Comparative Politics: Case Study Terms

Westminster Model

"Form of democracy based on supreme authority of Parliament; parliamentary sovereignty, few checks and balances, SMD electoral system, strong PM; significant for rapid policy change and colonial spread (e.g., India). Country: UK"

Parliamentary Sovereignty

"Doctrine fusing executive and legislative branches; Parliament holds ultimate authority; enables rapid policy change with clear accountability. Country: UK"

Labour Party

"Moderate left working-class party; Tony Blair's "New Labour" moved party to the center, embraced markets + social justice. Country: UK"

Conservative Party (Tories)

"UK conservative party; Thatcher's neoliberal revolution is significant; strong elite and some working-class support. Country: UK"

English Nationalism

"Promotes cultural unity of English people; basis for Euroskepticism and Brexit opposition to EU authority. Country: UK"

Brexit

"Potential/actual exit of the UK from the EU; major implications for Northern Ireland border, immigration, and trade. Country: UK"

French Revolution

"Overthrow of French monarchy; produced civic nationalism, secularism, republicanism, equality, centralized state, and contentious politics; legacy visible in street protests (e.g., Yellow Vests). Country: France"

Semi-presidentialism

"System with dual executive—president (head of state) + prime minister (head of government); combats weak executive. Allows cohabitation. Country: France"

Parity

"Law requiring 50% women candidates; combats under-representation; copied internationally (e.g., Rwanda). Country: France"

National Front / National Rally (FN/RN)

"Right-wing nationalist, anti-elite, anti-EU party; Marine Le Pen softens image while keeping populist agenda; promotes welfare chauvinism. Country: France"

Marine Le Pen

"Leader of RN; attempts to de-demonize party while maintaining nationalist, anti-immigration message; appeals to youth and women. Country: France"

Emmanuel Macron

"President of France; declining approval due to frustration with system, economy, national identity, and centrist position in polarized politics. Country: France"

Triple Transition

"Post-Soviet geographic, economic, and political transformation; produced oligarchs, corruption, weak democracy, regional tension (e.g., Chechnya). Country: Russia"

Putin/Putinism

"Putin's rule transformed weak democracy into competitive authoritarianism; strong centralization, repression, nationalism. Putinism = conservative, populist, personalistic autocracy. Country: Russia"

Siloviki

"Elite former security/military officials benefiting from corruption; support Putin's dominance. Country: Russia"

Kleptocracy

"Government where leaders exploit state resources for personal wealth; linked to siloviki and resource curse. Country: Russia"

Mao Zedong

"Founder of PRC; led Chinese Revolution; Cultural Revolution reignited class struggle and caused widespread damage. Country: China"

Deng Xiaoping

"Post-Mao leader who reformed economy, reduced social controls, restored technocrats, and opened markets. Country: China"

Xi Jinping

"President and General Secretary; highly centralized control, ideological conformity, repression, surveillance. Country: China"

Chinese Communist Party

"Sole ruling party of China; controls state through parallel institutions. Country: China"

Party-State

"One-party system where CCP dominates the state; parallel hierarchies. Country: China"

Cultural Revolution

"Mao's movement to purge capitalist elements; caused economic damage and persecution. Country: China"

Surveillance State

"China's extensive digital and physical surveillance; weaponized against Muslim minorities (e.g., Xinjiang). Country: China"

Constitution of 1917

"Mexico's still-active constitution; shaped by revolution; formal democracy with violations in practice. Country: Mexico"

PRI

"Dominant party for decades; patronage-based electoral machine intertwined with state resources. Country: Mexico"

State-led development

"1930s-80s ISI model; agrarian modernization; produced debt, poverty, and resource-curse cycles. Country: Mexico"

Drug War

"Conflict between cartels and state; fueled by U.S. drug demand; violence surged after PRI decline. Country: Mexico"

AMLO

"President of Mexico; left-wing populist campaigning against corruption and violence. Country: Mexico"

Gender quotas (Mexico)

"Mandate that 50% of seats in both chambers are held by women. Country: Mexico"

Neopatrimonialism

"System where patrons distribute state resources for loyalty; in Nigeria tied to ethnicity; causes corruption and poor development outcomes. Country: Nigeria"

Republic of Biafra

"Igbo-led secession leading to civil war and mass starvation; demonstrates deep ethnic conflict. Country: Nigeria"

Niger Delta

"Region with conflict over oil extraction; resource competition fuels violence. Country: Nigeria"

Resource curse (Nigeria)

"Oil wealth fuels corruption, inequality, and violence. Country: Nigeria"

Federal Character Principle

"Ethnic quota system intended to ensure representative public service; reinforces patronage. Country: Nigeria"

2019 Election (Nigeria)

"Low turnout; crackdown on fraud but increased vote-buying; reflects high stakes of office. Country: Nigeria"

Mohandas Gandhi

"Led nonviolent resistance, broadened Congress Party, and influenced global civil rights movements. Country: India"

Indian Administrative Service

"Elite bureaucracy tied to executive; runs key state institutions like the Election Commission. Country: India"

Congress Party

"Mass party under Gandhi promoting democracy, patronage, secularism, and civic nationalism. Country: India"

Indian Federalism

"System of state autonomy shaped by linguistic, cultural, and political diversity. Country: India"

Patronage-democracy

"System where political support is exchanged for services and jobs. Country: India"

BJP

"Hindu nationalist ruling party; challenges secular norms; right-wing, populist, majoritarian politics. Country: India"

Narendra Modi

"Prime Minister; Hindu nationalist; has weakened secularism and escalated tensions (e.g., Kashmir). Country: India"

Authoritarian theocracy

"System combining authoritarian control with religious leadership. Country: Iran"

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

"Last Shah; pursued modernization; overthrown after repression and U.S.-backed coup legacy. Country: Iran"

Ayatollah Khomeini

"Founder of Islamic Republic; anti-West, clerical rule. Country: Iran"

Ayatollah Khamenei

"Supreme Leader after Khomeini; holds highest authority. Country: Iran"

Guardian Council

"6 clerics + 6 jurists; vets laws and candidates; central to authoritarian control. Country: Iran"

Velayat-e Faqih

"Rule by religiously learned; basis of Iran's political system. Country: Iran"

Revolutionary Guard (Pasdaran)

"Military-parallel force loyal to Supreme Leader; controls major economic assets; protects regime. Country: Iran"

Hassan Rouhani

"President; insider cleric with moderate reform aims (e.g., nuclear deal). Country: Iran"