POLS6 Midterm 2 Study Guide

What are the different peaceful forms of mobilization through which citizens in democracies can make demands on the state?

Protests and social mobilization. Represent grievances, inform electorate, motivate voters, can impact/turn into political parties

How would you identify a democracy, an anocracy, and an autocracy in the Polity IV index?

Polity IV index identifies regime type by calculating a combined polity score that ranges from -10 (strongly autocratic) to +10 (strongly democratic) Democracies range from +6 to +10. Anocracies (mixed or hybrid regimes) range from -5 to +5. Autocracies range from -10 to -6.

With the help of examples describe what is the difference between open and closed authoritarian systems?

Open authoritarian systems (aka electoral authoritarianism) hold regular elections and have opposition parties, but the same party always wins. An example is Russia, with multiple parties, yet one party maintains power. Closed authoritarian systems repress political opposition and independent media. An example is North Korea.

What criterion is used for a country to be classified as a consolidated democracy?

Consolidated democracy: all significant political elites and their followers accept democracy as the legitimate way to govern. In order to be classified as it one party must win the founding election and another must win a different election and replace the first party.

What is a mixed electoral system, and how does it function?

Aka semiproportional representation, voters cast two votes: one for the representative and another for the party. They have higher voter turnout and better representation than plurality systems, and have more stable coalitions. Ex, Germany: any party over the 5% threshold can send representatives to parliament even if they don’t win individual district seats. Two types: compensatory (Germany) and non compensatory (Japan).

What role do protest movements play in a democratic society?

They represent grievances, inform the electorate, motivate voters, and encourage ideological mobilization and countermobilization. Highlight political demands that parties can incorporate and create political leaders parties can recruit.

How has communication technology impacted protest politics?

Phones and social media have led to more protests with higher participation. However, movements are now less durable. Can also lead to tactical freeze: organizations that create large scale movements quickly on social media don’t have experience changing tactics when needed so they keep using the same one. Ex: 2013 Egypt protesters brought down a dictator in 6 weeks but couldn’t shift the movement to engage in the subsequent electoral process, led to military regaining power.

Identify one institutional and one extra institutional form of political mobilization?

Political parties and interest/advocacy groups. Arise when institutional politics fail to represent demands.

What are two major factors contributing to the rise of right-wing populism?

Economic- decline of manufacturing in wealthy democracies and reduced job opportunities because of globalization: blaming immigrants + other countries for “taking” jobs

Cultural- traditional conservative parties have shifted their electoral appeals to cultural issues

Countries A and B have held regular elections over the past twenty years, however, the ruling parties in both places have been reelected to office during this period. In Country A, the Tiramisu Party has been in power, while in Country B, the Creme Brulé Party has done the same. Governments in both countries claim that they are a democracy, however, only one is. How would you verify their respective claims?

Evaluate if the elections are free and fair, opposition parties can fairly compete, civil liberties, independent media and judiciary

You are a dictator of the country of Santa Barbaria. You are concerned about maintaining control over the population. Your advisors assure you that public support remains strong. You are not so sure. How can you accurately assess levels of support and discontent without jeopardizing your authority?

Allow some political opposition to exist legally and compete in elections

Sushi Land is an ethnically diverse country with five distinct groups. What electoral system would you recommend for selecting a government, and why?

Closed list proportional representation- the five groups are all broadly represented in the legislature. Makes citizens feel like their views are being represented in government. Also encourages greater voter participation. Closed list PR is also associated with more women and minority candidates, lower inequality, and lower infant mortality. This will improve the wellbeing of all five groups.

You are considering investing a billion dollars in Brostan, an authoritarian country. Brostan guarantees easy repatriation of profits and gains on the investment. Drawing on what you have learnt about authoritarian regimes, what aspects of Brostan’s government should you evaluate before deciding whether to proceed with the investment?

Type of regime- one party regimes are highly institutionalized and developed which makes them more stable. Military and personalistic regimes more likely to collapse.

Electoral authoritarianism- some legal opposition makes the regime more legitimate and stable

The more stable the country is the more likely I will get a return on my investment

It is 2027, and your university administration has said that it can no longer support student aid programs, leaving food banks empty. How would you organize a campus-wide movement to restore administration support and rebuild food banks for students in need?

Create a club with a group of people I know well → we market the club on social media and promote it through flyers and word of mouth around campus to encourage others to join → create a list of demands for the university → organize protests and petition signing through social media and in person action (like tabling at the arbor) → gain traction, recognition, and widespread student support that consistently pressures the university until they give in and restore student aid programs

Essay

What conditions are said to explain the survival or sustenance of democracy in a country? Are consolidated democracies entirely protected from an authoritarian turn?

• Democracies more likely to survive in wealthier countries (high economic development)

• Institutional checks (the judiciary, legislature)

• No consolidated democracies aren’t entirely protected- also at risk of democratic backsliding

Essay

Why do some authoritarian regimes survive longer than others? What are key mechanisms through which authoritarian regimes exercise control over a population?

• Depends on type of regime (military vs one party vs personalist)

  • Personalist regimes don’t usually survive succession

  • If a regime doesn’t have legitimacy (through elections and some opposition) they’re less stable

  • Less institutionalized regimes are weaker

• Exercise control through repression: surveillance, propaganda, limited political participation, co-opting the opposition

Essay

With the help of examples, discuss what role do political parties and protest movements play in a democracy? Are these forms of mobilization completely independent, or can there be interdependence?

• Protest movements motivate voters, encourage mobilization, inform electorate, and represent grievances

  • Ex: Civil Rights Movement - led to increased representation and institutional reform

• Interdependence: protest movements shape political parties: highlight demands to focus on, produce leaders/activists

  • Movements can turn into political parties 

• Political parties seek to win elections and hold formal government power

  • Implement policies, ensure democratic accountability

Essay

Compare and contrast Plurality and Proportional Representation electoral systems. Make sure to discuss the scholarly challenges to the purported benefits attributed to each system.

• Plurality: most votes win

  • Don’t need a majority, “first-past-the-post” (FPTP) 

  • Pros: voters have a representative to hold accountable

  • Cons: many votes “wasted”, lower voter participation, over/under representation of particular parties 

• PR: representatives chosen nationally or in large electoral districts w/ multiple representatives for each

  • Open and closed list

  • National legislature/multiple districts divided on a proportional basis

  • Pros: more voices represented, lower inequality and infant mortality, higher female/minority candidates, less votes wasted, better informed voters, faster change in policy

  • Cons: voters don’t have individual representatives, small extremist parties may be able to gain inordinate power, hard to form coalitions, unstable coalitions

Essay

Consider two facts: According to democracy indices, a large majority of the world already lives in autocratic conditions. Humanity’s existence over centuries has been under autocratic conditions. Why, then, are we concerned about democratic backsliding?

• Less civil and individual freedoms

• State institutions aren’t neutral

• Opposition isn’t allowed to exist

• Less representation and choice in autocracy

Discuss the causes of two types of regime change—from democracy to autocracy and from autocracy to democracy.

• Democracy to autocracy:

  • Military coups 

  • Revolutions 

  • Autocratization: 

    • begins w/ democratic backsliding, undermine institutions, control media 

    • Polarization helps because it increases loyalty to specific candidates

• Autocracy to democracy:

  • Triggered by some particular event: natural disaster, economic crisis, civilian protests, death of personalist dictator

  • Democratization: triggered by economic development, collapse of military regimes, weak institutions in old regime, international context

Differentiate between open and closed PR systems?

Open: voters can vote for which candidates from a party win seats

Closed: parties determine candidate rankings, voters only choose between parties

What is the difference between compensatory and non-compensatory mixed electoral systems?

Compensatory: PR seats used to correct disproportional outcomes from district elections so each party’s seats approximate its share of the vote (ex. Germany)

Noncompensatory: PR seats don’t correct district results, individual districts and party list seats kept separate, less proportional (ex. Japan)

Why do individuals support political parties?

Parties represent their interests, values, or identities

Can provide patronage

Ideological, ethnic, religious, and/or regional ties

ex: India BJP attracts supporters via Hindu nationalist ideology

What is the role of political parties in a democracy?

Connect citizens to the state via organizing elections, recruiting leaders, and presenting policy choices

Mobilize voters, form governments, and hold ruling parties accountable via opposition, strong parties make democratic systems more stable

Political science tells us that voters are strategic actors. Drawing on your knowledge of plurality systems, point to why that may not always be the case.

Many voters still choose to support smaller parties due to ideology, identity, or protest motivations. Preference for emotional attachment/long-term beliefs may outweigh strategic calculations about winning.

Identify and define two forms of violent contentious politics.

Civil war: organized armed groups fight for control of state/territory; focus on political power. ex. Syrian Civil War

Genocide: deliberate attempt to destroy an ethnic, religious, or identity group, often with state involvement. ex. Rwandan Genocide

Compare the prospects of violent and nonviolent revolutions(movements directed at regime change).

Nonviolent: more successful, attract broader participation, harder for gov to suppress

Violent: less likely to be reversed, produce greater destruction/instability

ex. Tunisia’s nonviolent revolution during Arab Spring was more successful than Syria’s violent conflict

With the help of examples discuss what are institutions?

Formal and informal rules that structure political behavior and shape how power is exercised. Influence representation, accountability, and conflict resolution.

ex. Constitutions, electoral systems, courts, political parties.

Why do institutions matter in a democracy?

Organize participation, ensure accountability, regulate political competition, reduce conflict. Electoral systems shape representation, courts protect rights, and legislatures make policy strong.

Why do institutions matter in an autocracy?

Help maintain control, distribute resources, and manage elite competition. Institutional authoritarian systems are often more stable.

ex. China’s Communist Party provides organizational structure and elite management, leads to strengthened regime durability

Why do institutions sometimes fail in their promise to provide representation and voice in a democracy?

Powerful groups can dominate politics, minority voices are excluded, or electoral systems distort representation. Corruption, unequal resources, and weak accountability prevent effective citizen influence on policy.

ex. US gerrymandering leads to unequal political representation

What are military coups and how are they implicated in regime change?

When armed forces remove a government, usually claiming to restore order/stability. Major form of regime change, especially in weak/unstable states. Often happen when military withdraws support from rulers or institutions lose legitimacy.

ex. Egypt: military removed President Morsi in 2013, returned to authoritarian rule