Regimes, Governments, and Countries PDF

Political Science Regimes, Governments, and Countries ‫ الدول‬،‫ الحكومات‬،‫نظم الحكم‬ We should make a distinction between the state and a regime. Regime: ‫نظام الحكم‬ It is defined as the fundamental rules and norms ‫ القواعد االساسية‬of polit...

Political Science Regimes, Governments, and Countries ‫ الدول‬،‫ الحكومات‬،‫نظم الحكم‬ We should make a distinction between the state and a regime. Regime: ‫نظام الحكم‬ It is defined as the fundamental rules and norms ‫ القواعد االساسية‬of politics. A regime embodies ‫ يحتوي على‬long-term goals regarding individual freedom ‫ الحرية الفردية‬and authority, where power should reside ‫ من له السلطة‬and how it should be used ‫كيف يتم استخدامها‬. Types of Regimes: ‫انواع نظم الحكم‬ - A democratic regime - A non-democratic regime a- A democratic regime:‫نظام حكم ديمقراطي‬ In a democratic regime, the rules and norms of politics underscore ‫ توضح‬a significant role ‫ الدور المهم‬for the public ‫ عامة الشعب‬in governance ‫في الحكم‬, as well as the protection of individual rights and liberties ‫الحقوق والحريات الفردية‬. b- A nondemocratic regime:‫نظام حكم غير ديمقراطي‬ A nondemocratic regime will limit ‫ يقلل‬public participation ‫ المشاركة الشعبية‬in favor of ‫لصالح‬ those in power ‫اصحاب السلطة‬. Some of regime differences ‫ االختالفات‬can be found in basic documents such as constitutions‫الدساتير‬, but often the rules and norms that distinguish ‫ تميز‬one regime from another are unwritten ‫ غير مكتوبة‬and implicit ‫تفهم ضمنيا‬. Regimes are an important component ‫ مكون اساسي‬of the larger state framework. Regimes do not easily or quickly change, although they can be transformed ‫ تتحول‬or altered ‫تتغير‬, usually by dramatic social events ‫ احداث اجتماعية كبيرة‬such as a revolution ‫ ثورة‬or a national crisis ‫ازمة‬ ‫قومية‬. Most revolutions can be understood as acts of rebellion ‫ تمرد‬not against the state or its leadership per se ‫في حد ذاته‬, but against the prevailing regime ‫النظام السائد‬. The objective ‫ هدف‬of such revolutions is to dismantle ‫ تلغي‬existing rules and norms and to establish new ones in their place. In some nondemocratic countries where politics is dominated ‫ سيطر‬by a single individual, many people may use the term regime to refer to the leader, emphasizing ‫ يؤكد‬the view that all decisions originate ‫ تأتي‬from that one person. https://www.facebook.com/groups/center.just/ 6 01097123654  Political Science If the state is the machinery ‫ آلة‬of politics, like a personal computer, then the regime can be compared to its software ‫البرنامج‬, the programming that defines its performance. Each computer runs differently depending on the software installed. Government: ‫الحكومة‬ Government can be defined as the leadership ‫ القيادة‬or elite ‫ النخبة‬responsible for running the state. If the state is the machinery of politics, and the regime its programming, then the government acts as its operator ‫القائد‬. The government may consist of democratically elected legislators ‫نواب منتخبين‬, presidents ‫رؤساء‬, and prime ministers ‫رئيس وزراء‬, or it may be leaders who held office ‫تولى‬ ‫ السلطة‬through force, violence, or other non-democratic methods ‫طرق غير ديمقراطية‬. Governments show a lower degree of institutionalization ‫ مؤسات‬compared to regimes and states. In democratic regimes, governments are replaced ‫ تتغير‬fairly frequently. Governments come and go, whereas regimes and states can endure for decades or even centuries maintaining a substantial degree ‫ درجة كبيرة‬of continuity ‫استمرارية‬. Country: ‫الدولة‬ It can serve as shorthand ‫ اختصار‬for: state, government, regime, along with the population living within that political system. Not all States are the Same Some states are powerful ‫قوية‬, effective ‫فعالة‬, and stable ‫ ;مستقرة‬others are weak ‫ضعيفة‬, disorganized ‫غير منظمة‬, and largely incapable of effective action ‫غير قادرة على التصرف الفعال‬. A single state can have a commanding presence‫ وجود كبير‬in one area but appear ineffectual ‫ غير فعالة‬in another. Legitimacy: ‫الشرعية‬ Generally, legitimacy can be defined as a value ‫ قيمة‬whereby something or someone is recognized ‫ يعترف به‬and accepted ‫ مقبول‬as right and proper ‫صح او مالئم‬. A legitimate institution ‫ المؤسسة الشرعية‬or person is widely accepted ‫ مقبول على نطاق واسع‬and recognized ‫ معترف به‬by the public. In political science, legitimacy is citizens' feeling ‫ شعور المواطنين‬that the regime's rule ‫حكم‬ ‫ النظام‬is rightful ‫ صحيح‬and should be obeyed ‫يجب طاعته‬. Therefore, legitimacy confers authority and power ‫الشرعية تمنح السلطة والقوة‬. States possess a great deal of coercive force ‫قوة جبرية‬. But is that the only reason that people recognize and obey their authority? Many people obey the laws and regulations even when the threat of punishment is slight ‫ضعيف‬, simply because they view such behavior as "the right thing" to do. People may https://www.facebook.com/groups/center.just/ 7 01097123654  Political Science pay taxes ‫دفع الضرائب‬, respect traffic rules ‫احترام اشارات المرور‬, or serve in the military ‫يخدم في‬ ‫الجيش‬, not out of fear of punishment ‫ ليس خوفا من العقاب‬or waiting for a personal benefit ‫ليس‬ ‫لمصلحة شخصية‬, but because they assume that the state has the authority to ask them doing these things. Legitimacy creates power ‫ سلطة‬that relies not on coercion or violence, but on consent ‫رضا‬ and popular acceptance ‫ قبول شعبي‬among people. Without legitimacy, a state would have to use the continuous threat of force ‫ التهديد الدائم بالقوة‬to maintain law and order ‫تحافظ على القانون‬ ‫ والنظام‬otherwise, many of its rules and policies would go disobeyed ‫ ال تطاع‬. Political legitimacy comes in three basic forms (Sources of legitimacy): ‫انواع‬ ‫الشرعية‬ - traditional, - charismatic, and - rational-legal a) Traditional legitimacy: ‫الشرعية التقليدية‬ It rests ‫ ترتكز‬on the idea that someone or something is valid because "it has always been that way ‫موجود منذ فترة طويلة‬." This legitimacy is built on the idea that certain aspects of politics are to be accepted because they have been accepted over a long period of time. Traditional legitimacy often embodies historical myths and legends ‫ اساطير تاريخية‬as well as the continuity between past and present. Rituals ‫ الطقوس‬and ceremonies ‫ مراسم‬all help to reinforce traditional legitimacy by providing actions and symbols ‫ رموز‬that are ancient ‫قديمة‬ and unique ‫فريدة‬. One good example is the legitimacy accorded to a longstanding monarchy, where a particular family holds the office ‫ اسرة تتولى الحكم‬over generations ‫الجيال‬. Traditional legitimacy relies on history and continuity. The longer a traditional political system has been established, the more it becomes entrenched ‫ مستقرة‬and institutionalized, as it has the weight of history on its side. b) Charismatic legitimacy: ‫الشرعية الكاريزمية‬ It is in many ways the very opposite ‫ عكس‬of traditional legitimacy. When we call someone charismatic, we mean they are either good-looking ‫ جميل المظهر‬or perhaps a witty conversationalist ‫ذو حديث شيق‬. But in politics, charisma means much more. Rather than relying on the weight of history and the continuity of certain roles or values, charismatic legitimacy is based on the power of ideas ‫قوة االفكار‬, or what is sometimes called "the gift of grace ‫منحة الهية‬." Charisma is typically embodied by one individual who can move the public through these ideas and the manner in which he presents them. Adolf Hitler was a charismatic figure ‫شخصية كاريزمية‬, whose power https://www.facebook.com/groups/center.just/ 8 01097123654  Political Science with ideas and language brought about world war ‫ الحرب العالمية‬and genocide ‫ابادة جماعية‬. Charismatic legitimacy is not institutionalized ‫ غير مؤسسة‬and thus is fairly weak ‫ضعيفة‬, since it dies with the individual ‫ تموت مع الزعيم‬who possesses it. But charismatic legitimacy can be transformed into ‫ تتحول‬traditional legitimacy through the creation of rituals ‫ صقوس‬and values that are meant to capture ‫ تستحوذ‬the spirit ‫ روح‬and intent of the charismatic leader's power. c) Rational-legal legitimacy ‫الشرعية القانونية‬ Rational-legal legitimacy is based not on history or rituals (as in the case of traditional legitimacy) or on the force of ideas (as in charismatic legitimacy) but rather on a system of laws and procedures that are highly institutionalized. Leaders or political officials are legitimate by virtue of ‫ بموجب‬the rules by which they come to office ‫قواعد الوصول للسلطة‬. People follow their decisions because they trust that the rules enforced by these leaders benefit the public interest ‫الصالح العام‬. In this case, it is not the person who is important or even that individual's particular values or ideas, but the office he holds. The office ‫ المنصب‬is legitimate, rather than the person in it. The world of modern states is built on a rational-legal foundation ‫الدول الحديثة مبنية على الشرعية‬ ‫القانونية‬. For example, if there are elections ‫انتخابات‬, they accept the outcome ‫ النتيجة‬even if their preferred candidate ‫ المرشح المفضل‬loses. The 2000 presidential election ‫ االنتخابات الرئاسية‬in the United States between Al Gore and George W. Bush is a perfect example of rational-legal legitimacy. After weeks of disputes over who had actually won the election, the Supreme Court's intervention ‫ تدخل‬ended the battle ‫الصراع‬, and the Democratic candidate ‫المرشح الديمقراطي‬, Al Gore, agreed to abide ‫يحترم‬ by the outcome. In spite of denunciations ‫ ادانة‬by some that the election was illegitimate ‫غير‬ ‫شرعية‬, the majority of Americans accepted George W. Bush as their president, even if they had not voted for him. But the fact that modern states was built on a rational-legal legitimacy, does not mean that traditional or charismatic legitimacy has disappeared ‫ال يعني ان الشرعية التقليدية اختفت‬. Political leaders in many countries throughout modern history have used a great deal of charismatic power and have sometimes become the centers of large "cults of personality ‫محبي‬ ‫الشخصية‬." These cults portray ‫ يرسم صورة‬the leader as the father of the nation ‫ اب لالمة‬and imbue him ‫ يصبغ عليه‬with almost superhuman powers ‫قوة االنسان الخارق‬. Charismatic leadership ‫القيادة الكاريزمية‬, and the power that it places in the hands of one individual, can corrupt ‫تفسد‬, but some charismatic figures ‫ اشخاص لهم كاريزما‬have dramatically changed the course of politics for the better, such as Mohandas K. Gandhi ‫غاندي‬, in India, or Nelson Mandela ‫مانديال‬, in South Africa. https://www.facebook.com/groups/center.just/ 9 01097123654  Political Science Traditional power can similarly be found in a wide variety of circumstances. The United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden, and some other countries still have monarchs ‫ملوك‬. Although the powers of most of these monarchs are now quite limited, they remain important symbols‫رموز‬ and attract national and sometimes even international attention. Rules and regulations ‫ القواعد واللوائح‬can also eventually take on a kind of traditional legitimacy if they function for so long that people cannot imagine doing things any other way. The U.S. Constitution, for example, is not only a set of rules for conducting politics; it is also considered a sacred symbol ‫ رمز مقدس‬of what makes the United States unique and powerful. The difficulty of modifying the U.S. Constitution - developed over time due to resistance to interfering with this "sacred" document ‫ الوثيقة المقدسة‬- is not simply rational-legal legitimacy, but also traditional legitimacy that binds American politics together. https://www.facebook.com/groups/center.just/ 10 01097123654