POLI 130 key terms

Comparative politics definition

The study of the similarities/differences in politics among two or more countries or the study of the similarities/differences in politics within a single country, across subnational units

Autocracy definition

Politically exclusive rule, Political control exerted by a small group of elites, Total absence of power sharing or shared decision making between ruling and competing factions, Uncertain to the level of suffrage/citizen participation in the political process

Autocracy example

Russia’s power is heavily centralized under President Vladimir Putin

Autocracy significance

provides a framework for analyzing how non-democratic regimes function, survive, and sometimes democratize

Absolutist monarchy definition

Regime led by monarch who serves as head of state and head of government

Absolutist monarchy example

Saudi Arabia as the House of Saud holds all political and legislative power without an elected national parliament or legally binding written constitution.

Absolutist monarchy significance

shows hows how traditional authority and family rule can sustain autocracy without elections

Military dictatorship definition

Led by military officials (typically following a coup)

Military dictatorship example

South Korea was under the military-backed and authoritarian rule of Park Chung-hee from 1961 to 1979, beginning with a military coup and operating through a mix of military control, suspended constitutions, and state-led economic planning

Military dictatorship significance

Significant as it demonstrates how control of the armed forces allows elites to seize and hold power, revealing the political role of the military in both enforcing and undermining authoritarian stability

Single/dominant party regime definition

Regime led by a single party that ALWAYS wins elections by a significant margin

Single/dominant party regime example

China is a single-party authoritarian state governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which holds a complete monopoly on political power.

Single/dominant party regime significance

shows how single parties use institutions and elections to maintain legitimacy and prevent opposition

Personalistic dictatorship definition

Regime in which all power lies in the hands of a single individual

Personalistic dictatorship example

Kim Jong Un in North Korea

Personalistic dictatorship significance

Significant as it shows how regimes built around one leader's charisma and loyalty networks are often unstable, as they depend on the ruler's personal power rather than strong institutions

Problem of authoritarian power sharing definition

threats from ruling elites as dictators try to get more power at the expense of them

Problem of authoritarian power sharing example

When Julius Caesar and Pompey tried to share power, but it ended in civil war.

Problem of authoritarian power sharing significance

Significant as it explains why dictatorships often fall due to elite conflict, showing that maintaining loyalty among insiders is as crucial, and difficult, as controlling the public

Problem of authoritarian control definition

conflict between small authoritarian elite in power and much larger pop. excluded from power

Problem of authoritarian control example

All around Middle East in 2010 ppl started rising up against regimes which knocked many leaders out of power

Problem of authoritarian control significance

shows a problem of autocracies: how to repress society enough to stay in power without causing revolt

Coercive apparatus definition

set of repressive institutions such as the military, police, and secret intelligence forces that a regime uses to maintain control through fear

Coercive apparatus example

China's response to Tiananmen Square protests exemplifies this as they sent in tanks to take down the students

Coercive apparatus significance

illustrates how military and security forces are essential for regime survival

Preference falsification definition

you have no idea if people you rule are talking bad about you in secret

Preference falsification example

Arab Spring, people suddenly started protesting seemingly out of nowhere bc they did not share their disdain for fear of repression; therefore catching rulers off guard.

Preference falsification significance

Significant as it explains why authoritarian regimes appear stable until sudden collapse, since citizens hide opposition, masking the true level of dissent

Structure of contestation definition

the system of rules and policies by which leaders set the limits for participation in the political system

Structure of contestation example

In China, the structure of contestation is closed and tightly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), meaning that political competition is not allowed outside the party

Structure of contestation significance

shows how rules of political competition define regime type, whether power is openly contested (democracy) or restricted by elites (authoritarianism), showing the difference between democracy and dictatorship

Comparative politics example

Comparing the political state of South Korea and North Korea in order to see their development as they have similar beginning but different outcomes

Mill's method of agreement definition

Cases with different attributes and similar outcomes, looking for common elements to explain the common outcome

Mill's method of agreement example

Comparing 4 countries that all have different factors but are joined by ethnic division and all have ethnic fighting as a result while a fifth country without ethnic division has a different outcome

Mill's method of agreement significance

Significant because it is one of the key ways we study comparative politics and are able to draw conclusions

Mill's method of difference definition

Compares cases that are otherwise similar but differ on one dimension, producing variant outcomes

Mill's method of difference example

Comparing 4 countries with all similar attributes and they all observe similar outcomes while a fifth country is seen in opposition with one different quality yet a different outcome

Mill's method of difference significance

it is one of the key ways we are able to study and observe comparative politics

State definition

Monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force (Max Weber), (Recognized) territory

State example

The United States is a state because it has defined borders, a permanent population, and institutions (like the police and military) that legitimately control the use of force.

Regime Definition

The set of formal and informal rules that define where power is located and how it is used

Regime example

The U.S. regime is a liberal, constitutional democracy, defined by its commitment to free and fair elections, separation of powers, and the protection of civil liberties under the U.S. Constitution.

Government definition

The set of political elites in charge of running the state

Government example

The U.S. government refers to the current administration and ruling party. A change in government occurs with every election, such as Donald Trump's Republican administration is in office right now after succeeding Joe Biden's

State scope definition

Different functions or goals taken on by the government (i.e., "What does the state do?")

State scope example

Providing education, public health, infrastructure, social welfare

State capacity definition

The ability to plan and implement policies and enforce rules (i.e., "How well can the state get things done?)

State Capacity example

Ability to collect taxes, maintain law and order, deliver services, enforce property rights

State strength definition

State scope + State capacity

State strength example

A state with high state strength is Sweden as it has high state scope and high state capacity, while a state with low state strength is Somalia as it low state scope and low state capacity

Brown areas definition

Guillermo O’Donnell- Areas within an otherwise strong state where institutional capacity is either non-existent or weak

Brown areas example

Public Housing Projects in Rio De Janeiro as while the city is quite prosperous, these public housing projects tend to be run down and forgotten

Brown areas significance

Significant as it shows how state capacity and scope can vary even within a country and how countries with high state strength can have weak spots as well.

Warlords definition

Individuals who control territory and govern locally through military force and personal loyalty, often within weak or collapsed state

Warlords example

Authority in Somalia (Mogadishu)

Warlords significance

Significant as they show what happens when the state fails to maintain its monopoly on the legitimate use of force, as this failure allows the warlords to gain power, illustrates the breakdown of central authority

Protection racket definition

An exchange between two parties where one side offers protection in exchange for money from the other

Protection racket example

Charles Tilly's Theory Example: Feudal monarchies in France or England during the Middle Ages consolidated power by eliminating rivals and calling it "protection," laying the foundation for modern states.

Protection racket significance

Significant as by understanding the protection racket, we learn how the origins of modern states are rooted in the control and organization of violence. Charles Tilly's comparison of state-building to a protection racket shows that states did not emerge simply to serve the public good, but because rulers who monopolized violence could extract taxes and loyalty in exchange for "protection."

Bellicist model of state-building definition

Threats from foreign powers/ internal rivals —> Extraction of (tax) revenue to fund wars—> Expansion of armies, police, bureaucracy, and nationalism —> Creation of property rights, representative government

Bellicist model of state-building example

During prolonged conflicts with France the British government faced massive pressure to fund its military. To survive and finance these wars, the state created the Bank of England to manage national debt and introduced a systematic national income tax. This urgent need for war financing forced Britain to build a highly centralized, efficient bureaucracy and a taxation system, transforming it into a powerful state.

Bellicist model of state-building significance

Significant because it is a model often used when discussing underdeveloped states and how they can progress into getting the benefits of a strong state, also is an important idea because if done wrong, as seen in sub saharan Africa, it leads to state failure

Sovereignty definition

A state's dominant and independent authority to govern its territory and people, free from external interference

Sovereignty example

The U.S. federal government holds supreme authority to make laws, levy taxes, and run its internal and external affairs without foreign control

Sovereignty significance

Significant as by understanding sovereignty, we learn what makes a state truly independent and legitimate in the international system. As well, if a state fails, then we can see if sovereignty was the reason or not depending on if they are sovereign

Protection pact definition

The agreement that states come to with its people in order to exchange extraction in the form of taxes for protection

Protection pact example

The 1945-1946 Chinese communal riots illustrate a protection pact because, in the aftermath of ethnic violence, the colonial state exchanged protection and political reassurance for Malay loyalty and tax revenue

Protection pact significance

Significant as by understanding protection pacts, we learn how states build legitimacy and stability by exchanging security for tax revenue showing how states consolidate power without war

Economic development definition

The process of improving the overall well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, or community by enhancing factors like income, education, health, infrastructure, and access to basic needs, while also considering sustainable growth and equitable distribution of resources

Economic development examples

GDP (net, per capita, growth, etc.), Mortality rates/life expectancy, Educational attainment, Technological advancements

Economic development significance

Significant as by measuring a countries economic development, we can see if a country is thriving or on the brink of failure, as well as we can use it to find problems within the country

Ascetic work definition

Work as a "Divine Calling," meaning that it is their religious duty to work

Ascetic work example

Ascetic work → frugality/rationalism →capitalism

Ascetic work significance

Significant because it links to Weber’s theory that connects culture and religion (specifically protestant) to economic and political modernization, showing that development is possibly not driven by material factors alone but also by values and ethics

Reversal of fortunes definition

Theory by acemoglu and robinson posits that among countries colonized by European powers, those that were relatively wealthy before 1500 are now comparatively poor, and vice versa

Reversal of fortunes example

Aztec and Inca empire in the Americas are significantly poorer today then they were in the 1500's compared to the United States in the 1500s

Reversal of fortunes significance

Significant as it challenges earlier theories of economic development and argues that the lasting effect of colonial institutions, rather than geography, best explains why previously wealthy regions are now poor and vice versa

Inclusive economic institution definition

promote broad participation in the economy, leading to widespread opportunities, innovation, and sustained growth

Inclusive economic institution example

South Korea

Exclusive economic institution definition

concentrate wealth and power in a small elite, suppressing competition, limiting opportunities for the majority, and hindering overall development

Exclusive economic institution example

North Korea

Inclusive vs. extractive economic institution significance

theory by Acemoglu and Robinson that states Countries differ in their economic success because of their different institutions...Inclusive economic institutions foster economic activity, productivity growth, and economic prosperity

Modernization theory definition

Economic development driven by internal changes in society ("Traditional Man" vs "Modern Man"), Development occurs in phases that mark the "modernization" of society, Modernization of the economy drives further social and political transformations

Modernization theory example

Example would be South Korea as they went from an agricultural based economy to an industrial based economy due to their modernization of their society and their political changes

Modernization theory significance

created by Rostow partly, Significant as it provides a framework to understand the transformation from "traditional" to "modern" societies

Rostow’s stages of development definition

Traditional Society —> Pre-Conditions for Take-Off, Take-Off —> Drive to Maturity —> Age of High Mass Consumption

Rostow’s stages of development example

South Korea, which moved from its post-Korean War traditional society to an age of high mass consumption by the late 20th century through significant investment in education, infrastructure, and technology during the take-off and drive to maturity stages

Rostow’s stages of development significance

provided a simple, linear framework to understand how economies transition from traditional to industrialized, influencing policy and foreign aid by offering a roadmap for development

Relative backwardness definition

Developed countries do not represent the future of underdeveloped countries because the timing of development matters and development trajectories should be country specific

Relative backwardness example

Russia was primarily agriculture and had a lack of a strong noble class that could invest so the government had to intervene. Represents this theory as they eventually industrialized due to having the advantage of learning from the European countries around them.

Relative backwardness significance

Significant as it gives us a theory on how development of a country can occur, and it shows that development if countries are not uniform or linear

Dependency theory definition

The trajectory of development in wealthy countries strategically disadvantages poorer ones bc countries exist in a world system created by capitalism, and core countries attained success by preying upon peripheral ones

Dependency theory example

by Gunder Frank partly. During British colonization in India, raw materials were extracted from India and sold cheaply, benefiting Britain much more than India.

Dependency theory significance

Significant as it shows the damage that wealthy countries have created on developing countries, and how poverty is not natural for countries, but a result of colonization

Core country definition

Economically dominant countries

Core country example

US

Peripheral country definition

Peripheral countries help fuel the development of core countries, less economically developed

Peripheral country example

Africa

Core vs periphery significance

Significance lies in this model's ability to show uneven development, explaining how core countries exploit peripheral nations for raw materials and cheap labor, creating a cycle of dependency that perpetuates core dominance and peripheral challenges

Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs)/East Asian "Tigers" definition

Set of Asian economies that saw intense growth and high performance in the 1970's to the 1990s