Summary STV 1300 - Comparative Politics Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts and terminology from STV 1300 Comparative Politics lecture notes.

Dahl's view of democracy

A minimalist and continuous view classifying political regimes based on their institutions and procedures.

Contestation

The extent to which citizens can organize into competing blocs to press for desired policies.

Inclusion

Who gets to participate in the democratic process.

Polyarchy

A term used by Dahl to denote the systems with sufficient levels of contestation and inclusion.

Democracy-Dictatorship (DD) Measure

A classification system based on contested elections filling governmental offices.

Polity IV

Score calculated as the Democracy score minus the Autocracy score, indicating a continuum of democracy.

Freedom House Score

Measures the level of political and civil rights in a country along a continuum.

Monarchic dictatorships

Dictatorships where the leader typically comes from a royal family and relies on support from the royal elite.

Military dictatorships

Dictatorships ruled by a junta where power is held by military leaders.

Civilian dictatorships

Dictatorships lacking immediate institutional support, often relying on either dominant parties or personal command.

Collective action problem

An issue where individuals have little incentive to participate in actions benefiting the group.

Majoritarian electoral systems

Systems where candidates that receive the most votes win, often leading to single-party dominance.

Proportional electoral systems

Systems that aim to produce proportional outcomes, allowing for greater representation of small parties.

Single Transferable Vote (STV)

A preferential voting system in multimember districts where voters rank candidates.

State capacity

The ability of a state to achieve intended outcomes, including the provision of public services.

Urban revolutions

Revolutions characterized by a concentration of power, population, and communication systems in cities.

Tipping model

A concept describing how individual participation in protests can be influenced by the size of the protest.

Top-down democratic transitions

Transitions where authoritarian elites introduce liberal reforms leading to democracy.

Bicameralism

A legislative system consisting of two distinct chambers.

Constitutionalism

A commitment to being governed by a constitution that outlines rules and principles.

Veto player theory

An analysis of how institutional structures shape political outcomes through actors needed to change the status quo.

Political parties

Autonomous groups aiming to gain control over governmental power through elections.

Political participation

Activities by citizens to influence government decisions.

Electoral volatility

The degree to which political parties change positions and voter support between elections.