This document provides an overview of the topics that will be covered in a comparative politics course. It defines key terms like politics, power, and comparative politics. It discusses how power is studied in relation to political communities and countries. Some of the factors that will be examined across countries include institutions, interests, ideas, individuals, and the international environment. The document also lists different theoretical approaches that will be discussed, such as rational choice theory. Specific countries and regions like the European Union will be analyzed case studies.

1. POL 252-01
Spring 2016

4. What words, concepts, ideas, etc. come to mind
when you see the following words?
“politics”
“power”
“comparative politics”

5.  Many definitions of politics:
 Lasswell: “Who gets what, when and how”
 Easton: “Authoritative allocation of values” for society
 Characteristics of Politics:
 Struggle for power
 Emphasis on decision-making
 Political scientists study power as it relates to
the political community
 Political party, legislature, city, region, country

6.  Power:
 Ability to influence others or impose will on them
 How do you know if you have power?
 Get someone to do something they would not do
 Prevent someone from doing something they
would do
 Influence how people think

11.  Subfield of political science that compares
the pursuit of power across countries
 Examples of Power Imbalances:
 State Control vs. Individual Freedom
 Plutocracy vs. Egalitarianism

13.  Institutions
 Interests
 Ideas
 Individuals
 International Environment
 Interactions

15.  Government Performance
 Unemployment and Inflation
 Constitutional Structures
(and resulting institutions)
 “Behavioral Revolution” in Political Science

17.  Lasswell Definition of Politics
 How do individuals and groups define their
interests?
 Politically
 Economically
 Socially

19.  Political Culture
 What do people think about politics?
 Opinion Polling
(e.g. Gallup Poll, WorldValues Survey, etc.)
 Equality, Loyalty, Freedom, Justice,Trust
 Impact of ideas change over time
 Why?

21. James David Barber

22. ACTIVE-PASSIVE
 How much energy does
the president invest in
their job?
POSITIVE-NEGATIVE
 How much does the
president enjoy their job?

23. Can we categorize recent presidents?
George W. Bush? Barack Obama?
Active-Positive
Thomas Jefferson
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Teddy Roosevelt
JFK
Active-Negative
JohnAdams
LBJ
WoodrowWilson
Richard Nixon
James Madison
Ronald Reagan
William H.Taft
Passive-Positive
G GeorgeWashington
Calvin Coolidge
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ulysses S. Grant
Passive-Negative
Presidential
Character
Credit given to Dr. James M. Curry, GVPT 475, University of Maryland

25.  IndividualCountry Focus
 Why problematic?
 International Influences
 European Union as Case Study

26. How do EU member
states balance
individual history,
culture, etc. while part
of a large continental
organization?

32.  Individuals are rational and self-interested
with sincere preferences
 What does this mean?
 Borrowed from economics
 Example: Building a New Road in Murray
 Rep.Whitfield vs. Other Members in Congress

34.  Attitudes, values, beliefs, and symbols
 Gives people a way to understand politics
 Culture of location can change—but does
slowly—since it becomes ingrained in society
 Endures because of political socialization
 Cultural values can influence forms of power

35.  Well-defined attitudes, values, beliefs are
clearly identified within any political culture

36.  Question Modernists’ argument
 Cultures NOT fixed with set values;
subject to interpretation
 Societies have subcultures
(e.g. South and Northeast in U.S.)
 Importance of political discourse
 Example: Meaning of “family values”

37.  Beliefs on how political system should be

39.  Political structures influence & limit behavior
 Marxism and Institutionalism
 What is an institution?

41.  Who rules in the United States?
 Democratically-elected political actors
▪ Presidents, legislators, justices
 Voters
 Who rules in other countries?
 A dictator
 The military
 Something or someone else

42.  Distribution of Resources
 Social, Economic, Political
 Variation in Supply of
Resources
 Discusses power and
influence in New Haven, CT
 Will return to this during week
on democracies and
democratization

44.  Society divided into various groups and power is
dispersed so that no group has absolute power
 Common in nations with opposing parties
 Policy = Compromise
 Power and InfluenceVaries
 Example: Democrats and U.S. House

46.  Societies are ruled by elite; effective
monopoly on power
C. Wright Mills
Elite groups control
society.
Includes notable
families, celebrities,
CEO’s of companies,
stockholders, etc.

47.  Marxism
 Patriarchy
 Racial Elite

49.  Who is in formal position of power?
 Who has influence in governmental-
decision-making?
 Who benefits from decisions made?