What is Comparative
Government?
We will look out our global window,
instead of in the mirror…
Comparing Nation States
Comparative Government:
“The essence of comparative government as a
study is to compare the ways in which different
societies cope with various problems; the role
of the political structures involved being of
particular interest.” {Dictionary of Modern Politics}
We must use a Comparative Lens
Activists holding placards depicting the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, protest
against Russia's new anti-gay laws in London.
Three Lenses for Comparison
• Political (Past and Present)
• Economic (How developed? What SUPRANATIONAL
organizations does the country belong to?)
• Social & Cultural (Quality of life/Civil Society)
Civil Society = How do citizens organize themselves and
define their interests? Voluntary; outside of the State
Quantitative and Qualitative Data
Numerical Data
Case Studies
Empirical v. Normative Data
FRQ Question #2 2013
Statement X: The rate of population growth has
decreased in Iran since the 1990s.
Statement Y: Developing countries should adopt
population growth policies similar to Iran’s.
Identify the empirical statement above. Identify the
normative statement above. Explain the difference
between a NORMATIVE and an EMPIRICAL statement.
Empirical v. Normative
FRQ Question #2 2013
Statement X: The rate of population growth has decreased in Iran
since the 1990s. EMPIRICAL
Statement Y: Developing countries should adopt population growth
policies similar to Iran’s. NORMATIVE
Identify the empirical statement above. Identify the normative
statement above. Explain the difference between a
NORMATIVE and an EMPIRICAL statement.
subjective or valuerelated judgments
factual or objective
statements
Themes of the Course
I. Sovereignty, Authority, and Power
Politics = Power
Who has it?
How did they get it?
How are they keeping it?
Themes of the Course
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Sovereignty, Authority, and Power
Political Institutions
Citizens, Society and the State
Social Cleavages
Political and Economic Change
REFORM – REVOLUTION – COUP
Public Policy
Crisis of Nation-Building
Focus on Legitimacy
The popular acceptance of a governing law
or regime as an authority;
The people BELIEVE it to be a proper or
acceptable form of government;
Sociologist Max Weber
Traditional: belief that tradition
should determine who rules and how;
longevity
Legal: based on a system of laws and
procedures (common law and/or legal
precedent)
Charismatic: based on a dynamic
personality; Napoleon
The process of Democratization
(Dramatic trend in the past 30 yrs.)
“It has been said that democracy is the worst
form of government except all the others that
have been tried. “
- Winston Churchill, British politician
(1874 - 1965)
Three Waves of Democratization
Samuel Huntington
1. Late nineteenth century: Industrialization
and Urbanization (about 20 democracies/out
of 65 nations)
2. After WW II: Break up of the colonial
empires in Africa, Asia and Caribbean
3. 1970’s: Latin America, Asia and the fall of the
USSR
Are we headed into a 4th with the “Arab
Spring?”
Egypt
China
Russia
Democratic Regimes
Procedural Democracy
• Elections for
policymakers
• BUT sometimes a
façade – a dominant
party, the military or a
“strong man” dominate
“Illiberal Democracies”
Substantive Democracies
• Free and fair elections
• Freedom of the press
and to organize
• Independent court
system
• Civil Rights and Liberties
= Civil Society
Jihad vs. McWorld
“The planet is falling precipitately
apart and coming reluctantly
together as the very same moment.”
Jihad vs. McWorld Discussion
FOCUS QUESTION:
What will be the lasting legacy of globalization: an
interdependent, peaceful global society or one rife with
localism, fragmentation and conflict?
Use evidence to support your statement
JIHAD Reading: Peaceful Global Society
JIHAD Reading: Fragmentation & Conflict
As a group, discuss the readings, and providing quotes or
examples that support the section heading you are
responsible for.