1. States
Comparative Politics

2. How do countries create and maintain political power?
States
Intro
How do countries create and maintain political power?

3. States Mini Case Study Pakistan - 2013
Pakistan Muslim League sweeps elections, making Nawaz Sharif prime minister
First time ever that one democratically elected government handed power over to another
Every other transfer of power had been martial law or military coup since 1947
Pakistan is unable to meet the electricity needs of its people.
Poor management, inability to collect payments lead to half of all electricity produced being stolen
State is weak. State lacks capacity.

4. States
Comparative Politics

5. States Define States Have a monopoly of violence over a territory
Has sovereignty
Population, Territory, Government, Sovereignty
Have a set of institutions to make & carry out policy
Are typically highly institutionalized

6. States Sovereignty Sovereignty
The ability to carry out actions and policies within a territory independent of external actors
Indicates than an actor is the primary authority over a territory
If a state cannot defend its territory or faces powerful opponents within its territory, its policies will be undermined
Must have army and police force to maintain sovereignty

7. States
States
State
Institutions that seek to wield force within a territory – maintaining order and deterring challengers (inside or out)
Set of institutions that society deems necessary to achieve its goals
such as: police, taxes, judiciary
The state is almost permanent. The regime seems permanent to people in a state, but can change in extreme circumstances

8. States Regime Regime The political system of a state
Fundamental rules and norms of politics
Endure beyond individual governments
Long term goals that guide the state. Ex: where power resides, how power is used, freedom vs equality

9. States Regime Regime Democratic Regime Nondemocratic Regime
Most basic level =
democratic or nondemocratic
Democratic Regime
Nondemocratic Regime
Rules and norms of politics give public a large role
Limits public participation and favors those in power
There are rights and liberties for individuals
In some places may just refer to the leader himself

10. Often embodied in a constitution
States
Regime
Regimes are…
Norms and rules regarding freedom and collective equality, the locus of power, and the use of that power
Institutionalized but can be changed by dramatic events like a revolution
Categorized at the most basic level as either democratic or authoritarian
Often embodied in a constitution

11. States Governments Government Leadership that runs the state
Holds particular ideas about goals like freedom vs equality
Make and carry out policies
Must work within the existing regime that has build up over time

12. States A government is.. Government
Leadership or elites in charge of running the state
Weakly institutionalized
Limited by the existing regime
Often composed of elected officials, such as a president, or unelected officials such as a monarch

13. States
Comparing the three

14. States Comparing the three State Regime Government A computer
The operating system – the programming that defines the capabilities
Government
The individual user – who is operating the machinery

15. States
States

16. Origins of States
States

17. States Origins Origins of the State
Sedentary humans in the Middle East allowed complex political systems to form
Food surpluses led to population increase, trade, inequality, competition
States emerge out of violence. Conquering of others or groups coming together to better defend.
Earliest states include taxes, bureaucracy, laws, militaries, leadership, economic planning

18. States Endogenity Urbanization or state building?
Did leadership cause urbanization by building complex institutions that attracted people?
Urbanization or state building?
Did urbanization cause political institutions to form?
Did these institutionalize simultaneously?

19. States Origins of state Hobbes Rousseau
Thinks humans submitted to authority in order to overcome anarchy – giving up their rights to gain security
Hobbes
Negative view of human nature – this system ensures neither freedom nor equality
Humans create a social contract to create a system of authority that helps them meet their collective needs
Rousseau
Human nature is instinctively compassionate & egalitarian. The state corrupted them by imposing inequality

20. Modern States Modern State Rome collapses Fragmentation Modern states
Anarchy in Europe
Political organizations develop
Reaction to crime
Infrastructure disappears
Constant competition
Groups survive or are absorbed
Crime dominates
Strength controls terrirory
Control more profitable than crime

21. Modern States Europe vs. China Europe China
Ethnically & linguistically fragmented
Centralized for a thousand years already
Geographic boundaries prevent one large empire
No geographic boundaries to stop growth
Small competing local governments form
Highly developed with no rivals for power

22. Modern States Advantages States encourage economic development
Rulers made law that protected private property
Gave the state more resources to tax
Encouraged people to earn profits
Helped states build stronger armies

23. Modern States Advantages States encourage technological innovation
Stimulated even further economic development
A function of competition for cultural dominance
Viewed new tech as way to enhance power

24. Modern States Advantages Domestic stability
Increased trade and commerce
Commerce facilitated common language and shared identity
Allowed the development of infrastructure
Ethnicity became an asset for the state

25. Modern States Spread Modern states in 1500 Consequences
20% of countries
Religious rivals lost political power
Had better technology and economic resources
Economic growth led to colonizing other states
Had developed ideas of national identity
Organizational structure of modern state imposed on rest of world

26. Legitimacy
States

27. Legitimacy What is it? Legitimacy People recognize something as right.
A legitimate institution is widely
accepted by the public
Allows institutions to have power without having to rely only on force
People obey rules even when the threat of punishment is small.
Power relies on the consent of the people

28. Legitimacy Traditional Traditional Legitimacy
Built over a long period of time.
Rituals and ceremonies help reinforce legitimacy
Ex: monarchy ruled by one family
Has power of history on its side

29. Legitimacy Charismatic Charismatic Legitimacy Based on power of
ideas or beliefs
Typically embodied by persuasive individuals
Ex: Muhammad, Hitler
Not institutionalized, dies with the person

30. Legitimacy Rational Legal Rational-Legal Legitimacy
Based on system of laws and procedures
Officials gain legitimacy through the rules
Ex: Barack Obama
Legitimacy belongs to the office, not person

31. Centralization
States

32. Centralization Control of territory How to they control? unitary
Political power is concentrated at national level – local authority is limited
federal
Some powers are devolved to regional bodies or local legislatures
confederation
Most power is controlled by regional bodies

33. Centralization Unitary States Unitary States Benefits Drawbacks
Central govt has more capacity to solve problems
Too much centralization can be dangerous
Can allow local interests to be marginalized
Territorial divisions are still allowed but they have no political power

34. Centralization Unitary States Federalism Benefits Drawbacks
Helps represent local interests better
Weakens state efficiency
Serves as a check on the growth of central power
Can exacerbate ethnic or regional conflict

35. Centralization Federalism Asymmetric Federalism
Power is divided unevenly between regional bodies.
Some have more power than others over things like tax or language rights
Most likely in a country with significant ethnic divisions

36. Centralization Federalism Devolution Recent trend
Decentralization – taking power from the central government and giving it to the regional bodies
Typically increases legitimacy of the state by moving more political power closer to the people.
Is a way to resolve problems like ethnic or religious differences by giving power to regions where these groups are dominant.

37. Power, Autonomy, & Capacity
State

38. States Strength Strong Weak States Able to fulfil basic tasks
Cannot execute basic tasks
Highly institutionalized
Not well institutionalized, lack legitimacy

39. States Capacity Capacity
Ability of the state to use power to carry out basic tasks
States with high capacity can make and carry out policies
States with high capacity can ensure stability
Requires money, organization, and effective leadership

40. States Autonomy Autonomy
Ability of the state to use its power independently of the public
Autonomous states can carry out a policy without having to consult the public
Act on behalf of the public, no matter what public opinion says

41. States Autonomy & Capacity High Autonomy Low Autonomy
State is able to fulfill basic tasks with minimum public intervention; power highly centralized; strong state
State is able to fulfill basic tasks, but public plays a direct role in determining policy and is able to limit state power and the scope of activity
High Capacity
State is able to function with a minimum of public interference or direct control, but its capacity to fulfill basic tasks is limited
State lacks ability to fulfill basic tasks, and is subject to direct public control and interference – power highly decentralized among state and nonstate actors, weak state
Low Capacity

42. States Autonomy & Capacity High Autonomy Low Autonomy Dangers
Too high may undermine democracy
State may be unable to develop new policies or respond to new challenges owing to the power of organized opposition
High Capacity
State is ineffectual, limiting development, and slow development may provoke public unrest
Too low may lead to internal state failure
Low Capacity

43. States Fragile States Failed States Fragile States
Not well institutionalized
Lack legitimacy
Lack capacity
State structures have broken down
Fragile States
States that are in danger of becoming failed states

44. States Fragile States Fragile State Index What are they?
Published annually by Foreign Policy and Fund for Peace think tank
Attempts to assess a state’s vulnerability to collapse
Ranks all states in the UN
Uses 12 indicators
What are they?

45. States Fragile States Social Political Economic
Factions of elites – flawed elections, nationalized rhetoric
Demographic pressure – population relative to food supply
State legitimacy – corruption, transparency
External Intervention – intervention by other militaries
Internally Displaced Persons – refugees coming & going
Public Services – disappearance of basic state functions
Economic
Group Grievances – tension between groups
Human Rights & Rule of Law – civil liberties, press freedom
Uneven Development – group based inequality, fair housing
Brain drain – migration of educated population
Security Apparatus – emergence of special police
Poverty – per capita income, unemployment levels

46. States
Fragile States

47. States
Fragile States

48. States
Fragile States

49. States
Fragile States

50. States
Fragile States

51. Mini Case Study: Pakistan Slides Towards Failure
STate

52. States Mini Case Study Why has Pakistan slid toward failure?
Read the passage
In what ways has it failed to meet the definition of state?
What kinds of institutions does it lack or are weak that lead to continued military rule?
What is meant by describing it as an irrational state?

53. Wrap Up
States

54. Main Ideas States Remember this… OR ELSE STATES VS REGIMES
Development of modern states
Results of legitimacy, capacity, authority
Fragile States
Remember this… OR ELSE