3 Political Culture and Participation

Civil Society

Civil Society - Based on ways citizens join together in groups and how govt. respond to voluntary associations

  • Associations (groups)

  • Voluntary

  • Autonomous from state

  • Civil society and governmental legitimacy are positively correlated

They can…

  • Be agents of democratization (help people participate in politics)

  • Monitor and lobby the government

  • Expose governmental wrongdoing

  • Represent the interests of members

Civil Society Types

  • religious

  • neighborhood

  • news media

  • business and professional

  • nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) - can provide a service, advocate for policy goal

    • Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Red Cross

Restrictions on NGOs and civil society

  • regime type

  • governmental limits - tends to highlight violations of civil liberties

    • registration

    • monitoring

Strength of civil society

China - WEAK

  • Strictly monitors civil society groups, coercive tactics and restrictions

  • CCP sees these groups as threats on their monopoly of power

  • monitors religious groups and funds churches, temples, mosques; aka not independent

Russia - WEAK

  • allows some groups to protest, but have criminalized organizations that protest without approval

  • NGOs must register, then are monitored by government

  • allows more independent membership in religious groups than China, but not Mormons or JWs

Iran - WEAK

  • laws against domestic terrorism and coercive tactics to restrict independent groups

    • used to suppress widespread protests after 2009 presidential election

  • religious control, accordance with Islam

    • Only recognized religious minorities are Zoroastrian, Jewish and Christian

    • Members of Bahaí faith are persecuted

  • jurist guardianship / velayat-e faqih - assembly of experts cannot contradict ayatollah; make government as just possible before 12th Iman comes

Nigeria - WEAK

  • Inadequate protection of religious groups from Boko Haram attacks

  • Cleavages due to ethnic and religious divisions

Mexico - GROWING

  • PRI dominant, corporatist party, incapable of helping after Mexico City's earthquake

  • Locla groups began helping housing and reconstruction efforts

  • Led to creation of PRD, won over PRI (but stole back through election fraud)

  • Started political reform effort in Mexico, now multi-party democracy

UK - strong; protection of civil liberties

  • headquarters to best known NGOs

  • Oxfam, Save the Children - poverty

  • Amnesty International - human rights and abolishment of death penalty

  • British Medical Association BMA - influence healthcare policy in UK

FRQ practice

Since 2000, the Russian Govt has undermined civil society groups

a) Describe 2 restrictions to civil society adopted after Putin became president in 2000

  • regulations on protests

  • requiring ngos to register

  • harassment or punishment of journalists, opposition leaders, protestors

  • control of independent media

b) Explain why the Russian government restricts civil society

  • to safeguard or maintain power

  • to minimize threats to the state

c) Describe one activity that indicates civil society has persisted despite these restrictions

  • continued protests or opposition groups

  • continued critical reporting by journalists

  • continued existence of opposition political parties

d) Explain why the Russian government continues to allow some civil society groups

  • promote internal or external legitimacy

  • act as a safety valve

  • encourage activities of pro-government civil society groups

Political Culture

Political culture - collective attitudes, values, and beliefs of the citizenry and the norms of behavior in the political system; sets expectations about the exercise of power

  • influenced geography, religious traditions, history; forming population's values and beliefs about the role of government, rights of the individual, extent + role of citizens in controlling government policymaking

  • transmitted through socialization, acquires beliefs, values, orientations; family, schools, peers, religious institutions, media, social environments

Nigeria

  • connected to British colonialism

  • diversity of ethno-religious groups still influences tensions

  • before 1960, colonialism also shaped the development of Nigeria economy → oil industry in the south

  • common law legal system and independent judiciary traced back to British colonial governments

  • social cleavages between Igbos (east), Hausa (north), Yoruba (west)

  • Religion Muslims (north), Christians and animists (middle belt)

  • Economic south oil, north agrarian

Iran

  • political culture of theocracy

  • Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist (Vilayat-e Faqih)

  • religious oversight of government ensures Iran as Islamic theocracy

  • urban-rural cleavage response to 2009 presidential election

    • urban supports relaxing gender disparity laws, rural wants restriction

Mexico

  • urban rural social cleavage

  • Zapatista uprising in 1990s

    • South - Chiapas, less affluent and indigeneous

    • protest government buildings to demand land rights and economic benefits

    • opposed NAFTA

UK

  • social class

    • class distinctions basis of division between House of Lords and House of Commons

    • upper elite favored Conservative Party, laborers in working class in Labour Party

    • economy has evolved more, so major social classes have become more diverse

  • shapes party preference, political particiaption rates, policy preference for Brexit

  • trade unions are less influential after Thatcherism, advocated privatization of nationalized industries

Urban-rural cleavages prominent in China, Russia, Iran, Mexico

China

  • Authoritarian regimes apply more pressures to socialize citizens around conforming beliefs

  • compulsory attendance at public schools

  • required curricula - Mao Zedong, not critical of Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution

  • Xi Jinping policy accomplishments

  • Re-education camps in XinJiang province for Muslim Uighurs

    • Boarding schools

    • learning Chinese language, obeying laws to avoid inolvement in terrorism (Uighur separatists)

Political Ideologies

Political Ideologies - set of values and beliefs about the goals of government, public policy, or politics

Types of political ideologies

  • Individualism - belief in individual civil liberties and freedom over governmental restrictions

  • Neoliberalism - limited governmental intervention in the economy and society; supports privatization, free trade, deregulation, and elimination of state subsidies

    • support privatization of government controlled industries

    • free trade to lower tariffs on imported goods

    • deregulation of governmental controls on business

    • elimination of state subsidies for industries

  • Communism - belief in abolition of private property, near total government control of economy

  • Socialism - belief in the reduction of income disparities and the naitonalization of major private industries

  • Fascism - extreme nationalist ideology, favors authoritarian rule, over ethnic minorities and opposition

  • Populism - political philosophy that supports the interests and rights of the common people over that of the elites

Political Values and Beliefs

Contrasting political ideologies - rule by law vs rule of law

Corruption

China

  • death penalty against corrupt government officials and business people

  • President Xi cements his power by punishing rivals

  • CCP uses Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission

  • Rush trials and death penalty

  • much more limited due process in China's courts

Russia

  • uses courts to prosecute rivals to Putin

  • Mikhail K. arrested for crimes related to tax evasion, sold his private company to Russia's government

  • High profile cases against business owners and investors who threaten to uncover corruption

Mexico

  • Obrador administration charged PEMEX, political ally of former president

  • But Nieto did not pursue criminal charges against ally

  • Mexico struggles upholding rule of law

Nigeria

  • President Buhari fired political ally and top civil servant appointee Babachir L.

  • Corruption allegations in Mexico and Nigeria and Russia contrast China

Rule by law

  • employ agents of political socialization to shape citizens’ political beliefs to support use of law and coercion to establish order

China

  • prohibit Uighur men to wear long beards and women veil faces

  • using tech to track Uighurs throughout country

  • prevent acts of terrorism related to Uighur separatists

Iran

  • 2009 presidential election, electoral fraud and widescale protests

  • government used violent force, killed and imprisoned protestors and opposition

  • restrict internet and monitor social media

Rule of law

  • UK, Mexico, China have more freedoms to speak out against government, hold accountable

  • citizens have more trust that elections can be used to oust corrupt officials

Social and economic equality

UK

  • UK privatized state-owned enterprises in 1980 - airlines, telecommunications, auto manufacturing, energy

  • Margaret Thatcher's Thatcherism

  • allow free market to make companies more cost effective and profitable while reducing state costs

  • still has healthcare, education system, public housing for poor (socialism)

China

  • Deng Xiaoping reduced government controls (after Mao)

  • transitioned to a more mixed economy, state-managed capitalism

    • Before, SOEs provided welfare → low wage job, security, housing and pensions, public education, healthcare

  • state-managed capitalism bc still controls major institutions: energy, auto making, airlines, telecommunications, steel

Iran

  • Role of charity to provide social services for the poor

  • Bonyads - direct govt revenues to charity

  • run by elite families in Iran

Post materialism

  • social valuing of self-expression and quality of life

Iran

  • homosexuality is a crime (death penalties)

  • but Iran subsidizes gender reassignment surgery

  • trans ok bc Islam has no laws that prohibits it

  • But no law that prohibits discrimination against trans

Russia

  • cannot have gay pride parades

  • trans ok, but no law that prohibits discrimination

UK

  • recognize gay marriage

  • England, Wales, Scotland ok, but Northern Ireland not until 2020

Cleavages

Bases of Cleavages

  • Social class

  • Ethnic

    • most divisive and explosive

  • Religious

    • closely intertwined with ethnicity

  • Regional

    • competition for jobs, money, development projects

Use of social and political cleavages to strengthen legitimacy and hold onto power

  • Separatist movements

    • China

    • Iran

    • Nigeria

    • Russia

    • UK

  • Groups demanding autonomy but not independence

    • Mexico

    • UK

  • Ethnicity large role in Nigeria than in Mexico

    • different colonial histories

    • greater diversity and politicization of identities

China

  • Majority Han ethnic, 55 minorities

    • Uighurs in NW, TIbetan in SW

  • Migration of peoples from less economically developed areas to more economically developed areas

    • Hukou system - housing, healthcare, education to internal immigrants

  • Sponsoring religious organizations

    • Tibet - Buddhist

    • Xijiang - Muslim Uighurs

    • sponsor buddhist and muslim associations that are supervised by government

    • brute repression of minorities who express opinions of separatism

  • Recognition - protect language rights and some regional autonomy, affirmative action with quotas to ensure access to education and employment

  • Repression - use of force and coercion to suppress separatist movements

  • Representation - selection process for the NPC's attempts to recruit members from regional and minority groups

Iran

  • Shiá muslim majority

  • Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism

  • Cleavages between Shia majority and Sunni

  • Ethnic minorities - Persian majority, Azerbaijanis and Kurds

  • Recognition - religious liberty for minorities, officially recognized

  • Repression - Bahai practitioners persecuted for heresy

  • Representation - guaranteed seats in national legislature for Jews and Zoroastrians

Mexico

  • Amerindian (indigenous) population, whites and mestizos

  • Regional division between north and south

  • Implement more poverty reduction policies for poorer peoples of southern Mexico

    • Zapatista 1994 uprising in Chiapas, accused government of neglecting rural areas

    • NAFTA north benefitted but south taken advantage of

    • Recognition - Mexico recognizes 60 indigenous languages

    • Repression - used military to respond to ethnic uprising in Chiapas

    • Representation - both chambers large

    • membership to represent, and federal government for different local policies

Nigeria

  • over 250 ethnic groups

    • Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo

  • regional/religous

    • North - muslim

    • South - christian and animist

  • 1999 constitution made federal government

    • allow sharia law in northern states

  • Economic prosperity

    • north - agrarian

    • south - oil, more affluent

  • Boko haram - kidnappings, 27k+ killed, 1.8 million displaced

  • Recognition - recognizes English as official language

  • Repression - use of military special forces to stop acts of terrorism by Boko Haram

  • Representation - increased number of states to prevent separatist movement

Russia

  • majority are ethnic Russians, Russian Orthodox

  • minorities: Chechens, Muslim

  • Fought wars in 1990s to prevent Chechen Muslim separatists

  • Used government funding to rebuild mosques, supervision of Sharia LAw

  • 300+ killed in bombings and terrorism connected to Caucasus region and ISIS

  • Recognition - over 185 ethnic groups

  • Repression - use military to respond to ethno-religious uprisings by Chechen separatists

  • Representation - changed legislative election to diminish local voices

United Kingdom

  • ethnic and regional differences

    • Scots, English, Welsh, Irish

    • Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland

    • racial tensions between whites and non-European minorities

  • policy responses to english-irish social cleavage

    • UK in 1998 Good Friday Agreement (Belfast Agreement) granted more regional power in Northern Ireland

    • ended Uk military presence, reduce violent political behavior

  • Recognition - government funding for some religious schools

  • Repression - force or coercion to suppress separatist movement by Catholics in Northern Ireland

  • Representation - allows election of local governing bodies for regional parliaments in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales