Annual Editions: Comparative Politics 07/08

Unit 1 Pluralist Democracies: Country StudiesPart A. The United Kingdom 1. 45769 The Economist Intelligence Unit's Index of Democracy, Laza Kekic, The Economist, 2007 In a new "index of democracy," the world's 167 countries (excluding its micro-states) are scored across five broad categories: electoral process, functioning of government, political participation and political culture. Countries are split into four regime types determined by their democratic credentials: 28 "full" democracies, 54 "flawed" democracies, 30 "hybrid" regimes, and 55 "authoritarian" regimes. The top ranks go to Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries as well as the Netherlands. North Korea is ranked last. 2. 45447 A Revised British Constitution: Tony Blair's Lasting Legacy?, Donley T. Studlar, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Learning Series, 2007 Tony Blair's "New" Labour came to power in 1997 promising to modernize British government. The subsequent institutional reforms can be seen as Tony Blair's lasting legacy. Here an American political scientist examines Mr. Blair's record until the end of 2006. He covers such topics as the reform of the House of Lords, the regional and local devolution of power, the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into British law, a relatively timid British Freedom of Information Act, and electoral reforms. 3. 45448 Who Killed the British Prime Minister? The Economist, September 14, 2006 This article reviews Tony Blair's record as party reformer and government modernizer. It points to Iraq as an obvious reason for his massive loss of public trust, but finds a deeper explanation in Blair's governing style-his enthusiastic "oversell" of his political initiatives, his tendency to micro-manage and his perceived inclination toward expediency. 4. 45449 Electoral Politics in the United Kingdom, Donley T. Studlar, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Learning Series, 2007 The author singles out and explains some important aspects of Britain's electoral politics. He discusses the sharp drop in voter turnout in the two most recent general elections as well as the considerable distortions in the present system that give considerable advantages to Labour and enormous disadvantages to the "third" party of Liberal Democrats. It is clear that the rules of the game are anything but neutral in their political impact. All of this takes place without partisan design, such as the strategy of gerrymandering.Part B. France 5. 45450 The End of French Europe?, Steven Philip Kramer, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2006 The author connects the French vote against the European constitution in 2005 to two factors-a general crisis in French society and the flaws in the French conception of Europe. The postwar French model (political, economic and social) no longer functions well. There is a pervasive mood of decline in France and a widespread public distrust of the political class. Economic growth is low, the social welfare model is under siege, and the system of ethnic integration has been challenged in the recent riots. Meanwhile France has come to use its leading role in the EU in an increasingly self-serving and defensive manner. 6. 45451 France's Murky Mix of School and Scandal, Katrin Bennhold, The Nation, May 15, 2006 France has a smaller and more exclusive elite than is found in other democracies. It is concentrated in Paris, where its training grounds are the grandes ecoles, above all the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA) and the Polytechnique ( or "X").The graduates form closed networks that close off outsiders and blur the lines between the business sector and the public arena. In a country where the state has a big presence in the economy, these exclusive networks result in a lack of transparency and result in preferential treatment.Part C. Germany 7. 45452 Angela Merkel's Not-So-Grand Coalition, The Economist, October 6, 2006 The "grand" coalition of Germany's two major parties-the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats-is not as popular as it was at the outset. It turns out, as many had predicted, that the left-right differences in such a coalition generate tensions, that interest groups block some reforms, and that the two governing parties become worried as they lose supporters. There is no easy alternative in sight. 8. 45453 Waiting for a Wunder, Ludwig Siegele, The Economist, February 11, 2006 Far from being "the sick man of Europe," Germany is in better shape than some of its larger neighbors. Yet the fabled "German model" has lost much of its attraction during the last two decades. This article looks at how Germany's institutions have become increasingly paralyzed and provides an explanation that resembles those heard in Britain before Margaret Thatcher's radical reforms. Part D. Japan 9. 36725 Japanese Spirit, Western Things, The Economist, July 10, 2003 150 years after Commodore Perry's order to open the country to trade, Japan lays claim to be one of the world's great economic success stories. This survey examines the origins of that success and emphasizes that Japan has shown that modernization does not require a wholesale embrace of Western culture. 10. 45455 Departing Japanese Leader Shook Up Politics as Usual, Norimitsu Onishi, The New York Times, September 19, 2006 After more than five years in office, prime minister Koizumi stepped down at the end of September 2006. He enjoyed a high popularity rating until the end, although his reforms were often controversial. He took a leading role in reducing the central government and its bureaucracy, devolving more authority to the local officials. His pro-market policies of deregulation and privatization stimulated the dormant economy.Unit 2 Pluralist Democracies: Factors in the Political ProcessPart A. Patterns of Democratic Change. Some Comparative Perspectives 11. 25819 Public Opinion: Is There a Crisis?, The Economist, July 17, 1999 Advanced democracies differ considerably from each other, but in recent years they have shared a common pattern of public disillusionment with institutions and politicians. The first in a series of three briefs dealing with this development examines the general decline in public trust and voter turnout in well-established democracies. 12. 25918 Political Parties: Empty Vessels?, The Economist, July 24 1999 This brief from The Economist series examines the partial weakening of political parties in modern democracies. 13. 25919 Interest Groups: Ex Uno, Plures, The Economist, August 21, 1999 This brief reports on the growth of special-interest lobbying in modern democracies. Part B. Women in Politics 14. 45456 Women in National Parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union, November 30, 2006 This table has been compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information regularly provided by national parliaments. It classifies 181 countries in descending order by the percentage of women elected to the lower or single legislative chamber. The most striking change in recent years has been the move by Rwanda to the top of the list. This is a the result of elections held in 2003, in the aftermath of the genocide that often left women-now nearly two-thirds of the population-to take charge of rebuilding the country. Otherwise the "usual suspects" among the older and smaller democracies occupy the high end of the list-the five Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands as well as Costa Rica. Germany keeps placing well, and a growing number of other countries have attained what is sometimes called the "critical mass" of 30 percent. After the 2004 elections, the United States continues to lag behind. 15. 36111 The True Clash of Civilizations, Ronald Inglehart and Pippa Norris, Foreign Policy, March/April 2003There is a cultural divide between the West and the Muslim world, but it derives from a fundamental difference about gender equality and not, as Samuel Huntington would have it, over the value of democracy.Part C. The Institutional Framework 16. 42171 What Political Institutions Does Large-Scale Democracy Require?, Robert A. Dahl, On Democracy, As seen in Political Science Quarterly, vol. 120, no. 2, 2005 Here Robert Dahl summarizes some of his most important findings about the core institutions of a representative democracy. 17. 12268 What Democracy Is . . . and Is Not, Philippe C. Schmitter and Terry Lynn Karl, Journal of Democracy, Summer 1991 The two authors of this important article point out that modern representative democracies vary in their institutions, practices, and values, depending on their socioeconomic, historical and cultural settings. The carefully developed argument includes two concluding sections headed, "How Democracies Differ" and "What Democracy Is Not." 18. 25799 Judicial Review: The Gavel and the Robe, The Economist, August 7, 1999 Democracies have handed increasing amounts of power to unelected judges. This article examines the growth and many different forms of judicial review. 19. 25800 Referendums: The People's Voice, The Economist, August 14, 1999 Direct democracy takes many forms. This article examines the different kinds of referenda, looks at the experience so far, and reviews the arguments about letting voters decide policy questions directly.Part D. American Politics in Comparative Perspective 20. 39357 The Great Divide, Timothy Garton Ash, Prospect, March 2003Influenced by their own weakness and the trauma of contemporary wars, Europeans have come to pursue international peace, negotiation, and cooperation at almost any price, whereas Americans have retained a greater willingness to use force. Kagan sums up the contrast in a memorable overstatement, "On major strategic and international questions today, Americans are from Mars and Europeans are from Venus." Ash explains why he finds Kagan's analysis to be only half right. 21. 39358 Living With a Superpower, The Economist, January 2, 2003A study in world values by Ronald Inglehart and associates shows a fairly persistent pattern of basic similarities and differences within countries. On an axis that plots "quality of life," Americans and West Europeans show high commitments to "self-expression" values. They differ on "secular-rational" and nonreligious values. Here Europeans (except the Irish) turn out to be markedly more secular-rational and less patriotic and religious than Americans. 22. 42172 The Case for a Multi-Party U.S. Parliament? American Politics in Comparative Perspective, Christopher S. Allen, Original Work, 2006 The author supports the inclusion of American political institutions in the study of comparative politics. He presents a brief on behalf of a multi-party parliamentary system for the United States. As he points out, it can be read as a mental experiment in institutional transplantation. It underscores the basic insight that institutions are not neutral but have consequences for the political process itself.Unit 3 Europe in Transition: West, Center, and EastPart A. The European Union 23. 42119 A Too Perfect Union? Why Europe Said "No", Andrew Moravcsik, Current History, November 2005 The defeat of the EU Constitution in French and Dutch referendums had little to do with the substance of the document and does not mean that the European Union is now in decline or disarray, according to this American observer. The EU continues to be a successful multilevel system of governance, but it should not aspire to imitate or replace the nation states with their symbolic and democratic legitimacy. 24. 45458 Bored by 'Results', Europe Regains Its Taste for Grand Plans, George Parker, Financial Times, October 27, 2006 Europe is having a breather after the traumas of 2005, when the EU's constitutional draft was rejected in French and Dutch referendums and a major EU budget revision failed to be enacted. As the fiftieth anniversary of the EU's founding in the Treaty of Rome approaches, however, this observer finds signs that the EU is gearing to lurch forward on several major issues. 25. 45459 A Venture at a Standstill, The Economist, May 27, 2006 The British weekly sees no emerging consensus among EU members on how to proceed. This article differentiates between the "institutionalists," who favor a new framework, and the "incrementalists," who prefer an organic development of what has already become a variegated organization. It concludes that some institutional adjustments are needed and possible while a grand makeover, as sought by the draft EU constitution, is neither necessary nor likely.Part B. Central and Eastern Europe 26. 45292 Shadows at Europe's Heart, The Economist, October 12, 2006 This article looks at the former Communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. While their economies have flourished, there is great risk of political failure in these newcomers to the EU, with populist politicians taking advantage of the rampant discontents. Part C. Russia 27. 45460 Russia's Ersatz Democracy, Lilia Shevtsova, Current History, October 2006 The author of this unusual interpretation of Russian politics sees the country's governing elite as experimenting with a political model that attempts to bring together "conflicting elements" like autocracy and democracy, market freedom and state controls of the economy, partnership with the West and a rejection of Western values. It is leading to a dead end, she concludes, and there is a crisis looming ahead. 28. 39367 What Does Putin Want?, Peter Lavelle, Current History, October 2004 The author believes that Vladimir Putin follows a long-term reform agenda that includes authoritarian forms of "managed democracy" and "managed capitalism." Despite its remarkable economic recovery, fueled by high prices for oil exports, Russia faces some serious structural problems. In his efforts to increase the Russian state's ability to govern effectively, Putin is seeking to break the power and drain the wealth of the super rich "oligarchs." 29. 45461 The New American Cold War, Stephen F. Cohen, The Nation, July 10, 2006 The author has long been a critic of the U.S. failure to curb what he sees as its "triumphalism" at the time of the Soviet Union's breakup. He emphasizes that there is a continuing lack of understanding by leaders of both major parties in Washington of Russia's distinct traditions and interests. Unit 4 Political Diversity in the Developing WorldPart A. Latin America 30. 45462 Mexico's Disputed Election, Luis Rubio and Jeffrey Davidow, Foreign Affairs, September/October 2006 Mexico's presidential election in 2006 was the first after the defeat of the long-ruling PRI six years earlier. The two top candidates represented different directions for the country-whether to continue on the road to political and economic liberalization or return to the state-driven development model of the 1970s and earlier. The article discusses the importance of the election for Mexico's future. 31. 42969 Latin America's Left Turn, Jorge G. Casteneda, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2006 The left has returned to Latin American politics, but it comes in two different strands-the traditional left with its origins in Marxism and leftist populism. The traditional left has undergone significant change and is now in power in Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil, while left-wing populism has an important presence in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Argentina. The author argues that the traditional left is a more moderate and preferable option. Part B. Africa 32. 42130 Nigeria: Chronicle of a Dying State, Ike Okonta, Current History, May 2005 Nigeria is the most populous and most diverse country in Africa. It is potentially also one of the richest. But Nigeria is also a prime example of a failed state, rife with corruption, and based on a violent and predatory relationship of rulers to the population that goes back to colonial times. A "reform team" will contest the elections scheduled for 2007.Part C. China 33. 36733 China: The Quiet Revolution, Doug Guthrie, Harvard International Review, Summer 2003 The reformers who led China toward a market economy avoided "shock therapy." Instead, they moved gradually in
implementing changes that in the end turned out to be a major institutional transformation. This article explores their strategy and the reasons for the success of their "quiet revolution." 34. 45464 Where's Mao? Chinese Revise History Books, Joseph Kahn, The New York Times, September 1, 2006 Beginning in the fall of 2006, high school students in China will have new textbooks in history that emphasize stability, trade and technology rather than revolution and class struggle.Part D. India 35. 45280 India's Path to Greatness, Martin Walker, Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2006 Despite its numerous problems, India is a model for political survival as a multiethnic democracy. Its political institutions provide safety valves for expressing grievances and finding decentralized responses. The paradox is that India's enormous diversity and its cumbersome political system have enabled unity and democracy to combine. There are indications that a moderate prosperity may follow, as India continues the incremental deregulation of its economy, begun in 1991. Part E. The Muslim World 36. 31050 Bin Laden, the Arab "Street," and the Middle East's Democracy Deficit, Dale F. Eickelman, Current History, January 2002 Osama bin Laden speaks in the vivid language of popular Islamic preachers, and he builds on a deep and broad resentment against the West. He benefits from the lack of democratic outlets in much of the Middle East that leaves no established platforms to express opinions on matters of public concern.Unit 5 Comparative Politics: Some Major Trends, Issues, and ProspectsPart A. The Democratic Trend: How Strong, Thorough, and Lasting? 37. 39377 Democracy's Sobering State, Thomas Carothers, Current History, December 2004 The "third wave" of democratization, first identified and labeled by Samuel Huntington, has come to a standstill. It referred to the numerous democratic openings that began in southern Europe in the mid-1970s and then spread to much of the rest of the world. This article examines the cluster of factors that are blunting the further advance and consolidation of democratic government. Individually and together, they present a major challenge that cannot be removed by empty rhetoric.Part B. The Ambivalence about Markets: What Role for the State? 38. 10712 Capitalism and Democracy, Gabriel A. Almond, PS: Political Science and Politics, September 1991 Towards the end of the Gorbachev era, Gabriel Almond presented a Moscow audience with some key ideas about the ambiguous relationship between capitalism and democracy. Drawing in part on the work of other theorists, this leading political scientist explored ways in which capitalism both supports and subverts democracy as well as ways in which democracy may both subvert and foster capitalism.Part C. The Politics of Group Identity: How Much Does It Matter? 39. 18633 Cultural Explanations: The Man in the Baghdad Cafe, The Economist, November 9, 1996 This essay critically reviews recent scholarly attempts to explain economics and politics in terms of cultural differences. 40. 42181 Globalization Is About Blending, Not Homogenizing, Joseph S. Nye Jr., Washington Post National Weekly Edition, 20, 2002 The author emphasizes that globalization does not necessarily mean homogenization or Americanization. He uses examples from Japan to Canada to illustrate his argument. 41. 39383 An Explosive Combination, Amy Chua, Orlando Sentinel, September 21, 2003 Free-market economics and overnight democracy can become a volatile mixture when members of a market-dominant ethnic minority become seen as outside exploiters. Amy Chua explains and illustrates how this combination has fueled ethnic conflict in some developing countries and could recur in postwar Iraq. 42. 10653 Jihad vs. McWorld, Benjamin R. Barber, The Atlantic Monthly, March 1992 Benjamin Barber examines two major tendencies that are shaping much of the political world today. One is a form of tribalism, which pits cultural, ethnic, religious, and national groups against each other. It clashes with a tendency toward globalism, brought about by modern technology, communications, and commerce. Both tendencies can threaten democracy.