Political Science 200 Final

Later end of the course.

Pros of Single-Member District

Strong identification with representatives, efficient through a single party with the majoritarian model

Cons of Single-Member District

Waste of votes, under/overrepresentation and lack of accuracy in representation

Proportional representation

Each party gets the same share of seats as it won in votes

Systems of proportional representation

Closed-list and open-list

Closed-list

Party determines the order of listed candidates, awarding the seats to the candidates on its list in rank order

Open-list

Voters indicate their preference for an individual candidate on their chosen party’s lists, the candidate with the most votes in the party get the seats the party wins

Models of government-interest group interaction

Pluralism and neocorporatism

Pluralism

Many groups representing the same broad interest. Government is neutral giving no preferential access and power. There is local control and participation. Interest groups gain power through the state due to their resources

Neocorporatism

Strong peak associations that represent the major interest in society by bringing together numerous local groups where the government works closely with these groups. There is more of a direct influence on government

Motivations of contentious politics

Individual and structural

Individual motivations

Relative deprivation, values and emotions and moral shock

Structuralist motivations

Political opportunity structure

Relative deprivation

People believing they are not getting their share of something of value in relation to their expectations

Values and emotions

Emancipative values relating to individual freedom and equality of opportunity

Moral shock

A sudden threat or affront to deeply held values about fairness or justice

Political opportunity structure

The openness of a regime to being influenced from social movements and other extra-institutional groups

Civil war

Two or more armed groups where at least one is tied to the most regime in power, fight for control of the state

Terrorism

Political violence or the threat of violence by groups of individuals who deliberately target civilians or non-combatants to influence the behaviour and actions of targeted publics and government

Difference between civil war and terrorism

Civil war has the goal of targeting and defeating the government, public, terrorism targets civilians to sow terror to influence a government, clandestine

Dictators dilemma

Repression creates fear, causing the ruler to be uncertain of power, leading to misinformation campaigns causing the regime to spend more than needed

Electoral institutions

Used to increase legitimacy even though authority is ensured through limited opposition through elections. Influences domestic and international legitimacy

Co-optation

Provides material inducements and official position. Associated with corruptions, means of authoritarianism outside of repression

Varieties of capitalism

Focuses on business firms and their interactions with the government, one another, workers and sources of finance

Liberal market economics

Firms focus on short term profits to enhance stock prices, firms’ relationship to wokrers is through open markets, the governments role is to ensure proper functioning of the economy through antimonopoly laws and rules which govern stock exchange

Coordinated market economies

Conscious coordination among firms, financiers, unions and government, firms focus on longer-term initiatives, there are stronger unions and higher levels of unionization and worker training is focused within sectors of the economy and within related firms

Comparative institutional advantage

Well-being will be maximized if each country uses its resources to produce whatever it can produce relatively efficiently compared with other countries. Advocation of free trade

Import-substitution industrialization

Encourages domestic and international investment through protecting new industries and limiting imports by placing restrictions and tariffs on trade

Sen’s capability approach

The goal of development should be to enhance the capabilities of individuals to lead fulfilling lives. Health, education and freedom are crucial in growth and individual capabilities

Market failures

The market fails to perform according to widely held social values. The government is to respond in socially acceptable ways. A common cause are externalities

Externalities

Costs or benefits of production processes that are not fully included in the price of the final market transaction when the product is sold

Social democratic states

Universal entitlements to achieve grater social equality and promote equal citizenship. Paid maternity leave, preschool, child allowances, basic retirement pensions and job training. High rates of taxation

Contentious politics

Political activity that is at least in part beyond institutional bounds, involving extra-institutional activity such as petitions, protest, riots, violence, civil war and revolution.

Democratic Backsliding/Autocratization

A decline in the quality of democracy, including the extent of participation, the rule of law and vertical and horizontal accountability.

Command and Control Policies

Pollution control system in which a government directly regulates the specific amount of pollution each polluting entity is allowed.

State roles

Essential, beneficial, politically generated

Essential roles of the state

Security, currency, rule of law, defense

Beneficial roles of the state

Public goods, infrastructure

Politically generated roles of the state

Welfare, redistribution

Keynesianism

The government manages business cycles via active fiscal and monetary policy which includes deficit spending when necessary.

Health care systems

National health insurance, national health system, voluntary private insurance

Market failure of health policy

Moral hazard and poor information

National Health Insurance (NHI)

Earliest and most common system. The government mandates insurance and access to insurance is provided by private insurers or the government. Germany

National Health System (NHS)

Single-payer system, managed and financed by the government. United Kingdom

Voluntary private insurance system (VPI)

Private insurance provides the bulk of health care. Government programs exist to cover groups without private insurance. United States