TERMS-1

Elections: The process by which citizens typically choose their representatives to the legislature
and sometimes to the executive and judiciary branches. Voting systems vary widely, but most are
either proportional or majoritarian. It is important to note that holding elections is only one part of
democracy building.
* Embezzlement: The misappropriation of property or funds legally entrusted to someone in their
formal position as an agent or guardian.
Failed State: A state that is unable to provide its citizens basic services, often because of war,
genocide, corruption, mismanagement, or criminal threats. Some analysts use the term collapsed
state to refer to a situation where national structures have essentially dissolved and there is a
complete vacuum of authority. Conversely, a weak or fragile state may be on the verge of failure
because of instability and weak governance.
* Favoritism: Refers to the normal human inclination to prefer acquaintances, friends, and family
over strangers. It is not always, then, a form of corruption. However, when public (and private
sector) officials demonstrate favoritism to unfairly distribute positions and resources, they are
guilty of cronyism or nepotism, depending on their relationship with the person who benefits.
Foreign Aid: A technique of economic statecraft where aid is used as an instrument of policy in
order to achieve certain goals. There are three main types of foreign aid—humanitarian, military,
and development.
Governance: The exercise of authority to implement rules and policies in an effort to bring order
to the social, political, economic, and judicial processes that allow a society to develop. Good
governance involves a process that is informed and to a degree monitored by, and ultimately
serves, all members of society, including civil society groups. Good governance also implies a
level of accountability and transparency, both of which will help to ameliorate the risk of
corruption, a corrosive and destabilizing practice.
* Grand Corruption: High level or "grand" corruption takes place at the policy formulation end of
politics. It refers not so much to the amount of money involved as to the level at which it occurs,
where policies and rules may be unjustly influenced. The kinds of transactions that attract grand
corruption are usually large in scale and therefore involve more money than bureaucratic or
"petty" corruption. Grand corruption is sometimes used synonymously with political corruption.
Instability: A situation in which tension and suspicion among parties run high, but violence is
either absent or only sporadic. A “negative peace” prevails because, although armed force is not
deployed, the parties perceive one another as enemies and maintain deterrent military
capabilities. A balance of power may discourage aggression, but crisis and war are still possible.
* Nepotism: Usually used to indicate a form of favoritism that involves family relationships. It
describes situations in which a person exploits his or her power and authority to procure jobs or
other favors for relatives. Nepotism can take place at all levels of the state, from low-level
bureaucratic offices to national ministries.
Oligarchy: A system of government in which authority and power over a relatively defined
boundary or territory are concentrated among a small group of persons, clan, class, or clique.