Test 2 (LA Pols)
Name four institutional rules aimed at judicial independence, and describe how they may enhance such independence.
(1) Appointment Rules: Independence is more likely if neither the executive or legislative branch has unilateral control over appointments. (2) Length of Tenure: Judicial independence is enhanced when the length of tenure is longer than that of the appointers. (3) Removal Proceedings: The larger the number of actors involved in the process of disciplining high court judges and the greater the majority required for dismissal, the greater the potential for judicial independence. Also, if the disciplinary process includes judicial councils, then independence is enhanced. (4) Clauses specifying the number of judges in higher courts: If the constitution stipulated the number of members in the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Tribunal, then judicial independence is influenced. When the specific number of judges in the court is written into the constitution, it is more difficult for political actors to modify the rules to pack the court with friendly appointees.
1) Why would measuring democratic norms by just asking people about their support for democracy may be problematic? (i.e., is this question capturing something else or being influenced by other factors besides a commitment to the ideal of democracy?) 2) What other types of questions (that do not ask directly about an individual's evaluation of democracy as a system of government) may be appropriate to capture the prevalence of democratic norms?
(1) Measuring democracy in this way may be problematic because democracy may mean different things to different people and, as a result, it fails to capture the concept of a democracy that most academics have in mind. Responses indicating support for democracy are influenced by individuals' views on the principle of democracy and also by the way democracy works in practice in their countries. (2) Other types of questions that may be appropriate to capture the prevalence of democratic norms that measure support for institutions and practices that we associate with democracy, such as: **a) "do you believe that when the country is facing difficult times, it is justifiable for the president to close congress and govern without it?" **b) "Would a coup and military take-over of government be justified if there is a lot of crime?"
Why is interpersonal trust considered an important trait of a society's political culture?
(1) Those with higher levels of interpersonal trust are more likely to support political institutions & participate more in political activities. (2) More likely to support policies for reducing economic inequality. (3) Trust between people facilitates cooperation and helps solve collective action problems. (4) Those who do not trust their fellow citizens are more likely to believe that the political system is corrupt, that election's cannot be trusted, and have anti-democratic norms.
What individual traits tend to be associated with greater support for the idea that democracy is better than any other form of government? What individual traits tend to be associated with higher levels of political tolerance?
(1) Traits associated with greater support for the idea that democracy is better than other form of government are: age, education, long-term pattern of democracy, and satisfaction with the way democracy is working in the respondent's country. (2) Traits associated with higher levels of political tolerance: education and younger aged people are more tolerant than older Latin Americans.
1) What is the difference between abstract and concrete judicial review? 2) What is the difference between a priori and a posteriori judicial review? 3) Mention Latin American countries that utilize each procedure (one per rule).
-Concrete requires real case or controversy *vs* abstract can take place without an actual case. -Concrete can only take place a posteriori *vs* abstract can take place both a posterior or a priori. -Concrete can be centralized or decentralized *vs* abstract must be centralized. Abstract: Brazil Concrete: Argentina 1) a prior (ex-ante): constitutional review can take place before a bill is formally enacted (Mexico) 2) a posteriori: a constitutional review can only take place after a law has been adopted (Costa Rica)
Which Latin American countries allow for indefinite reelection of the president? What are some of the potential problems of unlimited presidential reelection?
1) Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. a) It promotes perpetuating power by those already elected. b) The incumbent's advantage may diminish the fairness of the election and weaken the chances of the opposition. c) Requiring turnover in the executive branch makes those out of government more likely to embrace democracy by giving them a greater chance to one day be in government.
1) What is the difference between erga omnes and inter partes decisions? 2) Which of these two types of decisions is considered to give courts greater power? 3) Name Latin American countries that utilize each procedure (one per rule).
1) Erga omnes (valid for all), the ruling affects how the new law applies to all individuals affected by it. Erga omnes gives courts greater power. (ex: Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico use erga omnes & inter parts) 2) Inter partes (valid for only the parties involved in the case), the ruling applies the pensions law only to the specific plaintiff in this case. (ex: Argentina)
What do surveys tell us about the relationship between citizens' ideological identification and their preferences for economic principles in Latin America?
The surveys showed that the relationship between citizen's ideological identification and their preferences for economic principles showed very little differences. Overall, the typical respondent was rather supportive of government action to reduce inequalities. There was very little differences between each left-to-right grouping.
What is the difference between "the personal vote" and "the partisan vote"? Name one rule that promotes the "personal vote" and another that promotes the "partisan vote."
1) For the personal vote, politicians pursue votes based on their individual popularity rather than on the reputation of their party. -rule that promotes: frequent contact between legislators and their constituents 2) For the partisan vote, less likely to run on their personal traits and more likely to campaign as members of a team. ~rule that promotes: more likely to provide nationally oriented public goods and less likely to spend funds on inefficient localized projects.
What is political culture? What are some of the main topics investigated by political culture and addressed in chapter 9 of the assigned textbook?
1) Political culture is defined as citizens' psychological and subjective orientations toward politics. (the orientations that people have to the political process which is composed of 3 factors: support for democracy, trust, and ideological positioning.) 2) The main topics investigated by political culture are: a) Public Support for Democracy -the success of democracy requires a majority of the population to support the principles of a democratic govt. b) Confidence in Institutions and Interpersonal Trust -public trust in institutions is vital for the survival of new democracies. Trust between people facilitates cooperation and helps people solve collective action problems. higher levels of interpersonal trust are linked with democracy. c) Ideological Positions -ideologies are composed of established principles about the role of the govt in the economy, the primacy of individual liberties, etc.
Why do we consider proportionality an important outcome of electoral rules? What specific feature of proportional representation is closely associated with less disproportionality between the share of votes and the share of seats?
1) Proportionality is an important outcome of electoral rules because it ensures a close correspondence between the share of votes and the share of seats. This makes the distribution of seats fair. It doesn't punish parties that received fewer votes. It treats parties equally. 2) A specific feature of PR that affects the correspondence between vote shares and seat shares is district magnitude. High DM produces more proportional results; low DM increases the disproportionality of results. Proportional representation rules tend to reduce the bias in favor of large parties, which reduces disproportionately. A district that allocates many seats is likely to produce more proportional results.
What is the most common rule for electing presidents in Latin America? What is the most common electoral rule for choosing members of congress in Latin America?
1) electing presidents: Majority Runoff 2) electing members of congress: Proportional Representation
Latin America is a region of the world where rules for mandatory voting are very common. What are the pros and cons of compulsory voting?
Pros: (1) Enhances the legitimacy of the elected representatives & increases voter turnout. (2) Fosters political equality because it increases the participation of the economically disadvantaged. (3) Reduces political polarization -voluntary voting makes political polarization more likely. Cons: (1) Compulsory voting is an infringement of individual freedom (the right to not go to the poll is a form of speech). (2) Not voting does not cause a substantial cost on others, so it isn't justifiable to force everyone to do it. There is no substantial risk to the public for not voting. (3) Voluntary voters are usually much more informed and educated compared to compulsory voters.
Indicate what were the three most common restrictions regarding the right to vote in early 20th century Latin America. Sum up some arguments in favor and against such restrictions.
The three most common restrictions regarding the right to vote in early 20th century Latin America were (1) wealth, (2) education, and (3) gender. Arguments in Favor of the Restrictions: (1) Restrictions based on wealth were justified by arguing that the poor had no will of their own and would be manipulated. Giving the poor the right to vote threatened political power & economic benefits enjoyed by the elite. (2) Literacy restrictions prevented the poor and indigenous people from voting to ensure an educated vote would be made. (3) Giving women the right to vote would be unnecessary since they were already represented by their husbands, voting might place women in competition with men, most women didn't want to vote, and it would distract women from the home, involve them in dirty politics. Arguments Against the Restrictions: (1)Universal suffrage was desirable because it promoted equal protection of individuals' interests and was fundamentally just since all were subject to the laws and policies imposed by the state.
Several analysts of presidential politics have argued that divided government or fragmentation of power among the elected branches tends to promote judicial independence, whereas unified government undermines it. What is the rationale behind this claim?
When the presidency and congress, are not controlled by the same party, sanctioning judges is more difficult, and as a result, members of the judiciary are more likely to act independently and make their own decisions. The lack of a unified government makes it more likely that one of the elected branches may protect judicial independence by vetoing actions that would overturn high court decisions.
