Concepts in Comparative Politics

Concepts in Comparative Politics Spring 2013 Review!

Power, Sovereignty, & Authority Key Concepts

Power • The ability to direct the behavior of others through coercion, persuasion, or leadership

Authority • Legal right to exercise power on behalf of the society and/or government

Sovereignty • Independent legal authority over a population in a particular place • The degree in which a state can control its own territory and independently make and carry out policy

Sovereignty (cont.) • External sovereignty—means the right to make binding agreements (treaties) with other states • Internal sovereignty—means the right to determine matters having to do with one’s own citizens

Nation • A group of people who identify themselves as belonging together because of cultural, geographic, or linguistic ties. • Nations need not, and often do not have, sovereignty in order to exist

State • A political system that has sovereignty (political power) exercised over a population in a defined geographic territory through a set of public institutions

Nation-State • An independent state that exists for a single nation, it is the ultimate goal of most nationalists • The cases in which national identification and sovereign political authority largely coincide

Regime • A political system with a specific pattern of relationship between the state, society, markets, and the world at large • A pattern of organization for a government (often described in a constitution or supreme law)

Types of Regimes

Democracy • A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives • Refers to a political system in which citizens enjoy basic rights and in which leaders are elected in free and fair elections and accountable under the rule of law

Substantive/Liberal Democracy • Competitive Elections • Civil liberties • Rule of law • Neutrality of the judiciary • Open civil society • Civilian control of the military

Democratic Deficit • A democratic deficit occurs when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions in fact fall short of fulfilling what are believed to be the principles of democracy

Illiberal Democracy • A procedural democratic regime where the citizenry does not benefit from the full array of rights and freedoms that one would expect in a democracy • Example: competitive elections but lack of civil liberties and rights

Authoritarian Rule • A system of rule in which power depends not on popular legitimacy but on the coercive force of the political authorities

Oligarchy • A system of governance dominated by a small powerful and wealthy group in a state • Rule by few • Important political rights are withheld from the majority of the population • Example: South Africa during apartheid

Military Rule • Military control of the government by armed forces

Totalitarian Systems • A political system in which the state attempts to exercise total control over all aspects of public and private life, including, the economy, culture, education, and social organizations, through an integrated system of ideological, economic and political control • Usually rely on terror as a means to exercise power

Totalitarian Systems (cont.) • Government systems in which the government constricts rights and privacy of its citizens in a severe manner • Most authoritarian and totalitarian regimes have lost legitimacy today

Theocracy • A state dominated by the clergy, who rule on the grounds that they are the only interpreters of God’s will and law

Government • The part of the state with legitimate public authority • The group of people and organizations that hold political authority in a state at any one time

Legitimacy • Defined as citizens belief in the government’s right to rule • IT IS THE VIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT FROM THE BOTTOM UP!—THE PEOPLE’S VIEW OF THEIR GOVERNMENT • A belief that a regime is a proper one and that the government has the right to exercise power • In the contemporary world, a state is said to possess legitimacy when it enjoys consent of the governed, which usually involves democratic procedures and the attempt to evenly distribute resources • Legitimacy of the political system also provides foundation for a successful political process • Legitimacy is based on different things in different countries

Rational-Legal • Legitimacy based on well-established laws and procedures • Code Law: based on written rules/codes of law (China, Mexico, Russia) • Common Law: based on tradition, past practices, and legal precedents (Britain)

Constitution • A supreme law that defines the structure of a nation-state’s regime and the legal processes governments must follow • When followed, this establishes rule of law • Needn’t be one document • Contains a set of decision rules

Rule of Law • A governance system operating predictably under a known and transparent set of procedural rules (laws) • Also know as, constitutionalism • In all disputes, no matter how important or influential the person is, “the piece of paper wins!”

Charismatic Legitimacy • A form of authority based on the general population’s personal attachment to a particular leader

Political Structures & Institutions Key Concepts

Supranational Organizations • Organizations in which nations are not totally sovereign actors • Examples: • NATO • European Union • NAFTA • OPEC • United Nations

Three Basic Geographic Distributions of Power • Unitary System • Confederal System • Federal System The difference between the three has to do with how power is distributed over a geographic area

Unitary State • Concentration of political power in a central government as opposed to federalism • EX: The United Kingdom, Iran, China

Devolution • A process in a unitary system of delegating some decision making to local public bodies • The UK is doing this with Scotland and Wales. • This is also a sign of fragmentation • Usually done to reverse or quell separatist movements • Could be described as moving from a unitary system to a federal system

Confederal System • A system of government that spreads power among many sub-units (such as states), and has a weak central government • Ex: European Union

Federal System • A system of governance in which political authority is shared between the national government and regional or state governments • EX: The United States, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia (Asymmetric)

How Devolution Differs From Federalism: • Power can be taken away in a unitary system (by the central government) • Subnational government’s powers are not constitutionally protected • In a unitary system decentralization is not necessarily symmetrical • Local legislature/government can be dissolved in unitary systems but not in federal systems

Three Basic Forms of Governments • Parliamentary System • Presidential System • Mixed Presidential-Parliamentary System The difference between the three has to do with the origins of power and the relationship between the executive branch and the other branches of government

Parliamentary System • A system of governance in which the head of government is chosen by and serves at the pleasure of the legislature • The legislature rules over all! • Prime Minister is NOT directly elected by people , but by the legislature • Because the prime minister and the cabinet are also leaders of the majority party in the legislature, no separation of powers exists between executive and legislative branches—instead they are fused together • Fusion of Power! • Executive power is separated between Head of Government (PM) and the Head of State (royalty, president)

Parliamentary System • Characteristics: • High Party Discipline • Majority party almost always gets its policies implemented • Cabinet is VERY powerful—initiates legislation and makes policy • No fixed terms of office—PM must call for election or as the result of a vote of no confidence

Fusion of Powers • A system of governance in which authority of government is concentrated in one body • The executive branch is born of the legislative branch of government • In Britain, Parliament is the supreme legislative, executive, and judicial authority • Common pattern in parliamentary systems

Vote of Confidence • A vote in parliament expressing support for a government • A government losing a vote of confidence is often expected to resign

Presidential System • An electoral system where citizens vote for legislative representatives as well as for executive branch leaders, and two branches function with separation of powers • The chief executive is elected in a national ballot and is independent of the legislative branch • The roles of the head of state and head of government are given to one person—the president • Three branches of government are therefore separate from one another and can check each other’s power

Presidential System • Characteristics: • Separation of Power • Power shared equally between legislature and executive • Lower party discipline • Have fixed terms • Since power is diffused, policymaking process is slowed because one branch may question decision made by other groups

Separation of Power • An organization of political institutions within the state in which the executive, legislature, and judiciary have autonomous powers and no branch dominates the others • Common pattern in presidential systems

Checks and Balances • A governmental system of divided authority in which coequal branches can restrain each other’s actions

Impeachment • The process provided legislatures in most presidential systems that provides for the removal of presidents before their term is up, but typically only if they are guilty of serious criminal or other wrong doing

Mixed Presidential Parliamentary System • A democracy that has some characteristics of a presidential system and some characteristics of a parliamentary system • Also referred to as semi-presidential • System where a prime minister coexists with a president who is directly elected by the people and who holds a significant degree of power • Russia is perfect example of powerful president

Institutions • In order to carry out public policies, government structures such as parliaments, bureaucracies, and administrative agencies perform functions, which in turn enable the government to formulate, implement, and enforce policies • There are many types of institutions: parliaments, congresses, administrative agencies, political parties, interest groups, legislatures

Key Parts of All Governments • Executive • Legislature • Judiciary • Bureaucracy All of AP6 countries have these structures, how they function varies greatly

Executive • The executive office carries out the laws and policies of the state • The chief executive is the most important person in the policymaking process, initiating new policies and playing an important role in their adoption • Presidential system has veto power, in parliamentary system does not • Central authority on in foreign policy

Head of State • The head of state is a role that symbolizes the and represents the people, both nationally and internationally, and may or may not have any real policy making power • The chief public representative of a state • Commonly royalty or a president • KEY POINT:In presidential systems the president is both the head of government and the head of state

Concepts in Comparative Politics