Unit III: The StateUnderstanding Political

Institutions

AP Comparative Government

I. Overview of the UnitA. Levels of Government

1. Unitary, federal, confederal2. Supranational Organizations and Globalization

B. Executive1. Functions2. Cabinet3. Bureaucracy

C. LegislaturesD. JudiciaryE. The Role of the Non-elected

1. Interest groups2. Political elites and recruitment

Political institutions:

Structures of a political system that carry out the work of governing.

II. Great Britain

A. Constitutional Monarchy1. Ceremonial opening and dissolving and

of Parliament2. Power of Royal Assent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTjwaFsSMm0&feature=channel

II. Great BritainB. The Cabinet and the Prime Minister

1. Collective responsibility

2. First among equals, apex of the unitary gov’t.

3. Prime Minister:a. Speaks legitimately for all members of Parliament

b. Chooses cabinet members and imp. posts

c. Makes decisions in the cabinet

d. Campaigns and represents the party in parliamentary elections

Prime Minister: David Cameron

Deputy PM: Nick Clegg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8678436.stm

How will it work?• Ministers from both parties will be

bound by collective responsibility - meaning they must agree to support all Cabinet decisions - when it comes to key issues such as the economy, tax, defense, immigration, foreign policy and Europe. However, it has been agreed that the Lib Dem MPs will be permitted to abstain in a vote in the House of Commons on certain issues where they disagree with the Conservatives.

B. Parliament1. Parliament vs. presidential system2. House of Commons

a. Majority party, Loyal Opposition, Shadow Cabinet, Backbenchers

b. Debate1. Question Time: http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/12/15/PMQ/R/41936/.aspx

c. Party discipline1. Vote of confidence

3. Parliamentary Sovereignty (??)a. Debate and refine legislationb. Party leaders and head of gov’t.c. Scrutinize the administration of lawsd. Keep communication open between voters and

ministers

4. House of Lordsa. Law lordsb. Hereditary peersc. Life peers

Reading: Federalism and Devolution

• Create a question for the section

• For your given section, come up with a 3-5 bullet point summary

EU Terms

• Single European Act (SEA) (1987):– Creation of the internal market which took

away trade barriers– Took away the unanimity principle, simple

majority would suffice– Political cooperation with policy

**Remained an economic union, did not address financial integration

EU Terms

• Maastricht Treaty (1991):– Gave authority to act on monetary policy, foreign

affairs – Est. three pillars of citizenship

• Voting in European parliamentary elections• Working in any country• Subsidiarity: EU should only act in areas that cannot be

achieved by national or subnational governments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsAa9VmwOaI

http://www.c-span.org/Series/Prime-Minister-Questions.aspx

December 15th, 2010 Question Time

C. The Bureaucracy1. Civil servants and discretionary power

D. The Judiciary1. Parliamentary sovereignty and judicial review

2. Common law vs. code law

3. Law lords

4. Appointments

5. Role of judiciary and the EU

E. Interest Groups 1. Interest group pluralism: autonomous from the

state. Select their own leaders and raise funds.2. Neo-Corporatism: int. groups take the lead and

dominate the state3. Quangos: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/14/government-to-reveal-which-quangos-will-be-scrapped

4. Exp. Of groupsa. Trade Unions Congress (TUC)b. Confederation of Business Industries

III. The Russian Federation

A. The Executive1. Dual executive (president and PM)

a. Who is actually in control? (Comparing Yeltsin and Putin)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-z9wfueMAw&feature=related

A Man Like Putin

• For a musical interlude, the 2002 pop sensation:

– http://compgovpol.blogspot.com/2010/09/russian-political-music.html– http://www.pbs.org/soundtracks/stories/putin/strong.php

Kremlin Riverview

2. Presidenta. Term limits: 6 years

b. Head of state

c. Impeachment is a complicated process

d. Issue decrees:Recent Decrees:http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/the-manege-of-xenophobia/427015.html

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/6939121.html

3. The Prime Minister:a. Gov’t.: PM, deputy PM, and federal

ministries

b. Duma approval

c. Can issue resolutions and directives

d. PM can be removed by Duma, but this has never happened

The Prime Time Minister: http://www.russiaprofile.org/page.php?

pageid=Politics&articleid=a1292519045

Institutional Intricacies: Federalism—Russian Style

• What does the author mean by matrushka federalism?

• Explain the asymmetric federalism that occurs in Russia

• http://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/18/HwZLhqDEnSo

B. The Legislative Branch

1. The Duma: The Lower House

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1jcB5Jc3Ls

a.Elected by proportional rep.

b.Passes bills, approves the budget, confirms presidential appointments

c. Like UK, legislation often originates in the executive BUT debates bills

d.HOWEVER, power remains LIMITED due to presidential decrees

2. Federation Council: The Upper House

2. Federation Council: The Upper House

a. Since 2002, one representative is chosen by regional governor and the other by the regional legislature.

b. Main power is to delay legislation.

B. The Legislative Branch

Military

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4ziX-9FjTg

News Articles

• Gorbachev Says Putin Obstructs Democracy: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/world/europe/29moscow.html?_r=1

IV. China

A. Unitary state with authoritarian regime

B. Parallel hierarchical organization between the CCP and the government

1. Dual role: vertical supervision of the next higher level and horizontal supervision of the CCP at the same level

2. Policymaking is governed by factions and personal relationships

C. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)1. Party holds a separate constitution2. Central bodies of the CCP

a. National Party Congress: 1. Meets once every 5 years, 2000 delegates2. Rubberstamps decisions made by party

leaders3. Main power is to elect the members of the

Central Committee

National Party Congress2007

• http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/10/15/world/20071015CHINA_index.html

b. Central Committee:1. Annual meetings for a week (plenums)2. Purpose is to carry out business of the

National Party Congress when they are not in session

3. Importance is the gathering of the political elites

4. Politiburo and Standing Committee members are chosen

http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/66102/6944925.html

c. Politiburo/Standing Committee 1. Most powerful political organization

2. Decisions dictate government policies

3. Politiburo (24) and Standing Committee (7)

4. Meet in secret and membership reflects the balance of power among factions

D. Political Elites1. Guanxi: “Connections”

a. Rooted in Confucian culture

b. Fact of life in Chinese politics: can either help cut red tape or increase rigidity in the government

c. Similar concept to nomenklatura and patron-client relations

E. The Structure of Government1. Legislative Branch:

a. People’s National Congress at the top with congresses at each level

b. Theory: monitor the work of the “people’s governments” (executive branch)

c. Reality: executive members are more subject to party authority

d. NPC elects the president and vice-president

1. One candidate is chosen for each role by the Communist Party

2. Executive Branch and Bureaucracy:a. President and VP serve five year terms

with a limit of two terms1. President (Head of state): meets and

negotiates with world leaders, largely ceremonial

2. Largely ceremonial role3. Currently, Hu Jintao serves as both president

and general secretary of the CCP

The most powerful person in the world…

According to Forbes Magazine…

Hu Jintao• Paramount political leader of more people

than anyone else on the planet; exercises near dictatorial control over 1.3 billion people, one-fifth of world's population. Unlike Western counterparts, Hu can divert rivers, build cities, jail dissidents and censor Internet without meddling from pesky bureaucrats, courts. Recently surpassed Japan to become the world's second-largest economy both in absolute and purchasing power terms. Credible estimates have China poised to overtake U.S. as world's largest economy in 25 years--although, crucially, not on a per-

capita basis.

• Creditor nation oversees world's largest reserves at $2.65 trillion--$1.5 trillion of which is in U.S. dollar holdings. Refuses to kowtow to U.S. pressure to change its exchange-rate regime. Heads world's largest army (in size). His handpicked successor, Xi Jinping, set to assume the presidency in 2012.

http://www.forbes.com/wealth/powerful-people/list

Counterpoint: Is Hu Jinato the powerful?

That brings us to how power works in China, which is no simple or transparent matter. One argument for suggesting Hu is more powerful than Obama is that Hu doesn’t have to contend with those annoying artifacts of democracy like Congress, an independent judiciary, an uncensored media and voting by common citizens. But in contrast to Obama’s vast executive powers, Hu (whose title that matters most is not president but general secretary of the Communist Party of China) cannot decide the important matters of state and party on his own. He has to contend with other powerful factions as one of nine members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, one of whom, propaganda chief Li Changchun, is ranked 32nd on our list.

b. Premier (head of government)1. Appointed by the president, usually a member of

the Standing Committee, with approval of the NPC

2. Authority over gov’t. bureaucracy

3. Directs the State Council: function is similar to cabinet in parliamentary system, decreasing in size with less central planning

Wen Jiabao

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2009/01/14/gps.wen.jiabao.intv.cnn.html

c. Bureaucracy (Cadres)1. Immense in size (40 million)

2. Many are party members but not all

3. Push toward modernizing and holding civil service exams rather than by appointment

3. Judicial Brancha. Four-tiered “people’s court”b. “People’s procuratroate”: provides public

prosecutors and defenders in the courtsc. Supreme People’s Court

1. Supervises the work of lower courts and application of laws

2. Hears few cases and does not exercise judicial review

d. PRC constitution guarantees judicial independence but sill largely under party rule

e. 99% conviction rate, swift punishment (DP)

4. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA)a. Encompasses all ground, air, and naval

armed services

b. Never held formal political power but all early political leaders were also military leaders

c. Increased military spending

V. Mexico

A. Economic and political transition1. Historically central authoritarian rule

2. Becoming more politically competitive since 1997

3. Increasing free market policies

B. Developed, developing or less developed?

1. GDP per capita

2. PPP (Purchasing Power Parity)

3. HDI (Human Development Index)

4. Economic dependency

5. Economic inequality

MEXICO IS SAID TO BE IN THE MIDDLE WITH AN UPWARD TREND MAKING IT DEVELOPING.

C. Government Institutions:1. Federal republic with a strong presidency2. The Executive

a. Sexinob. PRI (pre 2000) vs. Post-PRI (2000-

present)c. Formal powers: initiate legislation, lead

in foreign policy, create agencies, etc. d. Informal powers: manages vast

patronage system

3. The Bureaucracya. 1.5 million, mostly in Mexico City

b. Not paid well but higher levels have increased power

c. Para-Statal sector:1. Produce goods and services that in other

countries are done in the private sector

2. Best known: PEMEX

4. The Legislaturea. Bicameral

1. Chamber of Deputies: 500 members (300 FPTP, 200 PR), 3 year terms

2. Senate: 128 members (3 from each state, 2 by majority vote, 1 by 2nd party receiving highest number of votes)

3. Since 1988, PRI has been losing power in 2006 PRI became the minority party

4. Decrease in PRI power has increased strength of congress

5. Consequences???

6. 1996 election law required political parties to sponsor women candidatesa. Chamber of Deputies (22%)

b. Senators (17%)

5. Judiciarya. Does not have independent judiciary or a

system of judicial review

b. Constitution of 1917 is in effect but does not have the same level of legitimacy as US

c. Federal and state courts, federal courts dominate

d. Supreme Court

1. Theory: On paper, judicial review

2. Reality: Never overrules an important action or policy

3. Theory: Life appointment by the president

4. Reality: Judges resign at the beginning of each sexenio

5. Ernesto Zdeillo (1994-2000) and Vicente Fox (2000-2006) increasing court reforms but disappointing results

Reading: Mexico’s Forever War

• Highlight key points in the article.• Mark the margins to make connections to the

following concepts: – Legitimacy– Executive– Federalism– Authoritarianism– Political Culture

VI. Nigeria

A. The National Question and Constitutional Governance

B. Federalism: Current Challenges

C. Political Institutions: All 36 state gov’t. and 774 have local gov’t. has an executive and ind. Judiciary

BUT…Federalism nor checks and balances operate. State and local governments are dependent on central gov’t.

1. Executivea. Evolution of the Executive Function

b. Executive under Military Rule: promise to move toward democracy

c. Obasanjo Administration

d. Patrimonialsim: president is head of intricate patron-client system

d. Bureaucracy1. Salaries consume half of government

expenditures

2. Challenges to reforms

e. Semipublic Institutions1. Reasons for Parastatals:

a. Establish infrastructure

b. Help to accelerate economic development (steel, oil, natural gas, some commodities)

c. Sovereignty over industries that may be important to national security

d. Challenges with privatization

2. State coporatism (Nigeria, Iran) vs. corportatism (Mexico) vs. neo-corporatism (Great Britain)

“Let there be light”

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

“President Goodluck Jonathan, who early next year will stand in an election that could split his party and spark violent protests, has asked investors to participate in a grandiose privatization programme meant to raise $35 billion over ten years. He wants to flog state power-generation and distribution companies, and put the grid under private management.”

“Nigeria is a big oil exporter, but its people get only a few hours of electricity a day. The entire population–around 150m–is said to use as much grid power as the area around Narita airport in Tokyo. South Africans consume 55 times more energy per head, and Americans 100 times more.”

There have been reform attempts in the past. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), the monopoly supplier, is known to consumers as Please Have Candle Nearby. Five years ago it replaced the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), nicknamed Never Expect Power Again. Mischarging and other sins continued. “I just got a bill for the last four months but had no lights for three,” says a doctor 20 miles (32km) outside the capital, Abuja.

“To survive, many Nigerians have their own power plants, creating the world’s highest concentration of small-scale generators. Two-thirds of all electricity is produced in basements and backyards, at a cost of $13 billion a year. Generator merchants say the government is their best client”.

“Even more worrying, the corrupt state bureaucracy is drooling in anticipation. The influx of billions of dollars will create long queues at the trough. Observers warn of the “rascality” of Nigerian officials. The president says he will work hard to make his privatisation plan work. To convince investors, he has appointed himself electricity minister and scheduled weekly power summits (11am on Tuesdays).”

2. Bicameral Legislature: Nigeria’s Assembly

a. Senate: 3 senators from 36 statesb. House of Representatives: based on

state’s populationsc. In the US Congress appropriates money

but that role is held by the executive in Nigeria

d. Success???

3. Judiciarya. Early independence had great autonomy

b. Northern courts and sharia law

c. 1999 est. a Supreme Court, a Federal Court of Appeals, and a unified court system at the national and state levels

Two big cases

Moshood Abiolao (93) Ken Saro-Wiwa (95)

4. The Militarya. Military in government vs. military in

barracks

b. Uniting force