1. Regime type
1. Democracies v Autocracies
A. DAT 1:
I. Prezorski: Why bother with elections?
- What analogy does he use?
- What suggests a crisis in democracy
- Satisfaction with democracy are….but results…?
- Whats his main argument?
- Substantive or minimalistic?
II. Amartya: democracy as a universal value
- What are the three functions of democracy according to Amartya sen
1. Intrinsic
2. Instrumental
3. constructive
a. Political Freedom: Democracy is seen as a part of human freedom, and the exercise of
civil and political rights is considered crucial for individuals' well-being. Participation in
the political life of the community is deemed a fundamental aspect of human freedom.
b. Instrumental Value in Political Attention: Democracy is viewed instrumentally, enhancing
people's ability to express and support their claims to political attention, including claims
related to economic needs. The democratic process allows for a more effective hearing
of diverse voices.
c. Constructive Importance and Learning: Democracy provides citizens with the opportunity
to learn from one another, contributing to the formation of societal values and priorities.
Public discussion and exchange of information, views, and analyses are considered
essential for understanding and addressing various needs, including economic needs.
- What does he think the most important think has happened in the last century?
- What does he think about democracy universally?
(A country does not have to be deemed fit for democracy, rather it has to fit through democracy.)
- What country does he use as an example?
- What is the lee hypothesis
- Why is the lee hypothesis not applicable
- What country does he use as a counterclaim?
- The big thing democracy prevents, argument in favor for democracy? (famine)
- What constitutes an universal value?
(He argues that universal consent is not required for something to be a universal value.)
- Whats his argument against cultural differences in Asia
(intepretation, selectively chosen historical findings)
,B. DAT 2:
I. William et al (2018): Principles of Comparative Politics
● History of democracy (Aristotle, Plato, Revolutions)
- What was democracy originally viewed as
- When and why democracy became suitable
Second half of twentieth century, fall of USSR
● Definitions of democracy (substantive, procedural)
- What is dahl’s view of democracy?
1. Procedual (minimal) rather than substantive
2. Inclusion and contested
3. Continuous not dichotrmous
- What is aristotle’s view of democracy
(substantive )
● Dahl: Polyarchy (contestation, inclusion)
- What is contestation
Contestation captures the extent to which citizens are free to organize themselves into
competing blocs to press for the policies and outcomes they desire.Contestation is, therefore,
largely concerned with the procedures of democratic competition
- Examples of contestation? (freedom of speech)
- What is inclusion
Who gets to participate in democracy
Property requirement countries, what process is needed for immigrants to neutralize, etc.
- Why Dahl uses polarchy?
He suggests democracy is a lot more than just inclusion and contestaion, thus he wants to drop
it and use polyarchy.
Another reason is he doesn’t believe any country truly exhibit, sufficient levels of contestation or
inclusion to rightfully be considered a true democracy.
● Democracy-Dictatorship (DD) (Cheibub, Gandhi, and Vreeland in 2010)
- How does it conceptulize democracy
(based on whether governmental offices are filled throug ocntestation)
- What are two main components in DD concetulization
1. Along with contestations
2. Chefi executives and legislative are elected
- Four criterias of DD oprationalization
I. The chief executive is elected
Ii. the legislature is elected
Iii. there is more than one party competing in the elections
Iiii. And there is an alternation in power under identical electoral rules.
(if it fails to meet it is an autocracy)
- What dahl requirement does it not fulfil?
(inclusion, and treats regimes types as dichotomous
- What requirement does it fulfil?
(procedural definition and contestation)
● Polity IV
, - How is it rated? (-10 to 10)
- Five dimensions of polity?
(a) the competitiveness of executive recruitment,
(b) the openness of executive recruitment,
(c) the constraints on the executive,
(d) the regulation of political participation,
(e) the competitiveness of political participation
- How is it similar to Dahl’s?
(continuous rather tha dichotomous, inclusion and contestation included and procedural)
● Freedom House
- What is freedom house
(non govrnmental organization that provides meassyre for global freedom, however not really
measure, still treated as one by political scientists)
- What its score based on (2)?
1. Political rights
2. Civil rights
- How is it similar to Dahl?
(incoperates inclusion and contestaion, and is continuum)
- How is it not similar to Dahl?
(substantive view of democracy)
● Substantive v Procedural
- What measures are substantive
1. Freedom House
2. Aristotle’s definition
- Problems with substantive? Validity, replicability and reliability (3)
I. too many attributes
Ii. could have different indicators indicating same score, but with completely different meaning
Iii. lack of transparency in how they reached score in some measures, like Freedom House
- Problems with procedural?
(do not take account stuff like judiciary)
Ii. Bhikhu (1992): Liberalism and Democracy
1. Liberalism (individuality, ownership, common nature)
- Bikhu's conclusion of liberalism and democracy
(not compatible with universal suffrage, there are solutions such as education, etc)(One of his
concerns was related to the potential for the tyranny of the majority in a purely democratic
system, which could lead to the suppression of minority rights.)
- What does Bikhu say on the universality of institutions and human rights?
(two parts. he thinks institutions aren't universal and should not be as in poor countries elections
can be costly) (secondly, he believes universal rights are true, ie: undhr)
2. Role of the State (maintain rights, no property)
- What does Bikhu think about the role of state