Review of Political Goods and Representation

Public Goods

• Definition: Goods that are not excludable and non-rivalrous. People cannot be effectively excluded from using them, and one person's use does not diminish another's use.
• Example: A public park with no entry fee.

Shared Appreciation Loan Program in California

• Description: A program providing financial aid to first-time homeowners for down payments. The loan must be repaid when the property is sold or transferred.
• Distribution Mechanism: Based on a lottery system due to limited annual funds.
• Type of Good: Common or public good due to its societal impact and lottery-based allocation.

Tragedy of the Commons

• Definition: A situation in which individual users act according to their own self-interest and deplete a shared resource, causing it to become unavailable or degraded.
• Example: Lower quality public grazing land in the UK due to overuse by individual cattle owners, illustrating overgrazing and resource depletion.

Theories of Ethnicity and Conflict

• Arusha Process: A failed attempt at power-sharing in Rwanda that escalated ethnic tensions between the Hutus and Tutsis, showcasing how political structures can exacerbate ethnic conflict.
• Types of Theoretical Lenses:
  • Primordialism: Views ethnic identities as ancient, unchangeable ties that have been present since time immemorial.
  • Instrumentalism: Focuses on how ethnic identities are manipulated by elites to achieve political goals.
  • Constructivism: Considers ethnic identities as socially constructed, changing over time and context.

Electoral Violence and Democratic Consolidation

• Ghana's 2016 Elections: The peaceful acceptance of election results by the incumbent signifies a consolidated democracy where trust in institutions is strong.
• Electoral Violence Context: Typically found in unconsolidated democracies; problems may arise from weak institutions and lack of political stability.
• Percentage of Elections with Violence: Approximately 10-20%, showing that certain elections have a higher incidence of violence.

Causes and Effects in Political Movements

• Revolution Participation Reasons:
  • Payoff: People expect benefits from participating, such as freedom or democracy.
  • Opportunity: Structural access to political engagement facilitates participation.
  • Framing: The ability to communicate the goals of the movement clearly influences mobilization.

Nonviolent Movements and Violence

• Chenoweth's Theory: Having a violent faction can increase the success of nonviolent movements, potentially attracting more support by framing issues differently.

Triggers of Conflict and Historical Events

• WWI Causes: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered a chain reaction due to alliance systems, which create immediate military commitments and responses.
  • Triggering Cause: Exists when one event leads directly to another, exacerbated here by pre-existing political alliances.

Egyptian Revolution (2011)

• Demands of Tahrir Square Protesters: Primarily called for the fall of the Mubarak regime and an end to military rule.
• Key Traits for Overthrowing a Government: A military that reflects the general populace increases the likelihood of successful revolutions.

Types of Representation

• Different Types:
  • Substantive Representation: The representative actively advocates for the interests of a specific group.
  • Descriptive Representation: The representative resembles the demographics of the group they represent.
  • Symbolic Representation: The representative holds a position that signifies the rights or interests of a group, irrespective of direct advocacy.

Insights on Women's Representation in Africa

• Descriptive Representation Outcomes: Findings suggest that simply having female representatives does not always lead to significant improvements in women's rights and participation in politics.
• Conclusion: Women's representation can lead to improvements in women's rights or political participation, but the impact varies significantly based on context.