Chapter 2: Comparing Political Systems By: Alyssa Wright Ashley Smith Matthew Jacob

“Without comparisons to make, the mind does not know how to proceed.” – Alexis de Tocqueville

Tocqueville was telling us that comparison is fundamental to all human thought. We add that it is the methodological core of the humanistic and scientific methods as well. It is the only way we can fully understand our own political system. Comparing the past and present of our nation and comparing our experience with that of other nations deepen our understanding of our own institutions.

How We Compare 3 Different Ways to Study Politics: - describe it - explain it - predict it (theories)

First stage: Description If we can't describe a political process or event, we can't understand or explain it, much less predict what will happen next. Second stage: Explaining To explain politics you need to identify the relationships between them. Third stage: Theories Theories are statement about casual relationships between general classes of events. That way we can predict what would happen in the same situation.

Systems: Environment and Interdependence 3 General Concepts: 1. System 2. Structure 3. Function

A system is an object having moving parts, interacting with a setting or an environment. The political system is a set of institutions and agencies concerned with formulating and implementing the collective goals of a society or of groups within it. Governments or states are the policymaking parts of political systems.

Structures and Functions Structures- specialized agencies such as parliaments, bureaucracies, administrative agencies and courts. Functions- enable the government to formulate, implement, and enforce its policies.

6 types of political structures: Political parties Interest groups Legislatures Executives Bureaucracies Courts - These structures are found in almost all modern political systems.

For example, Britain and China have all six types of political institutions, however these institutions are organized differently in the two countries, and they function in completely different ways.

Process Functions: activities necessary for policy to be made and implemented in any kind of political system. These include: interest articulation, interest aggregation, policymaking, and policy implementation and adjudication.

System Functions: - Socialization - Recruitment - Communication These determine whether or not the system will be maintained or changed. For example, whether policymaking will continue to be dominated by a single authoritarian party or military council.

Policy Functions- the substantive impacts on the society, the economy, and the culture. These functions include: - regulation of behavior - extractions of resources - distribution of benefits and services

Political socialization- involves families, schools, communications media, churches, and all the various political structures that develop, reinforce, and transform attitudes of political significance in the society. Political recruitment- refers to the selection of people for political activity and government offices. Political communication- refers to the flow of information through the society and through the various structures that make up the political system. Political regime- used to describe the structural- functional policy configuration governments take on at different times. Key Vocabulary

An Illustrative Comparison: Russia in 1985 and 2002 Two revolutionary changes: 1. end of one-party politics dominated by Communist party of the Soviet Union 2. dissolution of Soviet Union as a state into its 15 member republics -In 1991, Boris Yeltsin was elected president of Russia, and Gorbachev gave up his office -in 1993, they needed to make a new constitution, and democratic tendencies competed with authoritarian rule -new parties were formed and the old party regrouped with the name of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation -Parliament now called the Federal Assembly, and plays a much larger role now - The communist party and state bureaucracy dominated process-level functions, while the people had influence over socialization, recruitment, and communication -by 2002 they had some major changes 1. more structures played a role 2. Parliament gained more powers in policymaking 3. citizens freedom of expression expanded 4. Communist party declined in power 5.state bureaucracies moved toward a market economy 6. presidency was dominating institution w/ decision-making 7. parliament didn't like influence from anyone else