1. States, Nations, and Regimes
AP Comparative Government

2. Terms to know Government- Regime Nation
A particular set of institutions and people authorized by formal documents such as a constitution that have the authority to pass laws, issue regulations, control the police and so on.
Regime
A regime refers to the institutions and practices that typically endure from government to government or, in American terms, administration to administration
Nation
This is a psychological rather than institutional concept.
This refers to the cultural, linguistic, political, and other identities that can tie people together.
Nationalism is the sense of belonging and identity that distinguishes one nation from another

3. Terms to know Civic Nation- Country- State- Nation State-
A civic nation is one in which the state derives is political legitimacy from the active participation of its citizenry
Country-
A country is a distinct, politically defined territory, that encompasses governments, composed of political institutions, as well as cultures, economies, and collective identities
State-
A state includes all the institutions and individuals that exercise power
States are almost always the most powerful cluster of institutions
Nation State-
A nation-state exists when national identity and a states boundaries coincide

5. Democracies
While the definition of what a democracy is still sometimes contested, it is generally agreed that the following criteria must exist for a democracy to exist:
Free and Fair elections/Universal Suffrage
Multiple parties have the right to form and argue against one another freely
Democracies generally have a multi-party system (more than two parties) or a two-party system of government
Transparency exists within the government
All citizens possess political rights
The legal system is based upon the “rule of law”
The elected officials have the ability to exert control over the military and over private power holders
There is a commitment to resolving conflict within the nation peacefully
Democracies use noncoercive power

6. Democracies
A democratic regime is based upon the authority of the people
Indirect democracies exist when elected officals are elected to make decisions for the people (a republican form of government)
Direct democracies exists when individuals have immediate say over the decisions that the government makes
Illiberal democracies have democratic procedures in place, but have significant restrictions on them
These are also known as procedural democracies
Liberal democracies exist when the rights of the individual protected by law
Advanced democracies are countries with institutional democracy and high level of economic development and prosperity
Democratic governments typically have three major branches of government
Executive, Legislative, and judicial

7. Parliamentary Systems
These work with citizens vote for the legislative representatives of the country, but then those legislators select the executive
Parliamentary systems are based upon something called parliamentary sovereignty
This is the idea the cabinet makes the decisions of the legislature because their party (or coalition) has the majority in the legislature
The parliamentary system also has separation between head of state and head of government
The head of state is the symbolic position of power
The head of government deals with the everyday task of running the government

8. Presidential Systems Presidential systems
In a presidential system, citizens vote for the legislative representatives independent of executive leaders
There is also a separation of powers between branches of government based upon checks and balances

9. Semi-presidential
Some countries combine elements of the presidential and parliamentary systems
This is especially true of Russia’s governmental system
In a semi-presidential system there is sharing of power between the president, prime minister, and a parliamentary body

10. Authoritarian and Totalitarian Regimes
In authoritarian regimes, decisions are made by political elites
Decision making generally takes place without much, or any, input from citizens
Authoritarian regimes may exist with single dictators, a hereditary monarch, a small group of aristocrats, or a single political party
Many authoritarian regimes are based upon communism
In these regimes, the government controls and plans everything centrally
Authoritarian regimes generally rely on coercive power

11. Authoritarian and Totalitarian Regimes
Corporatism is generally a key component of authoritarian regimes
Corporatism is an arrangement in which government officials interact with people/groups outside the government before they set policy
This is also largely based upon patron-client systems where the government provides benefits, such as government jobs/beneficial policy decisions, in order to gain the support of the people within the a specific group
A totalitarian regime is similar to an authoritarian regime in that they are typically more repressive and are often hated

13. Theocratic Regimes and Anarchy
Theocratic Regimes are those that base all governmental decision on religious beliefs
Theocratic regimes are generally very oppressive and have strict control on citizens civil rights and civil liberties

14. Military Rule
Military rule is prevalent in Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia
Military rule generally stems from a coup d'état, or a forced takeover of government
Military rule generally lacks a specific ideology and the leaders often have no charismatic or traditional source of authority

15. Less Developed Countries (LDCs)
There are currently over 130 countries considered LDCs
They are poor, have poor health care, a large number of young people, have huge rates of illiteracy and their governments face grave issues
These problems include the lack of functioning courts, bureaucracies, and a lack of government infrastructure
LDCs are often referred to as third world countries
Newly industrializing countries (NICS)
These are states that have started the process of industrialization to break out of their impoverished states

16. Types of states Strong v Weak
A strong state is defined as a state that can take on more responsibilities and generally carry them out more effectively than a weak state can
Strong states are generally wealthy, their regimes have widespread support, and their governing elites work reasonably effectively together
A weak state is the opposite of a strong state
A failed state is one in which all basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government cease to function