test 1 Flashcards
Webers def of state
A human community that successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory
Despotic power
the state elites coercively keep the means to undertake, without routine, negotiations with civil, social groups
Infrastructural power
Capacity to regulate groups and implement policies across the territory
3 dimensions of Inf. p: Capabilities Approach
The state has resources to eventually implement policies in civil society and exercise control across the territory
3 dimensions of Inf. p: Weight of the state
the states effects on society after they use their resources
3 dimensions of Inf. p: Subnational variation
the ability of the state to exercise control within its territory
Infrastructural power as the capabilities approach
fiscal resources, number of teachers, number of soldiers, number of buildings, number of tax collectors,
Infrastructural power as the weight of the state
how many people speak the language of the country
Subnational variations of infrastructural power
spread of schools, military posts, local origin of conscripted peasants in the territory
predatory view of the state
Predatory in a sense that it is an organization that uses violence and has to take resources from its people (taxes), the state wants to keep internal order defeat internal enemies and how states evolve over time
The substantive view of democracy
the outcomes that they produce and not just the institutions that they have
procedural view
classifies political regimes in regard to their institutions and procedures
contestation/competition
how people organize themselves and create their opinions/platforms
inclusion
the number of people allowed to participate in the contestant
Cheibub, Gandhi, and Vreeland version of democracy
regimes in which governmental officials are filled as a consequence of contested elections
Dahl’s definition of democracy
would be their consideration of the institutions that make up a government
three components of contestation: ex ante uncertainty
the outcome of the election is unknown before it happens
three components of contestation: ex post irreversibility
the winner of the election takes office
three components of contestation: repeatability
elections happen with the same criteria and frequency
four rules to operationalize democracy
-the chief executive is elected
-the legislature is elected
-more than one party competing in the elections
- an alternation in power under identical electoral rules has taken place
Democracy- dictatorship measure two components: governmental offices
democracy must have both a chief executive office and a legislature, which are both elected
Democracy- dictatorship measure two components: Contestation
opposition that has some chance of winning office as a consequence of the election
The Polity IV Measure (Marshall, Gurr, and Jaggers) A
the competitiveness of executive recruitment
The Polity IV Measure (Marshall, Gurr, and Jaggers) B
the openness of executive recruitment
The Polity IV Measure (Marshall, Gurr, and Jaggers) C
constraints that exist on the executive
The Polity IV Measure (Marshall, Gurr, and Jaggers) D
the regulation of political participation
The Polity IV Measure (Marshall, Gurr, and Jaggers) E
the competitiveness of political participation
Freedom House’s concept of democracy
political rights and civil rights
Electoral principal
the role of elections as
a mechanism for making rulers responsive (and/or accountable) to citizens
Liberal principal
the value of protecting individual
rights against state oppression and unrestricted majoritarian rule
majoritarian principal
the will of the majority of the people should be sovereign. Accordingly, democracy is enhanced if political institutions ensure that the many prevail over the few
consensual principle
political power should be widely dispersed and formal political institutions should encourage the inclusion of as many political perspectives as possible in
the decision-making process
participatory principal
embraces the values of direct rule and active participation by citizens in politic
deliberative principal
political decisions in pursuit of the public good should be informed by respectful and
reason-based dialogue rather than by emotional appeals or coercion
egalitarian principle
a polity must ensure that all citizens possess equal
capacity to influence policy decision
five components of the electoral principle
Elected officials, Clean elections,
Freedom of expression + alt source of info, Freedom of association, Inclusive suffrage
Competitive authoritarianism not democracy because:
of Attacks on the electoral arena, civil liberties, and uneven playing field
Competitive authoritarianism
Multiparty and regular elections
Method of agreement
to see the result of the theory and see if all the cases share something in common
regime
guides the state regarding individual freedom and collective equality, where power should reside, how leaders are elected, and how power should be used
Competitive authoritarianism
is NOT a democracy because of…
Attacks on the electoral arena, uneven playing field, attack on civil liberties
Four contextual variables that protect democracy
Strong check and balances, Institutionalized party system, no crisis, cleavage (lol) structure
3 dimensions of state capacity
extractive, coercive, and administrative capacity.
Traditional Coups
(1) illegal and overt attempts by (2) the military or other elites within the state apparatus to (3) unseat the sitting executive
components of state capacity
plentiful resources, administrative-military control of a territory, and loyal and skilled officials
extractive capacity
The extent of the state’s ability to collect tax revenue is a key component underpinning state capac-
ity.
coerisve capacity
despotic’ power,
refers to the ‘range of actions which the elite is empowered to undertake without routine, institutionalized negotiation with civil society groups
power vertical
the hierarchical subordination of regional governors and city mayors; the prohibition of
open political competition between local elites; and the co-optation of regional elites into the ‘party
of power
Administrative capacity
a range of state tasks such as developing policy, producing and delivering public goods and
services, and regulating commercial activity
Charles Tilly def of state
relatively centralized, differentiated organizations, the officials of which, more or less, successfully claim control over the chief concentrated means of violence within a population inhabiting a large contiguous territory
Oliver North’s def of state
A state is an organization with a comparative advantage in violence, extending over a geographic area whose boundaries are determined by its power to tax constituents.
4 primary activities of the state
war making, extraction, state making, protection
basic definition of “democracy” for the Varieties of Democracy
political way of government in which rule of law is determined by the people in some form or another
personality cult
although often supported by a party or the military, retains personal control of policy decisions and the selection of regime personnel
democratic erosion
incremental erosion of institutions, rules, and norms that results from the actions of duly elected governments
three interrelated causal factors for democratic erosion
- social and political polarization contributes to government
dysfunction and lack of trust in institutions
-effect of polarization on back-
sliding -> capturing executive/ judicial
-democratic backsliding is incremental in nature, which provides tactical advantage to incumbents
polarization
political elites and public become increasingly divided over public policy and ideology
four V-Dem indicators allowed an initial assessment of the level and path of polarization:
a general estimate of social
polarization
-the use of hate speech by political parties
-the strength of anti system social movements
-whether political elites respect counterarguments
three different sources of polarization
economic crises and structural changes induced by economic reforms, greater openness to trade, and skills-biased
technological change
y polarization bad
-government is less likely to function efficiently
-parties are more likely to become extreme
-“us-versus-them” mentality in voters
executive control over the legislature
the weaker the legislature, the
more susceptible the system is to backsliding (more control over policy/ laws)
gaining a legislative majority augmented the executive’s
power in three ways
- eliminated an important
source of oversight, easier for the executive to misuse
bureaucracy/ deploy public resources
-legislatures expanded/ extended executive powers, ex: constitutional amendments or the drafting of
new constitutions
-compliant legislatures acquiesced in steps that
directly weakened or dismantled institutions of horizontal accountability
