Politics and Political Power
Core concepts
Politics is activity concerned with power, its acquisition, exercise, and distribution. Know political power (its sources: force, authority, wealth, knowledge, charisma) and legitimacy in Weber's types: traditional, charismatic, rational-legal. Understand the state: its features (territory, sovereignty, public power, monopoly on lawful coercion, taxation, law-making) and its functions (internal and external).
Know forms of state: monarchy/republic by head of state; unitary/federal by territorial structure; and political regimes: democratic, authoritarian, totalitarian. Know civil society, political parties (mass/cadre, ruling/opposition), elections, and the concept of political culture and participation.
Traps
A common error is confusing form of state with political regime: a republic can be authoritarian, a monarchy can be democratic. Another trap is calling any non-democracy totalitarian - authoritarian regimes limit political pluralism but do not necessarily seek total control of private life, which is the mark of totalitarianism. Watch the difference between state and party: only the state has sovereignty. Also distinguish active from passive electoral rights (to vote vs to be elected).
Worked example
A country has a king as head of state, but a freely elected parliament and independent courts. What are its form of state and regime? Rule of thumb: name the head of state for the form (monarchy here), and judge pluralism, elections, and rights for the regime (democratic). The answer: a constitutional monarchy with a democratic regime.
Rule of thumb
Describe form and regime on separate axes - never infer one from the other.