Pol100 quiz 3

Unitary system

System of governance in which political power is concentrated in a central national government

Hierarchical vertical structure

Regional and local government subordinate to central

Can override decisions made by regional/local governments

Uniformity, common law and policies

UK, Ukraine, South Korea

Some legislative power is granted to regional bodies in a process called devolution- which is temporary and reversible

Greater national unity, efficiency, and accountability

Brexit

Uk leaving the EU

UK has devolved governments in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland

2016 51.9% voted leave

Wanted control over immigration, more national sovereignty, blamed EU for influx of immigrant labour

Federal systems

Power sharing relationship between national and provincial governments

Horizontal structure

Derive power from constitution

Countries are usually large and multi-ethnic

US, Canada, Brazil, India, Australia

Classical federalism

federal, provincial, and state governments are restricted in their own areas

Mutually exclusive

Not the best

Cooperative federalism

Equalization payments, gov gets money from central gov to work

First ministers conference: prime minister and premiers discuss issues together

Federal system centralization

Central government has more authority relative to regional governments, dominates policy and finances

Regional has constitutionally guaranteed powers

India, Australia

Decentralization in federal system

Strong autonomy for regional government

Controls decisions that have a major impact on people, control larger share of government revenue

Canada, Switzerland

Asymmetrical federalism

US, all states have uniformity among state governments

Canada: one province has more power, Quebec to give separatists more leeway

Confederal system

Sovereign states delegate some power to a joint government, retaining their sovereignty

Type of intergovernmentalism

US under the articles of Confederation, Switzerland, EU

Contentious politics

Using disruptive policies to make a political point/alter policy

Collective action of groups that challenge the status quo

visible to public

Tool of the marginalized

Political protest

Political conflict outside of government institutions

Actions carried out by individuals who are not important political actors

aims to change status quo policies

Moderate protests: petitions, boycotts- UK parliament required to respond to petitions with over 10,000 signatures -Academic boycott of South Africa helped end apartheid- Idle no more, Indian farmers protest- stonewall

Direct action: illegal demonstrations, peaceful occupation, civil disobedience(refusal to obey certain laws or demands)

Violence: Guerrilla Warfare (lightly armed, hit and run to take power), assassination, terrorism (ISIS violent attacks in Iraq and Syria) (targets the innocent)

Frustration- aggression hypothesis

Ted Robert Gurr theory that when frustrations are high for a long time, there’s a gap between what people think they deserve and what people think they get

There will be collective violence

However, sometimes this means governments use violence agaisnt their own citizens

Parliamentary system

There are three branches of power in each.

Legislative branch (parliament, HOC and senate)

Executive branch

Judicial branch

The difference between parliamentary and presidential lies in the relationship between legislative and executive

In parliamentary there is a close relationship, where the PM is the head of the executive and legislative

The head of gov (executive) is chosen by the legislature

PM must be removed by a vote of confidence (failure to pass budget prints new PM or election)

PM and cabinet is responsible to and selected from parliament

Presidential system

Unlike the presidential system where there is a fusion of power between legislative and parliamentary, there is a separation of power in the presidential system

Legislative: House of Representatives & senate

Executive: president & Vice, cabinet

President is commander in chief of US armed forces

President is the head of state and government

Has executive order privileges

President can propose and veto laws

majority gov

One political party has more than half the seats

PM and cabinet will have support of the house, legislative initiatives passed more easily

Minority government

Political party has less than half, PM and Cabinet seek support from from other parties for pieces of legislation/budget

Cabinet

Cabinet is body of advisors that set the federal governments policies, 28 members

Governor General appoints them on advice of PM

Cabinet solidarity: fully support and defend decisions by the government

Collective responsibility: cabinet will defend actions of the government in parliament

Cabinet secrecy: cabinet confidences (documents and briefing notes) secret for 20 years

Semi-presidential

Mixture of parliamentary and presidential

PM and cabinet appointed by elected president

Head of state: president

Head of gov: PM

France, Ukraine, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Poland, Peru

president: can dissolve elected legislature, foreign policy

PM&C: domestic policy

Two types:

President-parliamentary: PM and Cabinet can be removed by president and legislature

Premier-presidential: PM and Cabinet removed by vote of the legislature

Political gridlock:

Situation where necessary legislation is unable to be passed because of tension between the president and a political party in congress that is of an opposing political party

Cohabitation:

In a semi presidential system when president and PM come from different parties

Classical realism:

Humans have a natural lust for power which drives conflict

Neorealism

System forces states to persue power, it’s the structure of international system that explains conflict

Realism

International anarchy is unavoidable so the only option is to protect national interests

Liberalism

Optimistic view of human nature

International relations is not just international politics its social cultural

Collective security

Anarchy exists but is not absolute

Common. Challenges instead of common national interest

Liberal internationalism:

Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)

UN

Pretty ineffective

Feminist IR

Against the idea that one’s sides loss is another’s win

Critique that international anarchy and realism is used to justify large defence budgets, military conscription, and compromising civil liberties

pole

The concentration of power, sovereign states are equal from a legal view but not in actuality

Unipolar

One state has the most power- US kinda

Bipolar

Two struggle for power- Us and Russia

Multipolar

Balance of power with no one dominant state

Peace of Westphalia (1648) to WWII (1939)

Second strike capability

Increasing the cost of war, assured ability to retaliate- Cold War- nuclear weapons

Mutual Assured Destruction Doctrine

If you use nuclear weapons on a country with SSC - nuclear annihilation

Fukuyamas end of history

There will be no more ideological conflicts since the US unipolarity - this is how it will be forever,!future conflicts will not be ideological

Liberalism

Cooperation amongst states and the importance of international non-governmental organizations

Optimistic view of human nature

IR not just politics and economy but social and cultural

Collective security

States should be most responsible for protecting human rights within the state

Classical security dillema