Political Regimes

What is a political system?

• A network of relationships through which government generates ‘outputs’ (policies) in response to ‘inputs’ (demands or support) from the general public

• The number of political parties which contest elections in a state

• The political institutions in a state

• The political institutions in a state and the number of political parties which contest elections

Why do political scientists classify political regimes?

• To allow policy makers to compare the outputs of a regime

• To aid understanding of politics and to facilitate evaluation

• To minimize the risks of revolutionary upheaval

• To provide a simplified approach to understanding procedures in a democracy

What is utopianism?

• A vision of the state based on the principle of equality of opportunity

• A vision of the state based on the principle of equality of outcome

• A style of political theorizing that develops a critique of the existing order by constructing a model of an ideal or perfect alternative

• A style of political theorizing which draws heavily from Christian theological texts written in Europe during the seventeenth century

What is a coup d’état?

• The judgement of a Supreme Court on the outcome of a disputed election

• A sudden and forcible seizure of government power through illegal and unconstitutional action

• The appointment of senior members of the military to the government in a state

• The appointment of senior members of the military to the courts in a state

What two questions did Aristotle use to categorize governments?

• ‘Who rules’ and ‘Who benefits from rule’

• ‘Who is excluded from ruling’ and ‘Why’

• ‘What are the benefits of being a ruler’ and ‘How are the benefits distributed’

• ‘Is the state a democracy’ and ‘What is the state’s level of economic development’

Why did Aristotle advocate for a ‘mixed’ constitution that combined elements of aristocracy and democracy?

• Aristotle criticized popular rule on the grounds that the masses would resent the wealth of the few and too easily fall under the sway of a demagogue

• Aristotle criticized popular rule on the grounds that it would lead to the tyranny of the majority

• Aristotle believed that a ‘mixed’ constitution would lead to rule by the middle classes who by virtue of education levels would make more effective rulers

• Aristotle believed that a mixed constitution would be more effective in providing protection for natural inalienable rights

Who wrote The Spirit of the Laws in 1748?

• Plato

• Jean Bodin

• John Locke

• Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu

What is republicanism?

• A theory or practice of government most commonly associated with absolute monarchy

• The principle that political authority stems ultimately from the consent of the people; and the rejection of monarchical and dynastic principles

• An approach to government which seeks to politicize every aspect of social and personal existence

• A system of government which is focused exclusively on the design of political institutions

Why was the three worlds’ typology abandoned in the early 1990s?

• There was rapid economic growth in all developing ‘third world’ countries during the 1980s so the classification system lost its meaning

• The collapse of orthodox communist regimes in the USSR and elsewhere after 1989 meant that the classification system lost its meaning

• The rapid decline in economic growth in the ‘capitalist first world’ in the 1980s meant that the classification system lost its meaning

• The growth in income inequality across the entire globe in the 1980s meant that the classification system lost its meaning

Who wrote The End of History?

• Francis Fukuyama

• Samuel Huntington

• Margaret Levi

• Helen Milner