PS153 Exam 1 Flashcards

Minimalist Democracy

Focus on elections in which citizens delegate decision-making power to politicians and came to rule behavior patterns in all these areas and fair electoral contestation between two or more candidates or parties.

Maximalist Democracy

Focus on outcomes, with an emphasis on “liberal democracy”, guaranteeing civil rights. Focuses on the participatory parts of democracy and wants human rights protected and people to be equal before the law.

Spatial Model of Politics

Thinking about political decisions along one or multiple dimensions in a political space. Model can help us make collective decisions for society.

Principal Agent Relationships/Problems

The structural setup or the actual arrangement where one person or group (the principal) delegates authority, tasks, or decision-making power to another (the agent). Problem occurs in relationship when there are conflicting goals.

ex: Citizens elect a representative to govern to delegate authority. But politicians know more about government, and may prioritize their own self interest.

ex ante mechanisms

help principals learn about their agents before these agents are chosen

ex: screening through election campaigns

ex post mechanisms

used to learn about agents actions after they have occured

Prospective voting

voters select politicians on the basis of their policy promises

Retrospective Voting

voters sanction politicians on the basis of their performance

Congruence

Policy outcomes mirror the policy preferences of voters

Responsiveness

a political system (and its policy outcomes) responds to changes in policy preferences of voters

Modernization theory

Democracy can only take hold in countries that are sufficiently wealthy, urban, and educated. This is because citizens must have the time and the ability to understand and make informed political decisions.

Parliamentary systems

Multiple political parties, typically three or more, compete, and win seats, in parliamentary (legislative) elections. Governments (the executive) form after these elections to the national parliament (the legislature). The government formation process involves negotiations among parliamentary parties about who gets to serve in the government and what cabinet positions they fill. Parties can form coalitions and typically the prime minister/executive comes from the largest party.

semi presidential systems

A democratic regime type with a popularly elected president with a fixed term who exists alongside a prime minister and cabinet who are responsible to a legislative majority in parliament.

ex: France

Liberal Democracy

A democratic system of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law.

Median Voter Theorem

Candidates and Parties will adopt the policy preferences of the median voter or the person sitting right at the middle, in order for the candidate to choose a platform that would capture the most amount of voters.

EU Goals

1. avoid another war in Europe

2. foster economic reconstruction

3. integrate germany into european framework

Treaty of Paris (1951/2)

Member state governments gave significant powers to a supranational organization, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). ECSC comprised of France, Germany, Italy, and BeNeLux. This pulled down tariffs and allowed for the production of coal and steel between countries.

Maastricht Treaty (1992) or Treaty on European Union

Treaty that established the European Union. Created the roadmap for an economic and monetary union (EMU), change of decision-making procedures, including more powers for European Parliament, and introduction of elements of a political union that Established the European Union.

European Commission

An EU institution with the mandate of protecting the general interest of the EU by proposing and enforcing legislation as well as by implementing policies and the EU budget. It is the only European institution that can propose legislation.

European Comission