100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
Previously searched by you
Previously searched by you
logo
POLI 203 Midterm Review Concordia University study guide solution update for winter 2024 CA$15.50
Add to cart
Quickly navigate to
Preview
  2.  
  3. Concordia University ( )
  4.  
  5. POLI 203

Exam (elaborations)

POLI 203 Midterm Review Concordia University study guide solution update for winter 2024
 15 views  0 purchase

POLI 203 Midterm Review Concordia University study guide solution update for winter 2024

Preview 3 out of 16  pages

Document information

  • December 20, 2023
  • 16
  • 2023/2024
  • Exam (elaborations)
  • Questions & answers

Subjects

  • poli 203
  • poli 203 midterm review concordia university

Written for

All documents for this subject (4)

Seller

avatar-seller
smartzone

Reviews received

Content preview

POLI 203 Midterm Review Concordia University study
guide solution update for winter 2024

- Chapter 1: Comparative Politics

Politics: the making of authoritative public choices from private preferences

Comparative Politics: the systematic research for answers to political questionsabout how
people around the world make or contest authoritative public choices

Hypothesis: A specific prediction that can be tested against empirical evidence.Specific
hypotheses are often derived from a theory. In comparative politics, hypotheses are
often about a certain case or set of cases

Falsifiable: the possibility that a hypothesized relationship can be shown to beincorrect

Comparative Method: a way to examine patterns of facts or events to narrow downwhat
is important in terms of building a convincing comparative argument

Most Similar System Design: Research design in which we compare cases that aresimilar
with respect to a number of factors, but with distinct outcomes

Most Different System Design: Research design in which we compare cases thatdiffer
with respect to multiple factors but in which the outcome is the same

Causation: a process or event that produces an observable effect

Correlation: a measure of observed association between two variables

Quantitative Research: relies on statistical data to assess relationship between attributes
and outcomes, analysis using mathematical examination

Qualitative Research: focuses on an in-depth understanding of attributes andoutcomes,
analysis based on facts in narrative form

- Chapter 2: The State

State: a political-legal unit with sovereignty over a particular geographic territorywith a
population that resides there

Sovereignty: ultimate responsibility for and legal authority over the conduct ofinternal
affairs with a territory defined by geographic borders

Failed state: a state where sovereignty over claimed territory has collapsed or wasnever
effectively established

,Legitimacy: the degree to which citizens willingly accept the states sovereignauthority to
use power

Collective Action Problem: a situation wherein each individual has private incentives not
to participate in an action that benefits all members of the group

Hobbes:
- States emerged to solve collective action problems that stem from the class
between individual and collective interests.

State of Nature: Term coined by Hobbes to describe an imaginary time before humans
organized into states for the collective good “Men is the wolf of other man” “Individuals
are trying to maximize their interests, thus they clash with one another”
• Described to be anarchic, a mythological time before governments existed
• Life in the state of nature is described as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and
short”
• Leviathan emerges as a higher authority to solve collective action problems
• Individuals submit to a higher authority and give up some freedoms in
exchange for security and protection

Social Contract: a theoretical political agreement in which everyone agrees to limit their
ability to do as they please in order to achieve some collective benefit

Weber:
“The state is the central political institution that exerts a monopoly on the legitimateuse
of physical force within a given territory”

The Modern State: The most important form of political organization in modern
politics in its ideal form, is characterized by centralized control of the use of force,
bureaucratic organization, and the provision of public goods

The State–Society Relationship; Functioning states have autonomy from social
institutions, yet are responsive to civil society


Characteristics of Modern states:

1. Bureaucracy: A form of organization that has individuals operating and
working under established, specified, and complex rules. Its ideal form is
characterized to be impartial and transparent
2. Impersonality: States identified with institutions rather than the personalities
of their leaders rules, constitutions are the main source of authority and
legitimacy not the personal dictates states treats members ofthe population as
citizens with equal rights and responsibilities, little or nofavoritism-relatively
autonomous

, 3. Sovereignty: States are the ultimate authority within their specifically
demarcated territories

Functions of modern state: Defense (External and internal security)Taxation
Economic management
Human Capital (Public health education)
Welfare State (social insurance) Infrastructure


Why do states Emerge:

Political Conflict theory: Main Cause for State Emergence: Conflict
• “War made the state and state made war” (Charles Tilly)
• For states to emerge, several factors needed:
1. Centralized authority
2. Ability to tax population to raise revenue (for war)
3. Ability to mobilize population for collective projects

Economic Theories: States are a reflection of underlying economic interests
- Capitalist classes may favor rise of states because stable state maximizes
profit potential (allowing exploitation of labor, e.g.) (Karl Marx, Perry
Anderson)
- Elite coalitions may craft new institutions like modern states to ensure theirown
rights (Douglass North and collaborators)
- i.e. Landowners shifting alliances against monarch
àIn both cases, states are not treated as autonomous actors

Cultural Theories: Ideas and cultural forces in peoples’ lives led to favoring thestate as
an organization
àTheory: religious changes with Protestantism reshaped attitudes toward role of
institutions in daily life (Philip Gorski)-institutions as protector
àTheory: emergence of nationalism led people to accept the nation-state as a
“natural” and legitimate form of organization (Liah Greenfeld)
* States as the protectors of national identity

Diffusion Theories: It was not foregone conclusion that everywhere would end up with
states Question: Why did the state as a form of organization spread around theworld?
àTheory: states had military advantages over non-states and thus came todominate,
brought their state forms of organization with them
àTheory: states reflected needs of economic interests that pushed for state creation
everywhere
i.e. creating of economic markets for capital accumulation

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller smartzone. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for CA$15.50. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

51683 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now

Start selling
CA$15.50
  • (0)
Add to cart
Added