Comparative Politics Mid term

• seeks to advance knowledge of political institutions, behaviors, activities and outcomes

• uses systematic and logical research methods

• test and refine theories of how the political world operates

field of Political Science

• involves looking within countries and then across countries

  • contrast to international relations→ looks primarily across countries with less attention given to within-country analysis

• seeks to advance political structures from around the world in an organized, mythological, and clear comparative way

• Studies similarities and differences between and within countries

• looks first within countries → comparing across countries

comparative politics

• “the state”/ statehood

• political institutions

• democracy and democratization

• backsliding democracies

themes for analysis in comparative politics

focuses on political institutions and behaviors within the United States

American politics

focuses on how countries and/or international organizations or bodies ineteract with each other 

international relations 

does international relations study domestic affairs

no

reflects on the philosophical origins of politics, the state, government, fairness, equality, equity, authority, and legitimacy

Political Philosophy 

an abstract element that provides a systematic explanation of some phenomena

theory

argument explaining what actually occurs (hard fact)

empirical

an agrument explaining what ought to occur rather than what happens (big dream)

normative

• origins of political principles

• implications for principles as they relate to issues of political identity

• cultue

• environment

• ethics

• distribution of wealth

• social phenomena

themes to consider with Political Philosophy

centers on testing a theory or hypothesis, usually through mathematical stats → larger sample size

quantitate research

centers on exploring ideas as phenomena potentially with the goal of consolidation information or developing evidence to form a theory or hypothesis to test → small numbers 

qualitative research 

considers various economic theories (capitalism, socialism, communism, fascism), practices and outcomes either within a state, or among and between states in the global system

political economy

explores political policies and outcomes, and focuses on the strength, legitimacy, and effectiveness of political institutions within a state society

public policy

weds together principles, themes, and research from both political science and psychology in order to understand the potential psychological roots of political behavior

politcal psychology 

who is the “father” of political science?

Aristotle

Poltics

Greek politikos → “of, or relationg to the polis(city state)

• contemplatives science → physics and metaphysics (concerned with truth and pursuit of truth and knowledge )

• philosophy, math, science

• productive science → making beautiful things

• Political science fell under the practical sciences

formes of sciences accordinf to Aristotle 

Aristole considered Poltical Science to be the most

authoriative science

what was Political science to Aristotle

was critical to have a way to compare and contrast many city-states and what the outcomes were

In Aristotle’s typology of goverment what was the best 

monarchy 

in Arisotle’s typology which form of govrenment was the worst

democracy

comparativist look at what when they are looking inside of a country 

insitutions 

 based on a clear set of rules that have been formalized

• have authority to enforce the rules→ punitive measures

formal

based on an unwritten set of rules that have not been formalized

• based on conventions on how one should behave

• No authority that monitors behavior, and people are expected to self-regulate

informal

• where scholarship is organized geographically

  • have become important segments of the contemporary university curriculum in many countries

• confined to one geographical area (Southeast Asia, Islamic studies, Latin America studies)

area studues

• “any research that transcends national boundaries”

  • refined definition: studies that are explicitly comparative, that is, studies that utilize systematically comparable data from two or more nations”

• used to systematically compare a large number of cases not limited geographically (BRICS, all democracies in the world)

cross-national studies

• comparing subnational governments within countries (states, provinces)

  • can happen in one or across countries

subnational studies

 fundamental governmental power

sovereignty 

most of the power is within the government itself

unitary governmetn

most sovereignty at the subnational levels

co-federal goverments

the power to force those to do things they may not want to do 

federal governments 

when the central government in a country deliberatly transfers power to a government at a lower level

devolution

subnational governments/insitutions within a single country

within-nation comparassion

subnational governments are compared cross different countries 

between-nation comparession 

understanding of human behavior, insitutions, soceity, governmetn, decsion making, and power

soft sciences

• process of drawing a conculstion about an ubobserved phenomenon, based on observation (emperical) information

• Learn about something broader than is not directly observable 

inference

what are the 4 main characteristis of scientific research 

infrenece, research must be public, reasonable esitmate of unceranty, content of scientific research is the method 

why is making your research public important?

• peer review

• others can replicate your work

• others can build on your work

• literature review

what is literure review?

section of your research paper or research process which collects key sources and previous research on your research quesiton and discusses the findings in synthesis with each other

what is the first step in the scientific method 

research question 

what makes a good research question

• clear, focused and relevent

• not a simple one word or yes/no answer

• should be falsifiable

what is the second step in scientific method

literature review

what is the third step in the scientific method

theory

what is a theory 

 a statement that explains how the world works based on experience and observation

what is a scientific theory

 a set of assumptions, hypotheses and independent/ dependent variables 

• assumptions : statements that are taken for granted (typically dont change)

what is the fourth step in the scientific method

hypothesis

what is a hypothesis 

a specific and testable prediction of what you think will happen

specific situations and attempt to form a hypothesis

inductive reasoning

make inference and then test its truth using evidence and observations

deductive reasoning is

a factor or object that can vary or change 

variable 

explanatory variable/ are the cause and these variables are independent of other variables under consideration in a study

independent varable

outcome varables/ are the assumened effect; their value will (presumably) depend on the changes in the independent varables

dependent varables

what is the formula to make a hypothesis 

“ In a comparison of (Unit of analysis {subject}), caterogry IV1 has property DV1, and category IV2 has property of DV2”

what do you do after you make a hypothesis in the scientific method

testing

• experiment: studies in which investigstors retiaon control over recuitment assignment to random conditions, treatment, and measurement of subjects

• method involves standardization, randomization, between-subjects versus within subject design and experimental bias

experimental method

• the use of mathimatical techniques to analyze collected data

• used survays

• applied research: research that attempts to explain social phenmena with immediate public policy implications

statistical method (prefered method)

what is the second to last step of the scientific method

analysis

• review results and draw conclusions

• No findings is still a finding 

  • NEVER FAKE THE RESULTS

• If your hypothesis was incorrect, you may go back, change it , and redo the testing 

anysis

what is the last step in the scientific method

report your findings 

when countries are similar/ have similar things happen to/ within them but have different outcoems

most similar system design

when countries are different/ have different things happen to/ within them but have same outcoems

most different system design

a formal/informal agreement between the rulers and those in a society

social contract

peole agree to submit to the ruling class

voluntary social contract

are those under a voluntary soical contract promised privileges like freedom of speech 

no they are not promised those privileges 

the ruling class dominates and demands obedience

involuntary social contract

people who are born into a social contract

implicant

the process by which noncitizens formally become citizens

naturalization

what are the funcitons of a state 

protections, social welfare

• services that once established cannot be denied to anyone

• provide universal healthcare

common goods

people who do not contribute to society, but they are using it

free- riders

what are the two types of reinforcement 

positive(sticker for voting) negative (jail time for not paying taxes)

• earliest thinker

• Life is “nasty, brutish, and short”

• saw people as inherently selfish

  • They will do things that will benefit them in the long run

  • Nature was dangerous and unstable

• Rulers need to be authoritative to ensure order

  • A good ruler who has order and peace

• Divine absolute rule

  • Someone who is ordained by god

Thomas Hobbs

who are the social contract thinkers

Thomas Hobbs, John Locke, Jean, -Jeques Rousseau

• considered the primary enlightened thinkers of his time

• Positive view of humans

• Governments are limited and expected to protect these natural rights through their institutions.

  • Explicit consent of the governed 

• People are capable of living peacefully with each other, no need for an authoritarian government (positive outlook)

• Separation between church and state 

• The US founding fathers took some of his ideas

• set out principles of natural rights

  • all people were born with “certain, unalienable “ rights, and they should be recognized by the state

John Locke 

• wrote the Social Contract

• argued that society does not lend itself to equal and equitable treatment of those within society

  • Instead, it imprisons people with various “chains’ and suppresses their natural born rights and liberties

    • “Men are born free, but everywhere are in chains”

  • Only the type of authority is legitimate in society if it comes from the consent of all people

    • must be unified will

• Government is a necessary evil

Jean-Jeques Rousseau

Greek → demo and kratos → rule by the people

democracy orginins

what is a deomocracy

political system where government is dictated by the power of the people

every single citizen is able to be involved in the legal process and able to have some amount of power over the laws of society

direct democracy 

 people elect representatives to serve on their behalf to make the laws and rules of society

representative democracy

a system/ social order out of the Middle Ages where serfs (peasants ) were forced to provide members of the upper class with their crops, produce, goods, as well as their services, fealty, and loyalty

• Nobles would provide some level of protection to the serfs

feudalism

 a national-level group, organization, or body that administers its own legal and governmental polices within a designated region or territory

state

a population of people joined by common culture, history, language, adn ancestory within a designated region of territory

nation

a nation which many have one or more states within it, or may change-state-type over time

country

what are the characteristics of a state 

terrtory, soverignty,legitmacy, and authority 

• an area with clearly defined borders

• can change through independence, secession, acquisition, and other means

not a physical thing, but it is in our minds
ex: Kosovo independence (2008), South Sudan independence (2011)

terriroty

recognition as the sole authority within a territory capable of making and enforcing laws and polices

• ex: federal government of the US

internal soverignty

recognition by the international community of states

• ex: needs to be seen by other states as a state

external soverginty 

you need to have internal and external soverignty to…

be considered a state

what are the three types of legitmacy

traditonal, charismatic, rational-legal

• history, customs, long-standing traditions

• it has always been that way

• seeing power getting passed down from father to son

  • ex: British monarchy (British tradition), Japanese monarchy, North Korea

traditonal legitmacy 

• leaders personal qualities

• people follow because of who they are, not their position

  • ex: Nelson Mondella, Vladimir Lenin, Castro (Cuba)

charismatic legiramacy

• most common

• based on laws, rules, and systems

• people accept their authority because it is written in the legal framework

  • ex: Angela margo (germany chancellor)

rational legal legitamacy

the ability to get others to do what they want them to do

authority/power

allowing people to do something

positive power

prohibiting someome from doing something

negative power

be able to make others do things through manipulation and persuasion 

soft power 

using physical and aggressive force to make others do something

hard power

legitimacy is backed by

the consitution