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Comparative Politics > Authoritarian Regimes > Flashcards

Authoritarian Regimes Flashcards

1
Q

What are characteristics of authoritarian regimes?

A
  1. Limited (but not responsible) pluralism
  2. Distinctive mentalities
  3. Low levels of social mobilization
  4. Ill-defined but predictable limits of power
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2
Q

What is meant by limited pluralism

A

Small key groups are in power & certain groups are banned

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3
Q

What is meant by a limited pluralism that’s not responsible?

A

Social institutions -> have autonomy

Eg. Military, church, business organizations, unions

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4
Q

How are totalitarianism and authoritarianism different

A

There are boundaries between state and society (state doesn’t control aspects of society)

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5
Q

What are distinctive mentalities

A

Not fully developed ideology BUT mentalities (ways of thinking)
Eg. Mentalities -> militarism/nationalism
- Allow flexibility to switch ideas
- Limit ability
○ To mobilize people for a long time
Create psych attachment to regime

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6
Q

What are low levels of social mobilization?

A

Demoblize -> depoliticeze -> stability

Not a lot of opposition to political parties because don’t think about politics

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7
Q

What are ill-defined, but predictable limits of power?

A
  • Violence is always a possibility to respond to political conflicts
  • Rapid changes of enemies
  • Violations of rights
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8
Q

Totalitarian characteristics in a regime

A
  1. Political power: Everything is in one power/party = state social/political government controls (Monolithic)
  2. Beliefs: One ideology -> easier to mobilize
  3. Mobilization: Mobilize all aspects of society
  4. Use of violence: Random, unpredictable of power
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9
Q

authoritarian characteristics in a regime

A
  1. Political Power: Limited pluralism, social -> society, political -> government
  2. Beliefs: No ideology BUT mentality -> change mentality/views
  3. Mobilization: no
  4. Use of violence: yes, but limit of power defined, violation of human rights
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10
Q

Mobilization

A

Ability to depot official support

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11
Q

What are the different types of authoritarian regimes?

A
  1. Personalist
  2. Single-party
  3. Military
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12
Q

What are personalist regimes

A
  • One person STRONG man -> cult of personality
  • In government because of relationship with leader
  • Personal networks (eg. Related, ethnicity, religion) = important
  • Military/party =X independent power
  • Regime personal rotates ->personal bases of support
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13
Q

What is an example of a personality regime?

A

Sudham hussein in IRAQ

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14
Q

How does leader stay in power in personalist regiem

A

Repression -> prevent uprisings

Distrubution of patronage to allies -> prevent internal divisions AND COUP

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15
Q

What are absoltue monarchies

A
  • type of personalist regimes
  • Royal family -> reduces uncertainty in succession
    Eg. Saudi arabia
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16
Q

What are single party regimes

A

One party dominates

17
Q

What are the different types os single party regimes

A 
1. Communist 
	Eg. china
2. Fascist
	Eg. Mexico
3. Post-colonial
Eg. Post-indpendcee Tanzania
18
Q

How does a single party stay in power?

A
  1. Repression -> weaken opposition
  2. Some party mobilization ->for legitmacy
  3. Benefits to loyal citizens (jobs/education/etc) -> for support
  4. POWER sharing -> prevent internal divisions
19
Q

What are military regimes

A
  • Council of military officers in power (junta)
  • Military counci
    • Decides who rules
  • More frequent during cold war
  • Various political positions BUT usually RIGHT WING (economic)
    • Exception: middle east
  • Similar goals: national integrity/internal order
    State of emergency/martial law
20
Q

What are some examples of military regimes

A

Egypt (1981-2011/2013-)

21
Q

How does a military regime endure?

A
  • Repression -> suppress opposition

- Power is shared among council -> prevent internal divisions/coup

22
Q

How do military regimes form?

A

Formed after military coup

- Seizes secutive power by force
- Take power away from elected officials/prevents elected officials from taking office
   - RESPONSE TO political instabiltiy
23
Q

What is an example of a military coup?

A
  • Leftist parties win elections
  • Conservative officers led by FRANCISCO FRANCO launch coup
  • Civil war -> conservatives win
  • Military regime created
    In power until 1975
24
Q

Failure of regimes

A
  • military=least stable

- single party=most stable

25
Q

End of military regimes

A
  • Most vulnerable to crisis within the country
    • Economic downturns
  • Starts with split within military elite
  • Some want to go back to service
    • If/when goal = obtained
    • Maintain role in democracy
26
Q

How are single-party regimes stable

A
  • Much internal stability
  • Large support:
    • Jobs, education, govt
  • Institutional structures favor
    • popular participation
    •Elite power-sharing
27
Q

How are single party regimes collapsed

A

Brought down from external conflict
Eg. Soviet collapse
World wars
Intl economic crisis

28
Q

End of personalist regime

A

Less vulnerable than military regimes
- One leader prevents challenges
More vulnerable than single party regimes
- Vulnerable to death of leader
- Narrower support (smaller share of citzens: kingship, religion, etc)
Vulnerable to economic crises with patrons

29
Q

What is electoral fallacy

A
  • Elections = democracy
  • But elections not sufficient
  • REMEMBER DEFINITIONS OF DEMOCRACY
30
Q

Why are holding elections bad for authoritarian regimes

A

Think marks beginning of democrazationation

BUT authoritarian regimes have elections AND survive

31
Q

Elections in authoritarian regimes are

A
  1. Manageable
  2. Provide benefits to regime
    Can help regime survive
32
Q

How do authoritarian regimes manage elections before voting day

A

Before election…

- Control media
- Control which candidates can run
    - Harass opposition
33
Q

How do authoritarian regimes manage election day of election

A
  • Buy votes
  • Pressure voters
  • Stuff ballot boxes
  • Falsify results
34
Q

How do authoritarian regimes manage elections after voting day

A
  • Manipulate results
  • Annul results

Resorts to coups

35
Q

H=what are advantages of election in authoritarian regimes

A
  1. Signal dominance -> discourage opposition
  2. Provide information
    Don’t know preference of citizens, bc scared of oppression
    • Reveals
      ○ How/where popular regime is
      ○ Which local leaders better at mobilizing support
      ○ How/where opposition organized
      ○ Where major opposition leaders are
      ○ Citizen’s grieviences
  3. Elite recruitment
    • Opportunities for ambitious
      ○ Winners -> pathway to elite
      ○ Losers -> can try again/no coups or revolts
36
Q

Disadvantages for elections

A
  • Opposition can organize
  • Provide opportunity for foreign pro-democracy support (US, EU)
  • Expose regime weakness -> protests
    • Eg. Belarus 2020
  • Can spark democratic transition
37
Q

Elections: recap

A

Necessary BUT not sufficient for democracy

Matter, but serve other purposes for authoritarian regimes

Comparative Politics (20 decks)

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