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Key Concepts in Comparative Politics

Nov 19, 2024

Comparative Government and Politics Exam Review

Key Concepts and Terms

1. Political Socialization

  • Definition: Development of political ideas.
  • Influencers: Family, school, peers, class, media, government.
  • Outcome: Political ideology - beliefs about government and politics.

2. Empirical vs. Normative Statements

  • Empirical: Proven by facts, objective.
  • Normative: Value judgment, subjective.

3. Correlation vs. Causation

  • Correlation: Association without clear causation.
  • Causation: Proven direct impact of one variable on another.

4. Civil Society

  • Organizations: Formal and informal, separate from government.
  • Characteristics: Voluntary, autonomous, self-governing, focus on causes.
  • Thrive in: Competitive, free, equal, transparent, democratic environments.

5. Rights and Liberties

  • Civil Liberties: Freedoms like speech, assembly, religion, property, fair trial.
  • Political Rights: Voting, lobbying, protesting, running for office.

Political Structures and Concepts

1. Sovereignty, State, and Nation

  • Sovereignty: Independence as a legal authority.
  • State: Organization with control over territory.
  • Nation: People with common traits (race, religion, language, ethnicity).
  • Multi-Nation State: Multiple nationalities within a state.

2. Democracy

  • Core Elements: Free and fair elections, civil liberties, independent judiciary, rule of law, peaceful power transfer, eligibility to run for office.
  • Liberal vs. Illiberal Democracy: Liberal includes civil liberties; illiberal lacks some freedoms.

3. Legitimacy and Transparency

  • Legitimacy: Belief in government's right to rule; sources include constitutions, leaders, tradition, religion, competitive elections.
  • Transparency: Government openness, accurate information dissemination, accessible decision-making.

4. Authoritarian Regime

  • Characteristics: Strong central power, limited political freedoms, no accountability, restricted media, bureaucratic loyalty incentives.

5. Hybrid Regimes

  • Examples: Russia, China (democratic elements with authoritarian characteristics).

Political Systems

1. Federalism vs. Unitary System

  • Federalism: Power division between national and local; examples include Russia, Mexico, Nigeria.
  • Unitary: Centralized authority; examples include Great Britain, China, Iran.

2. Parliamentary vs. Presidential System

  • Parliamentary: Fusion of legislative and executive; coalition possible.
  • Presidential: Separation of powers; distinct election methods.
  • Bicameralism: Two-part legislative body.

Electoral Systems

1. Proportional Representation

  • Mechanism: Seats based on percentage of votes.
  • Outcome: Better minority representation; coalition formation.

2. First-Past-the-Post

  • Mechanism: Most votes win in single-member districts.
  • Outcome: Two-party system dominance.

Political and Economic Systems

1. Corporatist vs. Pluralist

  • Corporatist: Formal government relationship with interest groups.
  • Pluralist: Competing interest groups without direct government links.

2. Referendum

  • Definition: Public vote on specific issues; examples include Brexit.

3. Cleavages

  • Types: Religion, class, gender, urban/rural.
  • Impact: Political support, conflict.

4. Supranational Organizations

  • Examples: EU, UN, NATO, economic communities.

Judicial and Governmental Structures

1. Independent Judiciary

  • Role: Strengthen democracy through checks and balances.
  • Threats: Undermined in authoritarian regimes.

2. Cabinet

  • Function: Advisors to the executive, policy-making involvement.

Economic Policies

1. Welfare State

  • Definition: Government policies to support citizens (e.g., healthcare, unemployment insurance).

2. Austerity

  • Definition: Minimal government spending, possibly increased taxes when financially pressured.

3. Market vs. Command Economy

  • Market: Free enterprise, competition.
  • Command: Government-controlled economy.

4. Economic Liberalization

  • Definition: Reducing state economic control; more privatization.
  • Goals: Foreign investment, economic foundation.

5. Globalization

  • Trend: Economic interdependence among nations.

Other Key Terms

1. Rentier State

  • Definition: Economy reliant on a single resource (e.g., oil).

2. Runoff Election

  • Definition: Second round of voting if no majority; examples include Iran, Nigeria, Russia.

3. Revolution vs. Coup d'état

  • Revolution: Mass uprising.
  • Coup d'état: Military-led government takeover.

These notes summarize the key concepts and terms discussed in the comparative government and politics exam review lecture. Use them as a reference to understand the main ideas and systems in political science.

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