Unit III: The State Understanding Political Institutions

1. Unit III: The StateUnderstanding Political Institutions AP Comparative Government

2. I. Overview of the Unit • Levels of Government • Unitary, federal, confederal • Supranational Organizations and Globalization • Executive • Functions • Cabinet • Bureaucracy • Legislatures • Judiciary • The Role of the Non-elected • Interest groups • Political elites and recruitment

3. Political institutions: Structures of a political system that carry out the work of governing.

4. II. Great Britain • Constitutional Monarchy • Ceremonial opening and dissolving and of Parliament • Power of Royal Assent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTjwaFsSMm0&feature=channel

5. II. Great Britain B. The Cabinet and the Prime Minister • Collective responsibility • First among equals, apex of the unitary gov’t. • Prime Minister: • Speaks legitimately for all members of Parliament • Chooses cabinet members and imp. posts • Makes decisions in the cabinet • Campaigns and represents the party in parliamentary elections

7. Prime Minister: David Cameron Deputy PM: Nick Clegg

8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8678436.stm

9. How will it work? • Ministers from both parties will be bound by collective responsibility - meaning they must agree to support all Cabinet decisions - when it comes to key issues such as the economy, tax, defense, immigration, foreign policy and Europe. However, it has been agreed that the Lib Dem MPs will be permitted to abstain in a vote in the House of Commons on certain issues where they disagree with the Conservatives.

10. Parliament • Parliament vs. presidential system • House of Commons • Majority party, Loyal Opposition, Shadow Cabinet, Backbenchers • Debate • Question Time: http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/12/15/PMQ/R/41936/.aspx • Party discipline 1. Vote of confidence

11. Parliamentary Sovereignty (??) • Debate and refine legislation • Party leaders and head of gov’t. • Scrutinize the administration of laws • Keep communication open between voters and ministers • House of Lords • Law lords • Hereditary peers • Life peers

13. Reading: Federalism and Devolution • Create a question for the section • For your given section, come up with a 3-5 bullet point summary

14. EU Terms • Single European Act (SEA) (1987): • Creation of the internal market which took away trade barriers • Took away the unanimity principle, simple majority would suffice • Political cooperation with policy **Remained an economic union, did not address financial integration

15. EU Terms • Maastricht Treaty (1991): • Gave authority to act on monetary policy, foreign affairs • Est. three pillars of citizenship • Voting in European parliamentary elections • Working in any country • Subsidiarity: EU should only act in areas that cannot be achieved by national or subnational governments

16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsAa9VmwOaI http://www.c-span.org/Series/Prime-Minister-Questions.aspx December 15th, 2010 Question Time

17. The Bureaucracy • Civil servants and discretionary power • The Judiciary • Parliamentary sovereignty and judicial review • Common law vs. code law • Law lords • Appointments • Role of judiciary and the EU

18. Interest Groups • Interest group pluralism: autonomous from the state. Select their own leaders and raise funds. • Neo-Corporatism: int. groups take the lead and dominate the state • Quangos:http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/14/government-to-reveal-which-quangos-will-be-scrapped • Exp. Of groups • Trade Unions Congress (TUC) • Confederation of Business Industries

19. III. The Russian Federation • The Executive • Dual executive (president and PM) • Who is actually in control? (Comparing Yeltsin and Putin) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-z9wfueMAw&feature=related

27. A Man Like Putin • For a musical interlude, the 2002 pop sensation: • http://compgovpol.blogspot.com/2010/09/russian-political-music.html • http://www.pbs.org/soundtracks/stories/putin/strong.php

29. Kremlin Riverview

30. President • Term limits: 6 years • Head of state • Impeachment is a complicated process • Issue decrees: Recent Decrees: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/the-manege-of-xenophobia/427015.html http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/6939121.html

31. The Prime Minister: • Gov’t.: PM, deputy PM, and federal ministries • Duma approval • Can issue resolutions and directives • PM can be removed by Duma, but this has never happened The Prime Time Minister: http://www.russiaprofile.org/page.php?pageid=Politics&articleid=a1292519045

32. Institutional Intricacies: Federalism—Russian Style • What does the author mean by matrushka federalism? • Explain the asymmetric federalism that occurs in Russia • http://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/18/HwZLhqDEnSo

33. B. The Legislative Branch

34. 1. The Duma: The Lower House • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1jcB5Jc3Ls • Elected by proportional rep. • Passes bills, approves the budget, confirms presidential appointments • Like UK, legislation often originates in the executive BUT debates bills • HOWEVER, power remains LIMITED due to presidential decrees

35. 2. Federation Council: The Upper House

36. Since 2002, one representative is chosen by regional governor and the other by the regional legislature. Main power is to delay legislation. 2. Federation Council: The Upper House

37. B. The Legislative Branch

39. Military • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4ziX-9FjTg

40. News Articles • Gorbachev Says Putin Obstructs Democracy: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/world/europe/29moscow.html?_r=1

41. IV. China • Unitary state with authoritarian regime • Parallel hierarchical organization between the CCP and the government • Dual role: vertical supervision of the next higher level and horizontal supervision of the CCP at the same level • Policymaking is governed by factions and personal relationships

42. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) • Party holds a separate constitution • Central bodies of the CCP • National Party Congress: • Meets once every 5 years, 2000 delegates • Rubberstamps decisions made by party leaders • Main power is to elect the members of the Central Committee

43. National Party Congress2007 • http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/10/15/world/20071015CHINA_index.html

44. Central Committee: • Annual meetings for a week (plenums) • Purpose is to carry out business of the National Party Congress when they are not in session • Importance is the gathering of the political elites • Politiburo and Standing Committee members are chosen http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/66102/6944925.html

45. Politiburo/Standing Committee • Most powerful political organization • Decisions dictate government policies • Politiburo (24) and Standing Committee (7) • Meet in secret and membership reflects the balance of power among factions

46. Political Elites • Guanxi: “Connections” • Rooted in Confucian culture • Fact of life in Chinese politics: can either help cut red tape or increase rigidity in the government • Similar concept to nomenklatura and patron-client relations

47. The Structure of Government • Legislative Branch: • People’s National Congress at the top with congresses at each level • Theory: monitor the work of the “people’s governments” (executive branch) • Reality: executive members are more subject to party authority

48. NPC elects the president and vice-president • One candidate is chosen for each role by the Communist Party

50. Executive Branch and Bureaucracy: • President and VP serve five year terms with a limit of two terms • President (Head of state): meets and negotiates with world leaders, largely ceremonial • Largely ceremonial role • Currently, Hu Jintao serves as both president and general secretary of the CCP