Comparative Government and Politics Introduction and Method

Countries Britain Russia China Iran Mexico Nigeria

Topics Method Sovereignty Change Citizens Institutions Policy  Goals  Gaining an understanding of major comparative political concepts, themes, and trends  Knowing important facts about government and politics in the AP 6  Identifying patterns of political processes and behavior and analyzing political and economic consequences  Comparing and contrasting political institutions and processes across countries  Analyzing and interpreting basic data for comparing political systems

Comparative Method Empirical Data = based on factual statements and statistics Normative Data = requires value judgments Research uses scientific method Three World Approach ▫West, Communist, Third World Three New Groups ▫Advanced Democracy, Post-communist, LDC

Sovereignty Authority Power State = monopoly of violence, turn ideas into policy Nation = people with common political identity ▫Democracy – will of the people ▫Authoritarian – control by political elites ▫Corporatism – business, labor, interest groups bargain with state for influence ▫Legitimacy – right to rule  Political Culture: collective beliefs, values, practice  Political Ideology: basic goals of government and politics

Answer the following questions about The State  How would your life be different if you lived in a weak state?  What advantages are there in nation-states?  Why would stateless nations exist?  When is legitimacy questioned?  Who do you get your ideology from?  Where is liberalism found?

Political and Economic Change Occur together through reform, revolution, or coup Attitudes of change vary by radicalism, liberalism, conservatism, or reactionary ▫Democratization = trend toward some form of popular government ▫Marketization = property, labor, goods and services all function in competitive environments  Fragmentation – division based on ethnic or cultural identity

Citizens Society and the State Social Cleavages: breadth, depth, degree  Class, Ethnic, Religious, Regional, ▫Efficacy – citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political events ▫Socialization – learning about the politics of a country ▫Transparency – keeping citizens informed about government Civil Society = voluntary organizations outside the state that define and advance the peoples’ interest

Answer the following questions about Change  When did global democratization take place?  Why does political and economic change occur?  How are democracy and capitalism related?  Who are the people that effect change?  Where is change quick/slow in the world today?  What cleavages divide you and your family/peers?

Political Institutions Supranational = affected by other governments Globalization = integration of social, environmental, economic, and cultural activities ▫Devolution – destabilization of government  Centripetal, Centrifugal ▫Divisions of government  Executive, Legislature, Judiciary  Unitary, Federal, Confederal ▫Linkage Institutions  Parties, Interest Groups, Elections

Public Policy Current issues and problems Means of solving problems Ways to compare standard of living ▫Economic Performance  GDP, GNP, PPP ▫Social Welfare  Gini, HDI ▫Civil Rights and Liberties  Freedom House ▫Environment

AP 6 + US Advanced Democracies ▫Great Britain ▫European Union ▫United Nations Communist/Post-communist ▫Russia ▫China ▫BRICS Newly Industrialized/LDC ▫Mexico ▫Iran ▫Nigeria

Answer the following questions about Policy-making  Who is best at making policy decisions?  Why do people accept policies that hurt them?  Where does the power lie in most countries?  When would you support a devolving state?  How do heads of state assume their roles?  What can be done to influence policies abroad?