Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments

Empirical data

fact-based information from observation or experimentation

Normative statement

a value or opinion statement that cannot be proven or disproven. For example, a normative statement about Russian politics is that “Putin should not have returned to become Russia’s president in 2012.”

Quantitative data

information that can be measured with numbers

Qualitative data

information that is difficult to measure including sources such as speeches, foundational documents, political cartoons, maps, and political commentaries.

Correlation

exists when there is an association between two or more variables

Causation

causal relationships are difficult to determine with certainty in comparative politics, as often there are numerous variables that potentially influence political policies and/or regime stability, with no way to isolate and demonstrate which is producing the change

Human Development Index (HDI)

comes from the United Nations Development Programme as “a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development,” including statistics about life expectancy, amount of schooling, and income

Gross domestic product (GDP)

the market value of goods and services produced over a certain time in a country. GDP can depict the overall size of a national economy

GDP per capita

can reflect the size of the national economy in comparison with the population size

GDP growth rate

shows the rate of national economic expansion

Gini index

shows income inequality within a country. A Gini of 100% indicates perfect inequality whereas a Gini of 0% indicates perfect equality

Freedom House

scores are reported by a nongovernmental organization (Freedom House) that ranks countries based on scores for political rights and civil liberties

Governmental transparency

the ability of citizens to access information about a government’s policy making and policy implementation to help hold officials accountable

Governmental corruption

when public officials abuse power for personal benefit

The Fragile States Index

formerly called the Failed States Index, is reported by The Fund for Peace, which is a nongovernmental organization that assesses and ranks countries based on their potential to weaken due to conflicts and domestic turmoil

Political systems

comprise the laws, ideas, and procedures that address who should have authority to rule and what the government’s influence on its people and economy should be

States

political organizations that combine a permanent population with governing institutions to exercise control over a defined territory with international recognition

Regimes

refer to the fundamental rules that control access to and the exercise of political power. Regimes typically endure from government to government

Government

the set of institutions or individuals legally empowered to make binding decisions for a state

Sovereignty

the independent legal authority over a population in a particular territory

Nation

a group of people with commonalities including race, language, religion, ethnicity, political identity, and aspirations

Rule of law

the principle that a state should be governed by known laws and not arbitrary decisions made by individual government officials

Free and fair elections

allow competition so that an opposition candidate and party can defeat the ruling candidate and party

Independence of governmental branches

prevents any one branch from controlling all governmental power

Independent election commissions

attempt to reduce voter fraud and manipulation and enhance electoral competition

Universal suffrage

means that every citizen above a certain age is legally eligible to vote

Civil Rights

the protection of groups of citizens from discrimination by the government or other individuals

Civil Liberties

an individual’s protection against abuse of powers by the government

Corporatist system

government-created and supported interest groups, typically for labor groups, business owners, and agricultural workers, that become the government’s preferred linkage institutions for citizen participation

Pluralist system

citizens can affiliate with more independent interest groups to attempt to shape public policies

Democratic electoral systems

accommodate ethnic diversity and increase multiparty competition with rule adjustments, including gender or cultural quotas, proportional representation, and changes in vote thresholds and district boundaries

Gender quotas

governmental or party rules intended to increase female representation in legislatures

Democracy or authoritarianism

of states includes the extent of state adherence to rule of law; the degree of governmental influence on or control of the media; degree and practice of free and fair elections; degree of transparency of governmental decision making; degree of political participation by citizens; and degree of independence of governmental branches

Illiberal democracies and hybrid regimes

hold elections with little competition toward the ruling party and tend to have diminished civil liberties

One-party states

states in which rival parties are prohibited from controlling governmental power

Democratization

a transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic regime; the transition process can start or temporarily change direction, but typically moves toward more competition, fairness, and transparency in elections; increased citizen participation in policy-making processes; universal suffrage for adult citizens; greater governmental transparency; protected civil rights and liberties; equal treatment of citizens; and establishment of the rule of law

Theocracies

require the state to be controlled by leaders of a particular religion

Totalitarian governments

authoritarian governments that severely limit citizens’ rights to movement and free choice of employment

Military regimes

regimes in which military leaders hold top positions of governing authority

Political efficacy

citizens’ belief that their political participation impacts the shaping of governmental policies

Coup

a sudden and illegal removal of a government and seizure of its powers by an elite faction typically allied with military and security leaders

Revolution

the overthrow and replacement of a political system with the support of a large portion of the country’s population

Democratic consolidation

the process by which a democratic regime matures in terms of election rules, separation of powers, and protection of civil liberties, making it unlikely to revert to authoritarianism without an external shock

Power

ability of the state to influence the conduct of individuals and organizations within the state

Authority

state’s legitimate right to enforce a power

Sources of power and authority

include constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support

Federal states

divide power among different levels of government to confer a degree of local autonomy in supplying social and educational services, while also reserving powers for the national government

Unitary states

concentrate power at the national level with more uniform policies and potentially more efficient policy making

Devolution

the delegation of power to regional governments that can enhance or weaken legitimacy; can create both opportunities for as well as obstacles to resolving social, political, and economic issues

Multiethnic states

countries that are comprised of a population of a variety of ethnic backgrounds

Legitimacy

refers to whether a government’s constituents believe their government has the right to use power in the way they do. Legitimacy confers authority on and can increase the power of a regime and government

Sources of legitimacy

can include popular elections, constitutional provisions, nationalism, tradition, governmental effectiveness, economic growth, ideology, religious heritage and organizations, and the dominant political party’s endorsement

Political stability

the ability of a government to consistently provide services that meet the basic needs of most of the population to foster the public’s confidence in the institutions of the state

Coercion

the use of government force to guide citizen behavior and actions. Can be as small as a citation and small fine to as large as brute force and violence