Democracies and Dictatorships Exam 1

Bellicist theory

Conflict and war strengthen the state (given the right conditions. Political administration must be more centralized, states must be able to extract taxes, states must be able to mobilize the population (soldiers, crops, supplies, etc. during conflict)

Modernization theory

The theory that traces democracy to broad social changes and economic development

Civil liberties

Bill of Rights. Protection against government powers. Ex: Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, Right to privacy, right to due process

Monetary policy

Controlled by central bank, interest rates, adjusting money supply. Goal is to control inflation, unemployment, and economic stability

Fiscal policy

Controlled by government. Government spending, taxation. Goal is to manage economy with stimulating growth during recession or cooling it down during inflationary periods

Collective action

people working together to achieve a common goal that they probably couldn’t accomplish alone.

Origins of welfare state

Change in cultural theory, theories of industrial capitalism, mobilization and political action theory, International learning (diffusion) theories.

Procedural definition of democracy

Contested elections, multi-party. Chief executive must be elected directly or indirectly in popular elections. Legislature must be elected through popular elections. Peaceful alternation in power

Substantive definition of democracy 

Freedom of participation, social inclusion and civil society involvement. Freedom to vote, run for office, form political party. Due process. Power checks

Adam Smith economic theory 

Leave business owners alone, market will resolve itself, Let them make decisions about their own businesses

Amartya Sen economic theory

Development is the process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy. Freedoms enrich human life and promote other freedoms. Avoid deprivations (starvation, undernourishment, morbidity), Achieve literacy and numeracy, Political participation and uncensored speech.

Karl Marx economic theory

Capitalists create the state as an organization to maximize their profits during economic modernization (state enables the coercive exploitation of labor)

John Meynard Keynes economic theory

Markets are not self-correcting. If demand is too low → unemployment rises. If demand is too high → inflation rises. Government must step in.

Public goods 

a good or service that has two main features:

1. Non-excludable → People cannot be easily prevented from using it (even if they don’t pay).

2. Non-rivalrous → One person’s use doesn’t reduce availability for others.

Empirical argument

 facts, evidence, and observation.

Normative argument

values, opinions, or judgments about what should be

Purchasing power parity (PPP)

Adjustment made to income measures to account for differences in cost of living--especially between countries

Bureaucracy

A way of organizing institutions, structures, society. Setting  up structures with established, specific, complex rules, Everyone knows their role in this system

Impersonality

Attribute of states where institutions are less defined as the relationship to the individual leader. Does not depend as much on personal connections with that person. Leave it at the door. Interacting with the rules of the state just as everyone else does

Sovereignty

Territorial control. Modern states are seen as the ultimate authority in territory. No competition for that control and authority. Internal factors cannot threaten the bureaucracy.

Regime

 system of rule (long-term).

Government

people in office (short-term).

HDI

measures health, education, standard of living

HDI ranges from 0 to 1.

• 0.800 and above = Very High Human Development

• 0.700–0.799 = High

• 0.550–0.699 = Medium

• Below 0.550 = Low

HDI scoring

Hybrid/Illiberal Democracy

elections + some freedoms, but weak rule of law and unfair competition.

Not full democracy, not full dictatorship — “in-between” regime.