Comparative Governments Midterm Studyguide

Globalization

The communication and sharing of information, economies, technology, and ideas across different countries and MNCs, which are interdependent within political, economic, and social realities

The expansion and intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and world-space. A multi-dimensional phenomenon involving economics, ideology, environment, and technology.

Positive and Negative impacts of globalization

Positive

- Increased trade --> good for economics

- Increased cooperation between countries

- Interdependence (decrease in major conflicts)

Negative

- Social harm

- Environmental destruction

- If one country falls, everyone falls

- Terrorism, drugs - open borders

- Unequal balance - rural farmers, agricultural things

- MNCs are the ones who truly benefit

Who benefits the most from globalization

Multinational corporations (MNC)

Global Organizations

Multinational Corporations (Economic)

- MNC

- Exxon Mobil, Apple, Microsoft

Foreign Direct Investment (Economic)

- FDI

Nongovernmental Organizations (Non-Gov)

- NGOs

- Doctors Without Borders, Water First, Red Cross, Red Crescent

Intergovernmental Organizations (Economic)

- IGOs

- UN, World Trade Organization WTO, International Monetary Fund IMF

Mexico regime

Democratic (was authoritarian, then illiberal dem, now liberal dem)

Mexico's constitution (The Constitution of 1917)

- Ended the revolution

- The Constitution is very long and easily amended

- Set up for Democratic Government w/ three branches of government (Legislative, Executive, Judicial)

- Competitive elections

- Federalism

Mexico's System of Government

Presidential system

Federal

Mexico's structure/Power of Executive Branch

Executive branch has help majority of the power historically

Strong presidential power

- Initiate legislation

- Issue decrees

- Transfer funds

- Authorize expenditures

- Appoint cabinet heads and justices

- Appoint a large number of public officials

Mexico's Structure/Power of Legislature

Bicameral

Chamber of deputies (lower house) (500-members)

- 300 deputies from single-member district (Plurality) (SMD/FPTP)

- First past the post

- 200 deputies chosen by proportional representation (PR)

Senate

- 3 senators from each of the 31 states & the federal district

- Remaining 32 selected by proportional representation

Role of Judiciary in Mexico

- On paper has judiciary review, but it never overrules important government policy or action

- NEW: Supreme Court can determine constitutionality of laws IF ⅓ of lower house requests but can only strike down law IF a supermajority of 8-11 Justices Agrees

- Judges appointed 15 years not life

- Reforms have attempted to increase the professionalism and independent of the judiciary

Who holds power most in which Branch of Government in Mexico

The President (Exec Branch)

Structure of Mexican Political Parties (Power and Influence)

Political Parties

- Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI)

- National Action Party (PAN)

- Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD)

- National Regeneration Party (NRP/Morena)

Mexico created a system that ensures the people have the power, but also includes all people and parties

Proportionality helps smaller, less powerful parties so you don't have a one party dominate all

Mexico's election process

Election Reform = Legitimacy, the biggest challenge for Mexico

Citizens in Mexico directly elect the president, Chamber of Deputy Representatives, and Senators, as well as most local and state officials

Elections are generally competitive, especially in urban areas

Voting is mandatory but not really enforced

Mexico's Political Economy - strengths/weaknesses

- Mexico prosperous & developing

- Industrialized (North)

- Industry 20% of GDP, Agriculture (14%)

- Natural Resource Rich (Oil) = running out of "easy" oil

- Mexico more dependent on US than US on Mexico = unbalanced trade....

- Debt crisis

- NAFTA

Mexico Cleavages

Mestizo vs. Amerindian

Urban vs. Rural

North vs. South

NOT religion

Influence of Drug Cartels

https://www.ted.com/talks/rodrigo_canales_the_deadly_genius_of_drug_cartels?language=en

- Cartels mirror multinational corporations in structure, branding, and strategic innovation.

- Many cartel factions offer social services to win local support and legitimacy.

- U.S. drug demand finances and sustains Mexico's complex criminal networks.

- Violence is a business tool for controlling vital trafficking routes, not random chaos.

- Public policies and consumer tolerance both reinforce the cycle of cartel power and violence.

UK Regime type

constitutional monarchy

Role/type of Constitution in UK

Common Law = Law based on precedent (what happened before) rather than set legal codes.

Magna Carta(1215) - King John agreed to consult the nobles before he made important decisions, in particular regarding taxes.

UK's System of Government

Unitary State

Parliamentary System

Constitutional Monarchy

Structure/Power of Executive Branch

Head of State:

Monarch; no real power, head of Anglican Church

Head of Government:

Prime Minister sits on front bench of majority side, directly in the middle. Leader of majority party or coalition. Campaigns for and represents the party in parliamentary elections.

Chooses cabinet ministers and important subordinate posts. Makes decisions in cabinet, with agreement of ministers. Shapes cabinet decisions into policy

Structure/Power of Legislature

The Monarch (King/Queen): The head of Parliament, giving Royal Assent to make bills into law.

House of Commons: The elected chamber (650 MPs) representing constituencies, debating laws, and granting money (taxes).

House of Lords: The upper chamber (appointed members) scrutinizes legislation and challenges government, but can't block finance bills.

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Prime Minister sits on front bench of majority side, directly in the middle

Directly across from the PM sits the leader of the "opposition" party

Cabinet members sit on the front rows of the majority party side

"Shadow Cabinet" - influential members of the opposition party sit facing Cabinet members of majority party on the opposing side

Backbenchers - less influential members of the majority party (or coalition) sit in the rear benches

Crossbenchers—less influential members of the minority party sit in the rear benches

Speaker of the House - from a pollical party as MP but acts and an independent referee in the house, especially during PMQH.

Role of Judiciary in the UK

Most judges are not MPs and few are active in party politics

Parliamentary sovereignty has limited the development of judicial review

Constitutional Reform Act of 2005 - provides for a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to take over the existing role of the law lords. Totally in place by 2009.

British courts can overturn government decisions that violate common law or previous acts of Parliament

Who holds power most in which Branch of Government in the UK

the PM (exec branch)

Structure of Political Parties in the UK (Power and Influence)

Conservative and Labor Party = main 2

Conservative

- Middle and upper classes

- Educated

- England, mostly rural and suburban areas

Labor

- Working class

- Urban and industrial areas (Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle)

Other parties

- Scottish National Party

- Plaid Cymru - Welsh nationalist party

- Sinn Fein - political arm of the IRA (Northern Ireland)

- UKIP- United Kingdom Independence Party = nationalist = led BREXIT vote.

- Democratic Unionist Party-Protestants from Northern Ireland, socially conservative

UK Election Process

MPs (Members of Parliament) are the only national officials that British voters elect

Elections must be held at least every 5 years, but Prime Minister may call them earlier

Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 - elections every 5 years, no confidence vote or 2/3 of MPs vote to have election.

Winner-take-all

FPTP/SMD-plurality (does not need a majority to win just most votes)

Each party selects a candidate to run for each district

MPs do not have to live in the district in which they are running, but they usually do

UK Political Economy - strengths/weaknesses

First in industrialization = WORLD domination, empire, imperialism & COLONIZATION...

1980s = Thatcherism = Privatization & austerity...

Industry (NORTH) declines.... Banking (SOUTH) increases....

NHS - socialized medicine

BREXIT - left the third largest economy in the world; disastrous

UK Cleavages

Upper Class vs. Working Class

Protestant vs. Catholic

White Anglo/Saxon Islanders (Euro-skeptics) vs. Europeans

Imperial Power vs. Colonial Immigrants

BREXIT

The British Exit from the European Union

Pros

- Restore UK sovereignty

- Protect UK jobs

- Free to establish own trade agreements

- No bailing out of "failing" European states

Cons

- increase wealth

- Gives UK significant influence throughout Europe

- Gives opportunities for UK citizens abroad (jobs, retirement)

Basic Structure of and Democratic elements of EU

Only part voted for: European Parliament

Legislative (Citizens)

751 Seats

Russia Regime type

Hybrid (Illiberal Democracy and Authoritarian)

Role/type of Constitution in Russia

Constitution of 1993 -

Provided for a strong president

Power of the president can "technically" be checked by popular elections and the Duma

Russian system of government (unitary, federal, other)

Federal republic

Semi-presidential system

Structure/Power of Russian Executive Branch

Constitution of 1993 increased presidential power

Power is centralized in the presidential office

Presidential responsibilities

- Appoints the prime minister and cabinet

- Issue decrees that have force of law

Prime Minister

- relationship between PM and President not exactly clear, if anything happens to president the PM assumes the office of president

Structure/Power of Legislature in Russia

Duma and Federation Council

Duma

- Lower House

- 450 deputies

- 2007: proportional representation, 7% threshold

- 2016: mixed system, 225 SMD and 225 PR, 5% threshold

- Passes Bills

- Approves Budgets

- Confirms president's political appointments

Federation Council

- Upper House

- Two members selected from each of the 89 regions of the federation

- One is picked by governor, one by regional legislature

- Power to delay legislation

- Federation Council can change boundaries of republics, ratify use of armed forces, and appoint and remove judges

Role of Judiciary in Russia

Supreme Court

- Created by 1993 Constitution

- Serves as final court of appeals in criminal & civil cases

Constitutional Court

- Created by 1993 Constitution

- 19 members

- Appointed by president and confirmed by Federation Council

Who holds power most in Russia in which Branch of Government

President (exec)

Structure of Political Parties in Russia (Power and influence)

Russian parties = political elites

Lack ideological orientation like (UKIP, Labour etc.).

More focused on supporting political power of individuals

United Russia (Putin)

Russian Election Process

Elect the president and the members of the Duma

Illiberal elections

Political Economy - strengths/weaknesses

Shock Therapy = radical economic reform moving from non liberal to liberal economy policies. "ripping a Band-Aid off! = decrease of government supports!

1990s - Yeltsin implemented GDP falls no increase until almost 2000. = income inequality

Privatization = insider Privatization = small group of directors of stated owned businesses = acquire most ownership = oligarchs.

Russian citizens' view of government

Not very happy with it

Putin's influence in elections / political parties

Corrupt elections

Russia Cleavages

Ethnicity = biggest cleavage

Anti-Putin vs. Putinism

Religion (OC vs. Islam, Mormon, Other Christians, Jehovah Witness etc.

Influence of oligarchs in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union and relationship to Russian government.

After USSR's fall a few businessmen acquired state-owned industries

New oligarchs used their economic might to influence politics w/ Yeltsin's 1996 re-election

They owned major media outlets to shape public opinion

Putin offered a bargain- oligarchs keep their wealth if they stayed out of politics and supported the Kremlin

- (Oligarchs who resisted, faced prosecution, asset seizure, or exile)

independent power brokers --> state-aligned elite w/ loyalty to Putin

oligarchs' economic power supports Putin's political power, and the Kremlin protects their assets

Impacts of the shock doctrine of changing Soviet Union economy to Russian economy

radical economic reform moving from non liberal to liberal economy policies. "ripping a Band-Aid off! = decrease of government supports!

Yeltsin implemented GDP falls no increase until almost 2000. = income inequality

small group of directors of stated owned businesses = acquire most ownership = oligarchs.

Russia Issues of Foreign Policy

Relations with Former Republics

- Putin meddled in Ukrainian election of 2004

- Attacked Georgia in the South Ossetia War in 2008

- "Annexed" Crimea in 2014

- Put in Putin Puppet in Chechnya.

Relations with the World

- Accepted into the G-20 - UN Security Council permanent member

- Supported UN sanctions on Iran in 2010

- Russia joined the WTO in 2011

- Vetoed UN resolution on Syria in 2012.

- Tense with USA regarding influence of Presidential election of 2016.

- PM May called out Russia on planting fake news & meddling in elections.

Not in NATO nor EU