Political Theories and Government Structures

• Polity refers to a politically organized unit, such as a state, nation, or any organized group with a specific form of government

Political Theories

• Political theory deals with the principles, origins, nature, functions, and forms of the state and government
• Explores concepts such as justice, power, rights, and governance
• Key theories include liberalism, conservatism, socialism, anarchism, and Marxism
• Liberalism emphasizes individual rights, limited government, and free markets
• Conservatism stresses tradition, social order, and established institutions
• Socialism advocates for social ownership and control of the means of production
• Anarchism promotes the abolition of all forms of compulsory government
• Marxism focuses on class struggle, economic inequality, and the historical development of capitalism

Government Structures

• Government structure refers to the organization and distribution of power within a political system
• Common structures include unitary, federal, and confederal systems
• In a unitary system, central government holds all the power
• In a federal system, power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units
• A confederal system consists of a league of independent states
• Governments can also be classified as democracies, republics, monarchies, or autocracies
• Democracies are systems where power is held by the people and exercised through elected representatives
• Republics are systems where the head of state is not a hereditary monarch
• Monarchies are systems where a single person inherits the position of head of state
• Autocracies are systems where a single person holds unlimited power

Electoral Systems

• Electoral systems are the methods used to translate votes into elected offices
• Common systems include:
  • First-past-the-post (FPTP): the candidate with the most votes wins
  • Proportional representation (PR): seats are allocated based on the proportion of votes received by each party
  • Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP): combines elements of FPTP and PR
  • Alternative vote (AV): voters rank candidates, and votes are reallocated until one candidate achieves a majority
• Electoral systems can affect the level of party representation, government stability, and voter turnout
• FPTP systems tend to produce majority governments and favor larger parties
• PR systems tend to result in coalition governments and provide representation for smaller parties

Policy Analysis

• Policy analysis involves assessing the potential impacts of government policies
• Includes problem definition, data collection, option appraisal, and implementation strategies
• Cost-benefit analysis is a tool used to evaluate the economic efficiency of policy options
• Stakeholder analysis identifies the individuals and groups affected by a policy
• Policy evaluation measures the effectiveness of a policy in achieving its goals
• Implementation analysis examines the process of putting a policy into effect

International Relations

• International relations (IR) studies the interactions between states, international organizations, and other actors in the global arena
• Key theories include realism, liberalism, and constructivism
• Realism emphasizes power, security, and state interests
• Liberalism focuses on cooperation, interdependence, and international institutions
• Constructivism highlights the role of ideas, norms, and identities in shaping global politics
• Concepts:
  • Sovereignty: the exclusive right to exercise supreme political authority over a geographic region or group of people
  • Diplomacy: the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of states
  • International law: a set of rules and principles governing the relations among states
  • Globalization: the increasing interconnectedness of countries through trade, investment, migration, and cultural exchange