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Political Institutions Structures of a political system that carry out the…
Political Institutions
Structures of a political system that carry out the work of governing
Russia
Regime Type: authoritarian
Federal Government Structure
Asymmetric federalism
: power is devolved unequally across the country
Putin put a lot of measures in place to make the federation highly centralized
In 2007 Putin changed voting system so all Duma seats elected by proportional representation
Semi-presidential system: allows for a strong presidency but has democratic checks on executive power
Head of State: President
Under Putin, president more powerful than prime minister
President's Powers
Appoint prime minister, must be approved by Duma
Decrees that have the force of law
Dissolve the Duma
Head of Government: Prime Minister
Bicameral Legislature
Lower house: Duma
Upper House: Federation Council
Judiciary
Constitutional Court
19 members appointed by president, confirmed by Federation Council--laws and decrease are constitutional.
Supreme Court: final court of appeals
Does NOT have the power to challenge the constitutionality of laws etc
Linkage Institutions
Political Parties
Now parties have been replaced with
parties of power
: parties strongly sponsored by economic and political power-holders.
Interest Groups
state corporatism
Insider privatization: those loyal to Putin benefit
Oligarchs
The oligarchy came to power during Yeltsin's term
Media
Pravda-prints only what officials want
Nigeria
Linkage Institutions
Political Parties
The People's Democratic Party (PDP)--Well established party , party of Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)--Founded in 2009 in preparation for 2011 elections. Led by Muhammadu Buhari.
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)--Ran Nuh Ribadu for president in 2011
Elections
Presidential Elections--Pres. must receive at least 25% of all the votes cast in 2/3 states
Legislative Elections--Senate elected by Direct Popular Vote, House of Rep electefrom single member districts by plurality vote
Interest Groups--variety of civil society organizations that cooperate with political parties
Labor Unions
Business Interests
Human RIghts Groups
Mass Media--has long had a well developed independent press.
Radio main source of news
Government Institutions
The executive--Parliamentary system changed to president in 1979 w/ est. of 2nd republic. 2 term limit
The Bureaucrac
y--immense civil service program in place (corruption and bribery common). Jobs awarded through prebendalism
Para-Statals--gov agency, corporation owned by state and designated to provide social services
State Corporatism--para-statals provide input to political leaders, thus state corporatism
The legislature--presidential system, bicameral, known as NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
The Senate--109 Senators 3 from each 36 states and one from capital
The House of Rep--360 members from single-member districts
The Judiciary--both federal and state. Highest:Supreme Court. Sharia law complicates things
The Military--extremely active in political affairs
¨Military in barracks¨
¨Military in government¨
China
Regime Type: Authoritarian--decisions are made by political elites
Unitary System
Centralization of power has led to problems:
decentralization
very prominent in economic decision making
Decentralization: devolution of power to subnational govs
Direct elections only at local level
All other people's congress reps are chosen from the lower levels
Political Structure:
Three Parallel Hierarchies
Communist Party
Controls all 3
The state
People's Liberation Army
LInkage Institutions
Political Parties
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Arranged hierarchically: village/township, county, province, nation
Integrates military into political hierarchy, head of Central Military Commission is often most powerful leader in China
Head of party= General Secretary
National Party Congress
Central Committee
350 members
Meet once a year for about a week
Meetings=plenums
Politburo/Standing Committee
Politburo has 25 members
Standing Committee, chosen from Politburo has 7 members
Meet in secret (most powerful)
2,000 delegates, chosen from congresses on lower levels
Meets once every 5 years
Power to elect members of central committee
CCP allows existence of 8 "democratic parties"
Act as advisors to CCP
Interest Groups
Reflect
state corporatism
Farmers more likely to voice complaints than other citizens
Media
Xinhua-official press agency of the gov.
People's Daily and CCTV depend on Xinhua for news
Political Elite
Guanxi: patron-client network/ personal connections built Chinese politics
Leads to
factionalism
Conservatives
Party /Central gov power eroded too much
Liberals
accept political liberties and democratic movements
Recruits leaders through nomenklatura
Iran
Linkage Institutions (Some well est., more have developed since 1979 revolution)
Political Parties
Islamic Society of Engineers--Former member of conservative Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran.
Front of Islamic Revolution Stability--Formed in 2011. Conservative coalition .
Moderation and Development Party--Moderate approach
Combatant Clergy Association--Supported in 2013 by Iranian Reform Movement. Reformist coalition.
Islamic Coalition Party--Founded in 1962, one of the oldest parties. Conservative coalition
Characterized by factionalism: The splintering of political elites based on both points of view and personality. PARTIES ARE FLUID AND WEAK
Elections
Citizens 18+ vote for Assembly of Religious Experts, representatives to the Majles, and the President of the Republic
Interest Groups
Ex: Workers¨ House. Denounces conservatives for watering down labor laws
Mass Media
Radio & TV government run by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
Supreme Leader runs two leading newspapers, Ettela´at and Kayhan
Government Institutions
The Supreme Leader--Top of Iran's government system. Imam of entire community and faqih
The Guardian Council--12 male clerics. Review bills passed by the majles. Power to decide who can compete in elections.
The Assembly of Religious Experts--86 man house elected by people every 4 years. Constitutional interpretation
The Expediency Council--Collectively most powerful men in Iran, can overturn majles decision
The Executive--President's jobs include: devising budget, proposing legislation to majles, signing treaties, etc..
The Bureacracy--jobs for college/high school grads at heavy industry, reconstruction, islamic guidance, etc..
Semi-public institutions--Theoretically autonomous but directed by clerics appointed by SL. Para-statals or bonyads. Kinda shady, funnel money to regime but shld help the poor
The Legislature (majles)--unicameral legislature, enact/change laws, interpret legislation, remove cabinet ministers, etc...
The Judiciary--Headed by a chief justice.
Supreme court beneath Chief Justice
Qanun-made by legislative bodies
Sharia law-Islamic law
The Military--
The revolutionary guards--elite military force, commanders appointed by SL
Basij --Part of the Guards
Mexico
Electoral System
Presidential Election: First Past the Post
Congressional Elections: FPP and proportional
Linkage Institutions
Political parties
PRI--Founded as coalition of elites. Corporatist structure (interest groups woven into the structure of the party), patron-client system, rural support
PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party) PRI's opposition on the left --appeals to young, intellectuals
PAN (The National Action Party)--Represents business interests, opposed to centralization and anti-clericism, wants fair elections and regional autonomy
The Media--became more independent starting in the 1980s, at the same time PRI began losing hold
Government Institutions (strong presidential system)
The Executive--characterized by sexenio (6 yr term), very powerful,
The Bureaucracy--1/2 million workers
Para-Statal Sector HUGE ex:PEMEX
The Legislature--Direct elections, multiparty system emerging
Chamber of Deputies (3yr terms, 500 members, single member districts & Proportional rep.)
Senate (6 yr terms, 128 members, 3 per 31 states, proportional rep)
Judiciary--Both federal and state courts
Supreme Court--highest fed court
Military
Regime Type: State Corporatist Structure--central authoritarian rule that allows input from interest groups outside of gov. Lately liberalizing
Interest groups (neo-corporatism)
ex: Educational Workers' Union, Latin America's largest trade union
United Kingdom
Regime Type: Democratic
Unitary System:
all policy making power is concentrated in one central geographic place
Devolution
: the transfer of certain powers from one entity to another.
e.g. The Good Friday Agreement- UK gave Northern Ireland their own regional government (based on proportional representation)
Parliamentary System
: prime minister and his cabinet ministers are members of the legislature (little separation of power)
Single Member District Plurality Voting System (
First Past the Post
): most votes wins regardless of majority (no run off elections)
MPs do not have to live in their districts so leader of the party runs in a
safe district
PM is "First Among Equals
House of Lords
Hereditary Peers-seats passed down
Life Peers-appointed
The Judiciary
no judicial review
common law
Supreme Court created to replace law lords in 2009 as the highest judicial authority
Can nullify actions if exceeds powers granted by an Act of Parliament,
cannot
declare an Act of Parliament unconstitutional
Linkage Institution
: a structure within a society that connects the people to the government
Political Parties
Labour
Became more moderate in the early 90s with the removal of
Clause 4
which called for the nationalization of British Industry
Conservative
Characterized by
noblesse oblige
- the rich must take care of the poor (welfare state)
Interest Groups
Interest groups are relatively autonomous, competing to influence policy making (interest group pluralism)
Quangos
-policy advisory boards appointed by the gov
Neo-corporatism- interest groups sometimes take the lead and dominate the state
TUC-Trade Union Congress
Print/Electronic Media
BBC
political parties ill-defined, difficult to draw line between parties and interest groups
Jursists Guardianship Branches
Registered with the Independent National Election Commission (INEC)