PSCI 2012: Comparative Politics Final

Prof Regina Bateson, Spring '26

Hypothesis

A quantifiable theory

Case

Elements/ situations that can be directly compared

Method of Agreement

very different cases with the same outcome

Method of Difference

very similar cases with different outcomes

Collective Action Problem

Individuals have private incentive to not collaborate with a group for a greater good

Free-riding

benefitting from other’s collective action efforts

Political Regime

essential form that all governments take

Government

institution controlling a state + everyone in it

Nation

group of people with a shared cultural + political identity

State

formal, internationally recognised country entity

Formal Institutions

encoded and officially enforced rules, regulations, and laws

Informal Institutions

implied norms and conventions, unwritten rules

Political Behaviour

actions, attitudes, and motivations of individuals/ groups regarding politics and government

Democracy

rulers are held accountable to the ruled

Liberal Democracy

Democracy that upholds human rights, free speech, etc

Illiberal Democracy

System with elections but limited civil rights

Competitive Authoritarianism

government with rigged or biased elections

Authoritarianism

Government strips rights from citizens and limits political dissent

Totalitarianism

Government forces a certain ideology on populous and is controlling

Oligarchy

a selectorate of elites choose the leader

Communism

Fascism

Selectorate

Plurality rule (first past the post)

Proportional representation

Democratic backsliding

Political identity

Political cleavage

Primordialism

Constructivism (regarding identity)

Race

Ethnicity

Secularization

Religious pluralism

Gender

Traditional gender gap

Modern gender gap

Wage gap

Private goods

Public goods

Social movement

Political opportunity structure

Interest group

Pluralism (as relates to interest groups)

Corporatism

Political party

Coalition government

Political violence

Civil war

Genocide

Terrorism

Economic development

Interventionist state

Market failure

The free market (or free market principles)

Economic liberalism

Command economy

State-led development

Social democracy

Welfare state

Progressive redistribution

Social insurance

Globalization

Political globalization

Economic globalization

Cultural globalization