Political Systems

The man behind Brexit

  • June 2016→ UK voted to leave the European Union

  • History: 6 nations joined to form the European Coal and Steel Community with the goal to integrate their economies and lessen extreme nationalism after WWI and WWII. Mission was free trade among its members. Over time, more nations joined and more political and economic integration was implemented.

  • States give up some of their own sovereignty to reap the benefits of the EU

  • Sovereignty: ability of state to act without internal or external influence

  • Vote to leave the EU was fueled by a reaction to the effects of globalization and the aftermath of the worldwide 2008-2009 economic crisis

  • Globalization: how trade and technology have made the world into a more connected and independent place

  • Goal of leaving was to retake power over domestic economic affairs and immigration policy and, more broadly, to protect the nation’s cultural identity.

  • Leave campaign headed by Dominic Cummings

  • Brexit Vote: UK leaves EU

States, Governments, Regimes, and Nations

  • State: consists of political institutions with international recognition that govern a population in a defined territory

    • Collects taxes and provides public goods

    • 4 characteristics

      • Government that makes legally binding decisions for the state

        • Bureaucracy: set of appointed officials and government workers who carry out policies

      • Must have a permanent population that is subject to government rule

      • Must have territory with defined borders

      • International recognition: formal step taken by a state to grant official status to another state and begin treating it as a member of the global community

  • Regimes: type of government, such as liberal democracy or authoritarian

  • Regime change: change in fundamental rules and system of government

    • May happen through revolution or coup d'etat

    • Mexico regime change from authoritarian state to one that was partially democratic without upheaval

  • Coup d'etat: overthrow of a regime based on widespread popular support

  • Nation: group of people who share a sense of belonging and often have a common language, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, political identity, or set of traditions or aspirations

  • Nationalism: when a group has a strong sense of identity and believes it has its own destiny

Democracy and Authoritarianism 

  • Rule of law is a cornerstone of democracy

  • Democratic states provide free and fair elections and protect civil rights and liberties, while elections in authoritarian states are not free and fair, and civil rights and liberties are not protected

  • Democratization is a process, and while some states become consolidated democracies, others backslide into authoritarianism

  • Liberal democracy: system with free and fair elections in which a wide array of civil rights and liberties is protected

  • Authoritarian state:  a system without free and fair elections in which civil rights and liberties are restricted

  • Totalitarian state: type of authoritarian government where the state controls nearly all aspects of citizens’ lives

  • Illiberal, flawed, or hybrid democracy: system in which elections may be marred by fraud and the state protects some civil rights and liberties but restricts others

  • Rule of law: clear set of rules where government officials are subject to the same laws and penalties as citizens

  • Rule by law: where the law is applied arbitrarily, and government officials are not subject to the same rules and penalties as citizens

  • Transparency: the ability of citizens to know what the government is doing

  • Democratization: The process of transitioning from an authoritarian to a democratic regime

  • Democratic consolidation: the process by which a regime has developed stable democratic institutions and significant protections of civil liberties and is unlikely to revert to authoritarianism 

  • Democratic backsliding: decline in the quality of democracy, including a decrease in citizen participation, rule of law, transparency, and accountability

  • Sources of power and authority include constitutions, elections, religion, popular support, and the military. Governments rely on more than one source of authority

  • External sovereignty means a state is able to defend its territory without overly relying on other states or international organizations

  • Internal sovereignty means a state has the sole authority to make an enforce laws and policies within a territory

  • Power: the ability to make someone do something they would not otherwise do

  • Authority:  the legitimate power a state has over people within its territory

  • Theocracy:  a system based on religious rule

  • Coercion: the use of force or the threat of force to get someone to do something they wouldn’t otherwise do

  • Sources of legitimacy include elections, a constitution, nationalism, tradition, religion, economic performance, and support from a dominant party

  • Three types of legitimacy: traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal. States may claim more than one type of legitimacy

  • Free and fair elections, political efficiency, peaceful transfer of power, and a strong economy strengthen stability

  • Legitimacy: citizens’ belief that the government has the right to rule

  • Political efficacy: citizen’s belief that his or her actions can impact the government

  • Traditional legitimacy: the right to rule based on society’s long-standing patterns and practices

  • Charismatic legitimacy: the right to rule based on personal virtue, heroism, or other extraordinary characteristics

  • Rational-legal legitimacy: the right to rule based on an accepted set of laws

  • In unitary systems, power is centralized in the national government, and although subnational governments may be given power, the national government can always take ita way

  • In federal systems, subnational governments have some protected powers that the national government cannot take away

  • Unitary systems devolve policymaking authority to subnational governments to make policymaking more efficient and to enable local officials to tailor policies to local needs

  • Unitary system: a political system in which the central government has sole constitutional sovereignty and power

  • Federal system: a political system in which a state’s power is legally and constitutionally divided among more than one level of government

  • Devolution:  granting of powers by the central government to regional governments