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Comparing Governments, Processes and the ideas behind them

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States affected by Islam: Middle East and Asian sub-categories. Latin American states ... Transnational institutions like the World Bank, OECD, GATT set the parameters ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Comparing Governments, Processes and the ideas behind them


1
Comparing Governments, Processesand the ideas
behind them
  • Contemporary issues

2
Types of government
  • Democracy several types
  • Military several types
  • One party
  • Hereditary monarchies
  • Dictatorships
  • Supranational

3
But are these categories meaningful any more?
  • Almost every state claims to be a democracy of
    some sort
  • There are very few military coups now. Easier
    ways to manipulate election results
  • Iraq, Syria, Egypt almost the last one-party
    states
  • Outside Saudi Arabia and the Gulf most monarchies
    now constitutional
  • Even dictators need to appear legitimate

4
So are geography and culture more significant
variables?
  • West European Democracies
  • Post-Communist states
  • States affected by Islam Middle East and Asian
    sub-categories
  • Latin American states
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • USA, Canada, Oz, NZ
  • Japan and associates ASEAN
  • Asian giants China, India, Indonesia

5
Are governments relevant in the 21st century?
  • The era of the global market demands minimal
    intervention
  • Multinational companies take the important
    decisions
  • Transnational institutions like the World Bank,
    OECD, GATT set the parameters
  • G7/8/n sets priorities
  • If govts. Cant even veto, why are they there?

6
Traditional categories for comparison
  • Legislature
  • Executive
  • Judiciary
  • Parties and party systems
  • Pressure groups
  • Electoral systems
  • media

7
The problem is
  • Legislatures dont make law
  • Executives taking over legislative function
  • Judiciary unfashionable for polsci
  • Parties becoming less structured
  • Pressure groups defend interests. Campaigning a
    sign of weakness
  • Elections marketing events
  • Media about entertainment, not discussion

8
So, studying formal structures tells us little
  • This is a politics degree, not a government
    degree changed 1966
  • What , in this context, is politics?
  • Easton the authoritative allocation of values
  • Values here in both the ideological and economic
    senses
  • Another way of saying who gets what, when and
    howbut why is also of interest

9
Politics
  • Institutions
  • Decision-making
  • Debate
  • Accountability and scrutiny
  • Implementation
  • Prioritisation
  • subsidiarity

10
Processes
  • Socialisation how you get political attitudes
  • Recruitment how people take on political roles
  • Policy-making
  • Public opinion how it forms and how and when
    it is consulted
  • Voting behaviour
  • Coalition-building
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