Governing States Section 3

Governing States O National governments can be classified as democratic, autocratic, or anocratic. O A democracy is a country in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office. O An autocracy is a country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people. O An anocracy is a country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic, but rather a mix of the two.

National Scale: Regime Types O Democracies and autocracies differ in three essential elements: 1. Selection of Leaders O Democracies: Institutions and procedures=citizens can express effective preferences O Autocracies: Leaders=defined (usually hereditary) rules of succession from within the political elite. 2. Citizen Participation O Democracies: Institutionalized constraints on the exercise of power by the executive. O Autocracies: Citizens’ participation restricted or suppressed. 3. Checks and Balances: O Democracies: Guarantee civil liberties to all citizens. O Autocracies: No checks from legislative, judicial, or civil society institutions.

Forms of Government O Unitary – highly centralized government where the capital city serves as a focus of power. O Federal – a government where the state is organized into territories, which have control over government policies and funds.

Nigeria’s Federal Government – Allows states within the state to determine whether to have Shari’a Laws O Shari’a Laws O Legal systems based on traditional Islamic laws

The U.S. Federal Government – Allows states within the state to determine “moral” laws such as death penalty, access to alcohol, and concealed weapons. O Minnesota’s concealed weapons law O Requires the posting of signs such as this on buildings that do not allow concealed weapons.

Electoral Geography O Boundaries separating legislative districts within the U.S. and other countries are redrawn periodically to ensure each has about the same population. O 435 districts of the U.S. House of Representatives are redrawn every 10 years, following the Census Bureau’s release of the official population figures. O **Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefits the party in power is called gerrymandering.

O Gerrymandering takes three forms: 1. Wasted vote spreads opposition supporters across many districts but in the minority. 2. Excess vote concentrates opposition supported into a few districts. 3. Stacked vote links distant areas of like-minded voters through oddly shaped boundaries. O U.S. Supreme Court ruled gerrymandering illegal in 1985 but did not require dismantling of existing oddly shaped districts.

Cold War Competition and Alliances O Division of world into military alliances resulted from the emergence of two superpowers- U.S. and Soviet Union. O Military Cooperation in Europe O NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) O 16 democratic states, including the U.S., Canada, and 14 other European states. O Warsaw Pact O Military agreement among Communist Eastern European countries to defend each other in case of attack.

O NATO and Warsaw Pact were designed to maintain a bipolar balance of power in Europe. O NATO’s Objective: prevent the spread of communism by the Soviet Union. O Warsaw Pact Objective: Provide the Soviet Union a buffer of allied states between it and Germany to discourage a third German invasion of the Soviet Union in the 20 th century. O Disbanded once Europe was no longer dominated by military confrontation between two blocs.

Economic Alliances in Europe O European Union (EU) O Formed: 1958 O Members: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, & West Germany O Purpose: Heal Western Europe’s scars from WWII O Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) O Formed: 1949 O Members: 7 Eastern European Communist states from the Warsaw Pact plus Cuba, Mongolia, and Vietnam. O Purpose: Promote trade and sharing of natural resources

Supranationalism O Define: Method of decision-making in multi- national political communities, wherein power is transferred or delegated to an authority by governments of member states. O Example: European Union, NATO, Warsaw Pact, OPEC, Arab League.

Changes resulting from supranationalism. O Larger Markets-trade O Greater international competition(economy) O Open Borders O Common Currency O Common policies

Devolution – Movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state. What causes devolutionary movements? Ethnocultural forces Economic forces Spatial forces

Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements Eastern Europe -Devolutionary forces since the fall of communism

Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements Scotland -Rise in independence movement is coupled with: - European Union - Scotland’s oil resources

Economic Devolutionary Movements Catalonia, Spain Barcelona is the center of banking and commerce in Spain and the region is much wealthier than the rest of Spain.

Spatial Devolutionary Movements Honolulu, Hawai’i A history apart from the United States, and a desire to live apart in order to keep traditions alive.

Changes resulting for Devolution O Formations of new states an governments O More power to regions O Influence of religion O Political instability O Economic instability O Mass Migration

Case Study: North Korea O Is it democracy or autocracy?