Comparative Politics exam 3

Political culture

Set of widely held attitudes, values, beliefs, and symbols about politics

Political ideology

Liberalism, communism, socialism, social democracy, fascism

State scope

Different functions and goals of the government

State strength

Capacity to execute scope across a territory

Moore's three routes to society

Democratic, fascist, and communist

Democracy

Power resides in the people, people participate

Modern democracy

Mixes democracy with republicanism

Republicanism

Separation of powers and representation through representatives

Capitalist democracy

peasantry is weak, gets evicted from the countryside by nobles, strong commercialized bourgeoisie and nobility, evicted peasantry, capitalist democracy

Capitalist fascism

Conservative bourgeoisie, strong peasantry

Non-capitalist communism

Weak bourgeoisie, strong nobility, strong peasantry, revolution

Modernization theory

Other countries should develop along same stages as the West, explains how countries become democratic

Wave of democratization

Period in which multiple countries transition from authoritarian to more democratic forms of government, popularized by Huntington, also includes reverse waves

Military coups

Intervention by the military to replace the government

social revolution

Fundamental transformation of an existing regime carried out by social movement or armed group

Forms of totalitarianism

Communism and fascism

authoritarian

No elections

semi-authoritarian

elections but flawed, no real democracy

Non-competitive authoritarian

incumbent cannot lose

Competitive authoritarian

incumbent can lose

illiberal democracy

a type of democracy in which elected politicians dismantle democracy from within and remove constitutional rights

populism

political movement that focuses on the common person rather than the elite; not a regime type but a trait

political revolution

fundamental transformation of an existing regime with mixed results

social revolution

same as political but carried out by a social movement or group and changes social structure of the State usually ending with authoritarian regimes

forms of totalitarianism

communism & fascism

How has democracy failed?

Violence (Military Coups =Authoritarian Regimes, Revolutions = Communism)

Democratic Process (Fascism, Authoritarianism, Populism)

communism definition

ideology that advocates for a classless society where the means of production are owned/controlled by the public and rulers are typically not elected

communism example

marx/engel (not totalitarian), lenin/stalin (totalitarian), today: vietnam, cuba, NK

fascism

authoritarian ideology in which society is controlled by one unelected(!) group which believes their race is superior to others (social darwinism)

fascism example

Nazi Germany (Hitler was NOT elected freely/fairly)

Article 48

The President had powers to rule without Parliament, could claim “emergency powers”

political pluralism

acceptance of competition between multiple political parties or ideologies within a society

Coercive mobilization

practice of compelling individuals or groups to participate in activities against their will through the use of force, threats, or intimidation

totalitarian regime traits

• State ideology = overt, systematic, institutionalized, totaling

• Coercive mobilization = pervasive, youth

• Social/political pluralism = not permitted

• Elections = No elections that can replace the ruler

• Violence = yes

Authoritarian regimes traits

• State ideology = overt, not systematic/totaling

• coercive mobilization = limited s/p p

• s/p pluralism = limited

• Elections= no elections that can replace the ruler

• Violence = yes, but limited

Authoritarian regimes: Military

Greece + Chile

Authoritarian regimes: Single Party

China + Vietnam

Authoritarian regimes: Oligarchies

Russia + Zimbabwe 

Authoritarian regimes: Monarchies

Saudi Arabia + Bahrain

Authoritarian regimes: Theocracies

Iran + Afghanistan

Authoritarian regimes: Personalistic regimes (political power controlled by a single leader who exercises authority through personal control)

Central African Republic + North Korea

China elections

No elections at the national level, only local elections, no opposition party

Inclusive nationalism

welcomes a diverse population based on shared values and citizenship

exclusive nationalism

defines the nation based on fixed, often hereditary, criteria like ethnicity or religion

Austerity policies

economic measures that governments use to reduce budget deficits by increasing taxes and/or cutting spending; used in 1980s, which led to further unemployment after oil crisis

Populism & Hungary

Victor Orban was elected with 52.7% of the vote (free/fair elections), proclaimed illiberal state in speech after 2008 crisis

Democracy

Free and Fair Elections, Rule by the people

Constitutional Liberalism

individual rights (Life, Property, Speech, Religion, Minorities), protection of the individual against coercion

U.S. undemocratic?

• Bill of Rights restricts the majority 

• Supreme Court unelected 

• Senate most unrepresentative in the world after House of Lords 

• Electoral College

Original vs. Modern Populism

was progressive, now far-right