
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agency of the U.S. government that sets and enforces national pollution-control......
epistemic community
epistemic community, in international relations, a network of professionals with recognized expertise and authoritative......
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), government agency established on July 2, 1965, by Title VII of......
equal opportunity
equal opportunity, in political theory, the idea that people ought to be able to compete on equal terms, or on......
Erastianism
Erastianism, doctrine that the state is superior to the church in ecclesiastical matters. It is named after the......
Eritrean Peopleâs Liberation Front
Eritrean Peopleâs Liberation Front (EPLF), secessionist movement that successfully fought for the creation of an......
espionage
espionage, process of obtaining military, political, commercial, or other secret information by means of spies,......
Essex Junto
Essex Junto, in early U.S. history, a group of Federalist political leaders in Massachusetts. John Hancock coined......
established church
established church, a church recognized by law as the official church of a state or nation and supported by civil......
Estado Novo
Estado Novo, (Portuguese: âNew Stateâ), dictatorial period (1937â45) in Brazil during the rule of President GetĂșlio......
Estates-General
Estates-General, in France of the pre-Revolution monarchy, the representative assembly of the three âestates,â......
ETA
ETA, Basque separatist organization in Spain that used terrorism in its campaign for an independent Basque state.......
Ethical Policy
Ethical Policy, in Indonesian history, a program introduced by the Dutch in the East Indies at the turn of the......
Eurocommunism
Eurocommunism, trend among European communist parties toward independence from Soviet Communist Party doctrine......
Europe, Council of
Council of Europe, organization of European countries that seeks to protect democracy and human rights and to promote......
European Commission
European Commission (EC), an institution of the European Union (EU) and its constituent entities that makes up......
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), transnational political group representing the interests of......
European Parliament
European Parliament, legislative assembly of the European Union (EU). Inaugurated in 1958 as the Common Assembly,......
European Peopleâs Party
European Peopleâs Party (EPP), transnational political group representing the interests of allied conservative......
European Socialists, Party of
Party of European Socialists (PES), transnational political group representing the interests of allied socialist......
Euroskepticism
Euroskepticism, European political doctrine that advocates disengagement from the European Union (EU). Political......
evidence-based policy
evidence-based policy, public policies, programs, and practices that are grounded in empirical evidence. The movement......
Exchequer
Exchequer, in British history, the government department that was responsible for receiving and dispersing the......
Exclusive
Exclusive, in Australian history, member of the sociopolitical faction of free settlers, officials, and military......
executive
executive, In politics, a person or persons constituting the branch of government charged with executing or carrying......
executive agreement
executive agreement, an agreement between the United States and a foreign government that is less formal than a......
executive order
executive order, principal mode of administrative action on the part of the president of the United States. The......
executive privilege
executive privilege, principle in the United States, derived from common law, that provides immunity from subpoena......
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Export-Import Bank of the United States, one of the principal agencies of the U.S. government in international......
extraterritoriality
extraterritoriality, in international law, the immunities enjoyed by foreign states or international organizations......
Fabian Society
Fabian Society, socialist society founded in 1884 in London, having as its goal the establishment of a democratic......
Fabianism
Fabianism, socialist movement and theory that emerged from the activities of the Fabian Society, which was founded......
failed state
failed state, a state that is unable to perform the two fundamental functions of the sovereign nation-state in......
Fair Deal
Fair Deal, in U.S. history, President Harry S. Trumanâs liberal domestic reform program, the basic tenets of which......
Fairmont Conference
The Black Alternatives Conference, often called the âFairmont Conference,â was a symposium on African American......
fairness doctrine
fairness doctrine, U.S. communications policy (1949â87) formulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)......
Falange
Falange, extreme nationalist political group founded in Spain in 1933 by José Antonio Primo de Rivera, son of the......
false consciousness
false consciousness, in philosophy, particularly within critical theory and other Marxist schools and movements,......
Far Eastern Economic Review
Far Eastern Economic Review, former weekly newsmagazine covering general, political, and business and financial......
Farabundo MartĂ National Liberation Front
Farabundo MartĂ National Liberation Front (FMLN), insurgent group that became a legal political party of El Salvador......
FARC
FARC, Marxist guerrilla organization in Colombia. Formed in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist......