PSC Concepts

Comparative Politics

The study of politics within countries, comparing political systems, institutions, and behavior to explain variation in political outcomes.

Politics

The struggle over power and authority in a group, determining who gets what, when, and how.

Power

The ability to influence others or impose one's will on a group or society.

Comparative Method

A method that compares countries or cases to identify patterns, explain differences, and test theories about politics.

Independent Variable (IV)

The causal factor that explains change or variation in an outcome.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The outcome or effect being explained.

Causal Relationship

A relationship where a change in one variable directly produces a change in another.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning that starts with observations or case studies and builds a general theory or hypothesis.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning that starts with a theory or hypothesis and tests it using evidence.

Correlation vs Causation

Correlation is an association between variables; causation means one variable directly causes the other.

Endogeneity

A problem where it is unclear whether a variable is a cause or an effect (chicken-and-egg problem).

Selection Bias

Choosing cases based on outcomes rather than causes, leading to misleading conclusions.

State

An organization that maintains a monopoly on the legitimate use of force over a defined territory.

Sovereignty

The ability of a state to act independently within its territory without external or internal rivals.

Regime

The fundamental rules and norms that govern how power is exercised and how freedom and equality are balanced.

Government

The leaders or officials who run the state at a given time.

Country

The combination of state, regime, government, and the people living under them.

Charles Tilly

Political historian who argued that "war made the state and the state made war."

War and State Formation

War forces rulers to tax, build bureaucracies, and centralize authority, strengthening the state.

Monopoly on Legitimate Violence

The state's exclusive right to use force to maintain order and enforce laws.

State Capacity

The ability of the state to implement policies, collect taxes, enforce laws, and provide services.

State Autonomy

The ability of the state to act independently from societal or international pressures.

Strong State

A state that can enforce laws, control territory, collect taxes, and provide public goods.

Weak State

A state that struggles to perform basic governing functions and lacks legitimacy or control.

Failed State

A state whose institutions have collapsed and no longer maintain authority or territorial control.

Fukuyama - State Strength vs State Scope

State strength refers to governing capacity; state scope refers to how much the state does.

Fragile States Index

A measure of state fragility based on political, economic, and social indicators.

Society

A broad human organization bound together by shared institutions and norms.

Ethnicity

A cultural identity based on shared language, religion, customs, or history; social, not inherently political.

Race

A socially constructed categorization based on perceived physical traits.

Ascription

The assignment of an identity at birth.

Nation

A group that desires political self-rule and sovereignty.

Nationalism

Pride in one's people and belief in a shared political destiny.

Benedict Anderson - Imagined Community

The idea that nations are socially constructed communities imagined by their members.

Citizenship

Legal membership in a state that grants rights and responsibilities.

Patriotism

Pride in and emotional attachment to the state.

Nation-State

A state that claims to represent one dominant nation.

State-Nation

A state that accommodates multiple identities within a shared political system.

Plurinationalism

Official recognition of multiple nations within one state.

Primordialism

The belief that identities are fixed, inherited, and deeply rooted.

Constructivism

The belief that identities are socially constructed and change over time.

Civic Nationalism

National identity based on shared political values and institutions rather than ethnicity.

Huntington - Clash of Civilizations

The theory that future global conflict will be driven by cultural and civilizational differences.

Civil Society

Organizations outside the state that represent citizen interests (e.g., NGOs, unions).

Political Parties (Civil Society?)

No — political parties compete for state power and are not civil society.

Collective Action Problem

The difficulty of getting individuals to work together for a shared goal.

Overcoming Collective Action

Possible through trust, institutions, leadership, and repeated interaction.

Robert Putnam

Argues that civil society builds trust, which strengthens democracy.

Social Capital

Trust and networks that enable cooperation within society.

Foley & Edwards - Two Types of Civil Society

Associational (community groups) vs activist (challenging power).

Political Attitudes

Views about the pace and method of political change.

Radical

Supports rapid, revolutionary change.

Liberal (Attitude)

Supports gradual, reformist change within existing institutions.

Conservative

Skeptical of change; values stability and continuity.

Reactionary

Seeks to restore past political or social institutions.