Comparative Politics Lecture — How & Why the United States Differs from Other Developed Democracies CH 1

These flashcards review the lecture’s key comparative-politics points: empirical contrasts between the U.S. and other wealthy democracies, evidence of higher inequality and smaller government, unique constitutional features, and the two principal explanations (diversity vs. institutions) offered for U.S. exceptionalism.

What three broad areas does the lecture use to illustrate how the U.S. differs from other developed democracies?

Inequality, size/scope of government, and constitutional (institutional) design.

In comparative studies, which countries are labeled “developed democracies”?

Wealthy, capitalist nations with high standards of living AND free-and-fair democratic institutions (e.g., U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, most of Western Europe, South Korea).

Among developed democracies, which country has by far the largest population?

The United States (over 330 million).

How does U.S. homicide rate compare with other rich democracies?

It is dramatically higher than every other wealthy democracy, making the U.S. an outlier upward.

What general pattern exists between national wealth and inequality among developed democracies—and how does the U.S. diverge?

Typically, as countries get wealthier, income inequality declines; in the U.S. it remains high or increases.

In the U.S., about how many times more income do the richest 10 % earn than the poorest 10 %?

Roughly 17 times more.

What percentage of U.S. national wealth is owned by the top 10 % of households?

About 80 % (four-fifths).

Define “intergenerational earnings elasticity” and describe the U.S. ranking.

It measures how strongly parents’ income predicts adult children’s income; the U.S. has the second-highest (low mobility).

Which two U.S. programs dominate public social spending figures?

Social Security and Medicare.

What is the principal reason other wealthy democracies spend more public money on social programs?

They use universal ‘social insurance’ models funded by higher taxes, treating benefits as entitlements for all citizens.

What is meant by “social insurance” in Sweden?

Government-run, tax-funded universal programs (health care, parental leave, child allowances, unemployment, pensions) that insure citizens against common economic risks.

Typical parental leave in Sweden grants what replacement rate of income?

About 80 % of regular income for 98 paid days (usable until child is age 8).

How many legally guaranteed paid vacation days do U.S. workers have by statute?

Zero – the U.S. is the only developed democracy with no statutory paid vacation requirement.

What is the approximate union-coverage rate in the U.S. versus countries like Sweden?

U.S. ≈ 10 %; Sweden and some Nordics ≈ 90 %.

How does U.S. child poverty compare with other developed democracies?

Highest rate among wealthy democracies.

What share of low-income U.S. students achieve top scores on the PISA test relative to peers in other rich countries?

Very low; the U.S. ranks near the bottom, indicating a large achievement gap.

Which sector (public or private) covers roughly half of U.S. health spending, and why is that misleading?

Public covers ~50 %, but most of that is Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and military programs; majority of working-age Americans rely on private sources.

Despite spending the most on health care, where does the U.S. rank in life expectancy among developed democracies?

Last (slightly below 80 years).

What two structural facts lower effective popular control in the U.S. Senate?

Equal state representation (2 senators per state) and the 60-vote cloture rule (filibuster).

Explain the 2013 Senate vote on universal background checks for guns and its significance.

55 senators (representing ~63 % of Americans) favored the bill, but it failed because it lacked 60 votes to end a filibuster, illustrating institutional veto points.

What percentage of introduced bills typically become law in the U.S. Congress?

Roughly 4 % (96 % fail).

List three constitutional design features that distinguish the U.S. from most other democracies.

Strong bicameralism, entrenched judicial review, and presidential (not parliamentary) system.

How many of the other developed democracies share all six core U.S. constitutional features?

None – most share only one or two.

Define ‘social capital’.

Networks and relationships of trust and reciprocal aid that make collective action easier.

Summarize the Diversity Theory’s explanation for U.S. exceptionalism.

High demographic diversity lowers social capital and social solidarity, making Americans less willing to pursue collective, government solutions—leading to higher inequality and smaller welfare state.

Summarize the Institutional Theory’s explanation for U.S. exceptionalism.

Complex veto-laden political institutions block majority action; repeated failure discourages collective strategies, so citizens resort to individual solutions, producing high inequality and limited government.

Provide one empirical fact supporting Diversity Theory.

The U.S. has no single ethnic group over ~16 % of the population, whereas many peers exceed 80–90 % majority ethnicity.

Provide one empirical fact supporting Institutional Theory.

Even large bipartisan majorities (e.g., 86 % for background checks) frequently fail to secure legislation due to Senate rules and multiple veto points.

What is ‘federalism’ and how can it impede collective solutions?

Division of authority across national, state, county, and city governments; 88,000 separate units can veto or ignore policies, fragmenting action (e.g., limited MARTA rail coverage).

Average voter turnout in U.S. presidential elections since 1945?

About 58 % (midterms ≈ 40 %), among the lowest in the developed world.

How many major political parties routinely win seats in the U.S. Congress?

Two; most peer democracies have four or more parties represented.

What is the ‘status-quo bias’ identified by Gilens & Page (2014)?

Institutional hurdles ensure that when the public wants no change it usually prevails, but when large majorities favor change they often still lose.

How does unionization relate to worker protections like dismissal rules and paid leave?

Higher union coverage correlates with stronger dismissal protections, higher wages, shorter work hours, and guaranteed leave—areas where the U.S. ranks lowest.

Which two developed democracies still allow capital punishment?

United States and Japan (though U.S. executions far exceed Japan’s).

What percentage of taxation (as % of GDP) does the U.S. collect relative to peers?

Roughly one-third of GDP, among the lowest of rich democracies.

Contrast ‘means-tested welfare’ with ‘universal social insurance’.

Means-tested targets only low-income recipients; universal insurance covers all citizens regardless of income, funded by broad taxes (European model).

Give an example of a universal benefit in Sweden discussed in the lecture.

Child allowance (~$127 per child per month until age 16).

Explain why Sweden’s high tax rates exist despite being a democracy.

Citizens vote for parties advocating extensive social insurance; taxes fund benefits they view as entitlements they've prepaid, not handouts.

What is the Human Development Index (HDI) and where does the U.S. rank?

UN composite of life expectancy, education, and income (0–1 scale); the U.S. sits in the mid-to-upper tier among developed democracies (≈0.95).

Describe the relationship between social expenditure (% of GDP) and poverty reduction across democracies.

Higher public social expenditure correlates with larger drops in market poverty; U.S. low spending produces modest poverty reduction (<40 %).

What share of U.S. adult population holds a college degree, and how does that compare internationally?

About 32 %, near the top among rich democracies.

Despite good universities, what key educational inequality persists in the U.S.?

Large achievement gaps between high- and low-income students (highest PISA literacy gap).

Identify one reason health outcomes vary greatly within the U.S.

Unequal access to health insurance; those lacking coverage have worse infant, maternal, and life-expectancy outcomes.

What U.S. geographic fact contributes to Americans’ limited international exposure?

Large landmass bordered by only two countries; a 500-mile trip from the U.S. center keeps you inside the country, unlike Europe.

Why do international students often find it easier than American students to describe “what America is like”?

They can compare the U.S. to at least one other country, highlighting differences Americans may not notice without comparison.

How many veto points commonly exist in the U.S. legislative process compared to typical parliamentary systems?

Dozens (committee chairs, chambers, filibuster, president, courts) versus one main hurdle—majority vote in parliament.

What is the approximate average annual unpaid volunteer hours per American?

About 44 hours, among the highest in developed democracies.

How does the volunteerism statistic challenge a simplistic reading of Diversity Theory?

Americans do cooperate extensively outside government, suggesting willingness to act collectively when institutional barriers are low.

Which two explanatory theories for U.S. distinctiveness does the lecture highlight?

Diversity Theory and Institutional Theory.