Introduction to Comparative Politics - Topics 1 & 2
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Questions and Answers

What is a primary focus of conceptualization in political analysis?

  • To find statistical correlations
  • To define tangible outcomes
  • To simplify complex theories
  • To engage in meaningful claims (correct)

    • How does theory relate to concepts in political analysis?

  • Theory explains the relevance of concepts to empirical analysis (correct)
  • Theory contradicts established concepts
  • Theory defines concepts empirically
  • Theory is irrelevant to the formation of concepts

    • What does methodology encompass in political research?

  • The strategies used to gain knowledge about the subject (correct)
  • The application of statistical software in analysis
  • The collection of qualitative data only
  • The formulation of hypotheses exclusively

    • What should be clarified when examining the implications of movements like BLM?

    <p>The underlying concepts relevant to democracy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following questions exemplifies a fundamental aspect of comparative politics?

    <p>How do ideologies shape governance?</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which theory emphasizes the role of timing and cultural factors in the democratization process?

    <p>Political Culture Theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of regime is characterized by having power concentrated in the hands of a single ruler?

    <p>Autocracy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT considered an outcome of authoritarian regimes?

    <p>Promotion of human rights</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a defining characteristic of totalitarian regimes?

    <p>Unified, state-promoted ideology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following figures is associated with agency-based theories of democratization?

    <p>Nelson Mandela</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes personalistic dictatorships from other authoritarian regimes?

    <p>Dependency on a particular constituency</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of a populist political discourse?

    <p>Confronting elites while representing the 'people'</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which theory suggests that individuals can play a crucial role in driving democratization efforts?

    <p>Agency-based Theories</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term is used to describe regimes that use religious authority for governance?

    <p>Theocracy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a notable example of a totalitarian leader?

    <p>Benito Mussolini</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following outcomes is generally associated with democratic regimes according to the findings of Gerring et al.?

    <p>Human rights</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which wave of democratization began with the Carnation Revolution in Portugal?

    <p>Third Wave</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a significant characteristic of constitutional democracies?

    <p>Power is constitutionalized</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Huntington, what should be prioritized before pursuing democratization after decolonization?

    <p>Achieving economic growth</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which type of democracy are citizens most actively involved in making policy decisions?

    <p>Participatory Democracy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What has been a recent trend in global democratic development according to Freedom House?

    <p>Democratic decline has continued for several years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one criticism of the measures used to assess democracy?

    <p>They can reflect biases inherent in data collection</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which country is listed as having a high score for democracy according to The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index?

    <p>Norway</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Double Turnover Test assess in terms of democratization?

    <p>Peaceful transitions between governments from different parties</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What major trend characterized the Second Wave of democratization?

    <p>Global shifts toward authoritarianism in Latin America</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a feature of social democracy?

    <p>Recognize and address inequality as a problem</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect does the Freedom House Global Freedom Scores focus on?

    <p>Political rights and civil liberties</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of democracy is described as having major competitive processes based on cultural, regional, and ethnic divisions?

    <p>Consociational Democracy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristic best describes the Canadian Constitution?

    <p>Hybrid of both written and unwritten elements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the primary functions of the legislature in Canada?

    <p>Creating or enacting laws</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a notable feature of the Canadian judiciary?

    <p>More independence and less partisanship than in the USA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the Notwithstanding Clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

    <p>To allow the parliament to override certain provisions of the Charter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following systems refers to a government where the executive is dependent on the legislature?

    <p>Westminster system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What key aspect differentiates the Canadian Parliament from the American Congress?

    <p>Canada's Parliament has a fusion between legislature and executive</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which electoral system is described as determining the number of parties that are successful in elections?

    <p>Constituency system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In Canada, what is required for the general amending formula to pass?

    <p>Approval from seven provinces representing 50% of the population</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term describes the legislative power to remove the executive from office in Canada?

    <p>No-confidence motion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a feature of a unicameral legislature?

    <p>Single chamber that enacts laws</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of a standing committee in the legislative process?

    <p>Specialized focus on important matters</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement accurately reflects the power of the executive in Canada?

    <p>Dissolving the legislature is within the executive's power</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is judicial review?

    <p>The judiciary's authority to interpret laws against the constitution</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is NOT a characteristic of the modern state?

    <p>Decentralized authority</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Max Weber, how does he define a state?

    <p>An entity with a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a territory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is one of the major functions of a state?

    <p>Resource mobilization through taxation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What factor is NOT included in measuring state capacity according to the Fragile State Index?

    <p>Agricultural output</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about public goods is true?

    <p>They cannot be excluded and do not diminish in availability with use.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was a significant outcome of the 1648 Peace of Westphalia?

    <p>It marked the birth of the modern state system with legal sovereignty.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of colonial rule involved the colonizer recognizing a dominant local group to govern?

    <p>Indirect Rule</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does 'neo-colonialism' refer to?

    <p>The continuation of economic relationships established during colonialism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a form of state described in the content?

    <p>Command State</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristic is indicative of weak state capacity?

    <p>Severe economic underdevelopment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which is a known legacy of colonialism in former colonies?

    <p>Ethnic conflict and instability</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of questions should be pursued in comparative politics to avoid assumptions?

    <p>Open-ended questions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which theory suggests that states emerge primarily as a reaction to war?

    <p>Political/Conflict Theories</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable in research?

    <p>Independent variable is the cause and dependent variable is the effect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which type of state is the government expected to control the means of production?

    <p>Communist State</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common feature of civil society in democratic states?

    <p>Voluntary associations that actively seek to maintain or change the status quo</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a key characteristic of qualitative methodology?

    <p>Aims for in-depth description and understanding</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which theory emphasizes the historical evolution of institutions leading to path dependence?

    <p>Historical Institutionalism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term is used to describe the process of making a concept observable through indicators?

    <p>Operationalisation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the importance of posing a counterfactual in comparative politics?

    <p>To analyze the impact of hypothetical situations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of a necessary condition in comparative analysis?

    <p>A condition that must be present for a certain effect to occur</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the concept of 'conceptual stretching' refer to?

    <p>Broadening a concept to fit various situations improperly</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which term describes a basic unit of analysis in comparative politics?

    <p>Case</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following problems indicates an unclear causal relationship due to missing factors?

    <p>Omitted variable problem</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of Rational Choice Institutionalism?

    <p>Informed by rational choice theory and self-interest</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best exemplifies correlation rather than causation?

    <p>Increased ice cream sales correspond with higher murder rates</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which methodological approach focuses on meaning and interpretation rather than causation?

    <p>Qualitative methodology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the difficulties associated with qualitative research?

    <p>Challenges in obtaining interview data</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Introduction to Comparative Politics - Topic 1: The Logic of Comparison

    • Comparison establishes understanding, explanation, order, and meaning to complex political worlds.
    • Isolated facts are meaningless; concepts and theories are crucial for understanding.
    • Reframing old questions in the context of new information (e.g., pre-COVID to post-COVID).
    • Comparative politics systemically compares cases, variables, and meanings related to politics and power relations.
    • Aims for generalizations beyond specific cases; theories should travel to other contexts.
    • Meaning arises from relative terms (e.g., height).
    • Causal relationships are critical to understanding (statisticians miss this).
    • Qualitative studies focus on single cases, exploring the specifics in depth.

    Introduction to Comparative Politics - Topic 2: Theory and Method

    • Concepts are used to organize and provide a framework for understanding, but they are not directly observable; they are constructed.
    • Falsifiability is crucial; theories must be able to be proven wrong.
    • Theories, in social sciences, don't reach the same level of accuracy as hard sciences.
    • Theories simplify the world to understand specific phenomena.
    • Theories abstract from specific contexts to build generalizations.
    • Theories connect things to determine how and why things relate.
    • Theories must be able to be tested.
    • Theories must make connections to relate to other things.
    • Theories are usually more abstract (general) than concepts.
    • Conceptualizing and operationalizing concepts are crucial for making comparisons.
    • Different forms and types of theories exist, including different types of social and political thought.
    • Ontology and epistemology are part of social science.
    • Understanding the nature of reality and social research is important in understanding.
    • The world is complex, so we cannot know the social sciences or political science perfectly.

    Introduction to Comparative Politics - Topic 3: The State

    • The state is the most important political organization.
    • State forms vary, ranging from pre-modern states to the modern state system.
    • Modern states are generally characterized by a centralized government, a monopoly on the use of force, and the provision of public goods.
    • States range in capacity.
    • Characteristics like a territory, population, and government are essential to a state.
    • Some essential functions of a state are defense, policing, and resource mobilization.
    • Understanding states' historical development is significant.
    • Colonialism has had an impact on the development of modern states.
    • Modern state systems developed in partnership with capitalist development.

    Introduction to Comparative Politics - Topic 4: Regimes

    • Regimes are types or forms of governmental systems, classified by their institutions and relationships of power.
    • Democracies and non-democracies are two major categories; various subcategories exist.
    • There's a lack of consensus on how to define and measure democracy.
    • The concept of 'democracy' is not universally agreed upon, and there are variations in its implementation.
    • Institutions' design significantly affects a regime's function and how it operates.
    • The interplay between state and society, civil society, and political actors plays a crucial role in democracies.
    • Different theories related to how civil society and its interactions with the state functions are vital.

    Introduction to Comparative Politics - Topic 5: Government Institutions

    • Institutional design is key in shaping how government power is used.
    • Government institutions, such as legislatures, executives, judiciaries, and political parties, have various roles and interactions with each other.
    • Constitutions are foundational documents that establish rules, limits, and powers related to political systems.
    • Judicial review is a mechanism for reviewing the constitutionality of laws.
    • Structures of power like legislatures, committees, and executives, and relations, are discussed to demonstrate the impact on states' behavior and decision-making.

    Introduction to Comparative Politics - Topic 6: Legislature-Executive Relations

    • Legislatures often oversee executives and hold significant power to remove or influence them.
    • Systems like the American and British show different relationships, ranging from separation of powers to fusion of powers.
    • Different executive systems in different democracies and authoritarians show significant variations in the relationship between executives and legislatures.
    • Separation of powers is a key element in American executive-legislative dynamics.
    • The power of the executive and how it interacts with the legislature varies considerably across countries.

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    Explore the foundational concepts and methods in comparative politics through an in-depth analysis of comparisons, theories, and the importance of causal relationships. This quiz delves into the significance of reframing political questions and emphasizes qualitative studies. Join now to discover how political realities are constructed and understood.

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