Political Science

The J-Curve

 Stability: ability to withstand shocks (political: rebellion, protest; non-political: earthquakes, economic crisis)  Openness: movement of ideas and things within (access to free press) and between countries (globalization)  Institutions: self-perpetuating societal structures valued for own sake (Constitution, baseball, education (political socialization))  Stickiness: holds country at point on J-curve; costs- benefits  Movement of point (policy) and shift of curve (underlying strengths of country)

I. Terms  State: political power exercised over a defined geographical area through public institutions  Population, territory, government, sovereignty  State vs. state  Nation: human community with shared culture and history  Government: collections of individuals who occupy political office or exercise state power  Regime: sets of rules and institutions that control access to, and exercise of, political power and that typically endure from government to government  E.g. Adams’ government gave way to Jefferson’s in compliance with the Constitution  Sovereignty: government has final say over what happens within its country  Limited by international law, WTO, NAFTA, IMF, etc.

II. Regime Types 1. Who has power: Democracy vs. Dictatorship  Liberal vs. illiberal democracy  Power from the people  liberal democracy  Direct vs. Representative (republic)  Substantive vs. procedural democracy  Power withheld from the people  authoritarian dictatorship: autocracy, monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, kleptocracy, theocracy  Strive for totalitarian control; militaristic; outward appearances of democracy (see J. Kirkpatrick)

2) Geographic Distribution  Where is power located: Unitary, confederate, federal  Britain  Articles of Confederation  Constitution  Unitary  State governments; Danville exists at convenience of Sacramento  Confederate  Independent, sovereign states in loose alliance  Key: cannot legislate over individuals  Federal  Overlapping division central (federal) and regional governments (State); separate and co-equal

3) Division of Power within Government  Legislative (makes laws); Executive (executes/carries out laws); Judicial (interprets laws)  Divisions not so clear cut: necessary overlap  Presidential: separate, independent, coequal, checks and balances  Parliamentary: executive members of legislature: chosen by, removable by, legislature  No confidence votes; coalition governments  Less likely to deadlock/fewer checks + balances

The Rise of the State  Nation-state’s comparative advantage in competition  dominance (esp. over feudalism; irony of Europe vs. China):  1) Competition for resources/power  investments in technology for weapons (+ science  trade/philosophy/culture  prestige/legitimacy)  2) Competition  encouraged economic development (laws, regs., infrastructure protecting private property + profit  social economic growth)  3) Trade + stability  homogenization (imagined community; see: McDonalds’)  ethnicity  nationalism  Spread primarily through coercion (imperialism)