1 Comparative Politics Concept of the State Formal definition of ideal-typical state an organization, composed of numerous agencies staffed by real people, which has a monopoly on the legitimate use of coercion and the authority to establish binding rules in a given territory.

2 Legitimacy Definition The belief that the state’s exercise of authority is right and proper Why important? Consistent with voluntary compliance Reduces costs of policy enforcement Two sources of legitimacy Procedural Substantive Three types of legitimate authority Traditional Legal Charismatic

Development Definition A process by which a society changes. It is commonly thought of and measured by changes in economic growth. It can also be thought of as having many components, including the wealth, equity, health, educational attainment, and environmental quality experienced by citizens.

Sustainable development Definition The United Nations has defined sustainable development as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Soubbotina 2004: 9).”

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita Definition The total value of goods and services produced in a given country or territory, divided by the population.

Purchasing power parity (ppp) Definition An adjusted measured of income designed to account for differences across countries in the cost of living.