Comparative Politics: Post-Colonial States

Comprehensive flashcards covering the methodology of comparative politics, historical typologies, schools of development, and the 21st-century case study of post-colonial power dynamics in Venezuela.

How is the field of comparative politics primarily defined in the lecture?

It is defined by its method, which is comparison, based on the confrontation of institutions, social structures, and political processes across time and space.

According to the lecture, what are the two criteria used by Aristotle to classify forms of government?

The number of rulers and the objectives of those rulers.

In Aristotle's typology, what are the 'corrupt' forms of government corresponding to one ruler, several rulers, and a multitude?

Tyranny (one), Oligarchy (several), and Democracy/Demagogy (multitude).

How did Émile Durkheim define the comparative method in 'The Rules of Sociological Method' (1895)?

As 'indirect experimentation,' which involves bringing together facts as they have spontaneously occurred to see if one depends on the other.

What is Max Weber's definition of an 'ideal-type' (idéal-type) according to the notes?

A conceptualization of certain elements that are accentuated over others, forming a conceptual table that does not exist in its pure form in empirical reality.

What was the dominant paradigm in political systems analysis in the U.S. during the 1950s and 1960s influenced by Talcott Parsons and David Easton?

Systemism or functionalism, which analyzes political systems as living organisms where each segment (school, family) fulfills a precise role.

What quantitative indicators are generally associated with developmentalism and the stages of growth model by Walt Whitman Rostow?

Urbanization, health status, and life expectancy.

According to Seymour Martin Lipset (1959), what is the prerequisite for a nation to sustain democracy?

Economic development; specifically, 'The more well-to-do a nation, the greater the chances that it will sustain democracy.'

Who are the key theorists of 'Dependency Theory' mentioned in the text who critiqued developmentalism in the 1970s and 1980s?

Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Enzo Faletto, Samir Amin, and Guillermo O'Donnell.

What is Mancur Olson's 'paradox of collective action'?

The idea that a common interest is not enough for mobilization because individuals may act as 'free riders' (passagers clandestins) to benefit from a collective good without supporting the costs.

What are the three possible postures individuals can take when an organization's quality declines, according to Albert Hirschman (1970)?

Exit (défection), Voice (prise de parole), and Loyalty (loyalisme).

How does Clifford Geertz (1973) define culture in the context of comparative politics?

As a 'system of meanings' shared by members of a group, famously stating: 'Man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun.'

According to Charles Tilly, what two central elements played a role in the construction of the modern State?

Constraint, specifically through taxes and war.

Who coined the term 'Tiers Monde' (Third World) in 1952, and what was its historical reference?

Alfred Sauvy; it referred to the 'Tiers État' (Third Estate) and denoted a world that was ignored, exploited, and desired to become something.

What is 'Orientalism' as defined by Edward Saïd (1978)?

A representation of the Orient produced by the West, functioning as a mode of culture and a body of knowledge linked to power relations.

What was the core message of the 1823 Monroe Doctrine?

The U.S. would not intervene in remaining European colonies but would view any European intervention in independent American governments as an unfriendly act toward the U.S.

What was the Roosevelt Corollary (1904) to the Monroe Doctrine?

It asserted the right of the U.S. to exercise 'international police power' in cases of flagrant injustice or impotence in the Western Hemisphere.

What are the two keywords of the 'Donroe' Doctrine mentioned in the National Security Strategy of November 2025?

Recruit (encourage governments aligned with U.S. principles) and Expand (dissuade collaboration with others).

What major event occurred in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, according to the lecture notes?

The kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro following U.S. bombings that began in the Caribbean in the summer of 2025.

Who used the term 'L’Etat magique' (The Magic State) in relation to Venezuelan oil?

Fernando Coronil.

How is the current situation in Venezuela characterized in the 'transition without transition' section?

As a remolded authoritarianism and a neo-colonialism of the 21st century where the state is under tutelage and stability exists without legitimacy.