Comparative Politics Chapter 8 Test- France

Key Word

Revolution

Characteristics of French Political History

1. Long History/ Sense of Nationhood- borders have not really changed, the people view themselves as a homogenous group, said group is a republic with clear class, ethnic and religious divisions

2. History of Centralization of Power- National gov is very unitary with a strong and large civil service

3. Stuggles with Maintainging a Stable Gov- over the past 200 years it has had 5 contitutions, 2 monarchs, 2 empires and a fascist puppet gov

Unitary State

System in which all important governing power is vested in a singular state entity

Causes of the French Revolution

1. Monarchy was enormously corrupt, in debt and ineffective

2. Nobles had enormous wealth but paid no taxes, aristocracy was overpowered

3. Need to reduce the power of the Catholic Church as a political participant

Jean- Jaques Rousseau

French philosopher who wrote the ‘Social Contract’ which advocated for equal representation and political participation from all citizens, called the philosopher of the revolution and the French people loved his book despite it being banned by the monarchy

Estates General

Rudimentary parliamentary system built of three estates that could be summoned by the King in order to fix issues

1. Aristocracy/ Nobility- got one vote and always voted with the king

2. Clergy- got one vote and always voted with the king

3. Commoners- wanted proportional representation but king disagreed

Tennis Court Oath

When the members of the 3rd estate along with some nobles and clergymen marched to a tennis court and declared themselves the new leaders of France

Jacobians

Radical, egalitarian, democratic debating forum who took power during the revolution, led by Maximillian Robespierre

Maximillian Robespierre

Leader of the Jacobins who became a highly dictatorial leader of the French people, very paranoid and ruled during the Reign of Terror, is eventually captured and killed by the French people

The Reign of Terror

Occurred during the summer of 1794 and resulted in over 20,000 deaths by execution, mostly nobles, the rich and other members hated by the revolutionaries

Napoleon Bonaparte

Corsican leader who took over France at the end of the Revolution by promising safety and stability, eventually crowns himself empower and begins the 1st Empire of France, gained lots of European territory until he was brutally defeated in Russia and was then dethroned and banished

Failures of the 1st Empire

Napoleon attempted to invade Russia in the coldest winter on record, all his men died and he was forced back losing all the land he had gained along the way

Monarchical Restoration

Short period after the rule of Napoleon where multiple different monarchs tried to come in and rule in a more moderate fashion but was eventually overthrown

2nd Republic of France

Came after the monarchal restoration was overthrown and was very short lived, ended when Napoleon III won the presidential election and crowned himself emperor

2nd Empire

Led by Napoleon III who led in a dictatorial fashion, he started the Franco Prussian war and after he lost he fled to England

Franco Prussian War

War between France and modern day Germany that only lasted 6 weeks, France lost badly because Prussia had made multiple military advancements, France was required to pay for the war and Prussia annexed Allsas and Lorain, once debt was paid off Germany refused to return the land to France leading to tensions that would eventually lead to WWI

3rd Republic

Lasted over 70 years, was a parliamentary gov but was very unstable and had over 80 different govs in 70 years, had proportional representation which led to the multiparty system that made the government unstable, the government system was cyclical with the PM picking a cabinet only for Parliament to overthrow it and elect a new PM and so on and so forth, ended with Hitler’s invasion

What causes unstable governments?

Proportional Representation leads to multiparty systems which lead to unstable coalition governments

Dreyfus Affair

When Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French officer on General Staff, was used as a scapegoat for France losing a battle was arrested and tried for conspiring with the Germans before being sentenced to life in prison, he was Jewish and his unfair arrest and trial was symptomatic of the rising Antisemitism across Europe, the French people were literally divided over wether or not they supported Dreyfus

Marshall Phillipe Petain

War hero of WWI who the French turned to when Hitler invaded, he surrendered to the Germans in hopes of ending the bloodshed since France was in no shape to fight, established the Vichy government in the southern agrarian parts of France

Vichy Government

The fascist puppet government, collaborated with Nazis by doing things such as turning over their Jewish populations, it is unsure if Petain was aware or if it was all done by his underlings

Charles de Gaulle

Only one to vote against submitting to Hitler, discredited Vichy and declared himself the representative of France to the Allied powers, leader of the French resistance and a great writer, was very politically involved in France post WWII even serving as President

4th Republic

Started post WWII and only lasted 12 years, was reminiscent of the 3rd republic with its weak central government and strong parliament, was heralded by the communist and socialists but hated by de Gaulle and his supporters, was eventually ended by IndoChiene and the Algerian Uprising

IndoChiene (IndoChina)

Former French colony in modern day Vietnam, France could not afford to keep it as a colony so they gave it the US which ultimately started the US involvement in the Vietnam War

Algerian Uprising

Former French colony of hundreds of years, Algeria wanted independence but France would not allow it due to the large French population living there, France had a huge and costly military in Algeria, the Algerians felt that if they were to be a colony then France should provide economic aid and prosperity to them, the French military began conspiring against the 4th Republic and the threat of civil war loomed, ended when de Gaulle came in and served as president and gave Algeria its indepedence

The 5th Republic

Started with de Gaulle and consists of a strong executive branch and a weak Parliament, is the current republic still working today

What happened in May of 1968?

Charles de Gaulle was reelected as president but France rejected his reforms and he retired from the office of President

Powers and Character of the President

Is independent from Parliament, only nationally elected official, serves as the head of state and owes their seat to the people not Parliament

Has a 5 year term (previously 7), controls foreign affairs and national defense, gives guidance to the PM on domestic affairs, can suspend the constitution in case of emergency and rule by decree, can call referendums on legislature when parliament is in a standstill, appoints the PM and can dissolve the National Assembly

Semi Presidential System

1. 2 different elections held for executive and legislative branches

2. Separation of powers between executive and legislative branches

3. There is a subdivision of power within the executive with both a President and a Prime Minister, one tends to domestic affairs and the other foreign ones

4. President appoints the PM and has power over the legislative body

This system nicely divides the domestic and foreign affairs while maintaining a strong executive but it can be known to have issues with cohabitation and stability

Parliamentary System compared to Semi- Presidential

Only has a prime minister and parliament so there is no real president, works well because it allows legislation to pass quickly and easily, puts minority groups at a disadvantage and has little separation of powers

Presidential System compared to Semi Presidential System

Both have two elections, one for executive and one for legislative and the president is independent of the legislative branch, there is also a chance for friction when opposing parties control the two separate branches

Powers and Character of the Prime Minister

Second most powerful figure in the executive branch, is selected from Parliament by the President

Builds a Cabinet called the “Council of Ministers”, focuses on domestic policy

Position serves as a stepping stone to presidency

Investiture

A majority vote of confidence from the National Assembly, the Prime Minister and their Cabinet must receive this in order to pass legislation

If they fail to obtain it the group must be reconfigured or new elections held

Cabinet

Members do not have to be a part of Parliament in order to be in the Cabinet, is led and selected by the Prime Minister who works closely with the president, ministers are heads of various different government departments

Incompatibility Clause

Created by de Gaulle and states that once a parliament member is selected to cabinet they cannot return to parliament if the government fails and they must wait for the next elections

Cohabitation

When the President and the National Assembly are from two different political parties, it is pretty common in modern times and has 2 outcomes:

1. The President and NA work together just fine

2. The PM and President have great friction and struggle to work together

When not in war the PM gains more power in these situations

Does the French President have veto powers

No, there is no veto power in France

Parliament

A bicameral body containing the National Assembly and the Senate

Senate

Has very little power, represents France’s regions, cities and rural areas, has a complicated system for elections

Was created by de Gaulle to keep a conservative body in the Parliament

They can only delay legislation not stop it completely

National Assembly

Comprised of over 500 deputies, most laws must go through them (unless the President and PM rule by decree), elections are held every five years unless the President dissolves the Assembly

The PM determines the agenda, they can force the NA to vote on a bill with no amendments and only the PM and cabinet can introduce tax bills

Constitutional Council

French version of Supreme Court, has the power of judicial review and works to ensure all legislation is in compliance with the constitution, legislation can be send for review immediately after passing

The Council of State

Part of the civil service, they review legislation prior to its introduction, while they only provide opinions they are usually respected and followed, a very prestigious position

The Economic and Social Council

Made up of 200 of so members who represent industries, labor unions, interest groups etc., gives input to the gov on how legislation will be reacted to, a corporatist structure

National Assembly Elections

follow a Single Member District System with 2 round of voting, anyone can be on first ballot and anyone who receives a majority automatically gets the seat, if there is no majority then the candidates who receive 12.5% of the votes make it onto the second ballot and whomever gets the plurality on the second vote wins the seat

Allows all parties to compete but results in cutting off the fringe parties

Some major parties will make pre-election agreements to help prevent splitting votes

Makes the system act like a two party system while still giving all parties a chance to be heard

Presidential Elections

Anyone can run, if one gets a majority first go around that candidate wins, if not then a second is held and the majority winner of that election wins the seat, in order to help prevent splitting votes parties have begun holding primaries

Political parties

6 main ones but France has hundreds

1. Communist Party (PC)

2. Socialist Party (PS)

3. Union for a Presidential Majority (PRP/UMP)

4. Union for French Democracy (UDF)

5. Green Parties

6. National Front (FN)

Quadrille Bi Polare

A term used to describe the political landscape of the early 5th republic in which there were 4 major parties with 2 existing on the leftist side and 2 existing on the right side, not as accurate in the modern day

Party Families

When major parties are made up of smaller groups with members to represent, often has high levels of factionalism

Communist Party (PC)

Strong supporters of the rights of workers, welfare programs, the nationalization if industries, aggressive taxes on the rich, pro Soviet Union and Soviet takeover

Against big business, anti American, anti NATO, anti Western, hated Gaullist ideas

Gained a lot of support post WWII due to the Communists efforts in the Resistance, but support fell with the Soviet Union and today they struggle to get votes

Farthest left party

Socialist Party (PS)

Supports working class and unions, accepted the new white collar elite and middle class, more moderate about big business, wanted progressive tax laws to promote social programs, a welfare state, introduced the 35 hour work week as a way to fix unemployment

Started small and grew after the fall of the PC, is now the only truly viable leftist party in France, success is attributed to Francois Mitterrand

Gaullism

Group that defines the ideas of the right, belief in a strong executive, strong international French image, strong national defense and an independent nuclear weapons program, heavy promotion of French language and culture

Dirigirsme

Practice of only supporting gov economic intervention if it supports French international prowess

Union for a Presidential Majority (RPR/UMP)

Founded in 1976 by Jacques Chirac, the original Gaullist party and the most conservative of the parties on the right

Supports low taxes, high tariffs, protectionist policies and is wary of the EU

Union for French Democracy (UDF)

Founded in 1974 and falls closer to the center right of the political scale, is very market oriented and represents middle class entrepreneurs, believes in free trade and less gov and state in economy, strong belief in personal rights

National Front (FN)

Founded by Jean Marie la Pen

Stands for anti immigration, anti European, anti Semitic and Neo Fascist beliefs

Very hated but is growing in popularity and votes, part of the reason why parties began holding primaries to avoid splitting votes

Now under control of Marie le Pen who has moved it more towards the center but not by very much, still the farthest ‘right’ party

Green Parties

Numerous and mostly centered around Paris, typically anti nuclear power

Political Legitimacy in France

Legitimacy by Results was effective for a long time since even though govs came and went the state remained unchanged, more recently people feel as though the state in incapable of fixing the issues

Very little procedural legitimacy considering the current republic has a very young and often changed constitution

French Cultural Expectations

Wants the state to enhance France’s position in the world as well as the equality of its citizens

Equality vs authority determines where a French person falls politically

very open to immigration but expects immigrants to assimilate to French culture but this has become an issue with the inflight of middle eastern immigrants

Women have a continuously growing position in politics aided by legislation that forces parties to list equal numbers of men and women on the ballots

Centralization of Power in the French State

Power is mostly centralized in Paris and politicians must follow laws that only allow them to hold two government positions at a time, one on a local level and another in Parliament

Bases of Conflict in France

1. Religion

2. Social class

3. Regional differences

4. Generational differences

5. Immigration

6. European integration

Religious Conflict

France has a very large Catholic population and the Church is very involved in politics, many leftists view it as a base for conservative power so attitudes towards church can be indicative of political beliefs

Modern day France is very secular

Social Class Conflicts

History of hostility between classes tracing back to the Industrial Revolution, political parties identify with the different classes

Regional Conflicts

France is made up of multiple different regions each having their own beliefs and opinions

Central and eastern France is typically more conservative, rural and religious

More industrial areas and areas affected by immigration tend to be more progressive

Regions like Basque and Corsica desire autonomy

Some areas oppose the Paris led centralization and aim to preserve French local language and culture

Generational Differences

Older generations want to secure peace through the EU because they fear the poverty and violence experiences during WWII

Younger generations do not like the traditional political parties and instead resent class conflicts and care about unemployment and environmental protection

Immigration

A newer and growing issue

Immigrants that used to come from Spain and Italy are now coming from middle eastern countries as well as Africa and Asia

French people worry that social spending is strained on immigrants who add to the unemployment crisis, also the belief in lacitie which effects Islamic practices much more than Christian ones

Laicite

Belief that religious behaviors should not exist in public

European Integration

Older generations view the EU as a good thing while younger ones oppose it

The French majority no longer agrees with the EU’s actions because they fear they weaken French international power

Censure

A vote of no confidence by the NA to force the government to resign

Interest Groups in France

Many groups that cover a wide number of topics, considered to be particular will and are thus not respected

They include unions, business organizations and professional asssociations

Unions in France

Not linked to profession so multiple can exist in one work place, may be non profitably linked to a political party

French Civil Service

Powerful and diverse, a hierarchical that is only accessible through specialized education at particular schools

Works with the ministers of various government departments

The State’s Role in French Economy

Was very limited during the 30 Glorious years following WWII but today many French people demand more from their state and trust in the system has declined

Thirty Glorious Years

Period post WWII of huge economic prosperity heralded by a much needed social welfare state

Francois Mitterrand

Brought up the PS after the fall of the PC

Only president to serve two 7 year terms in what is called the “Mitterrand Generation”

Jacques Chirac

Founder of the RPR/UMP party, served 2 terms as president, one 7 year term and one 5 year term,

Hollande

Leader of the Socialist party and elected president in 2012, produced policies that angered the left and led to a drop in socialist party support

Emmanuel Macron

Leader of the EM movement that aims to build a centrist platform, the current president of France

Nicholas Sarkozy

Gaullist party member who was president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted in 2021 for using illegal funds for his campaign in 2007 and in 2012