This lecture covers topics in comparative politics and international relations. It discusses approaches to comparing political systems like rational choice, structural functionalism, and cultural approaches. It also addresses how political systems interact with their domestic and international environments. The lecture examines the structures and functions of political systems, and how outputs are shaped by policies. It explores definitions of comparative politics and how it relates to international relations. It questions whether comparative politics and international relations as fields of study will continue to merge in the future.
Easton constructed a systems theory model of politics that defines the basic processes of any political system. The model views the political system as converting "inputs" from the environment, like demands and support from citizens, into "outputs" like policies, plans and programs. There is also "feedback" as citizens react to outputs. The environment outside the political system also influences inputs, decision-making, outputs and feedback. However, critics argue the model presents an overly mechanical and rigid view of politics that better describes stable democracies and has a "black box" view of how decisions are made inside the political system.
Almond, Almond’s Developmental Approach to Political SystemMahrukh Cheema
The document summarizes Gabriel Almond's structural functional approach to political science. It outlines Almond's view of a political system and the key concepts in his approach, including political structure, culture, and the functions of a system. Almond believed that political development occurs as systems differentiate structurally and cultures become more secular and rational. His approach provided a framework for comparing systems but was criticized for being ideologically conservative and not fully accounting for non-Western contexts.
This document provides an introduction to the study guide for the course "Comparative Political Systems" for MA Political Science students at the University of Calicut School of Distance Education. It outlines the 7 modules that will be covered in the course, including the Nature, Evolution and Scope of Comparative Politics, Theories of Comparative Politics, Federalism and Constitutionalism, functions of government, interest groups and party systems, bureaucracy, and a comparative analysis of political systems in the UK, USA, France, Russia, and China. It also lists the authors who prepared and reviewed the material. The course uses a comparative approach to analyze different countries' political institutions and processes.
This document provides the module specification for an "Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics" course. The course aims to examine and compare different democratic and non-democratic systems through studying political institutions like executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It will use comparative methods to analyze similarities and differences between regime types. The course is organized around institution-specific topics incorporating various country case studies. It will be taught through lectures and seminars. Upon completing the course, students will gain understanding of comparative methods, features of different political systems and institutions, and case studies of regime types from democracies to dictatorships.
This document discusses different approaches to institutionalism, including old institutionalism, rational choice institutionalism, sociological institutionalism, and historical institutionalism. Old institutionalism focused too much on formal rules without considering human behavior. Rational choice institutionalism views institutions as sets of rules that structure games and influence payoffs. Sociological institutionalism emphasizes how institutions define roles that influence behavior through a logic of appropriateness rather than consequences. Historical institutionalism examines how path dependence affects institutional change over time through processes like displacement, layering, drift, conversion and exhaustion. The approaches provide different perspectives for understanding issues like the failure to properly investigate the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence.
Easton constructed a systems theory model of politics that defines the basic processes of any political system. The model views the political system as converting "inputs" from the environment, like demands and support from citizens, into "outputs" like policies, plans and programs. There is also "feedback" as citizens react to outputs. The environment outside the political system also influences inputs, decision-making, outputs and feedback. However, critics argue the model presents an overly mechanical and rigid view of politics that better describes stable democracies and has a "black box" view of how decisions are made inside the political system.
Almond, Almond’s Developmental Approach to Political SystemMahrukh Cheema
The document summarizes Gabriel Almond's structural functional approach to political science. It outlines Almond's view of a political system and the key concepts in his approach, including political structure, culture, and the functions of a system. Almond believed that political development occurs as systems differentiate structurally and cultures become more secular and rational. His approach provided a framework for comparing systems but was criticized for being ideologically conservative and not fully accounting for non-Western contexts.
This document provides an introduction to the study guide for the course "Comparative Political Systems" for MA Political Science students at the University of Calicut School of Distance Education. It outlines the 7 modules that will be covered in the course, including the Nature, Evolution and Scope of Comparative Politics, Theories of Comparative Politics, Federalism and Constitutionalism, functions of government, interest groups and party systems, bureaucracy, and a comparative analysis of political systems in the UK, USA, France, Russia, and China. It also lists the authors who prepared and reviewed the material. The course uses a comparative approach to analyze different countries' political institutions and processes.
This document provides the module specification for an "Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics" course. The course aims to examine and compare different democratic and non-democratic systems through studying political institutions like executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It will use comparative methods to analyze similarities and differences between regime types. The course is organized around institution-specific topics incorporating various country case studies. It will be taught through lectures and seminars. Upon completing the course, students will gain understanding of comparative methods, features of different political systems and institutions, and case studies of regime types from democracies to dictatorships.
This document discusses different approaches to institutionalism, including old institutionalism, rational choice institutionalism, sociological institutionalism, and historical institutionalism. Old institutionalism focused too much on formal rules without considering human behavior. Rational choice institutionalism views institutions as sets of rules that structure games and influence payoffs. Sociological institutionalism emphasizes how institutions define roles that influence behavior through a logic of appropriateness rather than consequences. Historical institutionalism examines how path dependence affects institutional change over time through processes like displacement, layering, drift, conversion and exhaustion. The approaches provide different perspectives for understanding issues like the failure to properly investigate the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence.
The document discusses designers' intentions in establishing institutions. It makes three key points:
1. Institutional performance can be traced back to the intentions and purposes of their original designers.
2. Regional institutions in Africa, like the OAU and AU, were designed with limitations to respect states' sovereignty and avoid strict adherence.
3. While collective decision making involves many influences, the final institutional arrangements reflect shared intentions and collective responsibility among designers.
This document discusses institutions and institutional theory. It begins by outlining the significance of institutions and how they matter for economic development. It then defines institutions and lists some of their key characteristics, including structure, stability, regulating behavior, and shared values. The document also presents a typology of institutional theories, including historical institutionalism, rational choice institutionalism, and normative institutionalism. It provides details on historical institutionalism and how institutions evolve over time through path dependence.
Political Science 2 – Comparative Politics - Power Point #5John Paul Tabakian
This document summarizes the key topics and readings for Dr. Tabakian's Political Science 2 course on modern world governments. The topics covered in the upcoming lectures include defining democracy, direct democracy, democratic transition, five generalizations about democracy, democratic peace theory, republican forms of government, and the similarities between democracy and capitalism. The reading assignments examine paradoxes of contemporary democracy and reflections on the end of history.
Rational choice theory proposes that people make rational decisions based on weighing costs and benefits to maximize personal utility. It is used to explain social change as resulting from individuals making utility-maximizing choices. Critics argue people do not always make decisions through strict cost-benefit analysis. The theory assumes humans are goal-oriented and make rational calculations to optimize pleasure or profit when choosing between alternatives. However, it cannot fully explain phenomena like altruism that are not self-interested.
Comparative Government theory and structurenorth819
The document discusses different approaches to analyzing political systems, including the structural-functional approach. This approach examines how structures within a political system, such as political parties and legislatures, perform functions to develop and implement policy. It also considers broader system functions like socialization, recruitment, and communication that influence whether a system is maintained or changed. The structural-functional framework allows comparisons of how different countries organize to perform similar functions.
This document discusses different approaches to comparative politics, including traditional and structural-functional approaches. It outlines four traditional approaches: the philosophical approach, which uses deductive reasoning; the historical approach, which studies historical context; the institutional approach, which compares government institutions; and the legal approach, which treats states as organizations for law. It then describes the structural-functional approach, which views political systems as institutions that interact within a dynamic relationship to other systems and require feedback mechanisms.
This document outlines the key topics and concepts covered in a political science course. It discusses definitions of politics, forms of power, comparisons of power across countries, reasons for war between countries, and theories of political science such as pluralism, elite theory, and Marxism. Examples are provided to illustrate concepts like dimensions of power, forms of government, and presidential character types. Students are instructed to develop questions about different topics using the four W's framework of who, what, when, where.
This document discusses the application of institutional theory to understand corporate social responsibility (CSR). It begins by defining CSR and explaining how institutional theory rejects the idea that organizations act autonomously. It then discusses three mechanisms by which institutions influence organizations: coercive isomorphism through laws; mimetic isomorphism through imitation; and normative isomorphism through social norms. The document provides an example of how institutional theory has been applied in cross-national CSR studies. It also notes some critiques of institutional theory regarding conceptual looseness and overlap between isomorphism types. Finally, it suggests areas for future research on CSR in different country contexts and small-to-medium sized organizations.
Sociological Institutionalism argues that institutions shape actor preferences and available choices rather than actors rationally designing institutions. It focuses on how shared understandings, norms, and routines develop through fields and isomorphic processes like mimicry. While providing explanations for stability, it has faced criticism around allowing for innovation and change given its emphasis on taken-for-granted practices and copying between actors. The theory is argued to be most applicable in situations where symbolic dimensions dominate, technical dimensions are immature, or long time frames are considered.
Comparative politics faces an uncertain future as it reaches a crossroads. It must decide whether to continue following institutionalism and rational choice approaches or simplify. Alternatively, it could embrace the complex interdependence of today's world and conduct research accordingly. The author argues comparative politics should take the latter approach to remain innovative rather than conform to American trends. It has made gains in methodology but further progress is needed to build on past work cumulatively.
David Easton developed system theory to analyze political processes. He defines a political system as a set of interactions that allocates values for society. According to Easton, a political system has two components: inputs and outputs. Inputs include demands from the public and support mechanisms that provide legitimacy. The system processes inputs and produces outputs like policies and rules. The environment, including other social systems, shapes the political system through this input and output process.
Aom presentation, csr & institutional theory evidence from a developing islam...Amir Ghazinoori
This study examines how formal and informal institutions shape corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and practices in Iran. The researchers conducted interviews with companies and institutions to understand their perspectives. They found that informal institutions like culture, traditions and personal values have a stronger influence on CSR than formal institutions like laws and regulations, which are weakly developed in Iran. Religion has some impact but personal ethics and values were seen as more influential. Non-governmental organizations play a minimal role. The findings indicate institutional changes are needed to further advance CSR in Iran's unique social, political and economic context.
Comparative politics examines political systems and behaviors across different countries. It compares domestic politics rather than international relations. The field analyzes similarities and differences between variables like institutions, policies, and cultures. It uses empirical analysis and develops hypotheses, theories, and conceptual frameworks to understand relationships between independent and dependent variables. Comparative methods seek to discover how political realities operate differently or similarly in various nation states through systematic study.
The document discusses different approaches in social sciences, including institutionalism. It describes institutionalism as a subject matter, method, and theory. As a subject matter, it focuses on the study of political institutions. As a method, it is descriptive, inductive, formal-legal, and comparative in examining institutions historically. As a theory, it makes claims about the causes and consequences of institutions and supports democratic values.
Political science is the study of politics, governments, public policies and political processes. It examines how people govern themselves and the consequences of different political processes. Political scientists serve as researchers and academics to understand power dynamics, policymaking, and the interactions between governments and societies. The nature and scope of political science can be understood through different approaches like traditional, philosophical, institutional, behavioral, developmental and by examining political systems. While political science draws from the scientific method, politics involves human behaviors that are complex and not easily studied through experiments.
It is probably fair to say that public administration scholarship has been more successful in demonstrating the need for theories of bureaucratic politics than in actually producing those frameworks. It has been more than half a century since scholars such as Waldo and Gaus exposed the rickety foundations of the politics administration dichotomy and made a convincing brief that administrative theory had to share common ground with political theory.
This document provides an introduction to comparative politics. It discusses what comparative politics is, what it studies, and its main approaches. Comparative politics aims to describe, explain, and predict outcomes by comparing political systems, institutions, actors, and processes across countries. It examines similarities and differences at the national, sub-national, and supranational levels. The document also outlines the evolution of the field from its traditional focus on institutions to the behavioral revolution examining public attitudes, and more recent returns to institutional analysis.
Unit 5 Comparative methods and ApproachesYash Agarwal
The passage provides an overview of the political economy approach to studying comparative politics. It discusses how the concept of political economy has evolved over time from Aristotle to modern theorists. Political economy refers to understanding economics and politics as interconnected rather than separate domains, and how this relationship manifests itself. The passage outlines some of the major theories that have utilized the political economy approach, including modernization theory, dependency theory, and world systems analysis. It provides context on how political economy emerged as a framework for examining relationships between countries and explaining social and political phenomena.
This document provides an overview of different theories in comparative politics as discussed by Ruth Lane in her chapter on theory and the art of comparative politics. It outlines three main forms of theory - Michel's "iron law of oligarchy," functionalism, and rational choice theory. It also discusses Lane's perspective on model building as a method of theory construction and presents the "politics" model as an example. Overall, the document aims to illustrate different approaches to conceptualizing and constructing theories in comparative politics.
1. Public Policy Understanding public policy is both an art a.docxjackiewalcutt
1. Public Policy
“Understanding public policy is both an art and a craft.” (Dye, 2010, p. 8). Explain how policy makers can perfect their craft for the betterment of society. Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.
Policy Analysis
“Policy analysis is finding out what governments do, why they do it, and what difference, if any, it makes” (Dye, 2010, p. 4). Discuss your understanding of what policy analysis contains and what policy makers can learn from policy analysis. Provide at least two examples to support your argument.
2 Models of Politics Some Help in Thinking About Public Policy
Models for Policy Analysis
A model is a simplified representation of some aspect of the real world. It may be an actual physical representation—a model airplane, for example, or the tabletop buildings that planners and architects use to show how things will look when proposed projects are completed. Or a model may be a diagram—a road map, for example, or a flow chart that political scientists use to show how a bill becomes law.
Uses of Models.
The models we shall use in studying policy are conceptual models. These are word models that try to
•Simplify and clarify our thinking about politics and public policy.
•Identify important aspects of policy problems.
•Help us to communicate with each other by focusing on essential features of political life.
•Direct our efforts to understand public policy better by suggesting what is important and what is unimportant.
•Suggest explanations for public policy and predict its consequences.
Selected Policy Models.
Over the years, political science, like other scientific disciplines, has developed a number of models to help us understand political life. Throughout this volume we will try to see whether these models have any utility in the study of public policy. Specifically, we want to examine public policy from the perspective of the following models:
•Institutional model
•Process model
•Rational model
•Incremental model
•Group model
•Elite model
•Public choice model
•Game theory model
Each of these terms identifies a major conceptual model that can be found in the literature of political science. None of these models was derived especially to study public policy, yet each offers a separate way of thinking about policy and even suggests some of the general causes and consequences of public policy.
These models are not competitive in the sense that any one of them could be judged “best.” Each one provides a separate focus on political life, and each can help us to understand different things about public policy. Although some policies appear at first glance to lend themselves to explanation by one particular model, most policies are a combination of rational planning, incrementalism, interest group activity, elite preferences, game playing, public choice, political processes, and institutional influences. In later chapters these models will be employed, singularly and in combination, to descr ...
The document discusses designers' intentions in establishing institutions. It makes three key points:
1. Institutional performance can be traced back to the intentions and purposes of their original designers.
2. Regional institutions in Africa, like the OAU and AU, were designed with limitations to respect states' sovereignty and avoid strict adherence.
3. While collective decision making involves many influences, the final institutional arrangements reflect shared intentions and collective responsibility among designers.
This document discusses institutions and institutional theory. It begins by outlining the significance of institutions and how they matter for economic development. It then defines institutions and lists some of their key characteristics, including structure, stability, regulating behavior, and shared values. The document also presents a typology of institutional theories, including historical institutionalism, rational choice institutionalism, and normative institutionalism. It provides details on historical institutionalism and how institutions evolve over time through path dependence.
Political Science 2 – Comparative Politics - Power Point #5John Paul Tabakian
This document summarizes the key topics and readings for Dr. Tabakian's Political Science 2 course on modern world governments. The topics covered in the upcoming lectures include defining democracy, direct democracy, democratic transition, five generalizations about democracy, democratic peace theory, republican forms of government, and the similarities between democracy and capitalism. The reading assignments examine paradoxes of contemporary democracy and reflections on the end of history.
Rational choice theory proposes that people make rational decisions based on weighing costs and benefits to maximize personal utility. It is used to explain social change as resulting from individuals making utility-maximizing choices. Critics argue people do not always make decisions through strict cost-benefit analysis. The theory assumes humans are goal-oriented and make rational calculations to optimize pleasure or profit when choosing between alternatives. However, it cannot fully explain phenomena like altruism that are not self-interested.
Comparative Government theory and structurenorth819
The document discusses different approaches to analyzing political systems, including the structural-functional approach. This approach examines how structures within a political system, such as political parties and legislatures, perform functions to develop and implement policy. It also considers broader system functions like socialization, recruitment, and communication that influence whether a system is maintained or changed. The structural-functional framework allows comparisons of how different countries organize to perform similar functions.
This document discusses different approaches to comparative politics, including traditional and structural-functional approaches. It outlines four traditional approaches: the philosophical approach, which uses deductive reasoning; the historical approach, which studies historical context; the institutional approach, which compares government institutions; and the legal approach, which treats states as organizations for law. It then describes the structural-functional approach, which views political systems as institutions that interact within a dynamic relationship to other systems and require feedback mechanisms.
This document outlines the key topics and concepts covered in a political science course. It discusses definitions of politics, forms of power, comparisons of power across countries, reasons for war between countries, and theories of political science such as pluralism, elite theory, and Marxism. Examples are provided to illustrate concepts like dimensions of power, forms of government, and presidential character types. Students are instructed to develop questions about different topics using the four W's framework of who, what, when, where.
This document discusses the application of institutional theory to understand corporate social responsibility (CSR). It begins by defining CSR and explaining how institutional theory rejects the idea that organizations act autonomously. It then discusses three mechanisms by which institutions influence organizations: coercive isomorphism through laws; mimetic isomorphism through imitation; and normative isomorphism through social norms. The document provides an example of how institutional theory has been applied in cross-national CSR studies. It also notes some critiques of institutional theory regarding conceptual looseness and overlap between isomorphism types. Finally, it suggests areas for future research on CSR in different country contexts and small-to-medium sized organizations.
Sociological Institutionalism argues that institutions shape actor preferences and available choices rather than actors rationally designing institutions. It focuses on how shared understandings, norms, and routines develop through fields and isomorphic processes like mimicry. While providing explanations for stability, it has faced criticism around allowing for innovation and change given its emphasis on taken-for-granted practices and copying between actors. The theory is argued to be most applicable in situations where symbolic dimensions dominate, technical dimensions are immature, or long time frames are considered.
Comparative politics faces an uncertain future as it reaches a crossroads. It must decide whether to continue following institutionalism and rational choice approaches or simplify. Alternatively, it could embrace the complex interdependence of today's world and conduct research accordingly. The author argues comparative politics should take the latter approach to remain innovative rather than conform to American trends. It has made gains in methodology but further progress is needed to build on past work cumulatively.
David Easton developed system theory to analyze political processes. He defines a political system as a set of interactions that allocates values for society. According to Easton, a political system has two components: inputs and outputs. Inputs include demands from the public and support mechanisms that provide legitimacy. The system processes inputs and produces outputs like policies and rules. The environment, including other social systems, shapes the political system through this input and output process.
Aom presentation, csr & institutional theory evidence from a developing islam...Amir Ghazinoori
This study examines how formal and informal institutions shape corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and practices in Iran. The researchers conducted interviews with companies and institutions to understand their perspectives. They found that informal institutions like culture, traditions and personal values have a stronger influence on CSR than formal institutions like laws and regulations, which are weakly developed in Iran. Religion has some impact but personal ethics and values were seen as more influential. Non-governmental organizations play a minimal role. The findings indicate institutional changes are needed to further advance CSR in Iran's unique social, political and economic context.
Comparative politics examines political systems and behaviors across different countries. It compares domestic politics rather than international relations. The field analyzes similarities and differences between variables like institutions, policies, and cultures. It uses empirical analysis and develops hypotheses, theories, and conceptual frameworks to understand relationships between independent and dependent variables. Comparative methods seek to discover how political realities operate differently or similarly in various nation states through systematic study.
The document discusses different approaches in social sciences, including institutionalism. It describes institutionalism as a subject matter, method, and theory. As a subject matter, it focuses on the study of political institutions. As a method, it is descriptive, inductive, formal-legal, and comparative in examining institutions historically. As a theory, it makes claims about the causes and consequences of institutions and supports democratic values.
Political science is the study of politics, governments, public policies and political processes. It examines how people govern themselves and the consequences of different political processes. Political scientists serve as researchers and academics to understand power dynamics, policymaking, and the interactions between governments and societies. The nature and scope of political science can be understood through different approaches like traditional, philosophical, institutional, behavioral, developmental and by examining political systems. While political science draws from the scientific method, politics involves human behaviors that are complex and not easily studied through experiments.
It is probably fair to say that public administration scholarship has been more successful in demonstrating the need for theories of bureaucratic politics than in actually producing those frameworks. It has been more than half a century since scholars such as Waldo and Gaus exposed the rickety foundations of the politics administration dichotomy and made a convincing brief that administrative theory had to share common ground with political theory.
This document provides an introduction to comparative politics. It discusses what comparative politics is, what it studies, and its main approaches. Comparative politics aims to describe, explain, and predict outcomes by comparing political systems, institutions, actors, and processes across countries. It examines similarities and differences at the national, sub-national, and supranational levels. The document also outlines the evolution of the field from its traditional focus on institutions to the behavioral revolution examining public attitudes, and more recent returns to institutional analysis.
Unit 5 Comparative methods and ApproachesYash Agarwal
The passage provides an overview of the political economy approach to studying comparative politics. It discusses how the concept of political economy has evolved over time from Aristotle to modern theorists. Political economy refers to understanding economics and politics as interconnected rather than separate domains, and how this relationship manifests itself. The passage outlines some of the major theories that have utilized the political economy approach, including modernization theory, dependency theory, and world systems analysis. It provides context on how political economy emerged as a framework for examining relationships between countries and explaining social and political phenomena.
This document provides an overview of different theories in comparative politics as discussed by Ruth Lane in her chapter on theory and the art of comparative politics. It outlines three main forms of theory - Michel's "iron law of oligarchy," functionalism, and rational choice theory. It also discusses Lane's perspective on model building as a method of theory construction and presents the "politics" model as an example. Overall, the document aims to illustrate different approaches to conceptualizing and constructing theories in comparative politics.
1. Public Policy Understanding public policy is both an art a.docxjackiewalcutt
1. Public Policy
“Understanding public policy is both an art and a craft.” (Dye, 2010, p. 8). Explain how policy makers can perfect their craft for the betterment of society. Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.
Policy Analysis
“Policy analysis is finding out what governments do, why they do it, and what difference, if any, it makes” (Dye, 2010, p. 4). Discuss your understanding of what policy analysis contains and what policy makers can learn from policy analysis. Provide at least two examples to support your argument.
2 Models of Politics Some Help in Thinking About Public Policy
Models for Policy Analysis
A model is a simplified representation of some aspect of the real world. It may be an actual physical representation—a model airplane, for example, or the tabletop buildings that planners and architects use to show how things will look when proposed projects are completed. Or a model may be a diagram—a road map, for example, or a flow chart that political scientists use to show how a bill becomes law.
Uses of Models.
The models we shall use in studying policy are conceptual models. These are word models that try to
•Simplify and clarify our thinking about politics and public policy.
•Identify important aspects of policy problems.
•Help us to communicate with each other by focusing on essential features of political life.
•Direct our efforts to understand public policy better by suggesting what is important and what is unimportant.
•Suggest explanations for public policy and predict its consequences.
Selected Policy Models.
Over the years, political science, like other scientific disciplines, has developed a number of models to help us understand political life. Throughout this volume we will try to see whether these models have any utility in the study of public policy. Specifically, we want to examine public policy from the perspective of the following models:
•Institutional model
•Process model
•Rational model
•Incremental model
•Group model
•Elite model
•Public choice model
•Game theory model
Each of these terms identifies a major conceptual model that can be found in the literature of political science. None of these models was derived especially to study public policy, yet each offers a separate way of thinking about policy and even suggests some of the general causes and consequences of public policy.
These models are not competitive in the sense that any one of them could be judged “best.” Each one provides a separate focus on political life, and each can help us to understand different things about public policy. Although some policies appear at first glance to lend themselves to explanation by one particular model, most policies are a combination of rational planning, incrementalism, interest group activity, elite preferences, game playing, public choice, political processes, and institutional influences. In later chapters these models will be employed, singularly and in combination, to descr ...
DIVISIONS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE PRESENTATIONrtuppil
The document discusses several key aspects of public policy. It defines public policy as laws, guidelines and actions decided by governments to benefit the public. It notes that public policy plays a crucial role in governing and forming societal principles. Examples of types of public policy discussed include distributive, redistributive, regulatory, constituent and substantive policies. Distributive policies focus on solving societal issues while redistributive policies redistribute resources. Regulatory policies define legal boundaries and constituent policies relate to government structure.
This document provides an overview of the topics that will be covered in Dr. Tabakian's Political Science 2 course on Modern World Governments. The first week's lectures will introduce political science and comparative politics, discuss various theories in comparative politics including rational choice, structural-functionalism, and cultural approaches. Key terms from the introductory reading will also be reviewed. The syllabus outlines assignments, exams, textbooks, and student learning outcomes. Elitism and pluralism theories are compared, and the definitions of comparative politics and its focus on comparing political systems are also summarized.
The document discusses economic institutions and comparative economics. It defines institutions as the formal and informal rules that govern interactions between members of a society. Institutions provide coordination mechanisms that allow for economic activity. Comparative economics examines different economic systems and how institutions shape behaviors and outcomes within each system. The stability and change of institutions over time is also addressed.
1) The document discusses different types of institutional systems and how they influence economic policies and transitions. It contrasts highly centralized vs decentralized systems.
2) Centralized systems persist even with poor economic outcomes due to concentration of political power, while decentralized systems see more bottom-up innovation but can be vulnerable to statist attacks.
3) Economic transitions under democracy are influenced by the relative strength of liberal vs anti-liberal forces, which are affected by factors like economic conditions, interest groups, ideological influences, and how reforms are linked to other values in society. Both crises and economic improvements can potentially strengthen either side.
This document summarizes Fred W. Riggs' theory of comparative public administration. Riggs developed typologies to classify societies, including agrarian, industrial, and prismatic societies. He argued developing societies exhibit characteristics of both traditional and modern structures, described as "prismatic" or having "overlapping." Key aspects of prismatic societies include heterogeneity, formalism, and overlapping functions between traditional and modern institutions. Riggs' theory provided a framework for understanding the interaction between administrative systems and broader social, economic, and cultural contexts in developing nations.
This document provides an overview of comparative politics, including:
- Comparative politics analyzes and compares political systems and seeks to identify similarities and differences in structures, functions, and processes.
- It has a wider scope than comparative government, using empirical and analytical methods to study formal and informal political structures across developed and developing nations.
- Key features include being evidence-based, objective, interdisciplinary, and focused on building a scientific theory of politics through comparisons.
- The scope of comparative politics encompasses studying all aspects of political systems, behaviors, cultures, and the societal contexts that influence political dynamics.
The document summarizes four classic macro theories of the policy process: pluralism, power elite, class conflict, and participatory theories.
Pluralism theory views interest groups as the unit of analysis and argues that public policy results from bargaining between competing interest groups. Power elite theory focuses on public and private organizational elites as dominant and views the state as an instrument for elite interests. Class conflict theory analyzes socioeconomic classes and sees policy as protecting the ruling capitalist class. Participatory theory takes individuals, not groups, as the unit and argues policy reflects majority citizen preferences through participation.
The document discusses several dominant approaches in the social sciences including:
1) Microlevel approaches like rational choice theory and symbolic interactionism that focus on individual behavior.
2) Macrolevel approaches like structural functionalism and institutionalism that examine larger social systems and structures.
3) Interdisciplinary approaches such as the human-environment system that integrate ideas across fields.
It then provides more details on specific theories under the microlevel and macrolevel categories.
Here are examples of formal and informal institutions:
1. Formal: Constitution, laws, policies, regulations
2. Informal: Social norms, traditions, attitudes
3. Formal: Government, state agencies
4. Informal: Family, community groups
5. Informal: Religious beliefs, cultural practices
6. Formal: Educational system, legal system
7. Informal: Language, values, beliefs
8. Both: Marriage, property rights
9. Both: Economic system, political system
10. Informal: Codes of conduct, social networks
This document summarizes key topics from lecture presentations on modern world governments, including political culture, political socialization, and trends shaping contemporary political cultures. It examines political culture at the system, process, and policy levels. It also discusses how culture is transmitted through political socialization and some trends influencing political cultures globally, such as democratization, marketization, and globalization. Key terms from the course textbook on comparative politics are also listed.
This document discusses several dominant approaches and ideas in the social sciences. It outlines microlevel approaches like rational choice theory and symbolic interactionism, which focus on individual behavior and decision-making. It also discusses macrolevel approaches like structural functionalism and institutionalism, which examine larger social systems and structures. Structural functionalism views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability. Institutionalism studies how formal and informal institutions influence social behavior by constraining and empowering individuals. The document provides overviews of the key concepts and premises of these different theoretical perspectives in social science.
CP 501 LECTURE ONE political science annavvsnsnvbshbsbbbshnsbhshjsjvshhsjsjbs...DishuSingh8
This document provides an overview of the syllabus for the Comparative Politics course CP 501. The course is taught on Saturdays from 3-6pm by instructor Ayesigye Doreen. The syllabus covers 6 units on the background of comparative politics, including definitions of politics and comparative politics, approaches to studying politics, and comparative methods. Key concepts that will be discussed include different views of politics, comparing political science to natural science, and different approaches used in comparative politics like normative and behavioral approaches. The document provides learning objectives and conclusions for each unit to help students understand the key topics and frameworks that will be analyzed throughout the course.
This document provides an overview of the subject matter and approaches to the study of political science. It discusses several subfields that make up the subject matter, including political philosophy, judicial processes, executive processes, and legislative politics. It also outlines several approaches used to study politics, such as traditional historical and institutional methods, behavioralism, systems analysis, structural functionalism, class analysis, and examining political parties and interest groups. The document aims to introduce students to the broad topics and analytical lenses used within the field of political science.
(need to read all the links and need good grammar writing.I have s.docxmadlynplamondon
(need to read all the links and need good grammar writing.I have summary and outline, can be referenced from the document)
I. INTRODUCTION to the ASSIGNMENT
Institutionalized Inequalities Persists
Sociology reveals that we live in a stratified society. An individual person’s access to social resources and opportunities varies markedly depending on numerous
factors
, including those
associated with their social location at the always intersecting systems of institutionalized inequalities. Class, race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, and sexual orientation
are important predictors of patterned outcomes at the social group level, across institutions. Examining these arenas at a macro level allows sociologists to achieve a more sophisticated grasp of their workings and the larger social structural dynamics at play. This higher level thinking is also necessary to the creation of well-informed strategies designed to create new forms of justice. Half measures are arguably problematic. As Malcom X once said, "If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, there's no progress. If you pull it all the way out that's not progress. Progress is healing the wound that the blow made" (1964, but as relevant as ever today).
People Make History
Sociology also reveals that people make history. We are historical agents who help (re)produce and (potentially) transform institutions and culture moment-to-moment throughout our days perpetually. As historical agents, we have the capacity to contribute to positive change in our daily lives. A more just and sustainable world is possible and looming. “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." (
Arundhati Roy)
Social Policy is an Excellent Avenue for Concrete and Critically Informed Social Change.
Social policy is an excellent avenue for achieving social justice
because it moves human and economic resources and facilitates enacting concrete actions for concrete change. Importantly, it allocates our combined social wealth (tax dollars, human energy). We can continue to invest policy dollars and energy into war, policing, punishment, and corporate welfare--deepening the existing social relationships and macro patterns of unequal power. Another route, already underway, is to shift our resources toward policy efforts that address social inequities at their roots, and nourish healthy communities. Your readings in the final section of the class include policy platforms that you may consider models for this paper (though your proposal will necessarily be much smaller in scope, given word count limits).
Other strategies for social change include but are not limited to
legislation
(lawmaking by representative government or other governmental bodies),
litigation
(using the courts),
research
(the work of think tanks, universities, organizations, activists),
community organizing
(movement building; awareness-building;.
This document provides an overview of an introductory comparative politics course. The course aims to teach students how to compare political systems and understand comparative methodology and theories. It will cover topics such as the scope and meaning of comparative politics, methods of comparison, and selected theories. The course objectives are to expose students to the fundamentals of comparative politics and help them understand the context, essence, and purpose of the field.
Here are the answers to determine the Pillar of Education emphasized in each statement:
- Material development at the expense of human development points to the need to do more learning to be in school;
- The specialization required of every professional teacher for him/her to be competent is in line with learning to do;
- Teaching students and adults the art of dialogue is in accordance with learning to live together;
- Inculcating the spirit of empathy among learners fulfills learning to live together;
- Developing an understanding of life, the world around us and other people is the concern of learning to know;
- Transforming certified skills into personal competence is the concern of learning to be.
Similar to Pols2powerpoint2 130102145209-phpapp02 (20)
1. Dr. Tabakian’s Political Science 2
Modern World Governments – Fall 2012
Power Point Presentation – September 4th & September 6th
2. COURSE LECTURE TOPICS
This Week’s Lecture Covers:
•Why And How We Compare
•Most Similar Systems & Most Different Systems
•Political System Formation
Political Systems & Their Environments
Structures & Functions
Policy Performance & Consequences
•Approaches To Comparing
Rational
Structural-Functionalism
Cultural
3. COURSE LECTURE: WEEK #2 (2)
•The Policy Level
Performance
Outcome
Education
•Globalization
World Capitalist Economy
Power Of Technology
Interdependency & Peaceful Relations
•International Relations Versus Comparative Politics
Future Of Comparative Politics
Future Of International Relations
Will Both Schools Merge?
4. COURSE LECTURE: WEEK #2 (3)
Reading Assignments For Week #2
•Textbook: “Comparative Politics Today”
Chapter 2 From “Comparative Politics Today”
Review Key Terms For Chapter 2
•Course Pack Article:
“The Future In Comparative Politics” By: Robert H.
Bates
7. WHY WE COMPARE
We compare to accomplish the following:
1. Compare to control. This is done in order to see if our
claims hold merit. Our arguments may be about social,
political, or economic phenomena.
2. To understand and explain. Understanding means
one is interested primarily on one case. The
researcher will draw from various cases and theories
to learn more about the case of interest. Explaining
requires comparison while understanding that the
world is not a controlled laboratory. Theories help us
on our quest for truth.
8. HOW WE COMPARE: MSS & MDS
The two basic comparative strategies are called
the Most Similar Systems (MSS) and Most
Different Systems (MDS) Design.
•MSS: Find key differences between two similar
systems.
•MDS: Find key similarities between two or more
dissimilar systems.
9. MOST SIMILAR SYSTEMS DESIGN (1)
MOST SIMILAR SYSTEMS (MSS) is based on
comparing two or more social systems that are
similar. It is important to understand that
researchers must compare two more systems
that possess a large number of commonalities,
but also differ in some areas. At least two of the
cases should possess an independent variable
and dependent variable that are different.
10. MOST SIMILAR SYSTEMS DESIGN (2)
Dependent Versus Independent Variables
Independent variables affect the dependent
variable or the outcome itself. Let us look at this
statement: “Democracy can only take root in
capitalist societies”.
Dependent Variable: Democracy.
Independent Variable: Capitalist Societies.
11. MOST DIFFERENT SYSTEMS DESIGN
MOST DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
The key difference between MDS and MSS is that
in an MDS design, the dependent variable should
be the same for all chosen cases. Identify the
different independent variable(s) to make your
case. Theory comes in very handy when
summing up your arguments.
12. POLITICAL SYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENT AND INTERDEPENDENCE (1)
• To utilize a structural-functional systems framework to
compare political systems we need to discuss three
general concepts:
– System: suggests an object having interdependent
parts, acting within a setting or an environment
– Structure
– Function
• Political system: a set of institutions and agencies
concerned with formulating and implementing the
collective goals of a society or of groups within it.
13.
14. POLITICAL SYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENT AND INTERDEPENDENCE (2)
• Governments are the policymaking parts of political systems.
– Decisions of governments are normally backed up by legitimate
coercion; obedience may be compelled.
• A political system exists in both an international environment and a
domestic environment.
• A system receives inputs from these environments.
– International
• Exchanges among countries may vary in many ways: small
to great.
• Interdependence has increased enormously in the last
decades.
– Globalization
– Domestic
• Economic and social systems
• Political culture of its citizens
15. POLITICAL SYSTEMS
STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS (1)
• Structures: parliaments, bureaucracies, administrative agencies, and
courts
• Structures perform functions, which in turn enable the government to
formulate, implement, and enforce its policies.
– Policies reflect the goals; the agencies provide the means.
– Six types of political structures: political parties, interest groups,
legislatures, executives, bureaucracies, and courts.
• Formal organizations engaged in political activities.
• Some structures, such as ruling military councils or governing
royal families, are found in only a few countries.
• Similar structures may have very different functions across
political systems.
– Example: China and Britain
16.
17.
18. POLITICAL SYSTEMS
STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS (2)
• Three additional functions which are not directly involved in making
and implementing public policy - socialization, recruitment, and
communication, are fundamentally important.
• These are SYSTEM functions.
– They determine whether or not the system will be maintained or
changed.
• Political socialization: involves families, schools,
communications media, churches, and all the various political
structures that develop, reinforce and transform the political
culture, the attitudes of political significance in the society
• Political recruitment: refers to the selection of people for
political activity and government offices
• Political communication: refers to the flow of information
through the society and through the various structures that
make up the political system
19. POLITICAL SYSTEMS
STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS (3)
• Outputs = the implementations of the political process.
– Substantive impacts on the society, the economy, and the
culture
– Regulation of behavior; extraction of resources;
distribution of benefits and services
– Reflect the way the policies interact with the domestic
and international environments
• Example of structures and functions in Russia before and
after the breakdown of communist rule in the Soviet Union
– Approach - structural functional comparison
• Allows us to examine how the same functions are
performed in different countries, or in the same
country at two different points in time
20. POLITICAL SYSTEMS
STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS (4)
• Process functions are performed by political structures.
• The structural-functional approach stresses two points:
– In different countries, the same structure may perform
different functions.
– While a particular institution may have a special
relationship to a particular function, institutions often
do not have a monopoly on any one function.
• Ex: Presidents and governors may share in the
policy-making function (veto powers), as do the
higher courts (judicial review).
21. RATIONAL CHOICE (1)
Rational Choice Analysis: This theory argues that self-interests
guides all behavior, which involved conducting a cost benefit
analysis. Individuals weigh the cost along with the benefits and
then decide to pursue something if the benefits outweigh the
costs. If we assume that everyone basis their actions on self-
interest then we have to come to terms with situations
involving actions that are not beneficial. This depends on the
quality of information one has been able to accrue.
22. RATIONAL CHOICE (2)
Decision makers rarely have access to perfect information, as
they simply don’t possess viable access to the information
required to make a rational decision. This includes a lack of
experience, limited data, lack of education, inability to assess
actions of others, lack of knowing future developments, or
even just bad luck. Strategic interaction also comes into play,
which is the implication that indecisions made by one
individual is made according to decisions made by others,
which leads us to game theory. Prisoner’s dilemma is one
aspect of strategic interaction.
23. STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM
Structural-Functionalism: This theory utilizes micro-
interpretation to suggest that given the issue, individuals may
unite temporarily to defend its interests. Structural-
functionalism helps to explain how political leaders can deal
with citizen demands that are hard to fulfill. Instead of
providing the actual goods sought, political leaders may instill
loyalty based on symbolic or cultural goods. The structural-
functional approach maintains two points:
1. In different countries, the same structure may perform
different functions.
2. Absolute power is impossible and no one institution, or
individual entity, no matter how powerful, may be able to
control all facets in society.
24. CULTURAL APPROACHES
Cultural Approaches: This theory is likely to accept the
arguments of rational choice or structural analysis as both are
seen as helping to construct societal norms. Culturalism
begins with the premise that culture matters in any
explanation. It is important not to state grand assumptions
when using culture as a variable. For example, statements like
“Muslim countries are resistant to democracy,” or
“Confucianism helps explain capitalist development in East
Asia” are not appropriate. The problem with these claims is
that it generalizes culture as clear-cut, uniform, and basically
static. The majority of Culturalists would argue today that
culture is multi-vocal and multidimensional.
25. STATE INTERDEPENDENCY (1)
Societal interdependence addresses situation in which events
within one society affect events in another. Government
involvement in instigating these events does not have to take
place for this to occur. Transnational relations helps to
encourage interdependency between states. States
interdependent on one another presents each with economic
and political trade-offs, whereas gains in one may lead to the
weakening of another. One may argue that an interdependent
world of liberal-democratic states can at some point in time
lead to world peace. Adopting current rules of the game, even
among nation-states that may not be democratic, does present
a situation where the success and or survival of one country is
dependent on the success and or survival of its peer.
26. STATE INTERDEPENDENCY (2)
Societal and economic interdependence can interlink
the domestic policies of two nation-state. Take the
example of Canada and the United States. The high
degree of societal interdependence assures that
Canada will be strongly affected by American
policies. The most powerful nation-state can more
affect the policies of another country interdependent
on its society as this example shows. Underlying
most analyses of world politics and international
organizations is the state-centric approach:
1. Governments are the most significant actors in
world politics.
2. Governments are unified actors.
27. PREVENTING A MAJOR WAR
Interdependent linkages among nation-states
results in the trade of products, services,
ideas, culture, etc. The greatest advantage of
this global trade is not just cheap
merchandise for our people. Many argue we
have not had a major war for over 60 years
thanks to complex interdependency. Some
students may believe that Persian Gulf War I
& 2 is a major war. That is inaccurate, for a
major war results when at least two major
powers attack each other. The result would
be millions dead in less than an hour. Watch
this video presentation of America nuclear
weapon tests. Ask yourself this question,
“Why does the United States not use these
weapons?”
28. GLOBALIZATION (1)
Globalization is a process that seems to create a more unified
world united in a single economic system. Globalization
continues to be cited as a cause for the withering away of the
state. Technology has allowed mankind to realize globalization.
Liberalism and its market-based order continue to be the
primary motivator for technological innovation that in turn has
rendered previous norms obsolete. One can argue that this
constant drive may in time render international strife, conflict
and other assorted calamities obsolete. Liberals would argue
that globalization is a trend toward the transformation of world
politics with states no longer remaining sealed units.
29. GLOBALIZATION (2)
Globalization may be seen as a homogenization process that
equalizes prices, products, wages, wealth, rates of interest
and profit margins. It is a movement that can spark resistance
both within the United States as well as around the world. This
can come from religious fundamentalists, labor unions and
other types of special interest groups. Globalization has so far
only encompassed western countries, Israel and certain Asian
countries like Japan, South Korea and China. Most of the
world has been left out, including Africa, Latin America,
Russia, Middle East and swaths of Asia.
30. GLOBALIZATION (3)
This political piece explores the
effects of globalization. One can
argue that globalization has
extended people’s buying power.
Dollars can be stretched must
further thanks to lower labor
costs found in distant lands. “Big
Box-Mart” argues that cheap
goods does present a serious
side effect. Does the message
relate to your personal belief
about our present global
economy?
31. DEFINING COMPARATIVE POLITICS (1)
Comparative politics inspires students to establish linkages
between international relations with domestic politics.
Structural-functionalist approaches had failed to recognize the
interactions between international and domestic issues.
Comparative politics deals with complex systems issues that
can include comparing capitalism to communism, democracy
to totalitarianism, free markets to planned economies, etc.
Scholars saw many avenues open to comparison from the
1960s to 1970s when comparative analysis started to take
notice. Nothing seemed to be beyond these scholars as they
pursued every conceivable option including democracy,
authoritarianism, Marxism, revolution, corporatism,
totalitarianism, fragmentation, disintegration, and civil war.
32. DEFINING COMPARATIVE POLITICS (2)
Comparing to control is perhaps the major point of interest for
students as it relates to case studies. Control means to test
our hypothesis. An example would be a claim that “Democracy
cannot be imposed on society by an external power.” How do
we know if this is a strong or weak claim? The first thing to do
is look for other cases where democracy has been imposed on
another society. Looking at two cases like Germany and Japan
after World War II reveals that we may need to adjust our main
thesis statement. This is why it is a good idea to look at even
more cases to evaluate the strength of our argument. Though
we cannot ignore any evidence, we can explain why different
results occurred.
33. DEFINING COMPARATIVE POLITICS (3)
Comparative Politics used to be focused mainly on Western
Europe until the Cold War compelled American policymakers
to pay attention to “lesser” countries, regions and former
colonies. The concern was that these countries represented
either future enemies or allies. This concern propelled
American policymakers to learn more about these countries.
Cases are usually based on a specific issue or concern like
industrialization, social revolution, terrorism, democracy, or any
other issue of interest. They are also delimited graphically as
time can be a focal point of analysis.
34. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (1)
International Relations focuses mainly on conflict in the world system
and how to prevent chaos from ensuing by managing power relations
through the use of deterrence. Foreign policy decision makers examine
problems by equating five variables:
(1) the societal and individual values of their state and that of the case
being examined;
(2) their own and the world’s understanding of the problem at hand;
(3) those capabilities available on hand and what the goals of their
nation in correlation to other nations;
(4) the bureaucratic and organizational framework where decisions
affecting foreign affairs are constructed; and
(5) how that individual defines the international system, whether it may
be bipolar, multipolar, classical balance of power, unilateral, etc.
35. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (2)
International relations is like the philosophy of science as both are
defined as, “a symbolic construction, a series of inter-related constructs
or concepts, together with definitions, laws, theorems and axioms.” The
field of study came about following World War I by those who sought to
understand what causes conflict so that the barrage of conflict may not
be repeated again. The field consists of contending theories that some
have argued has not been able to reign uncontested. One can argue that
the field as a whole is wrought with contesting theoretical approaches,
which have yet to achieve recognition as a new paradigm or standing as
a law that all researchers can depend on. Found within the natural
sciences are certain laws retaining equal standing among researchers in
that field. None of the subfields of IR or the entire discipline for that
matter have yet achieved this state. All of the competing theoretical
approaches and methodologies applied in IR depend on each other to
form a nucleus of knowledge that researchers may utilize in different
configurations to strengthen or attack hypotheses.
36. COMPARATIVE JOINING WITH IR?
Domestic politics may influence foreign relations, which in turn
may influence the domestic politics of a respective nation-
state. Existing linkages have been found to exist between
external and internal factors. External factors like security
threats may affect a state’s economy. This is why students may
discover that boundaries are evaporating between
international relations, which looks at how the external actions
of an actor affects those actions undertaken by another actor.