comp poli study guide

Inclusive Institutions

Political and economic systems that distribute power and opportunity broadly, protect property rights, allow free markets, and create wealth for society as a whole. Associated with wealthy nations.

Extractive Institutions

Political and economic systems that concentrate power and wealth at the top. Elites control resources and block competition to maintain dominance. Associated with poor nations.

The Nogales Example

The city of Nogales is split between the US and Mexico. Same geography, same climate, same cultural roots — but the American side is far wealthier. A&R use this to prove that institutions, not geography or culture, explain prosperity.

Creative Destruction

The process by which new industries, technologies, and businesses replace old ones (e.g. streaming killing Blockbuster). Elites in extractive systems block this because it would empower new groups and threaten their political dominance.

Why Elites Block Reform

Even when reform would grow the economy overall, elites in extractive systems resist it because widespread prosperity would create political rivals and undermine their grip on power. Self-interest beats social good.

Main Argument of A&R

Nations are wealthy or poor primarily because of their institutions — whether inclusive or extractive — not because of geography, culture, or colonial language.

Criticism of A&R (China)

China has achieved massive economic growth under institutions that appear largely extractive, challenging A&R's thesis. A&R respond that China's growth may be unsustainable without eventual political liberalization.

Liberal Democracy

A political system that combines free and fair elections (the democratic part) with the protection of individual rights and civil liberties (the liberal part). Both elements must be present.

Illiberal Democracy

A system where free elections exist but individual rights are being dismantled. Leaders use electoral legitimacy to attack courts, press, and opposition while claiming to represent 'the true people.' Example: Hungary under Orbán.

Undemocratic Liberalism

A system where rights are protected but ordinary people have no meaningful say in policy. Power sits with technocrats, judges, and experts insulated from voters. Example: The European Union.

Mounk's Three Causes (ESI)

The three causes of liberal democracy's decomposition: (1) Economic Stagnation, (2) Social Media, (3) Identity Politics.

Economic Stagnation (Mounk)

Since the 1980s/90s, middle class wages flatlined and class divides grew. People feel left behind by the system and lose faith in democratic institutions that promised them prosperity.

Social Media (Mounk)

Algorithms reward outrage, misinformation spreads faster than facts, and trust in institutions collapses. Destroys shared reality and makes democratic deliberation harder.

Identity Politics (Mounk)

Politics shifts from shared civic values to ethnic, cultural, or racial group loyalty, making compromise across groups nearly impossible and fracturing democratic coalitions.

Polyarchy

Dahl's term for real-world democracy — an approximation of the democratic ideal defined by political competition and broad participation. Not perfect democracy, but the closest we get in practice.

Contestation (Dahl)

One of Dahl's two dimensions. The degree of real political competition — can opposition parties compete, campaign, and win? Also called liberalization.

Inclusiveness (Dahl)

One of Dahl's two dimensions. The breadth of political participation — who gets to vote? A fully inclusive system allows all adults to participate regardless of class, race, religion, or gender.

Full Polyarchy

A system that scores HIGH on both contestation AND inclusiveness. Real political competition + broad participation = closest to actual democracy.

Competitive Oligarchy

High contestation, low inclusiveness. Real political competition exists but only among a narrow elite. Example: The US before women and Black Americans could vote.

Inclusive Hegemony

High inclusiveness, low contestation. Everyone can vote, but the ruling party always wins, controls media, and faces no real opposition. Looks democratic on the surface.

Dahl's Framework vs. Mounk's

Dahl measures formal institutional guarantees (elections, suffrage, competition). Mounk argues you can check all of Dahl's boxes and still be sliding into authoritarianism if democratic norms and culture are eroding.

Nation

A group of people with shared culture, language, ethnicity, history, and identity. Does not require a government or territory.

State

A sovereign political-legal entity with defined territory, a recognized government, and independence. The formal political unit in international relations.

Nation-State

When a nation and a state align — one people, one country. Examples: Japan, Iceland. Rare in practice.

Stateless Nation

A national group with a distinct identity but no sovereign state of their own. Classic example: The Kurdish people, spread across Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.

Multinational State

One state containing multiple distinct national groups. Examples: India, Canada, the former Soviet Union.

The Kurdish Example

Kurds have a distinct language, culture, and national identity but are divided across four countries with no state of their own. This makes them a stateless nation — not a failed state, not a nation-state.

Dahl + Mounk Connection

A country can score high on Dahl's polyarchy scale (elections held, suffrage broad) yet still exhibit Mounk's pathologies (illiberal democracy or undemocratic liberalism). Hungary is a clear example.

Institutions + Nation/State Connection

The type of institutions a state has (inclusive vs extractive per A&R) affects whether national groups like the Kurds can achieve self-determination or statehood.

Illiberal Democracy vs. Inclusive Hegemony

Both are dangerous forms — illiberal democracy erodes rights while keeping elections; inclusive hegemony keeps voting but eliminates real competition. They overlap but come from different frameworks.

For A&R Essays

inclusive institutions, extractive institutions, creative destruction, Nogales, elite resistance, political pluralism

For Mounk Essays

illiberal democracy, undemocratic liberalism, ESI (economic stagnation / social media / identity politics), Hungary, EU technocracy, decomposition of liberal democracy

For Dahl Essays

polyarchy, contestation, inclusiveness, competitive oligarchy, inclusive hegemony, formal institutional guarantees

For Nation/State Essays

nation, state, nation-state, stateless nation, multinational state, sovereignty, self-determination