Comparative Politics and Political Systems

These flashcards cover key concepts, definitions, and major theoretical approaches in comparative politics and political systems, including behavioralism, systems theory, structural-functionalism, political economy, and political culture.

Comparative Politics

The study of similarities and differences between political phenomena in different countries or societies.

Zahadias

A scholar who defines comparative politics as the study of the external political conditions of countries, merging the methodological side with the thematic side.

Mahler

A scholar who defines comparative politics as a comparative study of political policies searching for similarities and differences between political phenomena, including institutions and behavior.

Traditional Approach

An approach that focuses on the study of formal state institutions such as governments, constitutions, and laws, often criticized for being descriptive, legalistic, and Eurocentric.

Behavioral School

A stage in political science that focuses on the political behavior of individuals and groups as a product of the external environment, relying on empirical observation and quantitative data.

Post-Behavioralism

A phase that reacted against behavioralism by re-emphasizing values and human goals, advocating for a multi-methodology approach that links political research to real-world social problems.

Political System (David Easton)

A set of interactions between individuals and groups within a specific environment that authoritatively distributes values (resources) to society through official institutions and authorities.

Inputs

The demands (services, security, justice) and support (taxes, obeying laws, loyalty) that the political system receives from its internal and external environments.

Outputs

The decisions and policies issued by the political system in response to inputs, such as new laws, economic plans, or military decisions.

Feedback Loop

The process through which the results of policies affect the nature and volume of new inputs by evaluating the impact of outputs on society.

Structural-Functional Approach (Gabriel Almond)

An approach suggesting that every political system contains structures that perform specialized roles and functions necessary for the system's survival and stability.

Political Socialization

The process of transmitting basic political values from one generation to another through institutions like the family, school, and media.

Interest Aggregation

The merging of the demands of individuals and groups into specific political programs, usually carried out by political parties and coalitions.

Interest Articulation

The process of presenting demands to the political system, performed by individuals, pressure groups, and unions.

Political Communication

The process of transferring political information within the system and between the system and its environment, serving as an essential element for interaction between inputs and outputs.

Rule-making

The output function of establishing rules and laws that govern society, typically performed by the parliament or legislative bodies.

Rule Application

The output function of implementing laws and decisions, carried out by the government and public administration.

Rule Adjudication

The output function of interpreting laws and resolving disputes, performed by courts and judicial bodies.

Political Economy Approach

An approach that links economy and politics, suggesting that economic relations and the distribution of resources determine the nature and behavior of the political system.

Marxist Analysis

A theoretical framework within political economy that views society as a base (economy) and a superstructure (political and legal system), where the superstructure reflects the interests of the economically dominant class.

Class Conflict

The conflict between social classes resulting from disparities in economic and political interests.

Corporatist Approach

An approach focusing on the relationship between the state and organized groups like unions and associations in the formulation of public policy.

State Corporatism

A type of corporatism where the state directs and controls the groups representing interests, often found in authoritarian systems.

Societal Corporatism

A type of corporatism where organized groups emerge freely and participate with the state in decision-making, common in consensual democracies.

Comparative Public Policy

The study and comparison of how different governments make, implement, and evaluate public policies to address societal issues.

Agenda Setting

The stage in public policy where issues requiring government intervention are identified, influenced by factors like public opinion and media.

Political Culture

The set of attitudes, beliefs, and values held by individuals that determine their behavior toward the political system and its institutions.

Parochial Political Culture

A state where political awareness is weak and there is limited interest in political affairs, often found in isolated traditional societies.

Subject Political Culture

A state where there is awareness of the political system but participation is low; the citizen receives decisions without participating in making them.

Participant Political Culture

A state with high political awareness and active, effective participation in the decision-making process, seen in mature democracies.

Ideal Political Culture

A mix of the three types of political culture that combines awareness, participation, discipline regarding institutions, and satisfaction with system performance.