A way to compare cases and draw conclusions.

A way to draw comparisons and understand trends and guide policy.

Inductive reasoning- the means by which we go from studying a specific case to generating a hypothesis◦ Start small and create a larger hypotheses

Deductive reasoning- start with a puzzle or large issue, form possible hypotheses and test them in a number of cases.

Sovereignty, Authority, Power,

Political Institutions Citizens, Society & State

Political and economic Change

Public Policy

General content of each of the themes of Comp Gov- Culture, et al- Source of

power- Econ type- Beliefs

/legitimacy- Accountability

-Levels- branches-- elections--parties-Recruitment-Interest groups-Bureaucracy-Military-judiciary

-Cleavages-Social conflict-Civil society-Media-- participation-Social movements-Citizenship and representation

- Methods of change- Trends of change econ & political- Relationship b/t econ and poli change- globalization

Common policy issues - econ - social welfare - liberties - environment - populationInfluence, foreign and domestic on policy

Do now: Describe details of the US political system utilizing the

themes of Comp Gov

A significant segment of the citizenry must believe that the state acts with some moral authority. People believe that the state has the right to issue rules binding for people within their borders - Kesselman• People believe that rules should be followed voluntarily

because they are in the best interests of all citizens. – Palmer

•Legal Legitimacy

•Traditional Legitimacy

•Charismatic Legitimacy

Describe details of the US political system utilizing the themes

Individualists who believe in the constitution, capitalism and compromise. Believe we can hold government accountable through elections

Federal system with 3 separate branches elected both directly and indirectly by FPTP in a 2 party system. Significant bias in recruitment.Many powerful I.G.sProfessional but politicized BureausProfessional militaryIndipendent judiciary

Race, class, region increasing religion conflictsVery pluralistic participatory civil societyFree and widespread mediaMvmnts for: CR, envi, minorities

No revo or coup but war has had some impactEconomy slowing but still vibrant, little poli changeChange most affected by econG has had significant impact

Political System – collection of institutions involved in the creation and implementation of public policy

System-environment approach- focus on general process and interaction between inputs, decision-making, outputs, feedback and the environment

Structural-functional approach – focus on the process within each step in the system - the who and how each of inputs, decisions and outputs

AND the evaluation of the effectiveness of the entire system in maintaining the regime and providing for the satisfaction of its people

Typology approach – focus on comparing the various types of gov’t from authoritarian to democratic. Here system theory is augmented by categorization to better evaluate the success of various types and their strengths and weaknesses relative to each other

Historical Approach – looking at the past to better understand where the political system will go in the future. Probably includes study of the political culture as it interacts with the political system

inputs Decision-making

outputs

Feedback

inputs Decision-making

outputs

Feedback

History and culture

articulationaggregation

Policy makingimplementation

Policy functions

System Functions

Foreign state

Systems S-F History Typology

Shows the big pictureEasy to understand

Shows specific details for understanding how the system really works.Helps to evaluate success of system

Connects reasons for system’s existence and the beliefs of the polity with the systemUnderstand trends

Focuses on categorization and comparisonUnderstand trends and helps make predictions

Too generalDoes not highlight specific policies or policy makers.Does not address history or cultureA little too theoretical

Too specificDoes not address history or cultureToo little emphasis on effect of environment

Does not address how the system works in the real world

Does not address how the system works in the real worldEnvironment?Does not highlight specific policies or policy makers.

Systems S-F History Typology

Shows the big pictureEasy to understand

Shows specific details for understanding how the system really works.Helps to evaluate success of system

Connects reasons for system’s existence and the beliefs of the polity with the systemUnderstand trends

Focuses on categorization and comparisonUnderstand trends and helps make predictions

To utilize a structural-functional systems framework to compare political systems we need to discuss three general concepts: System: suggests an object having interdependent parts,

acting within a setting or an environment Structure Function

Political system: a set of institutions and agencies concerned with formulating and implementing the collective goals of a society or of groups within it

Governments are the policymaking parts of political systems. Decisions of governments are normally backed up by legitimate

coercion; obedience may be compelled. A political system exists in both an international

environment and a domestic environment. A system receives inputs from these environments.

International Exchanges among countries may vary in many ways: small to great. Interdependence has increased enormously in the last decades.

Globalization Domestic

Economic and social systems Political culture of its citizens

1. Explain the two axial principals according to the author.

2. Identify and explain the four imperatives of the McWorld.

3. What is wrong with nationalism? What are some examples?

4. According to the Barber, why is democracy declining?5. What are the inherent problems with McWorld?6. How is Jihad both good and bad?7. What will democracies look like in the future?8. What is the only real form of democracy?9. How will democracy really take hold?10. What foreign policy mistakes have been made

according to his theory? Include recent events.

Structures: parliaments, bureaucracies, administrative agencies, and courts

Structures perform functions, which in turn enable the government to formulate, implement, and enforce its policies. Policies reflect the goals; the agencies provide the means. Six types of political structures: political parties, interest

groups, legislatures, executives, bureaucracies, and courts. Formal organizations engaged in political activities. Some structures, such as ruling military councils or governing

royal families, are found in only a few countries. Similar structures may have very different functions across

political systems. Ex: China and Britain

Process functions: distinctive activities necessary for policy to be made and implemented in any kind of political system Interest articulation

Involves individuals and groups expressing their needs and demands Interest aggregation

Combines different demands into policy proposals backed by significant political resources

Policymaking Decides which policy proposals are to become authoritative rules

Policy implementation Carries out and enforces public policies; policy adjudication settles

disputes about their application

Three additional functions which are not directly involved in making and implementing public policy - socialization, recruitment, and communication, are fundamentally important.

These are SYSTEM functions. They determine whether or not the system will be maintained or

changed. Political socialization: involves families, schools, communications

media, churches, and all the various political structures that develop, reinforce and transform the political culture, the attitudes of political significance in the society

Political recruitment: refers to the selection of people for political activity and government offices

Political communication: refers to the flow of information through the society and through the various structures that make up the political system

Outputs = the implementations of the political process. Substantive impacts on the society, the economy, and the

culture Regulation of behavior; extraction of resources; distribution of

benefits and services Reflect the way way the policies interact with the domestic

and international environments Example of structures and functions in Russia before

and after the breakdown of communist rule in the Soviet Union Approach - structural functional comparison

Allows us to examine how the same functions are performed in different countries, or in the same country at two different points in time

Sovereignty, Authority, Power,

Political Institutions

Citizens, Society & State

Political and economic Change

Public Policy

source of power can be limited by constitutional regimesdiscussion of political culture’s effects on system

– elites and elite systems equates to gov’t structures and electoral systems- interest groups

– structures – equitable distribution builds support– political participation - interest groups

institutionalization is a method of system change -change gradual or violent is dependent on typology

policy affected by political culture/ socialization

The concept that the power and discretion of government and its officials ought to be restrained by a supreme set of neutral rules that prevent arbitrary and unfair action by government. Also called constitutionalism. - Magstadt

• the principle that legal rules rather than arbitrary or personal decisions determine what happens – Hauss• governments can take no action that has not been authorized by law and that citizens can be punished only for actions violating existing laws- A & P

List the challenges Explain it Give a real world example

FRQ: Free response Question. APAP: Answer the Prompt; All Parts Explain the two main ways the comparative

method is used in comparative politics. Give two examples of problems that can occur when examining political features across a country.

Summarize the theory of Jihad vs McWorld. Give an example how the theory has come true. Give an example of something it got wrong.

Various terms are used to compare countries Old Approach: Three Worlds

◦ 1 – United States and its allies◦ 2 - Soviet Union and its allies

Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Russia maintains many relationships

◦ 3 - Third world nations Economically deprived and underdeveloped

Newer Approaches◦ Democracy vs. authoritarianism (political)◦ Communism vs. capitalism (economic)

New approaches must also take into account:◦ Role of informal politics◦ Importance of political change◦ Integration of political and economic systems

Our Approach: Countries fall into one of 3 groups:◦ “Advanced” democracies

UK and U.S.◦ Communist and post-communist countries

China and Russia◦ Less developed and newly industrializing

Newly industrializing – Mexico and Iran(?) Less developed - Nigeria

Summarize Huntington’s theory of the Clash of Civilizations.

What is the authors critique of the theory? Give two quotes/examples that the author

uses to disprove the clash of civilizations.