BIG IDEA 1: Power and Authority
How does a political system affect the daily life of citizens?
How do people both inside and outside the government impact the relationship between the government and its citizens?
BIG IDEA 2: Legitimacy and Stability
How does the perceived legitimacy of a government by its citizenry impact how other countries see it?
BIG IDEA 5: Methods of Political Analysis
How do comparative political scientists generate meaningful conclusions that can be applied to other countries?
How does a political system affect the daily life of citizens?
How do people both inside and outside the government impact the relationship between the government and its citizens?
BIG IDEA 2: Legitimacy and Stability
How does the perceived legitimacy of a government by its citizenry impact how other countries see it?
BIG IDEA 5: Methods of Political Analysis
How do comparative political scientists generate meaningful conclusions that can be applied to other countries?
DESCRIBE PATTERNS AND TRENDS IN DATA
Univariate Table: summarizes a single variable / it can represent a percentage distribution
Bivariate Table: considers 2 variables simultaneously & suggests a relationship between the two variables
Univariate Table: summarizes a single variable / it can represent a percentage distribution
Bivariate Table: considers 2 variables simultaneously & suggests a relationship between the two variables
- When doing bivariate analysis, the first thing to consider is which variable is the independent variable (IV) and which is the dependent variable (DV)
- The DV is the one that we think is influenced by (depends on) the IV
Table 1: Univariate table showing Leftist support for a hypothetical Prime Minister - ONE variable = % of legislators
Univariate table turned into a bar graph, but depicting the same data. This graph is useful when making the claim that the current Prime Minister is a 'leftist' Prime Minister.
Table 2: a BIVARIATE table that reflects the analysis of the relationship between religious activity and party vote choice
- Data supports that religious identification and involvement may be a partial cause of the party vote choice
- So...religious identification is the IV and the vote choice is the DV
- Percentages are calculated within the categories of the IV
RELATION BETWEEN GDP AND DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS: This simple table would easily reflect which types of democratic institutions would lead to a low or high GDP. When deciding how to structure a government/institutions, this table is very valuable to a political scientist. It shows the relationship between strong institutions and economic growth.
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CHANGE OVER PREVIOUS YEAR IN GDP PER CAPITA: This bar graph reflects changes in GDP between 1952 and 2002 & relates trends to changes in political leadership in China. These changes can posit interpretations - WITH DATA!
1.1 The Practice of Political Scientists - Homework
Empirical data is important in identifying and explaining political behavior of individuals and groups.
Understand the data collection resources identified below...know what they measure & why it matters
a. The Human Development Index (HDI)
b. Gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP per capita
c. GDP growth rate
d. Gini index (coefficient)
e. Freedom House
f. Transparency International
g. Failed States Index
Empirical data is important in identifying and explaining political behavior of individuals and groups.
Understand the data collection resources identified below...know what they measure & why it matters
a. The Human Development Index (HDI)
b. Gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP per capita
c. GDP growth rate
d. Gini index (coefficient)
e. Freedom House
f. Transparency International
g. Failed States Index
1.2 Defining Political Organizations
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens.
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens.
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What is a State?
A State is an independent, sovereign government exercising control over a certain spatially defined and bounded area, whose borders are usually clearly defined and internationally recognized by other states.
States are tied to territory
So, what is a Nation?
A nation is a group of people who see themselves as a cohesive and coherent unit based on shared cultural or historical criteria. Nations are socially constructed units, not given by nature. Their existence, definition, and members can change dramatically based on circumstances. Nations in some ways can be thought of as “imagined communities” that are bound together by notions of unity that can pivot around religion, ethnic identity, language, cultural practice and so forth. The concept and practice of a nation work to establish who belongs and who does not (insider vs. outsider). Such conceptions often ignore political boundaries such that a single nation may “spill over” into multiple states. Furthermore, states ≠ nations: not every nation has a state (e.g., Kurds; Roma; Palestine). Some states may contain all or parts of multiple nations.
And what about a Nation-State?
A Nation-State is the idea of a homogeneous nation governed by its own sovereign state—where each state contains one nation. This idea is almost never achieved.
A State is an independent, sovereign government exercising control over a certain spatially defined and bounded area, whose borders are usually clearly defined and internationally recognized by other states.
States are tied to territory
- Sovereign or state as absolute ruler over territory
- Have clear borders
- Defends and controls its territory within those borders
- Is recognized by other countries (diplomatic recognition, passports, treaties, etc.)
- Has a national bureaucracy staffed by government personnel (legal system, educational system, hierarchical governmental units, etc.)
- Controls legitimate use of force within its territory
- Controls money at national scale (prints currency; collects taxes)
- Makes rules within its territory (law, regulations, taxes, citizenship, etc.)
- Controls much information within its territory
So, what is a Nation?
A nation is a group of people who see themselves as a cohesive and coherent unit based on shared cultural or historical criteria. Nations are socially constructed units, not given by nature. Their existence, definition, and members can change dramatically based on circumstances. Nations in some ways can be thought of as “imagined communities” that are bound together by notions of unity that can pivot around religion, ethnic identity, language, cultural practice and so forth. The concept and practice of a nation work to establish who belongs and who does not (insider vs. outsider). Such conceptions often ignore political boundaries such that a single nation may “spill over” into multiple states. Furthermore, states ≠ nations: not every nation has a state (e.g., Kurds; Roma; Palestine). Some states may contain all or parts of multiple nations.
And what about a Nation-State?
A Nation-State is the idea of a homogeneous nation governed by its own sovereign state—where each state contains one nation. This idea is almost never achieved.
1.3 Democracy vs Authoritarianism
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens. (same as 1.2)
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens. (same as 1.2)
1.3_democracy_vs_authoritarianism.pdf | |
File Size: | 192 kb |
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1.4 Democratization
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens. (same as 1.2 & 1.3)
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens. (same as 1.2 & 1.3)
1.4_democratization__why_what_we_compare_questions.pdf | |
File Size: | 74 kb |
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Democratization is a transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic regime; while this process can start or temporarily change direction, the process aims to result in the following over time:
- More competition, fairness, and transparency in elections
- Increased citizen participation in policy-making processes
- Universal suffrage for adult citizens
- Greater governmental transparency
- Protected civil rights and liberties
- Equal treatment of citizens
- Establishment of the rule of law
- gender or cultural quotas,
- proportional representation, and
- changes in vote thresholds and
- district boundaries
- independent judiciaries can reduce such corruption
- independent judiciaries can protect individual liberties and civil rights
- policy changes regarding election rules can support or impede democratization and
- civil liberties (or lack thereof) can support or impede democratization
- election rules
- separation of powers, and
- protection of civil liberties
- cultural and political groups about governmental policies associated with democratization
- cultural and political groups about economic development
1.5 Sources of Power & Authority
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens.
(same as 1.2, 1.3 & 1.4)
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens.
(same as 1.2, 1.3 & 1.4)
1.5_sources_of_power_and_authority.pdf | |
File Size: | 81 kb |
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CHINA
IRAN
NIGERIA
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UNITED KINGDOM
MEXICO
RUSSIA
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1.6 Change in Power & Authority
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens.
(same as 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 & 1.5)
Political systems and regimes reflect the dynamic balance of power between the government and its citizens.
(same as 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 & 1.5)
1.7 Federal & Unitary Systems
Distribution of power and authority and the influence of internal and external actors affect regime stability.
Distribution of power and authority and the influence of internal and external actors affect regime stability.
Federal states like Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia divide power among different levels of government to confer a degree of local autonomy in supplying social and educational services, while also reserving powers for the national government.
Unitary states like China, Iran, and the United Kingdom concentrate power at the national level with more uniform policies and potentially more efficient policy making. (devolution is not the same as federal)
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The degree to which power is centralized or decentralized can change over time in both federal and unitary states, and in many cases reflects a state response to internal and external actors that include ethnic cleavages and operations of supranational organizations and other countries.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - see below for empirical data expressing the relationship (bivariate) between decentralization and GDP Per Capita (USD PPP)
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1.8 Political Legitimacy
Political legitimacy reinforces the sovereignty of the state.
Political legitimacy reinforces the sovereignty of the state.
Legitimacy refers to whether a government’s constituents believe their government has the right to use power in the way they do. Legitimacy confers authority on and can increase the power of a regime and government.
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Their lyrics range from the personal to the political, in some of the latter cases attacking Eurocentrism and racism in America. Living Colour rose to fame with their debut album Vivid in 1988. Although the band scored a number of hits, they are best remembered for their signature anthem "Cult of Personality", which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990. They were also named Best New Artist at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards and won their second Grammy Award for their follow-up album Time's Up. - are these dates a coincidence.....???????
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Sources of legitimacy for both democratic and authoritarian regimes can include
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1.9 Sustaining Legitimacy
Political legitimacy reinforces the sovereignty of the state. (same as 1.8)
Political legitimacy reinforces the sovereignty of the state. (same as 1.8)
Governments maintain legitimacy through a variety of processes or factors, including
- policy effectiveness
- political efficacy (a citizen's capacity to understand/influence political events - they believe the government takes their input seriously & cares about what they have to say...they believe in their own abilities to understand political issues and to participate in solving problems - a lack of efficacy means citizens may ignore the government's efforts to enforce laws)
- tradition
- charismatic leadership
- institutionalized laws
Devolution and delegation of power to regional governments can enhance or weaken legitimacy, creating both opportunities for and obstacles to resolving social, political, and economic issues by:
a. Promoting policy innovation, matching policies to local needs, improving policies through competition, increasing political participation, checking central power, and allowing better representation of religious/ ethnic/minority groups b. Creating contradictory policies, potentially making policy implementation more complicated and inefficient, allowing inequality between regions, increasing competition for resources, and exacerbating ethnic and local tensions |
Questions about the integrity of election results across the course countries can lead to protests that may weaken legitimacy and any ongoing democratization processes.
1.10 Political Stability
Political legitimacy reinforces the sovereignty of the state. (same as 1.8 & 1.9)
Political legitimacy reinforces the sovereignty of the state. (same as 1.8 & 1.9)
Internal actors can interact with governments to bolster or undermine regime stability and rule of law, represented by:
a. Contrasting methods to combat political corruption among the six course countries b. State responses to separatist group violence, drug trafficking, and discrimination based on gender or religious differences in Iran, Mexico, and Nigeria c. Varied state responses to mass protest movements that oppose governmental policies or their equal enforcement |
State authorities of different regime types attempt to limit the influence of divisive and violent actors in their countries to attract more private capital and foreign direct investment and to improve economic growth.
Across the course countries, internal reform pressure from citizen protest groups and civil society can lead to the creation of
Across the course countries, internal reform pressure from citizen protest groups and civil society can lead to the creation of
- new political institutions or policies to protect civil liberties
- improve transparency
- address election fairness and media bias
- limit corruption
- ensure equality under law