IS 201 Mid Term
Monopoly of the legitimate use of violence
A core concept in political science, often attributed to Max Weber.
Refers to the state's exclusive right to use or authorize physical force within its borders.
Essential for maintaining order and enforcing laws.
Distinguishes the state from other organizations.
Hypothesis
A testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables.
It is an educated guess or a proposed explanation for a phenomenon.
Serves as the basis for empirical research.
Must be falsifiable through observation or experimentation.
First face of power
Focuses on observable conflict and decision-making.
Power is evident when A gets B to do something B would not otherwise do.
Often involves direct commands, coercion, or policy outcomes.
Behavioral power, easily identified through direct actions.
Countervailing institutions
Organizations or bodies designed to check and balance the power of the government.
Examples include opposition parties, independent media, courts, and civil society groups.
They prevent the abuse of power and ensure accountability.
Crucial for a healthy democracy.
Living off politics
Max Weber's concept describing politicians who derive their primary income and livelihood directly from political office.
This contrasts with "living for politics," where individuals are independently wealthy and pursue politics out of public service or ideological commitment.
Suggests a dependency on political positions for personal economic gain.
Can influence motivations and behavior in office.
Deduction
A logical approach where one starts with a general theory or hypothesis.
Moves to specific observations or empirical tests.
If the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.
Often used in quantitative research to test theories.
Sortition
The selection of political officials by random lottery.
A method used in ancient Athenian democracy to select juries and public office holders.
Aims to ensure impartiality and broad representation.
Contrasts with elections, which are based on popular vote.
itarian adaptations
Strategies employed by authoritarian regimes to maintain power and legitimacy without fully democratizing.
Can include limited reforms, co-optation of elites, controlled elections, or appeals to nationalism.
Aims to pre-empt dissent and manage internal pressures.
Often leads to hybrid regimes with democratic facades.
Man is by nature a political animal
A famous quote from Aristotle's Politics.
Suggests that humans are inherently social beings who naturally form political communities (the polis).
Believed that participation in politics is essential for human flourishing.
Underpins the idea that politics is a fundamental aspect of the human condition.
Democratization
The transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic one.
Involves establishing democratic institutions, civil liberties, and free and fair elections.
Can be a gradual or rapid process.
Often driven by internal pressures and external influences.
Democratic backsliding
The decay or erosion of democratic institutions, norms, and practices.
Different from a sudden coup; often a gradual process.
Can involve weakening of checks and balances, suppression of dissent, or electoral manipulation.
Leads to a decline in democratic quality, even if elections still occur.
Substantive theory of democracy
Focuses on the outcomes and goals of democracy, beyond just its procedures.
Emphasizes values like equality, social justice, human rights, and citizen participation.
Argues that a system is only truly democratic if it delivers these desired results.
Contrasts with minimal or procedural theories of democracy.
Grievance-fueled illiberalism
A form of illiberal politics driven by a sense of injustice, resentment, and perceived victimhood.
Exploits existing societal divisions and anxieties.
Often leads to calls for strong leadership, restrictions on civil liberties, and rejection of democratic norms.
Can contribute to democratic backsliding.
Politics and the English Language (Orwell)
An essay by George Orwell criticizing the misuse and decay of language in politics.
Argues that vague, pretentious, and misleading language is used to obscure truth and manipulate public opinion.
Advocates for clear, precise, and honest communication.
Connects the deterioration of language to the decline of political thought.
Effective democracy
A democracy that not only has democratic institutions but also functions well in practice.
Characterized by strong rule of law, robust civil society, accountability, and effective governance.
Delivers on its promises and meets the needs of its citizens.
Goes beyond mere procedural democracy to achieve substantive goals.
Democratic recession
A period characterized by a global decline in the number or quality of democracies.
Involves democratic backsliding in established democracies and a slowdown or reversal of democratization waves.
Often marked by the rise of authoritarianism and populism.
A concept used to describe trends observed in recent decades.
Modernization theory
A theory suggesting that economic development leads to certain social and political changes, including democratization.
Posits that industrialization, urbanization, education, and the rise of a middle class foster a demand for democracy.
Often criticized for being Eurocentric and deterministic.
Helped explain early waves of democratization.
Territorial peace
The idea that stable borders among states reduce the likelihood of interstate conflict.
Suggests that disputes over territory are a major cause of war.
When territorial claims are settled and recognized, states are more likely to coexist peacefully.
Related to concepts of sovereignty and international law.
Self-expression values
A dimension of values identified by Ronald Inglehart, associated with post-materialist societies.
Emphasize freedom of speech, participation, quality of life, environmental protection, and gender equality.
Contrast with survival values, which prioritize economic and physical security.
Are often seen as a prerequisite for stable democracy.
Rational-legal legitimacy
A type of political legitimacy based on a system of laws, rules, and procedures, often associated with bureaucracy.
Authority is vested in the office and the legal framework, not in the person holding the office.
Characteristic of modern states and democratic systems.
Coined by Max Weber, alongside traditional and charismatic legitimacy.
Democratic peace theory,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The assertion that democracies rarely, if ever, go to war with each other.
Attributed to shared norms, institutions, and mutual trust among democratic states.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
One of the most robust findings in international relations.
Still debated regarding its causes and scope.
Waves of democracy
Periods of significant increase in the number of democratic states globally, followed by periods of reversal.
Samuel P. Huntington identified three major waves in modern history.
Each wave has unique historical and geopolitical contexts.
Illustrates the cyclical nature of regime change.
Inglehart's supply & demand of democracy
Ronald Inglehart's theory that democracy emerges and stabilizes when there's both a "supply" (elite commitment, institutional strength) and "demand" (popular support, post-materialist values).
Suggests economic development and changing values create a societal
9kW` demand for democracy.
The "supply" side refers to the institutional opportunities provided by elites.
Emphasizes the interaction between cultural values and political institutions.
Empirical
Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.
Relies on data collected from the real world.
Essential for scientific inquiry and building evidence-based knowledge.
Research that tests hypotheses through systematic data collection.
Minimal theory of democracy
Defines democracy primarily by procedural aspects, particularly free and fair elections and competitive political parties.
Focuses on how decisions are made, not what outcomes they produce.
Often associated with scholars like Joseph Schumpeter and Robert Dahl.
Emphasizes accountability through electoral competition.
Explanatory research question
A type of research question that seeks to understand the causes or reasons behind a phenomenon.
Asks "why" or "how" something occurs.
Aims to identify causal relationships between variables.
Example: "Why do some democracies backslide more than others?"
Personalist regime
A type of authoritarian regime where power is concentrated in the hands of a single individual (the "personality").
Rules are often informal and tailored to the leader's whims, rather than institutionalized.
Succession is often unstable, depending on the leader's personal choices or demise.
Examples include many dictatorships and cults of personality.
A fortiori
A Latin phrase meaning "with stronger reason" or "all the more so."
Used in arguments where if one thing is true, then a related, more obvious thing must also be true.
Implies that a conclusion is even more certain given an existing established fact.
Example: "If a child can understand it, a fortiori an adult should."
Shooting an Elephant
An essay by George Orwell, reflecting on the nature of imperialism and perceived expectations.
Describes Orwell's experience as an imperial policeman in Burma, forced to shoot an elephant against his will.
Illustrates the psychological burden of empire on both the colonizer and the colonized.
Exposes the performative aspect of authority under a coercive system.
Decision-Making Power → Representative Democracy
Non-Decision-Making Power → Elite Democracy
Ideological Power → Illiberal Democracy,,
Decision-Making Power (First Face of Power)
Focuses on observable conflict and decision-making. Power is evident when A gets B to do something B would not otherwise do.
Often involves direct commands, coercion, or policy outcomes, representing a behavioral and easily identified form of power.
Representative Democracy
A system of government where citizens elect representatives to make policy decisions on their behalf.
These representatives are entrusted with the power to voice the concerns and interests of their constituents and are accountable through periodic elections.
Non-Decision-Making Power (Second Face of Power)
The power to set the agenda and prevent certain issues from being discussed or decided upon, effectively controlling the range of legitimate political debate.
This involves subtle manipulation of political processes or communication channels by powerful groups or elites to stifle potential challenges to existing power structures.
Elite Democracy
A model of democracy where a small group of well-informed, powerful, and/or wealthy individuals (elites) hold significant political influence and make crucial decisions.
Ordinary citizens' role is largely limited to selecting among competing elites in elections, rather than direct participation in policy-making or agenda-setting.
Ideological Power (Third Face of Power)
The ability to shape desires, perceptions, and beliefs through cultural norms, dominant ideologies, and the media, often without overt coercion.
This power operates subtly by influencing what people think is desirable, normal, or even possible, leading them to accept their situation or act in ways that serve the interests of the powerful, sometimes against their own objective interests.
Illiberal Democracy
A governing system where, despite the presence of multi-party elections, there are significant restrictions on civil liberties, political freedoms, and the rule of law.
Features often include a strong executive, limited independent media, suppressed opposition, and a lack of robust checks and balances, thereby undermining the substantive aspects of liberal democracy.