2. Mr. Currie SO 408 AP Comparative Government and Politics

3.  Essentially, we try to answer the following:  Who rules?  Who benefits? ▪ Who does the government serve?

4.  Who is in power?  Who has influence on government decision making?  Who benefits from the decisions made?  The “comparative” part  Where do particular political phenomena occur? and  Why do they occur where they do and how they do?

5.  1. Ideas that are behind it.  ideologies  2. How society & politics are organized and who is allowed to participate and how does participation take place.  Pluralism & elitism  3. Specific regime types  Institutions and the basis of authority  Democracy, theocracy, authoritarianism, totalitarianism

6.  Who Governs?  A simple typology  autocracy ▪ (single individual/family)  oligarchy ▪ (small group)  democracy ▪ (wide participation)

7. WHOBENEFITS? DISTRIBUTIONOnly the PowerfulEveryone in society OFonetyrannykingship POWERfewoligarchyaristocracy manydemocracypolity

8. TYPE OF SYSTEM DISTRIBUTION OF POWER SCOPE OF POWER TYPICAL EXAMPLES Authoritarian Concentrated in hands of political elite Mainly politicalMilitary dictatorships, monarchies TotalitarianConcentrated in hands of political elite Total society (most aspects of society) Ideological regimes (communist, etc.) DemocraticWidely dispersed among people and groups of society Varies, but usually limits placed on what majority can do Liberal democracies

9.  Political scientists often use the term “regime” when they distinguish one form of government from another  A “regime” is a set of fundamental rules and institutions that govern political activity.  These endure from government to government ▪ The “Bush Administration” and the “Obama Administration” are part of the same American democratic regime. ▪ As is Cameron’s Conservative and Blair’s Labour in the UK.

11.  Individuals are free and autonomous with natural rights  Social contract theory: legitimate governments form when free & independent individuals join in a contract to permit representatives to govern over them.  Government must preserve the core liberties – life, liberty, and property – possessed by all free individuals.

12.  Representative democracy: citizens have direct control, and leaders can be removed.  Legislature is essential.  Separation of powers, federalism, and social citizenship supplement, but are not essential to, legitimate government.

13.  Provides 8 key guarantees: freedom of association, freedom of expression, the right to vote, broad citizen eligibility for public office, the right of political leaders to compete for support, alternative sources of information, free and fair elections, and institutions that make government policies depend on votes and other forms of citizen preferences.

17.  Democratic  Authoritarian  Totalitarian  Sultanic

20.  Ruled by an elite group that uses repressive means to stay in power.  The state will generally ignore the actions of an individual unless it is perceived to be a direct challenge to the state.

21.  The state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior.

22.  All individuals, groups and institutions are permanently subject to the unpredictable and despotic intervention of the sultan.

23.  Rule is by divine inspiration or divine right.  God is sovereign, not the people.  Islamist version:  Islamism: Islamic law, as revealed by God to the Prophet Mohammed, can and should provide the basis for government in Muslim communities.  Sharia: Muslim law should be the law of society for all Muslims.

24.  Autocracy: means one-person rule  One individual exercises supreme governing authority  Acknowledged as the maximum leader by the country’s dominant cliques or groups  Ultimate decision maker ▪ Hitler, Stalin, Mao  Sultanistic: term coined by Max Weber with reference to the sultans of the Ottoman Empire  Exercise highly concentrated personal power  Appoint trusted family members and cronies ▪ e.g., Saddam Hussein

25.  Oligarchy: rule by a few  Ruling elite  Compromise within or among people  Oligarchy of the Politburo, Secretariat and Council of Ministers of the USSR

26.  Most political systems in the history of the world have probably been authoritarian.  One-party states (China, Cuba, PRK)  Often communist but not always  Military governments (Nigeria, Argentina)  Absolute monarchies (Saudi Arabia)  Personal dictatorships (Iraq & Sadaam)

27.  Power (or authority) is highly concentrated in a single individual, a small group of people, a single political party, or institution.  Those with power claim an exclusive right to govern and use various means, including force, to impose their will and policies on all who live under their authority.

28.  Lack of effective procedures for selecting political leaders through competitive elections based on universal suffrage  No institutional procedures for holding those with political power accountable to the citizens  No legal means to remove rulers from power

29.  Oppositional politics and dissent are severely restricted  No public opposition is tolerated  People of different genders, racial groups, religions, and ethnicities do not enjoy equal rights

30.  The judiciary is not an independent branch of government capable of checking the power of the state or protecting the rights of citizens.  Generally allow people to go about their religious, social, business, and recreational activities relatively undisturbed  Elite satisfied with political control

31.  A typical authoritarian elite is more dependent on coercion and utilitarian power  “Carrots and sticks”  Rewards and punishments

32.  “Court Politics” – politics revolving heavily around one person  Less emphasis on the rule of law and more on the arbitrary whim of the ruler  Heavy competition by all other figures for access to the leader  Unusual importance of even apparently non-political figures who necessarily have access to the leader by virtue of their other roles in the leaders life  Flattery, and attempts to shield the leader from unpleasant reality

33.  Not based on a single, consciously elaborated ideology, but rather on an appeal to a common set of precepts.  Claim to legitimacy: Government will modernize or “develop” the country.  Modernization theory: Post-colonial societies must go through the same process to develop as the West did.  Modern elite: Relatively few highly educated people should have power.

34.  Claim to legitimacy: Government will modernize or “develop” the country.  Technocratic legitimacy: Claim to rule based on knowledge.  Development requires national unity.  Three institutional forms  One-party regimes  Military regimes  Personalist regimes

35.  Neopatrimonial authority is common.  Combines trappings of modern, bureaucratic states with underlying informal institutions.  Constitutions, laws, courts, and bureaucracies exist, but they really work on the basis of personal favors and patronage.  Patron-client relationships are central: Rulers maintain power by distributing patronage; this is more important than formal powers.  Politics involves competition among patrons for access to state’s resources.

36.  Legitimacy is based on a combination of liberal democratic and modernizing authoritarian ideologies.  Allows limited freedoms of expression and association.  Allows limited political opposition to hold some elected offices but ensures ruling party/leader holds most power.

37.  Informal institutions are often more important that formal institutions.  Contradictions exist between democratic and authoritarian elements.

38.  is a form of authoritarianism in which the government’s domination of social life is virtually total. Individuals have few, if any, rights or freedoms; government controls or regulated nearly every human aspect of human life. Typically such political systems are ruled by an autocracy or oligarchy that relies on the use of brute force to keep the population under control. Nazi German, Soviet Union, Maoist People’s Republic of China

39.  Seek to control nearly every aspect of public and private life.  Rulers recognize no limits to their authority and try to regulate virtually all aspects of social and economic life  They tolerate no opposition in any sphere of life and aim for complete control of the society and its future

40.  Ideological  Single deified leader: Furher, Vozhd, Great Helmsman, Supreme Leader  Associated with political beliefs, ideology, or spiritual hegemony  One party or movement  Penetrate all aspects of social and political life  Parallel interlocking stratified political elites  Command economy  Secret police – fear, terror, torture – Pol Pot  Control of military

41.  Elaborate ideology  Single political party = government  Use of intimidation  Control of mass media  Control of weapons and armed forces  Economy directed by state bureaucracy

42.  Aim is total control of society  “official” everything  Want totally loyal subjects  Seek subjects who continuously demonstrate their support for the ruling elite (mass activities)  “hearts and minds”  Manipulative power (education & propaganda) to “re-socialize” subjects into “new people”

43.  Often begin with a highly charismatic leader  Modern phenomenon because serious attempts to reshape entire populations require the kinds of communications technology that was developed during the 20 th century

44. CountryCurrent Regime Year Established Number of regimes in 20 th & 21 st centuries Freedom House Score China“Communist” modernizing authoritarian Peoples Republic of China, 1949 3Not free IranTheocracyIslamic Republic, 1979 4Not free MexicoLiberal democracy 2000 (1 st free and fair election) 3Free NigeriaDemocracy (with neo- patrimonial elements) 19998Partly free

45. CountryCurrent Regime Year Established Number of regimes in 20 th & 21 st centuries Freedom House Score RussiaSemi- authoritarian Constitution promulgated & ratified, 1993 3Not free United Kingdom Liberal democracy Glorious Revolution, 1688 1Free United StatesLiberal democracy 17891Free