Comparative Politics Quiz 1 Concepts PDF

Government: Institutions that exercise the state's "monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force" which means that they have the authority to enforce laws and maintain order, and they must do so in a way that is considered legitimate by those they govern Narrow concept of government: Refe...

Government: Institutions that exercise the state's "monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force" which means that they have the authority to enforce laws and maintain order, and they must do so in a way that is considered legitimate by those they govern Narrow concept of government: Refers to the executive branch or central executive (e.g., Prime Minister and ministers, President and secretaries). Broad concept of government: Refers to all institutions and bodies making and implementing political decisions. Governments are vested in power, which can be analyzed through the lens of the following: Power to: The ability to achieve one’s goals. This focuses on the outcomes of government actions. Power over: The ability to influence or constrain the behavior of others. This emphasizes the relationship between the government and its citizens. Politics: Involves making collective authoritative decisions. Aspects of the political: Exercising power: The use of authority to implement decisions and control resources. Acquiring power: Efforts to gain political office or influence within a system. Influencing decision-making: Actions aimed at affecting the choices of political actors. Politics is about the process, and the different aspects of the political are the different ways in which political action is expressed. For example, a political party's efforts to acquire power are aimed at exercising power to make authoritative decisions. The other actors in the political system who may not seek political office, such as lobbyists, may be focused on efforts to influence decision-making. Comparative Politics: One of the main subfields in political science, dealing with internal political structures and processes, and analyzing their similarities and differences across political systems. Goals: To describe, explain, and predict similarities and differences across political systems. Comparative Method:  Method of Agreement (Most Different Systems Design - MDSD): Comparing cases that are different on many factors but share an outcome, to isolate the cause of the outcome. Method of Difference (Most Similar Systems Design - MSSD): Comparing cases that are similar on many factors but differ on an outcome, to isolate the cause of the different outcome. State: A political organization with power over individuals and other organizations or communities. Key features include territory, people, and sovereignty. Territory: The physical element of the state, including the land and borders. People: Individuals living within a state who have something in common, including citizens and denizens. Sovereignty: The highest and exclusive power to make and enforce laws, with internal and external dimensions. Monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force: The state's right to use force, which must be accepted as legitimate by its citizens. Legitimacy: The right to use force/exercise power, accepted by those who are governed. Failed State: A state that has lost control over parts of its territory, lacks authority, cannot provide public services, or interact with other states. De Facto state might control territory and function like a state but not have international recognition. Unitary System: A system where sovereignty rests with the national government, and regional or local units are subsidiary to the center. Federal System: A system in which sovereignty is shared between two or more levels of government, each with independent powers and responsibilities. Dual Federalism: A system where national and local levels of government function independently, each with separate responsibilities. Cooperative Federalism: A system where the levels of government are intermingled and it is difficult to determine who has ultimate responsibility. Subsidiarity: The principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest feasible level of government. Federation: A system where power is shared between central and sub-national governments, with constitutionally protected powers for each. Confederation: A union of states where more power remains in the hands of the member states, with a weaker central authority that derives its power from the states. Trends in Unitary States: Delegation: Central government responsibilities are shifted to semi-autonomous bodies accountable to the central government. Devolution: Central government transfers some decision-making authority to lower levels. Multi-level Governance (MLG): A framework for examining the relationships among different levels of administration, involving interactions among actors at various levels. Regional Government: Middle level of government within unitary states, that sits between the national and local levels. State Formation: A process that involves the centralization of power and institution-building, often facilitated by war and capitalism. Stages of state formation according to Rokkan: State formation: Focused on centralizing power and establishing control over territory using military force and institution building. Nation building: The process of creating a shared identity among a state's population through common language, culture, symbols and narratives, fostering a sense of belonging to the nation. Mass democracies: The inclusion of citizens in decision-making, characterized by the establishment of political parties and broadened voting rights. Welfare states: The development of a state where economic solidarity is achieved through public welfare services, like social security and healthcare, that are funded by taxes and state contributions.