Gov20 Midterm Authors and Concepts

Samuels

Comparative politics uses systematic comparison to understand why political systems differ

Weber

Calvinist beliefs in hard work, discipline, and a “calling” helped create the cultural foundation for modern capitalism.

Lerner

Modernization transforms traditional societies by fostering urbanization, literacy, media exposure, and empathy, which together promote democracy and economic growth.

Rostow

All societies develop through five stages of economic growth, culminating in industrialization and mass consumption

Gerschenkron

Late-developing countries can industrialize rapidly by using state intervention, banks, and technology borrowed from early industrializers.

Inglehart and Welzel

As societies become wealthier, people shift from survival values to self-expression values, promoting democracy and individual freedom

Johnson

Japan’s economic success was driven by a strong, state-led developmental model that guided and coordinated industrial growth.

Amsden

Late industrializers like South Korea advanced through state-directed industrial policy, learning, and disciplined support for targeted industries.

Bates

Politics and economic outcomes in Africa are shaped by elites who manipulate state power and markets to maintain their own interests.

Chaudhry

State-led industrialization in Pakistan succeeded when the government actively coordinated investment, credit, and protection for targeted industries

Acemoglu and Robinson

Inclusive political and economic institutions foster prosperity, while extractive institutions lead to poverty and stagnation

Fukuyama

Strong political institutions, not just economic factors, are essential for state development and long-term stability.

Tilly

Modern states emerged through war-making and extraction, as rulers consolidated power and built bureaucracies to fund and sustain military campaigns

Centeno

Strong states in Latin America were shaped by their ability—or inability—to extract resources and manage internal conflicts.

Herbst

Africa’s weak state capacity is largely due to low population density, which limits taxation, infrastructure, and central authority.

Dinecco and Wang

Economic development is shaped by both domestic institutional quality and integration into the global economy

Dahl

Democracy depends on effective participation, contestation, and inclusiveness within political institutions

Lipset

Economic development fosters democracy by creating a more educated, prosperous, and stable society

Przeworski and Limongi

While development helps democracies survive, it does not automatically cause authoritarian regimes to become democratic.

Berman

Political ideologies and social movements, especially socialism, shaped state development and responses to modernization pressures.

Teele

Social policies and institutions are shaped by political power and public opinion, which influence inequality and social outcomes.

Gunitsky

Authoritarian regimes maintain power by controlling information and media, shaping public perception, and limiting political contestation.

Huntington

Political order depends on strong institutions, and rapid social change without institutional development can lead to instability.

Wood

American Revolution was driven by economic and political conflicts between colonial elites and the British crown, not just ideological motives.

Levitsky and Way

Competitive authoritarian regimes maintain the appearance of democracy while systematically undermining democratic institutions.

Levitsky and Ziblatt

Democratic erosion occurs gradually through the weakening of norms, institutions, and the self-restraint of political actors

Svolik

Authoritarian leaders use repression and power-sharing institutions to maintain control while managing the risk of elite defection and coups.

Ross

Resource wealth, especially oil, can hinder democracy by fostering rentier states that rely on resource rents rather than taxation, reducing accountability.

Rosenfeld

Legal institutions and judicial independence are crucial for protecting rights and maintaining democratic accountability.

Nathan

China’s authoritarian resilience is maintained through adaptive institutions, co-optation, and control over political and social life

Pei

Corruption and institutional weakness in China undermine governance and pose long-term risks to the regime’s stability.

Qiang

hinese government maintains control by tightly regulating the internet and digital media, shaping information flows and public discourse.

Olson

Stable, inclusive institutions are necessary for economic growth, as extractive or weak states tend to under-provide public goods.

Marx and Engels

History is driven by class struggle, with capitalism creating inherent conflicts between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

Davies

Revolutions are likely when rising expectations clash with declining economic or social conditions, creating widespread discontent.

Skocpol

Social revolutions occur when state structures collapse and class-based organizations mobilize, rather than solely from popular discontent or ideology.

Fitzpatrick

Russian Revolution resulted from social tensions, war pressures, and the breakdown of state authority, emphasizing the experiences of ordinary people.

State

A centralized political authority that maintains order, enforces laws, and controls territory (Tilly, Herbst, Centeno).

Regime

The set of rules and norms that determine how political power is organized and exercised (Levitsky & Way, Levitsky & Ziblatt, Huntington).

Government

The group of individuals and institutions that exercise state authority at a given time (Johnson, Amsden, Bates).

Independent Variable

A factor that is manipulated or hypothesized to cause changes in another variable (Samuels, Acemoglu & Robinson).

Dependent Variable

The outcome or effect that is measured to see how it responds to changes in the independent variable (Samuels, Acemoglu & Robinson).

Structuralist

An approach that explains political outcomes through underlying social, economic, or institutional structures rather than individual actions (Skocpol, Gerschenkron, Centeno).

Voluntarist

An approach that emphasizes individual or collective choices and agency as the main drivers of political outcomes (Marx & Engels, Davies, Fitzpatrick).

Institutionalism

The study of how formal rules and organizations shape political behavior and outcomes (Svolik, Teele, Levitsky & Way).

Institutionalization (Huntington)

The process by which political organizations or practices become stable, widely accepted, and resistant to change (Huntington, Teele, Svolik).

Informal Institution

Unwritten rules, norms, or practices that influence political behavior alongside formal laws (Tilly, Teele, Levitsky & Ziblatt).

Modernization Theory 

The idea that economic development, education, and social change lead societies toward democracy and stability (Lerner, Rostow, Lipset).

International Demonstration Effect

The phenomenon where political or social changes in one country inspire similar movements in other countries (Lerner, Davies, Fitzpatrick).

Relative Backwardness

Late-developing countries can industrialize rapidly by adopting advanced technologies and state-led strategies (Gerschenkron, Amsden, Johnson).

Dependency Theory

Economic underdevelopment in some countries results from exploitation and unequal relationships with wealthy, industrialized nations (Ross, Lerner).

Core

Wealthy, industrialized countries that dominate the global economy and extract resources or influence from peripheral states (Ross, Gerschenkron)

Periphery

Less-developed countries that are economically dependent on and exploited by core nations (Ross, Gerschenkron).

Semi-periphery

Countries that are intermediate between core and periphery, often industrializing while still dependent on core nations (Gerschenkron, Ross).

Unequal Exchange

Trade relationships where peripheral countries receive less value for their exports compared to core countries, reinforcing dependency (Ross, Lerner).

Dependent Development/Cardoso

Economic growth in peripheral countries that occurs under the influence and constraints of core nations, often shaped by state intervention (Gerschenkron, Amsden, Johnson).

Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs)

Countries that have rapidly industrialized and achieved significant economic growth, often through state-led policies (Amsden, Johnson, Gerschenkron).

Neoclassical Economics and Comparative Advantage

The idea that countries should specialize in producing goods they can make most efficiently, promoting trade and overall wealth (Ross, Lerner).

Developmental State

A state that actively directs economic growth through planning, investment, and support for strategic industries (Johnson, Amsden, Chaudhry).

State Autonomy

The ability of a state to formulate and implement policies independently of social or political pressures (Johnson, Pei, Svolik).

Import-substituting Industrialization (ISI)

An economic strategy that promotes domestic production to replace imports and reduce dependence on foreign goods (Chaudhry, Amsden, Johnson).

Export-Oriented Industrialization (EOI)

An economic strategy focused on producing goods for export to integrate into global markets and stimulate growth (Amsden, Johnson, Chaudhry).

Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) (Japan)

Japan’s government agency that coordinated industrial policy and guided economic development (Johnson, Amsden).

Industrial policy

Government strategies and interventions designed to promote the growth and competitiveness of specific industries (Johnson, Amsden, Chaudhry).

Kuomintang (KMT) and Chiang Kai-Shek

The Nationalist Party in China, led by Chiang Kai-shek, which governed before the Communist takeover and promoted state-led modernization and anti-communism (Nathan, Pei).

Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee

South Korean leaders who shaped the country’s development, with Rhee emphasizing political consolidation and Park pursuing authoritarian, state-led industrialization (Amsden, Johnson).

State Capacity

The ability of a state to effectively implement policies, enforce laws, and extract resources (Tilly, Herbst, Centeno).

The Washington Consensus

A set of neoliberal economic policies promoting free markets, privatization, and fiscal discipline, often prescribed for developing countries (Ross, Lerner).

Augusto Pinochet

Chilean dictator (1973–1990) who implemented authoritarian rule alongside neoliberal economic reforms (Ross, Lerner).

The Chicago Boys

Economists who advised Pinochet and implemented free-market reforms in Chile (Ross).

Inclusive Institutions

Political and economic rules that broaden participation and encourage investment and innovation (Acemoglu & Robinson).

Extractive Institutions

Institutions that concentrate power and wealth among elites, limiting development (Acemoglu & Robinson).

Bureaucratic State

A state with professional, rule-based administration separate from personal interests (Weber, Fukuyama).

Patrimonial State

A state where power and resources are distributed based on personal loyalty and favoritism (Fukuyama, Pei).

Client State

A state where politicians exchange resources or favors for political support, often undermining autonomy (Bates, Pei).

Warlords

Local strongmen who exercise military and political control in the absence of strong state authority (Herbst, Tilly).

“Brown areas” (O’Donnell)

Regions where the state’s authority is limited or absent despite formal democracy (O’Donnell)

Samuel Doe

Liberian leader whose corrupt and violent rule contributed to state collapse (Herbst, Centeno).

Charles Taylor and the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL)

Rebel leader who overthrew Doe and ruled through violence and resource exploitation (Herbst).

Taylorland

Areas of Liberia where Taylor governed through force, resource control, and weak institutions (Herbst).

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

Liberian president who worked to rebuild state capacity and democratic governance after civil war (Herbst).

Joseph Mobutu

Zairian dictator whose rule was marked by corruption and state decay (Fukuyama, Herbst).

Laurent and Joseph Kabila

Leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo facing persistent weak state capacity and conflict (Herbst).

Muammar Gaddafi

Libyan authoritarian ruler who maintained power through repression and control of oil resources (Ross, Pei).

Settler Colonies

Colonies where European settlers displaced local populations and built strong institutions (Acemoglu & Robinson).

Total War (Centeno)

Large-scale war requiring massive resource extraction, often strengthening state capacity (Centeno, Tilly).

Limited War (Centeno)

Smaller conflicts that do not force states to build robust taxation or bureaucratic systems (Centeno).

Protection Pact

An alliance where elites support the state in exchange for protection of their privileges (Svolik, Fukuyama).

Liberalism

A political ideology emphasizing individual rights, free markets, and limited government (Dahl, Lipset).

Lee Kwan Yew - Asian Values

Argument that strong authority and social order, not Western liberalism, drive development (Huntington, Fukuyama).

Civil Society

Independent groups and organizations that check state power and support democracy (Dahl, Inglehart & Welzel).

Capital Mobility

The ability of money and investment to move freely across borders, limiting states’ economic control (Ross).

Landed Elite/Aristocracy

Powerful property-owning class that often resists democratization to protect its interests (Moore-style; Lipset).

Labor Repressive Agriculture

Agricultural systems that restrict workers’ freedom to maintain elite control (Moore-style; Bates).

Countervailing Societal Power

Social groups that limit state domination and push for democratic accountability (Dahl, Inglehart & Welzel).

Political Pacts

Agreements among elites to share power and reduce conflict during regime transitions (Levitsky & Ziblatt, Dahl).

Parliamentary Sovereignty

Principle that parliament holds supreme legal authority over government (Dahl, Huntington).

Magna Carta

1215 agreement limiting the English king’s power and establishing early constraints on monarchy (Dahl, Fukuyama).

King Charles I, Charles II, James II

Monarchs whose struggles with parliament highlighted conflict over absolute vs. limited sovereignty (Huntington, Dahl).

Oliver Cromwell and Puritan Revolution

Parliamentary forces overthrew Charles I to reshape political authority and limit monarchy (Fukuyama).