comparative politics today political science i. copyright © texas education agency 2013. all rights...

Comparative Politics TodayPolitical Science I

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What are the current political ideologies in the US?


US Political Culture

• Individualism is one of the most widely held beliefs in the US• Individualism – a belief that emphasizes the role of the

individual voter or consumer, typically associated with the rise of democracy in the West (Hauss & Haussman, 2013)

• Supported by the perception that anything can be achieved through hard work

• Leads many Americans to believe that there is little need for the government to provide assistance through social-service programs• 35 million Americans are in poverty despite working on a regular

basis (Hauss & Haussman, 2013)


US Political Culture (continued)

• Political apathy• Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba identify this concept as

civic culture• Civic culture – a culture which is characterized by trust,

legitimacy, and limited involvement, which some theorists believe is most conducive to democracy (Hauss & Haussman, 2013)

• Although there are plenty of avenues for political involvement, very few Americans become political activists

• Since the 1950s, Americans’ faith in politicians has declined dramatically (Hauss & Haussman, 2013)


US Political Participation

• The most common form of political participation in the US is voting

• The US is a two-party system• Two-party system – consists of two parties that are highly

competitive with one another and, taken together, win almost all the votes and offices in elections

• The Democrats and Republicans have been the two dominant parties in the US since the 1850s

• There were notable challenges to the Republican and Democrat candidates in the 1992 (H. Ross Perot) and 2000 (Ralph Nader) presidential elections


US Public Policy: Economic

• Congress is responsible for appropriating money to federal agencies (i.e. education, defense, transportation)

• A person’s political ideology typically suggests his or her opinion about the ideal amount of government participation in the personal lives of citizens

• The federal government does regulate the private sector in some ways, such as through taxes, bankruptcy, and anti-trust laws


US Public Policy: Economic (continued)

• America has a laissez-faire approach to business and the economy• Laissez-faire – the ideology that the government

should not intervene into business affairs• Believes that the private sector should operate

freely without major restrictions from the government

• The private sector is responsible for the production of all goods manufactured in the US


US Public Policy: Social

• Politicians continually argue about the role the federal government should play in the personal lives of citizens

• People’s opinions about this vary because of their political ideologies

• Social policies continue to evolve over time and will continue to change as time progresses; here are two examples from 2013• The Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for states

to ban same-sex marriage• Many states passed anti-abortion legislation


What are the current political ideologies of Iran?


Iranian Political Culture

• Most political scientists have been unable to do field research in Iran since 1979, which caused• Gaps in the information about Iran’s political

culture• Many political scientists to assume that the

political culture is very polarizing


Iranian Political Culture (continued)

• Since the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, Iran has become very nationalistic• Shah – the title for the monarchs of Iran prior to

the Iranian Revolution in 1979• Most Iranians are considered Shi’ite Muslims• In recent years, the Islamic Left has gained support

and created many reformist groups within the country


Iranian Political Culture (continued)

• Iran is surprisingly liberal• Two-thirds of Iran’s population is under the age of

30, and it is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Orthodox Shi’ite mentality (Hauss & Haussman, 2013)

• Younger Iranians are more secular and may partake in activities that are forbidden by the government, such as• Wearing makeup• Watching foreign television shows and movies


Iranian Political Participation

• Iran considers itself a strong authoritarian regime with varying amounts of democracy

• All citizens in Iran over the age of 18 are eligible to vote

• Election campaigns in Iran are only one week long and candidates are allowed only to circulate campaign literature that is four by six inches in size


Iranian Political Parties

• Iran has thirty-four political parties (Hauss & Haussman, 2013)

• Iran is divided into twenty-eight different constituencies, which are allocated seats based on their population• This is similar to the structure of the US House of

Representatives

• Prior to running, all candidates must submit their names to the Guardian Council for approval


Iranian Political Parties (continued)

• The Guardian Council • Is selected by the authoritative body of Iran; its members are

not elected• Screens potential candidates

• The Constitution of Iran mandates that all candidates meet a certain criteria• Under the age of seventy-five• Have a university degree• Have a belief and commitment to the practice of Islam

• There is no dominant political party, because the authoritarian regime has most of the political power


Iranian Public Policy: Economic

• Economy is the most important issue to Iran’s long-term future

• The wealth of Iran comes from one industry: oil• Iran holds seven percent of the world’s oil reserves (Hauss &

Haussman, 2013)

• When the citizens overthrew the Shah in 1979, Iran lost one of its largest economic supporters, the US

• The private sector within Iran is almost non-existent• Because businesses are operated by the Ayatollah, they

are opposed to outside investments or foreign involvement


Iranian Public Policy: Faith and Gender• Iran is a theocracy• Public policy is predominantly driven by

the principles of Islam • Many of Iran’s social policies are biased

against females


What are the current political ideologies of Russia?


Russian Political Culture and Participation• Russia (previously known as the Soviet Union)

suffered under decades of Communist rule • The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and left Russia in

a state of political despair• The underlying political culture has not significantly

changed since the shift to a new regime• Russian demographics are changing; younger, urban,

and well-educated citizens are beginning to support more liberal values


Russian Political Culture and Participation(continued)• Political involvement• The number of interest groups and political

organizations in Russia have increased in the past several years

• These groups have little influence because they must submit to a strenuous registration process that delays their ability to operate legally


Russian Political Parties:The Party System• Following the Communist period, Russia

instituted the Floating Party System• Floating Party System – describes the scattered party

identification of Russian citizens• It is very unstable, which has made the transition to a

democratic regime difficult

• Russians are not party loyal and change their political opinions from one election to the next


Russian Political Parties:The Party System (continued)

• Putin forced laws that make it impossible for smaller political parties to get on to the ballot in elections

• Putin has reshaped the party system into one that can be easily manipulated and controlled by the central government


Russian Political Parties:United Russia• Is a political party that was founded by

Vladimir Putin in 1999• Is not a typical political party because it is not

defined by its stance on divisive issues• Russians refer to United Russia as the “Party of

Power”• It was not created to defend policy proposals or

ideologies• It was created to promote the interests of the current

leadership


Russian Political Parties:United Russia (continued)

• Vladmir Putin and United Russia controlled the Russian Presidency until 2008, when Putin left office after serving the maximum two terms• Russian president – guarantor of the constitution and

the head of state in the Russian political system

• In 2008, Dmitiri Medvedev was elected President of Russia and appointed Putin as Prime Minister of Russia• Prime Minister – the chief minister of a state


Russian Public Policy: Economic

• Presents the most problematic policy issues for Russia• The primary challenge is the transition from a

centrally planned economy to a free market with private ownership

• The Russian economy has increased by seven percent in the last decade (Hauss &Haussman, 2013)

• Post-communist economic policy initially revolved around a struggle between two groups• The Reformers• The Conservatives


Russian Public Policy: Foreign

• From post-World War II until 1991, Russia (the Soviet Union) was one of the world’s two superpowers

• After the collapse of the Soviet Union• Russia played a minor role in international affairs• Fourteen independent states were developed

• It was difficult for the US and other Western countries to adapt to post-communist Russia


Russian Public Policy: Foreign(continued)

• Due to low morale and minimal funds, the Russian government had no fighting force beyond its own borders

• The relationship between Russia and the US began to flounder in 2003 when the Russian government did not support the US-led Iraqi invasion

• Overall, Russia and the US are continuing to build a positive political relationship but continue to disagree about involvement in foreign affairs


What are the current political ideologies of China?


Chinese Political Culture and Participation: Historical Impacts• China was ruled primarily by dynasties for

thousands of years• Chinese politics were reinforced by Confucian

values• The Chinese Communist Revolution began in

1949• The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)• Mao Zedong became the leader of the CCP and

the founding father of the People’s Republic of China


Chinese Political Culture and Participation: Historical Impacts(continued)

• The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)• Founded on the ideologies of Marxism• Modeled aspects of its government’s structure after the

Soviet Union• Took total control of the media, the educational system,

and the economy• Was based on four key elements

• Collectivism • Struggle and activism • Egalitarianism and populism • Self-reliance


Chinese Political Culture and Participation: Changing Values• A blend of traditional and contemporary values was

evident in the Democracy Movement in 1989• Thousands of students protested the CCP in Tiananmen

Square, demanding the creation of democratic institutions within communist China

• Recently the CCP has allowed more political expression by releasing some of its control of the media and education

• Even though China is expanding its socio-political values, the CCP remains a centrally planned government that• Bans access to certain Internet websites• Attempts to ban social networking websites• Lacks rights for women and laborers


Chinese Political Parties

• The CCP • Has dominated Chinese politics since 1949• Has more than 70 million members (Hauss &

Haussman, 2013)• Is a changing political party that has leaders who

are• Working to change the party’s composition • Attempting to modernize by recruiting citizens

regardless of class or ideological commitment


Chinese Public Policy: Economic

• Since Mao’s death (1976) • The Chinese economy changed drastically; many do

not consider China a socialist economy anymore• The CCP enacted three reforms that boosted the

Chinese economy• Private property can have a useful role in a socialist economy• Market forces should be used to allocate goods and services,

and to determine prices• Material incentives, including higher wages, personal profit,

and the accumulation of wealth, should be the primary means to boost productivity and efficiency


Chinese Public Policy: Economic (continued)

• China is now considered a socialist market economy• Socialist market economy – a blend of a capitalist and a

government-controlled economy; it allows for foreign investors, private entrepreneurs, and a stock market but is still closely monitored by the centrally organized government

• China’s economic growth is • Concentrated in major urban areas• Influenced heavily by the CCP• Dominated by foreign investment


Chinese Public Policy: Foreign

• China during Mao’s reign• Was an enemy of the US that consistently attacked

capitalist powers around the world• Supported third-world militants and radical groups

that fought against colonialism and capitalist regimes


Chinese Public Policy: Foreign(continued)

• Since the 1970s• The relationship between China and the US (and other

Western countries) has improved• China’s foreign policy has made tremendous progress

• China became a member of the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

• China was a major participant in the “six party talks” that convinced North Korea to suspend its nuclear weapons and power program

• Overall, China has developed relationships with most Western countries, and a war between China and other world powers is not a current concern


How do conflicting ideologies affect international foreign relations?


Conflict and Globalization

• Since the 1970s• Globalization – the interdependence of countries; the volume

and value of imports and exports, transfers of capital, international communication, and the extent of foreign travel and immigration (Hauss & Haussman, 2013)

• The nature of conflict has changed with the pace of globalization• Traditionally, international conflict is identity-based, concerning

issues such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and language• Many wars and conflicts have begun as a result of identity-based

issues, including• The role of social media has drastically changed the global

environment


A New Era of Foreign Relations

• Peacekeeping organizations• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) works to

maintain peace in countries around the world• The UN provides an outlet for peaceful negotiations and

compromises, even though its members have differing ideological platforms

• Economic relationships• A global economy has created an extensive network of

businesses that connects the world financially• Because most of the major countries are financially

interconnected, they are less likely to engage in a conflict or war


Resources

• Almond, G., Dalton, R., Powell, B., & Strom, K. (2008). Comparative politics today. (9 ed.). New York City: Pearson Longman.

• Hauss, C., & Haussman, M. (2013). Comparative politics. (8 ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Cenage.

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