Regime Types

Question 1

TWO TYPES OF REGIMES

Answer 1

DEMOCRACIES AUTOCRACIES

Question 2

DEMOCRACY

Answer 2

MODERN POLITICAL DEMOCRACY IS A SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE INWHICH RULERS
ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS IN THE PUBLIC REALM BY CITIZENS,
ACTING INDIRECTLY THROUGH THE COMPETITION AND COOPERATION OF THEIR
ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
- Free and fair elections, leaders are
chosen by the people of the state
- There are mechanisms for holding
leaders and government
accountable
- Leaders are beholden to their
citizens
- Canada, Germany, Japan, United
Kingdom, etc.

Question 3

AUTOCRACY

Answer 3

“AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES ARE POLITICAL SYSTEMS WITH LIMITED, NOT
RESPONSIBLE, POLITICAL PLURALISM, WITHOUT ELABORATE AND GUIDING
IDEOLOGY (BUT WITH DISTINCTIVE MENTALITIES); WITHOUT INTENSIVE NOR
EXTENSIVE POLITICAL MOBILIZATION (EXCEPT AT SOME POINT IN THEIR
DEVELOPMENT), AND IN WHICH A LEADER (OR OCCASIONALLY A SMALL GROUP)
EXERCISES POWER WITHIN FORMALLY ILL-DEFINED LIMITS BUT ACTUALLY QUITE
PREDICTABLE ONES”
- FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, DICTATORSHIPS ARE REGIMES WHERE POWER IS
CONCENTRATED, POLITICAL PLURALISM IS RESTRICTED, AND THE MASSES ARE NOT
MOBILIZED. SCHOLARS HAVE ALSO EMPHASIZED OTHER RELATED FACTORS IN THEIR
DEFINITIONS OF DICTATORSHIPS, INCLUDING LACK OF REPRESENTATION (ACEMOGLU &
ROBINSON, 2006, P. 17) AND THE ABSENCE OF AN ELECTORAL PROCESS
- AUTOCRACY
There are no free and fair
elections, leaders are not chosen
by the people of the state
- Citizens have no say in
determining their states laws or
holding leaders accountable
- Leaders are not responsible to
their citizens, but rather a small
group of elites
- North Korea, China, Russia