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AP Comparative1.1-1.4 Notes - Coggle Diagram
AP Comparative1.1-1.4 Notes
1.4
Democratization
Democratization
is the transition of a country’s government from an authoritarian regime to a fully democratic state, which includes government transparency and citizen participation
Fully democratized: UK, Mexico
Partially democratized: Russia, Nigeria
Undemocratic: Iran, China
Democratization is
not linear
, it can stall or be reversed
Nigeria faces violence from religious factions that impede democratization
Mexico faces trouble from drug cartels which also impede democratization
The process through which a democratic government develops in terms of electoral procedures, the separation of powers, and the preservation of civil freedoms, making it less likely to relapse to authoritarianism without an external shock, is known as
democratic consolidation
Free elections
Some countries create
Independent election commissions
in order to aid them in democratization
Independent election commissions
promote competition, fairness, transparency, and universal suffrage for citizens of voting age
Democratic electoral systems
Ethnic diversity
Increase competition among parties
Gender or cultural quotas
to encourage diversity and fair representations of minority groups
Proportional representation
Changes in vote thresholds and district boundaries
Democratized countries see an increased civic participation in government
In a
corporatist system
citizens participate in government created interest groups
In a
pluralist system
, citizens can participate in independent interest groups which influence the government
Democratized countries show an increase in
governmental transparency
Freedom of information act
give citizens access to public information
Media outlets can freely critique government officials and policies
Protected civil rights and liberties
Independent judiciaries
protect citizens rights and liberties while also preventing corruption
Rule of law
Peaceful transitions of power, less corruption from government officials
Democratization is inhibited by
political corruption
1.1
Research Methods
Qualitative methods
cannot be recorded numerically. Examples include interviews, observations, archival evidence, and documentary research
Quantitative methods
include more statistical analysis and greater sample sizes. They often include: economic data and deductive reasoning
Both are effective with scholarship and reasoning
The
Human Development Index (HDI)
is a measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development” including statistics about life expectancy, education, and income.
Gross domestic product (GDP)
is the market value of goods and services produced over a certain time in a country
The Gini index
shows income inequality within a country. A score of 0 is most equal and 100 is most unequal
Science of Comp. Politics
Theory
is defined as an integrated set of hypotheses, assumptions, and facts
Aristotle is thought to be the first westerner to separate political science from philosophy. He developed a system of comparing political systems, or
regimes
. He classified regimes as "proper" and "deviant" and used his study to answer the question:
how to govern?
Italian Niccolo Machiavelli (known as the first modern political scientist) used comparative science to make generalizations about success and failure of different political systems and studied the mechanics of government, diplomacy, military strategy, and power.
Thomas Hobbs and John Locke advocated for empirical observation and analysis when studying politics. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Baron de Montesquieu studied separation of power and civil liberties influence the writing of the American Constitution
Political science has has predictive outliers like the Cold War, and the reemergence of
religion
and
terrorism
The Cold War, both World Wars, and the invention of the computer and advancement in technology lead to the idea that science would answer more problems and comparative politics became more scientific
The
behavioral revolution
is a shift in study from political institutions so political behavior, this shift hoped to explain and predict political activity
This era of comparative science found capitalism and democracy as id as ideal political systems and codified this into
modernization theory
which held that all developing societies would become capitalist democracies
The Comparative Method
The
comparative method
is a way to draw conclusions by comparing countries and territories
Inductive reasoning
is the means by which we go from studying a case to generating a hypothesis
Deductive reasoning
is starting with a hypothesis and then seeking out evidence
Correlation
is finding an apparent association between two trends or elements
a
causal relationship
is a system where one occurrence is the direct cause to another
7 major challenges
Difficulty controlling vaiables
Interactions between variables
Multicausality
is when many variables interact to create different outcomes
Limits to information and information gathering
Limited access to cases due to how hard it is to travel internationally
the focuses of comparativists tend to be limited to a specific region
Comparativists are not able to randomize their case selection so they are susceptible to
selection bias
Endogeinity
is the problem of distinguishing cause and effect from each other. It is hard to know which variable is a cause and which is an effect when variables tend to evolve together and influence each other
Struggle between Freedom and Equality
Freedom and Equality are thought to be part of the evolutionary history of human society
Freedom
is an individuals ability to act autonomously without fear of persecution or punishment
Equality
is the standard of living shared by members of a community or society
Does a society have the responsibility to help the poor? This promotion of equality may undermine promotion of freedoms
When the state heavily controls material inequality, this can erode freedom as people have less control over what they own and how they spend their time
Freedom and equality can also promote each other. Ex. material security can help to promote political rights
What is Comparative politics?
Politics
is the struggle for power in a group where the winner will make decisions for the group
Power
is the ability to influence others
Comparative politics is a subfield of political science that compared the pursuit of power between countries
Political Institutions
An institution is something that is embedded into a culture and a key part of peoples lives
In many countries democracy is an institution, and in others ethic groups or religions are institutions
The basic political structure of any country is made of institutions, police, courts, etc.
Formal Institutions
are based on officially sanctioned and clear rules
Informal institutions
are unwritten and unofficial but are still just as relevant
Institutions create
path dependencies
1.2
Defining the State
State
is defined as the organization that maintains a monopoly of violence over a territory
A state needs physical power
States need armies to defend from outside threats
States need police to defend from domestic threats
Sovereignty
is the ability to carry out actions and policies within a territory independent of interference
A state is the set of
institutions
that wield the most force within a territory
Regime
is defined as the fundamental rules and norms of politics
A
Country
is the combination of a state, regimes, government, and its people
Government
is leadership that runs the state
A
nation-state
is a sovereign state encompassing one dominant nation that it claims to embody and represent
Legitimacy
Legitimacy
is the value at which something or someone is accepted as right or proper
Traditional legitimacy
is legitimacy formed over time. It is the idea that something has "always been that way"
Charismatic legitimacy
is often held by one person, and is formed by their ability to convey ideas and beliefs. It is
non-institutional
Rational-legal legitimacy
is built on a system of laws and procedures that are seen as neutral and rational
Without legitimacy, states have to rely on coercion and force to maintain power
Power, Autonomy, and Capacity
Strong States
are states able to fulfill basic tasks
Defend their territory
Enforce rules and rights
Collect taxes
Manage the economy
Weak States
lack autonomy and legitimacy
Rules are haphazardly enforced
Public non-compliance is common, ie: tax evasion
Rebel movements
Organized crime
Weak states can break down and become a
fragile state
or, at an extreme level a
failed state
Weak stated have trouble creating
patriotism
Capacity
is the ability of a state to wield power and use it to carry out basic tasks
Autonomy
is the ability of a state to wield power independently from public or international actors
Understanding capacity and autonomy help us to understand
stateness
: what states are and aren't able to do, and why
National Identity
A
nation
is a group that desires self-governance and independence
national identity
is an institution that binds people together through common political aspirations like
self-government
and
sovereignty
National-identity sometimes develops from ethic identity
National-identity can create
nationalism
, a pride in one's people and sovereign political destiny
Citizenship and Patriotism
Citizenship
is an individual or groups relation to the state
Citizenship can become
patriotism
, which is pride in one's state and includes a pride on one's political system and a desire to defend or promote it
Ethnic and national conflict
Ethnic conflict
is conflict between ethnic groups that seek to gain political or economic goals at the others expense
National conflict
involves groups that seek to gain sovereignty or autonomy
Both utilize
violence
to bypass or destroy coercive powers of the state
Ethnic heterogeneity
is the number of ethnic groups and their degree of integration
There are three main causes of conflict: society, economy, or politics
The presence of natural resources can lead to conflict
1.3
Democracy vs Authoritarianism
A
democratic state
is a state which has a government that derives it's power from the people
Branches of government in a democratic state are more likely to work independently from each other, this is
independence of governmental branches
An
authoritarian state
is a state with an uneven concentration of power in favor of one or a few people or groups
Illiberal democracies
and
hybrid regimes
hold elections, but they encourage little competition and limit civil liberties
One-party states
are states where rival parties are barred from participating in government, like China's adherence to the Communist Party
Theocracies
are governments that require adherence to a particular religion and base policy making on religious beliefs
Totalitarian governments
severely limit personal liberties and choices such as employment or area of residence
Military regimes
are governments where top military officials hold top governmental positions
There are several factors that go into determining whether a state is democratic leaning or authoritarian leaning
Adherence to
rule of law
State control of the media
Free and fair elections
, or how much competition is allowed and promoted, how easy it is to vote, who as access to vote, election transparency, etc.
Freedom of Information Acts promote democracy and democratization
Degree of
transparency
, or how much information is available to citizens on governmental decisions and the policy making process
Degree of political participation by citizens