test three Flashcards
what are the electoral systems?
majoritarian, proportional representation, or mixed
what is a majoritarian electoral system?
plurality (candidate with the most votes) or majority (candidate with the majority of votes)
what are the advantages and disadvantages of a majoritarian system?
adv: fewer and larger parties, clear mandates, and political accountability
dis: less representative, disproportionate results
what is a proportional representation electoral system?
parties gain legislature seats based on percentage of votes received
what are the advantages and disadvantages of a proportional representation system?
adv: more representative, proportional and fair results
dis: more and smaller parties, frequent coalition governments, reduced political accountability, risk of fragmentation
what is a mixed electoral system?
individual candidates follow majority rules and parties follow PR rules
what are the advantages and disadvantages of a mixed system?
adv: less wasted votes
dis: individual far less important than party vote
what are some similarities of developed democracies?
- institutionalized
- high levels of capitalist economic development
- service sector dominates
- high HDI rankings
- liberal regimes –> freedom and equality
- private property
- free markets
what are some differences of developed democracies?
- social welfare spending
- financial inequality
- tax burdens
- employment protections
what is integration?
more power to international organizations, reduces state capacity and autonomy
what is devolution?
more power at local and regional level, reduces state capacity and autonomy
what is the general history of the development of the Eu?
It began with the post WWII Schuman declaration and creation of the European coal and steel community in order to increase harmony. over the next 40 years, it combined with the EEC and Euratom, more countries joined and in 1991 it became the EU. Since then it has grown to 28 members, created the Lisbon treaty and the EU constitution, and has a common currency, the euro.
what are nondemocracies characterized by?
aka authoritarianism. a small group exercising power over the state without consideration from the public, individual freedom is restricted. the regime may be institutionalized and legitimate
what are characteristics of an authoritarian regime?
- modernization produces inequalities and class divides (urbanization, economic and job insecurity, conflict with social values and gender roles)
- elites unwilling to share power which creates a resource trap
- a weak or controlled civil society
- international factors, foreign occupation or backing of nondemocratic force
- culture, democracy is a western/christian concept as it emphasizes individualism and secularism
what is totalitarianism?
a rare variant of non democracy. it is a highly centralized, strong ideology which uses violence to remake institutions and seeks to transform/absorb fundamental aspects of the state, society, and economy
what is Arendt’s theory on totalitarianism?
world domination is the goal, strong ideology, a dictatorship
what is friedrich and Brzezinski’s theory on totalitarianism?
strong ideology focused on unanimity, single party and leader, terroristic police, weapons and communications monopoly (propaganda), centrally directed economy
what are different means of non democratic rule?
coercion and clientelism/co-optation
what is coercion?
uses fear, sanctions violence, requires surveillance but can undermine legitimacy, is costly to maintain, and still need some people to benefit
what is clientelism/co-optation?
benefits/rewards such as jobs, goods, or business for specific groups in return for public support
what are characteristics of military rule regimes?
rule by 1+ military officials or bureaucratic authoritarianism which is a statement where bureaucracy and military share the belief in technocratic leadership (superiors with technical knowledge make decisions) without relying on political public participation. often brought to power through coup d’etat with promises of stability. commonly uses coercion
what is one party rule?
all other parties are banned or excluded from power, may be combined with totalitarianism or corporatist/clientelist rule (soviet union, china)
what is a theocracy?
religion is the foundation of the regime, no true cases (i.e. islamic republic of Iran), supreme religious leaders instead of head of state, “ruled by god”
what is the definition of a liberal or hybrid regime?
it combines democratic and nondemocratic features, ruled by elected leadership but through procedures of questionable democratic legitimacy
what are characteristics of a liberal or hybrid regime?
- weak or poorly respected rule of law
- executives hold an overwhelming degree of power
- lack of political competition
- elections are manipulated
- few rights or freedom
- controlled media (iran, russia, venezuela)
what are the two major antagonistic classes?
bourgeoise and proleriat
what is the marxist labor theory of value?
in capitalist societies, products exchanged for money and profit. labor became a commodity exchanged for money, but its exchange value was lower than the value of the product it created.. if labor was able to produce value higher than its own value, that would be surplus value taken by the capitalist. profits come from surplus value, but so do expidentures. the struggle between capitalists and workers was for the rate of surplus value
what are communist state features?
- highly centralized authority and hierarchal system
- organizational parallelism/dual bureaucracy
- unclear demarcation between the functions and responsibilities of the party and the state
- uncontested elections
- impotent legislature
- political control of the economic system
- nomenklatura
- feature of clientelism
- political police and fear as a means of control
- banning of “hostile” organizations
- controlled civil society
what are key features of a planned economy?
- centrally planned economies replaces market
- state allocates resources by planning types and amounts of productions
- the final price of goods and where they should be sold
- investments are motivated by political priorities: military, strategic industries (steel, aluminum, machinery, gas, oil), secret service forces
- no consideration for return on investments (profitability)
- state provides extensive public goods and social services
what kinds of property are there in a communist state?
- collective property: means of production, building, most land, and natural resources were in socialist (state) ownership
- personal property: cars, furniture, clothes, etc.
