Comparative Politics Flashcards

Flashcards cover subfields, key concepts, and distinctions in Comparative Politics and related approaches as described in the notes.

Which of the following is NOT a subfield of political science? 1) Comparative Politics 2) American Politics 3) Comparative Advantage 4) International Relations

Comparative Advantage

What is Comparative Politics?

Field of study wherein scholars compare and contrast various political systems, institutions, characteristics and outcomes across one, a few, or a group of countries.

What is the difference between Comparative Politics and International Relations?

Comparative Politics studies what happens within countries; International Relations studies what happens between countries.

What are Cross-national Studies?

Studies that are explicitly comparative, using systematically comparable data from two or more nations.

What did the Behavioral Revolution in the 1950s emphasize?

Study of political behavior and the use of surveys; movement toward quantitative measures and away from only studying institutions.

What are Formal Institutions?

Institutions based on clear, formal rules that are formalized and have authority to enforce them.

What are Informal Institutions?

Unwritten rules based on conventions that shape how people should behave.

What is Sovereignty?

Fundamental governmental power; the authority of the government to coerce and enforce its decisions.

How to study institutions as a comparativist (three steps)?

1) Pick a topic; 2) Select cases; 3) Compare to identify patterns.

What are Subnational Studies?

Comparing subnational governments within countries.

What is a Federal government?

Sovereignty is shared between national and subnational governments.

What is a Unitary government?

Power is concentrated at the national level.

What is a Confederal government?

Most sovereignty is at the subnational levels.

What is the difference between Within-nation and Between-nation comparisons?

Within-nation compares subunits within one country; Between-nation compares across different countries.

What is Area Studies?

Multidisciplinary social research focusing on specific geographic regions or culturally defined areas (e.g., Asian, Latin American, African Studies).