Authoritarianism IIII
What is a One-Party Regime?
A regime where a single political party holds all governing power, and other political parties are banned or legally restricted from competing in elections
What is Civil Society?
Workers, teachers, students, etc.; people and institutions not subservient to the state
What is Skocpol’s explanation for how revolutions happen? Where did the main social revolutions happen in her opinion?
Revolutions happen when the follow occurs in the presented order: a state breakdown (military/economic collapse) a peasant rebellion (mass participation), and division among the elites (minority elite help peasants);
The main social revolutions = Russia/China/France
How does political science distinguish authoritarianism from democracy?
Democracy = a regime which maintains political contestation and participation
Authoritarianism = a regime which limits participation and contestation
What is Agrarian Bureaucracy?
Peasants situated in the farmland/rural parts of the state have a greater autonomy
What is a "Spin" Dictatorship?
A dictatorship which takes control of the media to engineer a social image, spread disinformation/misinformation, etc.;
ex: Russia calling the war in Ukraine a "special military operation"
What is Digital Authoritarianism?
ex: Social-credit system in China
What is Selbin’s explanation for how revolutions happen? Where did the main social revolutions happen in his opinion?
Revolution happens when a population sees the options for revolting that are available and plausible to them and utilize both collective action and symbols, stories, rituals and world-views as resources for constructing strategies of action; driven by people and heroes
Main Rev. = Cuba/Carribean/Latin America
What makes “competitive” authoritarianism a distinct type of political system?
What is Political Culture? (Selbin)
The shared stories, symbols, and memories of a state; shapes revolutions
What is Censorship?
When a regime subdues the capacity of domestic media sources or non-state actors to voice and or disseminate opinions which the state deems undesirable
What is Surveillance?
When the state utilizes available means of monitoring its population - the internet, media, cameras, etc. - to gather information on its citizens
What are the differences between a structural explanation for social revolutions and an agency-based (voluntarist) explanation?
Structural explanation removes the ability to revolt from individuals and people and ties to a state's capacity and precedent; the Voluntarist explanation emphasizes the importance of culture and people in creating successful revolution
What are the major challenges authoritarian regimes face in staying in power? What are different ways that authoritarian regimes address these problems?
Q1) How to control those excluded from power with only a small group maintaining power
Q2) How to manage conflict within the ruling elite
A1) Practicing performance legitimacy to make people abide by the rules of the state
A2) Power-sharing + power purging
What is Collective Memory? (Selbin)
The communal understanding of a state's history among its citizens; allows past revolutionary struggles to inspire future movements
What is Legitimacy? (Weber)
The belief that a ruler/authority should be obeyed; manifests in things like religious/procedural/performance legitimacy
ex: Procedural Legitimacy = following the steps towards an outcome directly
What is Social Revolution (Skocpol)?
Revolution on the basis of structural transformation and massive class upheavals; driven by conditions, not created by people
Successful social revs. = France/Russia/China
What are the main features of presidential versus parliamentary political systems? What are the tradeoffs between these systems
Presidential (ex: U.S) = faster/more effective legislative processes, more apparent gridlock if gov't disagrees with president, separately elected exec., lesser representation
Parliamentary (ex: U.K) = longer processes, better representation, more poli. parties, completely reliant on cooperation
What are the main differences between an authoritarian regime that uses elections and parties to stay in power, and one that only has a political party (but no direct elections)?
Auth. regimes with elections and parties strive to create the appearance of democracy as a way to legitimize their influence and gather information
One-party regimes allow for strong party organization and institutionalized channels of consultation, both allowing for the regime to respond to its people and control its legislative processes
What is Political Equalibrium?
A state of balance among competing forces; a state in which the regime can manage conflicts within the existing political order
What is Consultative Authoritarianism?
An authoritarian regime which encourages some expression of views, allow some civil society organizing, and provides opportunities for feedback
ex: China having the Nat. People's Party
What is Voluntarism/Voluntarist Revolution (Selbin)?
Revolution driven by people and their will to incite change, not by conditions; cannot explain why revs. fail
What are the main features of majoritarian versus proportional-representation political systems? What are the tradeoffs between these systems?
Majoritarian (ex: U.S)= most votes wins, clearer accountability, easier gov't formats, disproportionate results
Proportional (ex: Brazil)= winners in proportion to votes (20% of votes = 20% of seats), broader rep., greater inclusion, greater possibility for fragmentation
Why do authoritarian regimes sometimes repress civil liberties and civil society, and sometimes work with civil society and tolerate some civil liberties?
Repressing civil liberties/society = better control
Working with civil society = stronger legitimacy, citizens feel included and people believe in the state, regime is able to gather info, sometimes results in funding from NGOs
What are Triggers?
Popular/influential forces entering and influencing regimes; not consciously chosen by a leader