Unit 1 Comparing Political Systems: Institutions, Legitimacy, and Change

State

An enduring political entity with borders and a population that claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within its territory.

Regime

The “rules of the game” that determine how leaders are chosen, what limits exist on power, and how the state relates to citizens (e.g., democratic or authoritarian rules).

Government

The current leadership and institutions administering the state at a given time; changes more frequently than regimes.

Parliamentary System

A system in which executive and legislative power are fused; the executive (prime minister and cabinet) emerges from the legislature and depends on its confidence.

Presidential System

A system in which the executive is separately elected from the legislature for a fixed term; executive survival is institutionally separate from legislative confidence.

Unitary State

A territorial arrangement where sovereignty is constitutionally concentrated in the central government, even if some powers are decentralized or devolved.

Federal State

A territorial arrangement where power is constitutionally divided between a national government and subnational units (states/regions).

Devolution

The transfer of certain governing powers from a central government to regional bodies while the state remains constitutionally unitary (e.g., UK to Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland).

Bicameral Legislature

A legislature with two chambers (e.g., UK House of Commons and House of Lords; Russia’s Duma and Federation Council; Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies and Senate).

Judicial Independence

The extent to which courts can make decisions and constrain political leaders without political interference; courts may exist without being independent.

Rule of Law

The principle that laws are applied consistently and constrain both citizens and leaders; often linked to effective, impartial courts and enforcement.

Party Discipline

The tendency of political parties (especially in parliamentary systems) to ensure members vote with the party line, helping executives pass legislation when they hold a majority.

Single-Party Authoritarian System

A regime where one party dominates political life and controls key appointments and policy direction (e.g., China under the CCP).

Performance Legitimacy

Legitimacy based on delivering outcomes such as economic growth, stability, or public goods rather than on competitive elections (often used to analyze China).

Hybrid Regime (Mixed Institutions)

A system combining democratic-looking institutions (elections) with strong nondemocratic controls (veto bodies, candidate restrictions), as in Iran’s elected offices plus clerical oversight.

Gatekeeping (Candidate Vetting)

Institutional filtering of who is allowed to run for office, limiting meaningful competition even when elections occur (e.g., Iran’s Guardian Council vetting).

Sovereignty

A state’s ultimate authority within its borders and independence from external control; varies in practice depending on enforcement capacity.

Internal Sovereignty

The state’s effective control over territory and population (ability to enforce laws, collect taxes, and maintain security).

External Sovereignty

Recognition by other states and the capacity to conduct foreign relations without being dictated to by outsiders.

Authority

Power viewed as legitimate—the accepted right of leaders or institutions to make and enforce rules.

Legal-Rational Legitimacy

Authority justified by laws, constitutions, elections, and formal procedures (e.g., UK’s electoral-parliamentary procedures).

Traditional Legitimacy

Authority justified by longstanding customs and historical practices (e.g., symbolic legitimacy associated with monarchies).

Religious Legitimacy

Authority justified by religious doctrine or clerical leadership; central to Iran’s theocratic oversight institutions.

Power

The capacity to produce outcomes—even amid resistance—through coercion, resources, institutions, or information; unlike authority, it does not require legitimacy.

State Capacity

What the state can actually do in practice (implement policy, enforce law, provide security); may be uneven even in democracies, affecting governance outcomes.