POL 204 MIDTERM

How does comparative politics differ from international relations?

• Comparative Politics (CP): The study of the domestic politics of countries

• International Relations (IR): The study of interactions between countries

Why is “falsification” important to scientific inquiry?

• It ensures that hypotheses and theories can be tested and potentially disproven, which drives progress by distinguishing credible, evidence-based ideas from unsupported claims.

What is an independent and dependent variable?

• Independent variable: The one intentionally changed or controlled by the researcher. It is the presumed cause.

• Dependent variable: The factor that is measured and changes in response to the independent variable. It is the observed effect

What is a “tautology”?

• A statement that by definition is true

What is an “endogeneity”?

• Technical meaning – Endogeneity is correlation between explanatory variable and error term

• Less technical meaning – The explanatory variable is caused by the outcome, or the explanatory variable is correlated with an unobserved variable

What is the best research design for overcoming endogeneity concerns?  Why?

• The best research design for overcoming endogeneity concerns is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) because it eliminates selection bias and ensures that the treatment effect is isolated by randomly assigning subjects to treatment and control groups

Why is it difficult to study political science questions without encountering endogeneity problems?

• Problem: Cannot randomly assign democracy or development in a national laboratory

What is a regime, nation, government, state? I may name different entities and ask to identify whether the entity is a regime, nation, government, or state.

• State – Entity that uses coercion; the threat of force to rule territory

• Government – The people who run the country

• Regime – The rules, norms, or institutions that determine how the government is constituted

Explain the concepts of measurement validity and reliability? Which of our measures of democracy are more reliable? Which are more valid?

• Measurement validity refers to how well a tool measures what it is intended to measure

• Reliability refers to the consistency of the measurement over time or across conditions

• In measures of democracy, indices like Polity IV are often considered more reliable due to their consistent coding rules, while Freedom House scores are often seen as more valid because they capture a broader range of democratic principles.

What are the two defining criteria of a modern state?

• Sovereignty (supreme authority over a defined territory)

• Impersonal bureaucratic institutions (rule-based governance separate from individual rulers)

How do modern states differ from premodern states?

• Modern states differ from premodern states in that they centralize authority, maintain a monopoly on violence, and rely on impersonal bureaucracies, whereas premodern states often had fragmented power, personalized rule, and weaker administrative control.

Explain the predatory view of state formation.

• The predatory view of state formation argues that states emerged as rulers extracted resources from populations to fund wars and consolidate power

Explain the social contract view of state formation

• The social contract view of state formation posits that states formed through a mutual agreement between rulers and citizens

Explain how newspapers may have facilitated rise of modern states

• Newspapers facilitated the rise of modern states by fostering a shared national identity, disseminating information, and enabling centralized communication between governments and citizens.

According to the predatory view, why did modern states emerge in the Europe in the 1500-1900s?

• According to the predatory view, modern states emerged in Europe between 1500-1900 due to intense military competition, which forced rulers to build efficient tax systems, bureaucracies, and centralized institutions to fund and sustain warfare.

What are two components of a country’s political system we assess to determine whether a country is a democracy or not?

• Free and fair elections

• Multiple parties.

What are the different ways of measuring democracy and autocracy? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

• Binary measures (e.g., Democracy-Dictatorship Index): Simple and clear but may oversimplify nuances.

• Scalar measures (e.g., Polity IV, Freedom House): Provide gradations of democracy/autocracy but can be subjective and rely on contested criteria.

• Component-based measures (e.g., V-Dem): Offer detailed, multidimensional assessments but are complex and data-intensive.

Identify the level of democracy for the different countries we have discussed [Israel, Brazil, China, -Japan, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Russia]

• CHINA

  •Democracy Revisited: Coded Autocratic since 1951

  •Freedom House: Varies between 1 and 2 (Inverted)

  •Polity: Consistently ranking -7

• RUSSIA

  •Democracy Revisited : Coded Autocratic since 1991

  •Freedom House: Varies between 4.5 and 1.5 (Inverted)

  •Polity: Between 3 and 6… close to the US in 2018

• VENEZUELA

  •Democracy Revisited : Coded Democratic (until last measure at 2008)

  •Freedom House: Dropped below 5 after Chavez because president in 1999

  •Polity: Dropped in 1999 as well, but more dramatically in 2009

What are the differences between the survival and modernization theory?

• Survival theory: Focuses on how democracies persist once established, emphasizing institutions, elite behavior, and economic stability.

• Modernization theory: Argues that economic development (e.g., industrialization, education) creates social and cultural conditions conducive to democracy.

What are two cultural arguments explaining the emergence democracy?

• Protestantism: Emphasizes individualism and egalitarianism, fostering democratic values.

• Civic culture: A culture of trust, participation, and tolerance supports stable democratic institutions.

What are two economic arguments explaining the emergence of democracy?

• Economic development: Higher income levels and education create a middle class that demands political participation.

• Inequality reduction: Lower economic inequality reduces elite resistance to democratization and fosters inclusive institutions.