Exam #2

Lecture Outline 1

Introduction What Is Comparative Politics? Politics About who gets what, and how? About power and the distribution (or use) of power. It is everywhere. Different ways in understanding politics: noble games or dirty tricks? Comparison Putting together two or more different things to find their similarities and differences. Observing patterned behavior by comparing different cases. Testing variables by controlling and comparing to identify their causal effects and correlations. Comparative method à la Arennd Lijphart (Arend Lijphart, "Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method" One of" the basic methods of establishing general empirical propositions" (other methods include experimental, statistical, and case studies). One of "the basic scientific methods" (not THE scientific method). A "method of discovering empirical relationships among variables, not as a method of measurement." Several ways of comparing countries: Three worlds: US and its allies, USSR and the communist bloc, the rest of the world. Democracy vs various non- or mixed-democracies. Capitalism vs communism Developed economies vs less developed economies Comparative politics It is both a subfield and a method in political science. A study of domestic politics of different countries comparatively. Focuses the interaction of four "I"s Ideology (e.g., democracy, totalitarianism, fundamentalism, etc.) Institution (e.g., presidency, parliament, agencies, etc.) Inheritance (political, economic, and cultural, etc.) Individuals (e.g., personalities, participation, parties, interest groups, etc.) An empirical study on the political and economic developments of countries with a stress on their cultural and historical backgrounds. Differences between comparative politics and international relations CP: primarily domestic politics; IR: foreign relations. Different stresses on levels of analysis CP: how countries are doing in comparison with each other; IR: how countries are doing with each other. CP is more empirically-oriented than the IR. However, today the distinction between comparative politics and international relations is often blurred. They are often overlapping each other. (e.g., human rights issues of a country) A Glance at the World: the Environment for the Study of Comparative Politics A world of nations- comparing nations/entities Political aspect of the world.- including political systems: democratic and parliamentary example, authoritarianism- Russia, totalitarianism-North Korea Political map of the world Lands and people- urbanization, usually. Increase of money. Literacy rate can determine economy. In some countries it is higher because of free education.- *Median Age years/Life Expectancy*- Germany and Japan- over 46 yrs. aging society- longevity- find USA The religious world Economic aspects of the world Profiles of selected countries GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of selected countries. Development indices of selected countries. Trends of world development Democratization (Freedom in the World 2021) Prevalence of democratic values Weakening of sovereignty- Held. By European powers. By the end of cold war these rights weren't as powerful. Countries have spread in loss of rights. Importance of human rights (De)globalization (Harvard Business Review: The State of Globalization in 2021) (Globalization Report 2020) Interdependence of national economies International trade, aid, and exchange rate Internet and information highway Indigenous vs international Rise of nationalism Awareness of distinctive national cultures Awakening of ethnicity-based nationalism Fueled with religious and cultural conflicts Two-edged sword for national governments Historical critical moments for comparative politics Post-WWII. Decolonization and bipolarization. The collapse of Soviet Union. A new wave of democratization and nationalism Post 9/11. Rise of terrorism and its impact on domestic politics. Why Study Comparative Politics? Understanding our state and state formation Historical development of nation-states State identity: cultural and common heritages- We associate our values with the state values Functional explanation of state formation External influence on state formation- Decolonization: France and Canada Understanding our government and political development Balancing public order and individual freedom- Government politics (totalitarianism vs. democratic) Preventing "law of the jungle" and keeping stable development Regulating relations among its own people and with people beyond its borders Evolutionary and revolutionary political developments- French revolution- changing government Understanding our economy and economic development. Economic growth and wealth production- how the wealth is distributed Technological advances and improvement of living standards Equality and uneven economic development Understanding our society and societal development. Development of a civil society- unity of all citizens (have to be citizens)- it's not about education or status Conflicts between elites and the masses Elites and the masses have different interests. For self-preservation purposes, elites may accommodate some of the demands from the masses. (In ancient Chinese: "those who use brains shall rule, those who use brawn shall be ruled.") Conflicts among the established elites: power and profits- conflicts such as difference of perspectives for example Trump and Biden have difference of perspectives and policies Interest wrestling among different groups of masses: who gets a better share of the pie from the society? Interaction among the government, the society, and the people Democratic government and civil society Authoritarian government and individual freedom Political and economic reforms Gap between the rich and the poor

Lecture Outline #9

Japan: A Democracy with Strong East Asian FlavorsKeywords: Meiji Restoration of 1868, single non-transferable vote only vote for a certain candidate only once and not like the US and France twice, predominant-party regime, Art 9 of Japanese Constitution: Full democracy Profile of Japan Japan at a glance Geographic features An archipelago state with thousands of islands. Most of its people live on four islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku- geographic locations are the four distinction. Not like the UK. Lack of natural and energy resources Island economy: fishing and agriculture Vulnerable to natural disasters Demographic features Highly homogenous population Rich in human capital Almost 100% literacy rate A Male dominating society- highly male dominating, very few female politicians An aging society like Germany Japanese culture Stress on cultural heritages and traditions: Shinto. Stress on order and self-discipline Stress on hierarchical social status: respect authority, seniority, and the elderly, order and self-discipline Stress on absorbing the best from others while keeping firmly its own values National identity Loyalty to the Emperor Citizenship restrictions. An ethnically/culturally homogeneous state. Well-developed sense of being Japanese. National identity of Okinawans and interracial nationals. History The Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868) Strong military rule. Emperors became figureheads. The samurai tradition Meiji Restoration and the rise and fall of Japanese militarism Commodore Matthew Perry's gunboats knocked Japan's doors open, and overthrew the Shogun government. Meiji period: the modernization of Japan and rise to a militant power.- Meiji was the leader. 2 eastern powers China and Japan, knocked the door. Japan became a strong power absorbing different power. China declined power and empire. Japan won a war against China, navy is important. Taisho Democracy (1912-1926). The democratization of government, and the emergence of political parties. Universal manhood suffrage. Post-WWII Japan General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Command of Allied Powers (SCAP) and Japan's reconstruction. Politically, Japan developed into a pacific democratic state. Economically, it developed into a strong manufacturing economy with leading technologies. Aligned the troops 45-50. Change the nature of Japan, to become democratic. Changes in the new century. Economic development Industrialization Japan's industrialization featured in the patriarchal zaibatsu (i.e., family-controlled financial conglomerates). Under the post-war democratization, the largest zaibatsu changed keiretsu, a group of companies interlocking and sharing stocks with each other. Japan as leading technological power and economic giant in the electronic era. Bullet Train, semiconductor, and other cutting-edge industrial products. State-guided economic strategies Administrative guidance system. Japanese government implicitly encouraged private sectors (e.g., banks and firms) to mutually help each other, and bailed them out if they were facing difficulties (collapsed when the "bubble" broke). Rapid economic growth 1950s-1970s, during which the government played key role in development of economy. By 1980s, Japan became a major competitor of the United States in the international market. The "lost decade" of 1990s The "bubble" economy.- Rose too fast economy, and lost power, debt, nothing. The stagnation.- Had to sell things. Japan lost its leading position in the information age.- leading edge in the IT industry. Lost electronic leading power. They were one of the best. Abenomics (Shinzo Abe) Changed from piecemeal repairs of the two-decade long weak economy to drastic reforms. The main content is called "three-arrow" strategy ("three sticks are stronger than one"): (a) monetary easing; (b) fiscal expansion; and (c) business deregulation (Europe). The goals of Abenomics are to revive Japan's capability of economic competition, adjust capital-labor relations, and strengthen its trade partnerships. Political Institutions Constitutional monarchy- the dynasty has never changed. They all come from the same family. They never use last names. Everyone knows it's the same family. A constitutional monarchy The monarch is the symbolic head of state, having only ceremonial duties. In May 2019, Emperor Naruhito, following the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito, acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Unitary state. National government provides local governments 70% of revenues. Japan has a parliamentary democracy similar to that of the United Kingdom. The real power is in the hands of the parliament, the Japanese Diet.- house of counselors are different from house of los. Think of the UK. The constitution of Japan The pacific constitution (1946) is to ensure Japan would be not remilitarized. Art 1 states that the Emperor is the symbol of the nation, yet his power derives from the will of the people. The Emperor performs symbolic powers according to the constitution. Art 9 declares that Japan forever renounces war and the right of belligerency. The constitution guarantees people's freedoms and rights, and the powers of government branches. It is influenced by the American constitution. The executive The terms and qualifications of a Prime Minister Prime minister is the chief executive. Elected by the Diet from the majority coalition of MPs. The PM and other ministers must be civilians. Powers of a Prime Minister Appoints and removes the cabinet ministers. Lead the cabinet members to perform daily government functions. Lead the ruling coalition MPs in the Diet to pass laws in favor of party interests. Some of the characteristics of Japanese prime ministers Often unstable and replaced frequently (5 PMs in 5 years between Koizumi and Abe). After Abe left, PM Yoshihide Suga held this position for just a year, when he is replaced by PM Fumio Kishida. Shinzo Abe is the longest serving PM in Japan (4 terms, 2006-07, 2012-20). Usually in power as a result of back-stage factional bargains. Some cabinet positions (e.g., MITI or the Ministry of International Trade and Industries, since 2001 changed into METI) are likely candidates for PMs.- economics, one of the most important Common to have hereditary politicians (e.g., 2006-2018, 5 PMs were descendants of former PMs). Unstable The bureaucracy Though parliament is the highest and constitutionally the sole law-making organ of the state, most of its powers rest with Japan's notorious bureaucracy. Many policies are created by bureaucrats due to their familiarities of the government operations. Government technocrats become more important when the cabinet turnovers are high. They provide technical expertise for the government to run smoothly. One major power. Dominate party. This leading party breaks into many fractions. The legislative The Japanese Diet Legislative branch- Bicameral: House of Representatives (lower house)- multi-party legislature and House of Councilors (upper house). Multi-party legislature: currently about ten political parties (including independents) have seats in the Diet. The constitution does not specify how the seats are elected, except that they must be by secret ballot and a universal adult suffrage. Elections are governed by voting laws. The LDP has majority in the lower house, 282/465; and in the upper house, 114/245, with Komeito (national party) 29 and 28 seats joining on its side. (as of Oct 14, 2021). House of Representatives The more powerful house of the Diet. It can override the House of Councilors by a 2/3 majority, and the latter cannot delay voting on PM selection, treaties, and the budget. The Oct 22, 2017 election has 465 members (down from 475), elected directly from voters for a four-year term. 289 are elected from single-member constituencies, and remaining members are on party-lists elected in 11 multi-member constituencies using a proportionate representation system. The House of Councilors Currently 245 members with a six-year term. In July 2019, 124 members are elected. In the 2019 election, about 74 members are elected from 47 prefectures by the Single Non-Transferable (different than runoff- not recast) Vote system. The remaining 50 are elected by a single open national list of candidates using proportionate representation system. Every 3 years the counselors are elected Japanese law-making process Pork-Barrel Politics. Preferential allocation of public funds and other resources by legislators to benefit their own constituencies and/or political parties. "Iron Triangle". Until recently, it is dominated by big businesses, bureaucrats, and politicians who had a congenial relationship referred to as the "iron triangle." Very stable. These three combined coordinate together. US government and lobbying. "Smoke-filled Room Politics". Decisions made secretly by powerful politicians behind the public, before getting to the legislative process. Not holding public office but are very powerful. The judiciary The Japanese legal system Influenced by German and some French laws after the Meiji Restoration (e.g., civil code, civil procedure). American influence after WWII (e.g., constitution, and human rights). Prefer to settle disputes through non-judicial means (e.g., mediation) Supreme Court Principle of judicial independence. (Separation of national powers)- judicial review power (except for britain) It has the power of determining the constitutionality of law (judicial review). It is a court of final appeal, and also has jurisdiction on impeachment. Currently 15 justices, they are reviewed by the people at the first general election of members of the House of Representatives following their appointment, and thereafter at a ten year intervals. Chief Justice is appointed by the Emperor with the same rank as the Prime Minister. A compulsory retirement at the age of 70. The court system Japan's court system has four tiers: the Supreme Court, the high courts (8, with 6 branches and 1 IP high court); the family courts (50, deal with domestic relations and juvenile cases) and district courts (50, with 203 branches); and summary courts (438, civil cases and petty crimes). Judges at the lower courts are appointed by the Cabinet from a list of candidates nominated by the Supreme Court. It takes a long time legal training and practice to become a full judge (min. 10-year experience as assistant judge who can only exercise judicial power in a 3-member panel). Political Participation Political parties- multiparty system Characteristics of political parties in Japan A predominant-party regime. In most part of Japan's post-war history, it was ruled by one political party: the LDP. Based more on factionalism and personal loyalty than on principle differences. New political parties often come from factions over issue differences (e.g., the DPJ dissolved in 2016 and further marginalized in 2017, many members joined Party of Hope and Constitutional Democratic Party). Political leaders come from influential political families. The LDP The other political parties Kibō no Tō (Party of Hope), est. Sep 2017 by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike CDP (Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan) JCP (Japanese Communist Party)- Similar to European communist, but different from soviet union SDP (Social Democratic Party) Political participation Voting Single Non-Transferable Vote (SNTV): A method of voting used in a multimember election system. Each voter casts only one ballot for a particular candidate and that vote may not be transferred to another candidate even of the same party. As many candidates with the most votes are elected as the number of seats allocated to each district. Reformed system: MMP system combines single-member district (SMD) and proportional representation (PR) systems General public: its impact on Japanese politics Political awareness of Japanese general public. High turnout rate.- especially among elders Ways of political participation other than elections: rallies, demonstrations, policy-monitoring and information disseminating, etc. Apolitical trends among the younger generation, and women.: old men more eager, but the younger, generation, and women are less animated. A-political trend. Local politics There are 47 prefectures, each has a popularly elected governor and a unicameral legislature. The prefectures are further divided into municipalities (1800 of them). Local assembly seats are not necessarily distributed along the lines of national Diet. Some political parties are more influential in local politics (e.g., issue-oriented parties). The governors and members of local assemblies are elected separately, therefore a kind of "presidential" politics exists in local politics. Public policy issues Foreign and defense policies Article 9 of the MacArthur Constitution: "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation." The Yoshida Doctrine. Basic elements: develops its economy by relying on American protection of its national security (and nuclear protection). And keeps low profile internationally. Germany and Japan both rose to greater economic power through the influence of the U.S. and NATO. Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). Economic and trade policies Export-oriented economies: Exports primarily industrial goods. Imports primarily food, raw materials, fuel/energy resources From traditional industrial products to hi-tech products and to a financial center Still a leading player in the age of digital revolution? No longer leading in the "flying geese paradigm." Social policies and the problems of an aging population- number one longevity rate Problem of aging.- retirement fund. Social security system. Gender issues. Women's social status and traditional Japanese values. Were hesitant against me too movement. Ethnic Minorities: Ainu, Okinawans, Koreans, and New Immigrants. Minority discrimination. Labor and farmer issues. Environmental policies Japan is the only victim of nuclear bomb and people of the two cities (Nagasaki and Hiroshima) suffered nuclear radiation. Japan's post-War economic takeoff came with a price tag of pollution. Nuclear plant disasters caused by the 2011 tsunami in Fukushima. UNFCCC (adopted Kyoto Protocol).

Lecture Outline #2

Pol S 241 Intro to Com. Govt. & Pol. Y. Ren Lecture Outline #2 The Study of Comparative Politics: Methodology and Theoretical Approaches Methodology Bipartisan politics today in US, no. The comparative methodology Empirical. It eliminates rival explanations by empirically controlling the test groups. Test theories with observation. Main problem: many cases are simply uncontrollable. Applied Science. Historical. In-depth analysis of cases with limited resources. Compares chronologically (before and after). Analyzing observations to build theory. Main problem: hard to reach theoretical generalization. Political science theories are less uncontrollable is less common to control a government. Also, politicians have different views so it is not standardized. Therefore, it's not like science where you could easily make chemicals. Statistical. Quantifiable interpretations with reliable outcomes. Identifying patterns through data analysis. Main problems: insufficient data and time/resources limitations. General criteria to determine if a method is "scientific" Reliability. Different cases, different places; same method, same result. Falsifiability. Something that can be nullified. Null hypothesis.- In social studies, falsifiability is a must otherwise it is declared as humanities. Parsimoniousness. Minimized variables that have maximized explanatory power.- So many factors and views that can effect an outcome. Why come to class? So this is the power of parsimoniousness to create maximize explanatory. Need to limit the variables. John Stuart Mill's Methods- agreement and difference we are looking at outcome Method of Agreement. Examines cases with different attributes yet same outcomes (Most different comparison. E.g., Norway and India) Method of Difference. Examines cases that have same attributes but different outcomes. (Most like comparison. E.g., South and North Korea, or China before and after economic reform.) Causal relations and correlations Independent, dependent, intervening variables IV: the cause. (to be applied to explain) DV: the effect (to be explained) IntV: the medium affecting causal relationship between IV and DV. Causal effect. If "A", then "B". Reverse causation: if "B", then "A". (e.g., economic development democracy) Correlations. Found "A", likely found "B" as well. (e.g., poverty and social instability) Outliers. Something does not quite fit the pattern. Could be spurious. (e.g., certain oil-rich countries in the democracy/economic prosperity synergy). Problems of comparative methodology Few cases to compare. Not easy to find a statistically significant number of data. Too many variables. Generally true to social science research questions. Often, the best we can do is to use a few variables to explain the phenomenon with a probability. Uncontrollable variables. Many can't be done in a lab. Human unpredictable behavior. Non-falsifiable studies. Some hypotheses may not be falsified (though not necessarily "unscientific". Problems of variable measurement. Theoretical Approaches Theory and hypotheses Normative and empirical theories: Normative theory addresses the question of what should be or what ought to be. Descriptive Theory: What it is. Explanatory Theory: Why it is. Empirical theory addresses the question of what is. Descriptive and/or explanatory. Both types of theories may have predictive power. Quantitative and qualitative theories: Quantitative: statistical, large data, power of generalization.- numbers Qualitative: historical/case studies, small data, in-depth analysis.- words Hypotheses: a set of statements to be tested. They could be causal or correlational. Data collection and analysis/interpretation. Levels of analysis- Going up to down. Ranges from International to individual. International/system level- Factors such as the international structure, the ways of interacting among different unites, distribution of power/wealth, technological development, etc.- social science (west- developed for some/ukraine and russia) State/Society. Factors include structures of political system or economic system, national government policies and decision-making mechanism, political culture, civil society, etc.- monarch or republic Sub-state/bureaucratic. Factors include military-civilian relations, interactions between government branches, standard operation procedures (SOPs) of government agencies, etc.- not the state, the sub-units (legislative branch checks the judiciary, congress checks president- balance of checks) Individual. Factors include decision-makers' personal background, personal values/beliefs, experiences, and political/economic status, etc. compare decision makers together Biden vs. Trump, Putin, Boris,.. Rational Choice/Behavioral approach. Focuses on individuals and their interests and the actions they take based on their rational (basic assumptions, assume every decision maker is rational they would plan efficiently) calculation of interests. Collectively these individuals may make rational choices about certain policy outcomes. (e.g., how presidents and decision-makers, elites, voters, etc., act). Institutional approach. It focuses on the study of functions and culture of the institutions instead of persons who are in those institutions. E.g., study presidency instead of presidents, Congress instead of House Speakers or Senators, etc.- more simplified/generalized than the individual. (UK institutional functions different than the US. UK tell the parliamentary, the US can't). Structural approach. It focuses on the structural environment in which institutions and/or individuals interact with each other (e.g., relations between different social groups and how that may lead to revolution/evolution of the society).- Even more generalized/simplified. Focus on relation between behavioral and institutional level. Constructivist approach. It focuses on the socially constructed ideas and identities of state and society, rather than the "reality" of them. (e.g., if we believe China is a communist country, so it is)- people build up images and make decisions based on them. Stereotype. Generalization. US is a democratic/sent military to Afghanistan/middle east and fight against terrorism even in places that didn't cause 9/11. State and State Formation Differences between political system, state, and government A political system is an attribute attached to a state concerning the power distribution over its territory and people. A state may adopt different political systems historically, e.g., China, France, the United States (before and after Civil War). Common types of political system include: Democracy. "Rule of the people", (direct- voting voters, indirect/representative- electoral collage; and other classifications).- political system (before civil war: plantation vs. free system of the north and south. State is the system and they changed the system). Monarchy. Ruled by a family with power passed from one generation to next generation. (absolute- almost disappearing, Saudi Arabia,- power to the king decisions made by them constitutional- more popular, England, little power to them more power to the prime minister) Authoritarian and totalitarian. Ruled by individuals or small groups of individuals obtained power not through elections or other democratic means. A totalitarian system is more repressive than an authoritarian system.- Ex: Russia (communist, dictatorship, fundamentalist, junta) A state is a sovereign entity with a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and a capacity to engage in international relations independently. (body) A national government is the formal state apparatus that runs the state. There are various forms of governments (these forms can overlap) depending on the various attributes attached to states. Some of the commonly known forms of governments include: (heart/brain-most important organ) Republic (government positions are public offices elected or selected rather than inherited)- US, China Democratic (government "of the people, by the people, for the people")- you cannot select leader. Federal (government represented by one from several agreed composing member entities)- US- has 15 state governments sharing power with the federal government, Germany, and Brazil. Policing power/death penalty is a power reserved to the state (exclusive to state). There are power reserved to state and federal. There are power they share. Oligarchic (government positions held by a group of people chosen from the established few)- Different monarch. Ruled by king, queen, inherited power. Oligarchy is in the hands of a few being establishment like military governments. Latin American countries were oligarchy. Monarchic (government ruled by a king/queen) Emergence of modern states State formation is a historical development in which people have been brought under one centralized government with sovereign rights over a territory. Main theories of state formation. Voluntary theory. Communities voluntarily gave their sovereign rights to form a state (e.g., Rousseau's "Social Contract" theory).- Most European republican are formed by this theory. The dutch republic is an example. Treaty of versailles created a new state called the dutch republic. Functional theory. People formed state because of functional necessity due to the agricultural/technological progresses and the division of labor among members of a community.- Modern African state when they became decolonized they form new states. India and Pakistan. Why did they create India and Pakistan functionality the base two countries based on religion. Muslim vs. Hindu. Functionality they separated countries to create less problems and they separated them based on religion they did it with Pakistan more than one time. Coercive theory. States came out of wars (including colonies and subsequently, the decolonization).- American Revolution. Characteristics of modern states Sovereignty.- All the nations are equal. Political independence and territorial integrity.- Modern state. After the second world war. Limited use or threat of force in self-defense.- Modern state characteristic. After the second world war. Economic unity.- In a nation modern state, your economic order should be stabilized and consistent. No nation should have a chaotic uninsured economic. Somalia is an example. America after forming an economy. Human rights- No modern nation state can afford to ignore the demands for human rights treatment of their people. Consistent human violation faces interference which can occur through war. Functions of state Political functions: protection of its people, property, and territory. Basic function. Economic functions: promote economic growth and general welfare of its people. Many modern states fail this but generally states should do this. Cultural functions: preserve historical and cultural heritages of its people. Native American for America. Civil rights functions: promote civil rights and civil liberties of its citizens. Distinguish civil rights and liberties. Civil rights: Civil rights are an essential component of democracy. They're guarantees of equal social opportunities and protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, or other characteristics. Examples are the rights to vote, to a fair trial, to government services, and to a public education. Collective rights- women's rights does affect every women (abortion rights). Civil Liberties: Rights guaranteed by the Constitution (primarily from the First Amendment). They have been described as natural rights which are inherent to each person. While they are commonly referred to as "rights," civil liberties actually operate as restraints on how the government can treat its citizens. George Floyd police brutality Civil liberties violations. Face mask, get to decide to wear one or not.- Individual rights. State Democracy and Democratization Defining democracy Literally, "people rule". A form of political system A form of governance.- modify a government a political system, limited government that are checked. The blurred use/abuse of the concept. Key elements of a democracy A political system that guarantees governments are elected and replaced freely by all the eligible voters.- free election A matured civil society (the "third sector" of society besides "government" and "business") in which citizens' active participation in politics are ensured.- enlightened people A rule-of-law legal system that protects people's human rights, and equal and fairness before the law. Various forms of democracy Liberal democracy (the general form)- In the US. Most popular. Constitutional democracy- In the UK. Federal democracy- US, Brazil Socialist democracy- China, Vietnam Islamic democracy Democracy as a dependent variable in the study of comparative politics Democracy as an independent variable in the study of comparative politics Democratization: How does it happen? Which has been involved? Who has benefited? What lessons have been learned?

Lecture Outline #3

Pol S 241 Intro to Com. Govt. & Pol. Y. Ren Lecture Outline #3 The Study of Comparative Politics: Governance and State-Society Interaction Governance Defining governance Governance is the art of administration in a defined area. Differences between democratic and oligarchic styles of governance: "Democracy is rule of, by, and for the people: oligarchy is rule of, by, and for the rich." (Thom Hartmann, The Hidden History of American Oligarchy) Governance is about making and implementing public policies Governance here refers to the art of administration in public affairs. Governance includes: The processes of government formation and maintenance.- longer than just making decision its a process The capacity of public policy making and implementation. The authority of government in the eyes of its citizens and composing units. Governance is the process of a governing body establishing and implementing public policies for the prosperity of a given community, from which its authority is derived. Basic purposes of government To ensure that its people have better, safer, and happier lives.- protect our interests Basic purposes for a national government: Defending what it is under its administration: people, territory, and resources. Maintaining social order Providing public services Safeguarding people's lives and properties Improving people's living standards Basic purposes according to US Constitution: Form a more perfect union Establish justice Insure domestic tranquility Provide for the common defense Promote the general welfare Secure the blessings of liberty Measurement of good governance No agreed set of criteria for good governance. Generally (people differ in these opinions) include these elements: Fair political participation.- don't have to vote, fair if you want to/not by force Responsive/ble and effective government Rule of law. Promoting civil rights and liberties. Promoting free economy. Promoting general welfare May simply use two "S"s: stability of the society; and satisfaction of its people. Democratic Government Political ideology Main beliefs of democratic government Government by the consent of the governed. Government power is excised through directly or indirectly elected officials by the people. Works for the general welfare of the people. Serves the interests of the majority, protects the rights of minority.- majority rule, minority rights Core values of liberal democracy Liberty Equality Pursuit of happiness Popular sovereignty Justice Tolerance Limited government Limited power Checks and balances Accountability Transparency- policy must be transparent Political institutions Executive branch Legislative branch- in the UK: parliament- two chambers, Germany-lower house and upper house Judicial branch- several tribunals in other countries, constitution court The "Fourth branch of government": public media: watergate, pentagon papers The civil society Emergence of a democratic government: historical developments Through people's will- social contract/construct Uk Through constitutional monarch Through democratization from a non-democratic regime Through external imposition- federal German government of the Second World War, Japanese Government both imposed by the US Defining political participation Activity (or lack of it) by people aims at influencing government actions. Political participation- talking about citizens, not government "Individual or collective action at the national or local level that supports or opposes state structures, authorities, and/or decisions regarding allocation of public goods. Three aspects of the definition should be emphasized. First, the action can be verbal or written. Second, it can be violent or nonviolent. Third, it can be of any intensity." Patrick T. Conge, "The Concept of Political Participation: Toward a Definition" Comparative Politics, Vol. 20, No. 2, (Jan 1988), pp. 241-249- non-participation is still participation Types of political participation: does not limit to legal Cooperative participation: voting, lobbying, donating, campaigning, patriotic activities, etc. Non-cooperative participation: demonstration, protest, strike, picketing, non-obedience, etc. Illegal participation: criminal activities targeting political figures or parties, etc. Reasons of political participation Individuals participate in political activities because of their political beliefs and values acquired through political socialization (i.e., the "process through which an individual acquires his or her own political orientations.")- Why I vote democratic? Because Biden's ideology is similar to mine. Pressure from agents of political socialization, e.g., family, kinship, media, school, social/political organizations, political parties, and government, etc.- because my family would vote for that. Pressure from the surrounding environment, e.g., peer pressure, corporate culture, etc. Policies and economic development "Invisible hand" regulates the market. Also known as Laissez-faire policy (minimum government intervention, least government better).- Invisible hand- Adam Smith. Government intervenes only when necessary, e.g., in a recession. Keynesianism.- During the great depression period during FDR, mobilize to create jobs, more economic. Government intervene to create the jobs. Balancing the relationship between economic development and social welfare.- Very important in a democratic system, they always need to balance. Help different economical classes which leads to social welfare. "The more well-to-do a nation, the greater the chances that it will sustain democracy" (Seymour Martin Lipset on relations between wealth and democracy) Authoritarian Regime Political ideology Definition of authoritarian government Power is in the hands of those individuals or a few elites who have little respect for constitutional constraints. Authority is held without tenure.- held without fixed terms. Putin. Sources of authoritarianism Historical tradition of "rule of man"- rule of law is a democracy, rule of man is authoritarian Authoritarian political culture Weak awareness of individual rights and freedoms Lack of a formidable civil society Core values of authoritarianism Blind loyalty to authority. Authority derives from power, rather than the will of people. Collective (national) interests dominate individual freedoms. Severe punishment for disobedience. Political institutions Executive power dominance- most important. Leader. Weak parliamentary institutions No independent judicial branch There could be these three things in a democracy. Not every democracy has a checks and balances. Controlled propaganda tools Historical development Feudalist traditions- kings assigned nobilities, they were authoritarian Military traditions- Used to be common in Latin America Communist traditions Fundamentalist traditions- country is ruled by religion. Not only Islam. Vatican City catholicism, the pope. Mixed traditions Political participation Lack of political participation incentives- is not by choice which would be in democracy Suppression of civil rights Limited individual freedoms- Totalitarianism the citizens do not personal individual free. Authoritarians have limited individual freedom. Russia has much more limited. No country has total. Unorganized resistance (including extreme activities)- Cannot organize themselves legally, best thing they can do is unorganized resistance. Non-cooperative movements (e.g., Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent civil disobedience). Policies and economic development Wealth concentrated in the hands of a few established members of the state. Stress on efficiency and rapidness of economic development, often at the expenses of the employees' benefits. Democracy is stressed on balance, authoritarian is more focused on the efficiency. Limited protection of people's civil rights. Would not hesitate to use coercive power to achieve economic goals. Communism/Socialism Political ideology Marxism Economic bases (relations of production) determines political superstructure (political power, government, institutions, culture, etc.)- united against capitalism, workers of the world unite Class struggle between the capitalists and working classes "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"- never happened, utopia Leninism- we have not communist country, so called "communist countries" were called Leninism Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism Violent revolution could successfully establish dictatorship of the proletariat in one of weakest capitalist countries (i.e., Russia). Socialism ("from each according to his ability, to each according to his work") is better than the "decaying" capitalism. Neo-Marxist/New Left- In Europe, they had different influences at different times The Frankfurt School, linked with Weber's comparative historical analysis and Hegel's dialectical method, etc., and critical of Marxist theories on economic development (esp. in the Soviet Union). György Lukács studied capitalism and Soviet socialism and tried to explain something original Marxism left unanswered (e.g., alienation, humanism). The Dependency Theory, discusses world economy in light of a core-periphery model. Developed from Dependency Theory but drastically different from it, Immanuel Wallerstein's World System Theory: the core, the semi-periphery, the periphery. Antonio Gramsci and his concept of "cultural hegemony". (Gramsci cultural hegemony video) Political institutions Communist Party- Party-state apparatuses- Party becomes the state Executive branch: led by the Party Legislative branch: "rubber stamp" Judicial branch: ruled by law (or by men?) Historical development Emerged from the "weakest link" of a capitalist world.- Russia Emerged from a nationalist movement inspired by revolutionary ideas- China, Cuba had nationalist leaders converted into Marxism Imposed by the Communist "Liberator" after WWII- Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia was not liberated Political participation "Brainwashing" propaganda Mass political participation- endorsed by government "Spillover effect": participation starts from non-sensitive areas, gradually move to more politically sensitive areas.- not endorsed by the government, 1980s China "Salami tactics": demanding for political freedom one step at a time. Underground activities Policies and economic development (e.g., China) Planning economy. "Birdcage economy" (the "cage" could be large or small (the planning economy), and "birds" (industries) may fly freely within the cage).- Marketed economy, communist economy, China Socialist market economy or "market economy with socialist characteristics" Pragmatic economic policies. "Cat theory" ("the cat that catches mice is a good cat")- pragmatic Market-transition theory: from socialist redistributive economy to a market economy

Lecture Outline #4

Pol S 241 Intro to Com. Govt. & Pol. Y. Ren Lecture Outline #4 United Kingdom Keywords: Parliamentary democracy (Westminster model), Constitutional Monarch, civil service system. UK: the Constitutional Monarch Profile of the country Magna Carta- comes from UK, first in everything The geography. The British Isles, Britain being the largest, including England, Scotland, and Wales. UK also has the northern part of the second largest island, Ireland. The Ireland States their politics are so much different than continental politics. From a geopolitical point of view, Britain had been less vulnerable than those continental powers and had got to maintain a strong navy. Less than vulnerable than the peer European countries. The people and history- Britain is religious origins, established religion. Anglican church. Demography History Royal family and British monarch The economy Industrialization and its aftermath: territorial expansion and capital accumulation After WWII, nationalization and welfare state. The "golden age" (1950-73) Privatization and its consequences. Privatized industries, weakened trade union power, restricted local government spending, and closer to the EC. Thatcher and John Major rejected Keynesianism (government intervention to ensure economic growth), and turned to Monetarism (rejecting active government intervention, especially stimulating the market by government spending, accepting "natural" regulation of labor market, controlling inflation rate.) New Labour economic policies: change from reliance on trade union to business. The "two-track" pattern of growth: strong service sector, weak industrial sector. British economy today. Post-Thatcher era economic growth, the recession, and policies handling the problems: low economic growth, debt, unemployment, and welfare. Brexit and its consequences The society Social welfare state. National Health Service. The NHS launched in 1948 with the concept that good healthcare should be available to all. With some exceptions (prescriptions, dental, optical, etc.), it is free to all in England. Problems of immigration and social inequality Inter-UK relations: the violent one: "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland; and the non-violent one: Scotland independence referendum 2014 (55.3% N/44.7% Y). After Brexit, it may have another referendum.- Multi relational problems. From Magna Carta to constitutional democracy: the making of modern British political system Early attempt to limit power of the ruler: Magna Carta (1215) and its significance.: Constitutional Monarch: Very democratic. The real power derives from votes of people and not the monarch family. Monarchy however, is not democratic. It's not about human rights. Nobility rights. First attempt to limit highest power. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the Bill of Rights of 1689. It has influences on later civil liberty documents in the United States, France, the British Commonwealth countries, and the UN. The unwritten constitution.- Constitutional democracy. US has written. Mainly includes four categories: Statutes and Acts of the Parliament (Magna Carta (1215), Act of Settlement (1701), Constitutional Reform Act (2005), Succession to the Crown Act (2013), etc. Constitutional conventions (political customs), unwritten rules observed by various institutions, e.g., the monarch will accept and act on the advice their ministers, the PM is the leader of majority party in the Commons, all money bills must originate in the Commons, etc. Case law on constitutional maters, and Writings of constitutional law jurists. Tradition of a strong executive-oriented government PM is the leader of majority party in the House of Commons.- if the British prime minister to pass some laws they would expect the house of commons to support them, if they don't, they can dismiss this parliament.- They have to be the leader. ex: In the US the president doesn't have to be the leader of the senators. Roles of the Parliament (legislative branch) relatively weak. Limited power of the Supreme Court of UK (est. 2005, effect 2009, replaced the functions of the "law lords" in the House of Lords). Relations between religion and the state Established Church of England. The Queen as the "Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England" Archbishops/bishops in the House of Lords (Lords Spiritual).- seats in the parliament house floors In Scotland, a division of powers between the Church of Scotland and the State. Inter-Britain relations Common heritages of the British isles Distinctiveness of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island Nationalism and national identity UK and the commonwealth countries (British sovereign is head of state for 15 commonwealth countries)- not in one sovereignty. British crown as head of state. Head of state and head of government: British crown as head of state. Prime minister head of government. President system- the president is both the head of state and government.- Head of state and Head of Government, in a Parliamentary form of government, are two different people performing two very different duties. The Head of State has more ceremonial duties, while the Head of Government is responsible for running the government of a country with the approval of his or her cabinet. Political Institutions Parliament Parliamentary sovereignty- Doesn't have checks and balances. The leader of the prime minister is a leader of both. The Westminster model: "a form of democracy based on the supreme authority of Parliament and the accountability of its elected representatives." (Kesselman, p47). A representative of parliamentary democracy. Parliament has higher authority than the executive and judicial branches. Its law cannot be vetoed by the executive branch or judicial-reviewed by the judiciary. The structure of British Parliament House of Commons. Currently 650 members elected from the same number of constituencies. The PM is usually the leader of the largest party (coalition) in the Commons. Currently (as of Dec 2019), the Conservatives hold 365 seats, and the major opposition party, the Labours, hold 202 seats. Scottish National (47 seats) is the third largest party, followed by the Liberal Democrats (11) and a handful of small parties. The Speaker of the House of Commons is a non-partisan position presiding the parliamentary debates. S/he is elected by the MPs among themselves and held this position without term limits. (Official website of BP) House of Lords. Currently composed of about 805 eligible lords and high-ranking priests of the Anglican Church (2 archbishops and 24 bishops). Most of the lords are life peers, and about 92 are hereditary peers. The party affiliations in the House of Lords are similar to that in the Commons.- - symbolic power holders. Knighted can't pass inheritance. How a bill becomes a law (Act of Parliament)? Parliament law-making process Could be initiated in either house (except for money bills)- house of common or house of lords First reading (usually is the title of the bill) (e.g., starting from the Commons) Second reading (the real discussion/debate stage) Committee stage (details of the bill discussed and amended by the Committee, a few by the Committee of the Whole House) Report stage (discussed and amended in the full house) Third reading (usually immediately after the report stage, debates limited to the bill itself, and voting shortly after). First reading at another chamber (e.g., House of Lords) and the same procedure as above. Royal assent. Become an Act of Parliament.- Bill becomes law In any democracy, the second reason is the most important.- US and UK. Committee system is very important the committee are very valuable. Currently, Parliament has a fixed term of five years. The Prime Minister and his/her cabinet The official duties of the Prime Minister (PM) Government head. Appoints and lead cabinet members to make public policies. Parliamentary leader. Makes and lead fellow MPs to pass laws. Chief Policy makers (domestic and foreign policy).- parliament leader. Commander-in-Chief of Armed forces. The sources and limits on the powers of PM Unclear statutory powers, many of them derived from customs. Personalities: moderate vs. radical; active vs. passive Structural factors affecting the PM's role: vote of no confidence. Domestic and international environment affecting the PM's role The incumbent and the opposition The PM's cabinet. The shadow cabinet (HM's loyal opposition)- Ready to replace the cabinet. America doesn't have it. British Civil System. The significances. Relations between the PM and the Crown The civil service- British started this system Historical development of British civil servant system Civil servants are civilian government employees who are neither political nor judicial. Developed in the mid-19th century (The Northcote-Trevelyan Report, 1853.- foundation for all the civil system of modern day. Four recommendations: Recruitment based on merit by open and competitive examinations; should be a "generalist" to allow inter-departmental transfers; a hierarchical structure of different grades; promotion based on merit. Expansion of civil service from governmental advisory to public service. (the Fulton Committee under Wilson's government in the 1960s recommended the creation of a Civil Service Department and its head to be the head of the civil service. A unified grading structure for all civil servants.) Along with the expansion of British Empire, the British civil service system became the model of a number of civil service systems in the world. Relations between senior civil servants and cabinet ministers Permanent Secretaries. Most senior civil servants of the British government. Provide expertise and advice to ministers and other political appointees. Keep government operations smooth and uninterrupted by government changes. May influence the government policies at the implementation stage. Characteristics of British civil service system Loyal to the Crown (i.e., do not change positions with the government changes). Must fulfill official duties regardless of their political or religious beliefs. Providing day-to-day administration. Recruitment and promotion Administered by the Civil Service Commission. Need to pass examinations. Recruitment and promotion based on merit system by fair and open competition. Other than the most senior positions, which is approved by the PM, the promotion and management of civil servants are done at the departmental level. The judiciary Traditionally, the British judiciary is weak in comparison with its US counterpart. It has virtually no judicial review power, for example.- British independence is not reviewed. Not bipartisan. It's monarch. In the cities they were underrepresented. In the rural area they were overrepresented. The UK Supreme Court, established in 2009, replaced the functions performed in the House of Lords (the "Law Lords"), serves as the court of final appeal, is responsible for all civil cases and most of criminal cases (except for Scotland). The Court has 12 justices, recommended by the PM, and appointed by the Monarch, with a life tenure. The Privy Council or The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC), members include the Supreme Court justices, Privy Counsellors, other Lords of Appeals, Certain judges from superior courts of the British Commonwealth countries. Winner takes all. Political Participation Political parties The developments of the Tories/Conservative Party (est. 1830s), from Winston Churchill (1940-45, 51-55), to Margaret Thatcher (1979-90), to David Cameron (2010 - 2016). Recent Brexit already saw two PMs gone, and the current one is Boris Johnson. The Labour Party (est. 1900). Early socialist and liberal policies, Clement Attlee (1945-51)'s radical policies: nationalization, "cradle to state" welfare state, dismantling British Empire, nuclear development, etc. Tony Blair/Gordon Brown (1997-2010) new Labour Party shifted its focus from trade union/working class to broader supporters (including business circles). Third parties in UK politics: other than a few third parties who may influence the two major parties in forming a coalition government (e.g., Liberal Party (1988 merged into Liberal Democrats), Liberal Democrats), others mainly influence policy outcomes of the governments). However, the growing number of independents may stir up the otherwise stable bi-party system. Scottish National Party is currently the third largest party with 47 seats in the Commons. Sinn Féin, an Irish political party, also has 7 seats in the current House of Commons. Voting The UK is divided into 650 constituencies (pop. 22k-110k each), each one would elect a MP to the House of Commons. First pass the post/alternative voting systems. First past the post voting: favor big parties. The one who gets the most votes in a constituency is elected. With this winner-takes-all system, larger parties get disproportionately more seats and smaller ones get disproportionately smaller seats. Alternative vote/instant-run-off voting. Ranking the parties, so the lowest chosen party in the first round may transfer its votes to the parties of their supporters' second choices. The general election is fixed to take place in every five years. However, when a Parliament passes a motion of no confidence in government or two-thirds of the MPs agree to hold another election, it could happen in between the general election years. Comparison to multi-member constituencies (majoritarian and proportional). Channels of political expressions Through elections. Running for office- one person. Constituency connections and communications Support favorable candidates in terms of money, time, and resources. Awakening the public with certain issues. Through lobbying.- write letters. Not a very influential as that as the US. We stress on independence and checks and balances. The Prime minister don't have to lobby. They have more power. So it becomes less useful. Personal contact with public officials Interesting groups Social networking Organized pressures- demonstrations or appeals Through public expressions Petition and letter writing Political rallies and demonstrations Public debates- parliamentary Other public activities Through radical means- often in local level Social riots Violent conflicts with governments Factors affecting public policy-making process in UK a) Party alignments and shuffling- not often b) Pressing social and economic issues c) Media and public opinion d) Personality of PM Problems of political participation in UK Related to political parties Survival of smaller political parties- difficulty gaining political currency Change of core values of political parties- Brexit, left the EU Related to voting system Underrepresentation/ overrepresentation constituencies The problems of winner-takes-all system The lower turnout rates in general elections Related to civil society Political apathy Polarization of society The political participation of immigrants Related to political change Constitutional monarch or republic? Integration or separation of British countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Left and right: all move towards center. Brexit and its consequences

Lecture Outline #5

Pol S 241 Intro to Com. Govt. & Pol. Y. Ren Lecture Outline #5 United States: A Liberal Democracy with a Presidential System Keywords: Checks and balances, single-member-plurality (SMP) electoral system, Bill of Rights The United States of America: a Liberal Democracy Country profile Geography Bordered with two neighbors, separated from other major powers by two oceans. Rich in natural resources Variety of geographic features. Low population density. People A nation of immigrants and a nation with heated debates on immigration policies. Ethnic groups and culture heritages: "salad bowl" or "melting pot"? No established religion, overwhelming majority of religious people. Will Spanish become one of the official languages? Economy World largest economy. World most influential financial center World high-tech R & D center World largest trade partner World leading agricultural product exporter Society Education. The best and the problems. Medical service. Social welfare and social security. Perennial controversies: marijuana legalization, gun-control, abortion, etc. The making of the United States From Independence War to Civil War The Independence War and the Confederation period US Constitution and Bill of Rights The struggle between free and slavery states and the Civil War From Reconstruction to New Deal The Reconstruction era and equal rights of different races struggle. American industrial revolution, the US became the world leading economy The US in great depression and FDR's "New Deal" From hot wars to the Cold War US in war Emerged as THE great power after WWII The Cold War The end of the Cold War From fighting communism to fighting terrorism- 9/11 politics war in Afghan In search of a credible enemy 9/11 and its aftermath American politics today: changes and continuity Principles and core values of American democracy Representative government Popular sovereignty. Citizens collectively have the sovereign right and ultimately decide the public policies. Publicly elected officials to represent their interests. Majority rule, minority rights- our policy supported by the majority agreement. Accept political minority. Decision accept majority.- representation Limited government "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." (James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 51). Limited is very important for a democracy. Constitutional supremacy. Separation of powers. The idea that the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government should have their respective power boundaries, independent of each other. Checks and balances. This system provides the foundation for a fair practice of separation of powers. The government branches have constitutional powers to check on each other. Federalism and the power sharing between federal government and state governments. Rule of law No one (government, institution, or individual) can act above the law. Everyone is equal before the law. Judicial review (Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803)) and judicial independence to guarantee the rule of law system.- it is not derived from US constitution it is derived from Mulberry vs. Madison. At the heart of the rule of law is the notion that no one shall be deprived of life, liberty and property without due process of law (rooted in Art 39 of Magna Carta: "No freemen shall be taken or imprisoned or disseised or exiled or in any way destroyed, ... except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.") Fundamental human rights Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Equality (political, legal, social, and economic equalities) Justice Cultural diversity. Bill of Rights today: expanded concepts and widened issues Gender issues Suffrage Rights at work place (equal pay, promotion, pregnancy and parenting, etc.) Harassment and violence against women ("Me Too" movement) Education LGBT rights Workplace discrimination Pursuit of happiness (e.g., marriage) and legal discrimination Homophobia (social discrimination) Second Amendment rights The text: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Arguments from both sides on the original meaning and its modern applications. District of Columbia v. Heller 554 US 570 (2008). In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that "Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home." Aliens' rights Settlement Work Education Legal protection (fair trial of detained aliens, habeas corpus right) Abortion rights "Pro-life" and "Pro-Choice" Historical development Main arguments on "Pro-Life" Main arguments on "Pro-Choice" Legislation on abortion The Hyde Amendment (1976) barred federal funding to pay for abortion (with certain exceptions such as pregnant due to rape and incest, or when the pregnant woman's life is in danger.) The Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act (2003), the first federal law banning the termination of pregnancy by a special abortion procedure. Legislative restrictions on abortion by the states: must be performed in a hospital by a physician, parental consent for minors, a waiting period after counseling, etc. Judicial cases on abortion Roe v Wade (1973) (right to abortion is protected by the 14th amendment, except under certain circumstances) Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989) (Upholds Missouri's ban on the use of public employees and facilities to perform abortion) Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992) (supports state laws that require pre-abortion counseling and waiting period, etc.) Gonzalez v. Carhart and Gonzalez v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (2007). (Upholds the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act). Political Institutions The Presidency Qualifications and terms of the President- can find in a constitution Age (35+), residency (14 yr +), and citizenship (jus soli) requirements. Term limits (22nd Amendment) Presidential succession.(25th Amendment) Constitutional responsibilities Chief executive: appointment/removal, law enforcement, clemency etc. Veto power Commander-in-Chief. Chief Diplomat: treaty power Implied presidential powers Executive orders Executive privilege Emergency power Head of State and government- we are in a presidential system All the President's Men (and Women) Executive Office of the President, overseen by White House Chief of Staff. The President's advisors The Cabinet National Security Council: its importance depends on the views of the President. President's relations with other players With his political party With Congress With the Supreme Court With the media With the people Congress Qualifications and terms of Legislators House of representative term is 2 years. Don't have terminates can be forever. Every 2 years 1/3 is re-elected. House of Representatives: age, residency, and term. Senate: age, residency, and term. Constitutional Congressional powers Enumerated powers in the Constitution, Art. I, Sec. 8.: tax (1, also XVI Amend. on income tax), commerce (3), money (5), war (11), etc. The "necessary and proper" ("Elastic Clause) clause of Art I, Sec 8(18). The implied powers (e.g., set up minimum wage, create national bank, etc.)- congress can make new laws through this clause Non-legislative powers: impeachment, appointment confirmation/denial, etc. House of Representatives- 435 senate-100 Qualifications of Congresspersons Organizational structure of House of Representatives. Rules and procedures in the House of Representatives Senate- 2 per state Qualifications of Senators. Organizational structure of Senate Constitutional powers American court systems The structure of American courts Constitutional requirements Current structure of US federal court system Profiles of judges Jurisdictions of state courts and state powers The Supreme Court- no age limits or term limits, 9 justices Powers of the Supreme Court. Judicial review (Marbury v. Madison) Justices: qualifications, terms, and philosophies. The Court and the other branches of federal government (e.g., U.S. v. Curtiss-Wright; Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer) The Court and American society: court decisions on a number of social issues. Federal regulatory agencies Key features of federal regulatory agencies Independent Semi-legislative Semi-judicial Some federal agencies Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) The Federal Reserve System (the Fed) International Trade Commission The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Law enforcement agencies Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Political Participation Political parties- the US constitution, president never mention political party activities. National developed. Historical development of American political parties and party system Federalists and Republicans in the early years. "However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely ... to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government..." (George Washington, Farewell Address) From Jeffersonian Republicans to the last Democratic-Republican President John Quincy Adams. Andrew Jackson and the beginning of Democrat Party. The rise and fall of the Whig Party (from William Harrison. John Tylor to Millard Fillmore) Abraham Lincoln and the beginning of Republican Party. After Ulysses Grant, the US bi-party system established. Characteristics of American political parties Loose organization. Centered on elections (presidential, congressional, and local) Inner-party factions and the tendency to move towards moderate positions. Democratic Party Liberalist policies. Likely supporters. Some famous Democrat presidents. Republican Party Conservatism (fiscal and social) Likely supporters. Some famous Republican presidents Third parties and independents: Green Party, Communist Party, Independents American electoral system Evolutions of American electoral system The development of eligible voters. The 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments. Electoral College explained: distrust of direct democracy. 538 Electoral College votes (any candidate needs 270 to get elected). Criticisms on Electoral College: distorted representation, elects someone with less popular votes, low turnout rate, disadvantage for smaller parties. Single member plurality system (SMP) One elected member for each constituency. The candidate getting most votes wins. SMP is the most commonly used voting system in the United States. Pros: easy to understand, better representation of local community, tends to make government efficient and maintain two-party system (accountability and stability). Cons: distorted representation (less diversified, under-representation), district could be manipulated (e.g., gerrymandering), discouraging small parties, women, and minorities to run for office. Presidential and Congressional elections Held every four years for presidential election, every two years for congressional election. Primaries (e.g., New Hampshire) and caucuses (e.g., Iowa) Campaigning (what are the determining factors for successful campaigning?) Fundraising and political action committees (PACs) Civil rights and civil liberties Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Civil liberties are usually those included in the Bill of Rights (e.g., freedom of speech, of religion, etc.) Civil rights are those protected in the 14th Amendments. Equal rights before the law Civil Rights movement Civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed various forms of discrimination. "Affirmative Action" (e.g., Executive Order 11246 of 1965) and "reverse discrimination" Civil rights NGOs and trade unions NAACP (e.g., from Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka) AFL-CIO (e.g., collective bargaining right) Activities: PACs, issue alerts, information dissemination, rallies/strikes. Public opinion The American public Classification of American general public: active, attentive, aware, unaware. Channels of American public political participation: through elections, through lobbying, through opinion polls, through interest groups, through rallies. Diversified political interests by geographical location, education, age, gender, etc. Roles of public opinion: issue awareness, watchdogs of public policy, pressure groups, thermometer for government to make policies. The traditional media Independence of journalism and freedom of expression Influence and impact of American media on politics Political biases of major newspapers and TV channels. Roles of traditional media in politics: scandal-"muckraking", policy-watching, issue-focusing, opinion-reshaping, etc. American public opinion in the internet era The influence of internet. Characteristics of internet political participation: fast, visual/audio, easier to get people interested/carried away. Will it give more incentive to participate in politics? Public Policy Economic policies Sectors: agriculture, industries, service Issues: energy, sustainable development and environmental protection, trade Social policies Social security Medicare and Medicaid Gun-control and drug-control (District of Columbia v. Heller 2008) Environmental policies Foreign and defense policies American global strategies Core values of American foreign policy American defense policy and US relations with allies Border security

Lecture Outline #6

Pol S 241 Intro to Com. Govt. & Pol. Y. Ren Lecture Outline #6 France: A Democracy with a Semi-presidential System Keywords: proportional representation (PR), semi-presidential system, cohabitation. Profile of France- Run off, the top 2 candidates will face another election if they don't surpass 50. Executive is shared by president and prime minister. The president has the most power. President is the head of the state. Prime Minister is the head of the government. The US president is both. Primary, semi-presidential, presidential. US abolished nobility. We are born equal. Fifths republic- 1958. France has been going through republican and impirament. Geographic and demographic features of France Geographic features Geostrategic importance: a continental power as well as a marine power.- France is a continental power. Land frontiers susceptibility. Unlike the US and UK. Much more sensitive to land frontiers. Conflicts and insecurity with Russia. Rich in natural and tourist resources The importance of Paris Demographic features The French people. Mostly born in France, but increasingly immigrants. The religion. Majority believe in Christian (mostly Catholics).- Increase of mutisms still mostly Catholic. The individual freedoms (or lack of it) The French Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen of 1789, drafted roughly at the same time the US Bill of Rights were drafted. It is based on natural law and has been applied to French people and governments variously. (French Rights of Man vs. US Bill of Rights)- France had a strong tradition. Defender of human rights. Slogan: "Protect Liberty for eternity." French culture: richness and uniqueness The distinctive French culture Stressing on preserving distinctive French culture, not the "melting pot" or cultural diversity like that in the United States- Purify the French culture. Stressing on the culture of metropolitan France, not its overseas territories. Stressing on liberty, not on regulations and restrictions (compare: the British (by the tradition) and American (by the rules/law)) National pride (e.g., arts, cuisine) and superior mentality (e.g., Chauvinism) More domestic influence than land territory. Things France are famous for: Wines and cheeses, and French cuisine Arts and museums, and architectures Literature for souls, perfumes and fashion for bodies. Development of a new cultural identity? Influence of European integration- Major supporter of European Union Influence of urbanization Influence of migration Influence of Francophone world (e.g., OIF). Promotion of French as an international language and maintenance of language purity. The making of the nation: glorious past. Grandeur (Animated History of France) From Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, d. 1431; canonized 1920 as Maid of Orléans) to the French Revolution of 1789. Jeanne d'Arc, heroine in the Hundred Year's War (1337-1453) with England, symbol of French unity.- French symbol. Led the French people fight against the British. Louis XIV (r. 1643-1715), strengthened the power of France, domestically, the issue of monarch-nobles relations. Absolute monarchy.- He made France an absolute monarch. "I am the state." The French Revolution (1789). The Estates-General at Versailles and the rise of Third Estate. The fall of Bastille fortress (July 14, 1789, now National Day of France). The execution of Louis XVI (1793) and later, leaders of the Reign of Terror like Maximilien de Robespierre and Georges Danton (1794).- This resulted in Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte's France In the later years of French Revolution, France was ruled by a five-member Directory, which was inefficient to handle domestic problems and had to rely on military support. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) rose to power (1799-1815) Napoleon legacies: professional conscript army (the French army at the time was the best, the European powers tried to defend him and they did) unification and rise of France, war with most European powers, the Napoleonic Code (1804).- Common law: UK, US, Continental Law: France, Germany- They still use it. Louisiana used this a lot. France in change Between empires and republics Between first and second world wars The Fifth Republic The failure of the Fourth Republic's parliamentary democracy (executive power in the hands of prime minister who is responsible to the National Assembly), and its collapse due to Algiers crisis of 1958. Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970) founded the Fifth Republic.- Anti-establishment, Diplomatic relations with China in the 1900s. He wanted France to be great again. Political system changed into semi-presidential system. Charles de Gaulle legacies: revival of French economy (cooperation with other European economies) and an independent foreign policy ("politics of grandeur"). France became a nuclear power. The society: national identity (Patrick Simon, French National Identity and Integration) Being "Frenchness", what does it mean? (Jean-François Caron, "Understanding and interpreting France's national identity: The meanings of being French")- Passion, emotions above rationalization The republican values: liberty, equality, fraternity. (national motto of France) The tolerance of different ideas. The proudness of national traditions and heritages. The diversified French society Democratic v. socialist Christian v. non-Christians (Muslims, and non-religious population) Urban v. rural French citizens; metropolitan France v. overseas French territories. Social problems Racial/ethnic conflicts. A permanent "underclass", related with high unemployment rates, high crime rate Immigration issue, especially those from former Francophone countries in North Africa. Racism, not as compared to the US. Some say less. The Charlie Hebdo shooting and terrorism. The November 2015 Paris attacks. The yellow vests movement (Mouvement des gilets jaunes) Slad bob- Multicultural but don't blend. Economic development France economy at a glance The world's 7th largest economy (2019).- One of the best but it is declining. One of the main for the EU. Large service sector (about 79.4% GDP), small agricultural sector (about 1.9%GDP). The most visited country in the world and the third largest tourist income country. Historical development of French economy since WWII The five-year plan for modernization and equipment (1946-50), and the Monnet Plan (increasing coal/steel production from Ruhr area and limit German capacity). The social welfare and nationalization in the reconstruction time. "The Glorious Thirty" ("Les Trente Glorieuses") (1945-75). Rapid economic development and European cooperation. President Mitterrand's economic policies: a wave of nationalization, increasing social welfare and cutting short of working time, fighting high unemployment, high inflation, and low growth rate. French economy has been influenced by socialist elements. The French Republic had so called socialists presidents. France economy today Low economic growth rate (almost stagnated) in comparison with other European developed economies and high unemployment rate (nearly a quarter of young workers 15-24 were unemployed) (some argued in light of the working attitudes: less working hours, more holidays, earlier retirement ages, strikes, etc.) President Emmanuel Macron's economic reforms. Rebuilding a universal pension system, encouraging older retirement age, less unemployment benefits, etc. Strong opposition from the center-right and far-right parties (the Republicans and National Front) Political Institutions The constitutional arrangements The basic principles Secularism. (Art. 1: "an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic")- Don't want a monarch. A guard. Sovereignty. Self-determination of overseas territories.- They do oversees territories to exercise the right of self-determination. Core values: liberty, equality, and fraternity. Some characters of French constitution (Semi-presidential system explained) Semi-presidential system. Adopts some elements from both parliamentary and presidential systems. It is designed to adjust the efficient parliament. As such, the semi-presidential system is noticeably in favor of the executive branch. Cohabitation. The situation when the President and the Prime Minister belong to different political coalitions (e.g., President Mitterrand (PS) had to appoint Jacques Chirac, leader of the conservative coalition, to be PM).- The electoral system. Multi-party. People vote. Prime Minister is voted by the national assembly. A combination of two systems. Prime Minister and President. Constitutional amendment procedure. President initiates amendment. Identical amendment passed by both houses with a simple majority, then go through either referendum (simple majority) or 3/5 majority by both houses. (De Gaulle once put it directly to referendum, and was endorsed by the Constitutional Council.) The constitutional reform of 2008 On presidential power (e.g., right to address before legislature) and terms (limited to two five-year terms).- 10 years max. Shows the change in the political party. On parliamentary power (e.g., veto over president's appointments) Shared initiative referendum between the President and the Parliament. The President and Prime Minister Presidential powers almost all the US power except they have the power of dissolve national assembly. Elected by direct universal suffrage (after 1962), with limited terms (from original 7-year unlimited to the current two 5-year terms.) Head of the State. National emergency. Grant pardon. Defender of the Constitution and national independence, territorial integrity. Chief Administrator. Appoint/removal PM. Preside over Council of Ministers. Chief Diplomat. Treaty power, appoint ambassadors. Dissolve National Assembly (consulting PM and presidents of the two houses)and hold another election. Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The presidents Charles de Gaulle (1959 - 1969) Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR) François Mitterrand (1981 - 1995) Socialist Party (PS) Jacques Chirac (1995 -2007) and Nicolas Sarkozy (2007 - 2012) Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) François Hollande (2012 - 2017) Socialist Party (PS) Emmanuel Macron (2017 - ) La République En Marche (REM)- Currently The Prime Minister and the cabinet Shared executive power with the President. Nominated by the majority of National Assembly and appointed by President. PM is responsible for the operations of Government and administration of the ministers and civil servants. PM may deputize administrative powers of the President if the case arises. Cabinet. Responsible for government operations and law implementation. Civil service system in France- Unitary country- more people work at the national level Frequently intervenes social and economic life in France. More working for national governments than for local governments. Grandes écoles. Top civil servants are drawn from graduates of grandes écoles (French elite universities). A large number working for public educational system and public hospitals. May have political views and participate in political party activities (but not to jeopardize normal official duties). Collective bargaining power (union v government). The National Assembly and the Legislature: how a bill becomes a law The National Assembly- bicameral (lower house- national assembly: more power) Currently 577 delegates (289 needed for a simple majority), elected from single-member constituencies through a two-round voting system. As of Jun 2019, LREM (La République En Marche) controls 305 seats, the second largest party, The Republicans, 104. The rest of the seats go to 6 different parties and independents. The 2009 redistribution of constituencies tried to reflect fair representation, including 11 overseas constituencies. Deputies serving a term of five years. They may form parliamentary groups (15 seats minimum).- Can be dismissed. The terms are not fixed. The PM and cabinet ministers are chosen from the majority coalition. The Senate Indirectly elected, representing territorial collectivities (local governments). Currently 348 senators, with a term of six years, every three years, half of them face election. Parties form groups. The Republicans (146, Gaullist) is the largest, followed by The Socialist and Republican group (78), and a number of smaller parties. President's party, the LREM has 21 seats. Represents the interest of their state. The President of the Senate is elected by their own members, and is first in line of succession of the President of the Republic. Less prominent than the National Assembly. The law-making process A bill is initiated from either the National Assembly or the Senate, or by a member of the Council of Ministers (e.g., so far all the 22 times constitutional revision bills are sponsored by the Government). Bill is debated in both houses. If passed, sent for presidential signature. The President signs the bill, then co-signed by the Prime Minister (and related ministers). The bill becomes law. If the President does not want to sign, he may ask for constitutional review or return to the parliament. When the parliament passes again with a simple majority, the President will have to sign. French legislation can be legislated by any system. It is a combination of both the UK and the US system. The courts Civil law tradition in France French civil law system, derived from Roman law, is substantially different from the common law tradition. The courts pay little attention to stare decisis, focusing more on written law.- Every law must be written, not up to the court to decide. Until recently, the French judiciary was heavily influenced by the executive. The Constitutional Council Established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic (1958). Nine members serving a unrenewable 9-year term. Three appointed by the President of the Republic, three by the President of National Assembly, and three by the President of the Senate. Usually 1/3 replaced every three years. Former presidents of France are ex officio members, e.g. Valéry Giscard D'Estaing It gradually became an important player in French politics, with its judicial review power, and the relatively conservative positions. Currently 3 women members. It gradually became a habit for the opposition to send controversial laws for the Council to review. One of its constitutional responsibilities (Art. 58) is to oversee presidential elections. (e.g., Nicolas Sarkozy's 2012 presidential campaign finance accounts) The French court system- independent court system, judicial independence, the US the constitution has judicial review power, France the constitution gives the power give the power, every power must have written support, the US a common law system unlike France who is continental The French law is divided into two parts: public law (constitutional and administrative) and private law (civil and criminal). The civil and criminal courts have three levels: the first level courts, courts of appeal, and the Court of Cassation. The administrative court system: administrative tribunals, courts of appeal, State Council Political Participation French political party system Development of the Fifth Republic's political parties In the first years, the Gaullist party (UDR) dominated French politics. After President de Gaulle's resignation (1969), Gaullist party eventually lost its majority to Mitterrand's Socialist Party (PS), and French Communist Party(PCF, now declined to a small party)- political parties are guaranteed by the constitution, unlike the US. Encourages multi party system. One dominant party system in a multiparty system like Germany. A third party could replace the two parties. The emerging two major party system between the center-left (PS) and center-right (UMP, changed into the Republicans in 2015) The breaking of two major party system in 2017 election with La République (third party) En Marche! (REM) became the largest party Some characteristics of French party system Political party activities are guaranteed by the Constitution (Art. 4) Alignments, realignments, and change of party names. It is not uncommon for National Assembly deputies to change their parliamentary groups. Clear political spectra: left, center-left, center, center-right, right, etc. Loose organizations, dominant leaderships Elections in France Presidential election. Candidates nominated by more than 500 elected officials (e.g., mayors) from at least 30 different collectivities (departments), with no more than 10% from the same department. Campaign financing is strictly regulated. Government financing 50% if a candidate gets 5% voting (smaller finance is given to those with less votes). Run-off voting method. If no candidate receives a majority in the first round, a run-off is conducted between the two highest candidates in the first round. Parliamentary elections- winner takes all in the us and the uk, France has proportional representation. Divided by two houses: National Assembly delegates are voted through single-member constituencies, and the Senators are elected by representatives from local collectivities. Proportional representation (PR) was used in the Fourth Republic parliamentary elections, where multimember constituencies were adopted, and political parties got their candidates elected to the Parliament in accordance with the votes received. This is a voting method that is in favor of smaller parties, and usually gives voters more incentive to participate. However, too many parties in the parliament made the Fourth Republic legislature very inefficient. Local elections. A majority of local elections follow the two-round system. Some characteristics of French election system Lower turnout rate (2017 was much better due to the "Macron effect"). The influence of smaller parties and their anti-mainstream political views (e.g., Le Pen's National Rally and its anti-immigrant positions) Scandals of political leaders (e.g., Chirac's using public fund to finance UMP, Sarkozy's illegal campaign funds, and the likely PS presidential candidate, ex-IMF managing director Strauss-Kahn's New York sex scandal.) Social movements in France Political movements Political rallies and demonstrations. Trade union's (weak) role as a political institution The role of media in political movements. The rebellious French youth. Social movements About immigrants and immigration About economic downturn and employment About terrorism Some features of French politics State dominance over civil society Ideological and political polarization Stresses on cultural and national identity Stresses on the universal values of French political culture: liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Lecture Outline #7

Pol S 241 Intro to Com. Govt. & Pol. Y. Ren Lecture Outline #7 Germany: A Federal Parliamentary Republic Keywords: "procedural democracy, social market economy, democratic corporatism, the Basic Law- constitution. Bundestag, mixed member proportional voting system. The Profile of Germany- Continental power, federal state Germany at a glance Geographic features Lack of natural borders in east and west. The 16 landers/states (13 landers/states, 3 municipalities)- reunited on October 1990 west and east reunited (Berlin example) Demographic features Basically a homogenous nation. Majority are Christians (Protestants and Catholics), though religious role in politics is limited. The partial burqa/niqab ban (2017). Against German Muslims/immigrants?- Anti-muslim law. Still Nazi ideas persist. German national identity Political, economic, cultural, and linguistic differences of German identity among its states and between Germany and other German speaking countries. Politics of national identity (East and West Germany)- more disciplined beliefs Nazism and its impact on national identity German culture The philosophical aspects of German culture: rational, logical, dialectical, etc. The occupational aspects of German culture: precise, punctual, arrogant/self-confident, obedient, plan/target-oriented, etc. The emotional aspects of German culture: disciplined, principled, reserved, rigid, lack of humor, etc. Making of the nation Emergence of Germany as a modern state Otto von Bismarck, known for his realpolitik ("blood and iron." policy), and Prussia's wars to unification: against Denmark for Schleswig and Holstein (1864-65); the Austro-Prussian War (1866); and the Franco-Prussian War (1870) and the establishment of German empire in 1871.- The first Germanunification is Prussia, Reapolitique term used by Prussia (Bismarck), Prussia led by Bismarck, left only with Austria. World War One and two, Germany got defeated. The Second Reich and Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy against the Triple Entente. The Weimar Republic (1918-1933) "Procedural democracy" (focusing on democratic means like voting) v "substantive democracy" (focusing on the nature of democracy). The Weimar Republic paid too much attention on the procedural part, and eventually let the anti-parliamentary parties like the Nazis and the communists took the power. Procedural democracy- Germany's first democracy. Tried to combine British parliamentary and American presidential system to create a semi-presidential system (president-chancellor). The cabinet was responsible to the Reichstag. The President could dissolve the Reichstag, and called for referenda. Care about procedure, don't care who is in power. Proportionate representation. The delegates of the Reichstag were elected every four years via universal suffrage. Voters voted for political parties, which would send their representatives proportionately into the Reichstag. For example, in the 1928 Federal election, 41 parties tried to win seats in the 493 member Reichstag and 9 of them secured seats in the parliament. The Reichstag was not efficient due to too many political parties. The rise and fall of Third Reich Hitler's National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi) came only as the smallest Reichstag party (the 9th) in the 1928 election, but came to become the largest party in 1932, and the ruling party in the 1933 election, the last one before Hitler banned other party activities and made himself a dictator (though still nominally subject to President Hindenburg) The Third Reich by Adolf Hitler. "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer". From a divided Germany to unification- Germany was divided in the second world war after it's defeat in the second world war. West nato, east socialist. Germany in the center of the Cold War West Germany: economic development under American military protection and major European powers' economic cooperation German unification and its political, economic, and social consequences- In 1990, east merged into west. Reunited/unification Economic development A social market economy A system that aims to combine the efficiency of market economies with a concern for fairness for a broad range of citizens. It is part of the democratic corporatism. The governments would grant policy-making powers to non-governmental associations like guilds, which in turn regulate their members in their respective economic sectors (e.g., settle employer-employee relations, unfair competition of companies, etc.). The post-WWII West Germany for a long time was marked by this social market economy, which is somewhat in between the laissez-faire and the state-led economies. The government sets up general rules and leaves the actors to play freely within the framework (framework regulation). Market economy with fairness of others. Find the balance between getting money and being fair with citizens. German government leaves the power to their own guils, To the industry. The industry regulates itself. In order to not monopoly like the US, the industry themselves regulate. German economic development after WWII: factors for a successful story Revival of German economies in ruins The international environment and the American support The comparison between West and East Germany Four Key aspects to Germany's success. Germany and the EU Early efforts in European economic cooperation. Largest economy and largest country in EU (therefore has the largest number in EU Parliament). One of the largest trade explorer Surrounded by nine EU members, Germany economic policies are inevitably EU-concerned. Germany in the euro crisis: a reluctant hegemon? German economy today The world fourth largest economy. Highly developed manufacture and service industries. Germany has a large budget surplus that its government has to allocate appropriately. Second largest exporter (only after China). It also has a large trade surplus. Advanced innovative technologies with a higher than average percentage of GDP attributed to the R & D. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): main contributors of German GDP. Social issues Immigration and human rights Discrimination of immigrants- new immigrants and old immigrants right wings, accepts all the European countries labor. Aging problem- Germany and Japan face aging problems. Median age is close to 50. Racism and antisemitism. Problems of refugees Aging problem Shortage of skilled workers- old workers retiring, new workers are more unskilled. Aging problem. A deficit in pension fund Rundown towns in the former mining areas- Abandoned industrial towns. Population is getting older. Social issues after German unification Economic disparities (with heavy federal financial aid, former East German states are still left behind)- 30 years have passed. Political Extremism. The radicals (both right- and left-wings), the new Nazis, etc. Though Germany as a whole has a low unemployment rate (3.9% in 2018), in former East German states it is much higher. Political Institutions The Basic Law Some features about Basic Law- Basic law IS the constitution there is no "constitution" title Approved in 1949 as the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) for West Germany. Germany permits political party activities. Germany and France. US and UK does not. Part I listed the basic human rights and liberties. The rest of provisions describe the branches of Federal government and its relations with the state governments. Art. 20 gives people the right to resist anyone who's attempting to abolish the constitution. Art. 21 authorizes political parties' rights to participate in political life. Art. 23 talks about the activities in the European Union. Parliamentary democracy Germany has a federal parliamentary system, a combination of federal and parliamentary systems.- German chancellor is the same as prime minister in the Uk. Combination between federal and parliamentary. Leader of the lower house the power relies on. Like other parliamentary democracies, the chancellor is the leader of the majority coalition in the parliament, and cabinet members are appointed by the president upon recommendation of the chancellor. The chancellor resigns when the ruling coalition losses parliamentary majority. Federalism- federal and state. Similar to federal of the US. Powers are divided between federal and state (Länder) governments. The federal government has specified powers in the Basic Law (e.g., Art 73, foreign policy, defense, currency, etc.), and the rest are left for the state governments. Some powers are shared by federal and state governments (e.g., civil law, public health, transportation, natural resources protection and management, etc.) The Executive The Chancellor Chancellor is the chief executive of federal government. Chancellor is elected by a majority of the members of the Bundestag, appointed by the Federal President. No constitutional constraints on the lengths of service. Through a constructive vote of no confidence by Bundestag, s/he may be replaced by a new chancellor (e.g., in 1982, Helmut Schmidt was voted out of office in favor of Helmut Kohl) The cabinet ministers are appointed/dismissed by the Federal President upon the proposal of the Chancellor. The Chancellor and the cabinet run day-to-day government operations. Angela Merkel (in office 11/22/2005 - 12/8/2021) "the Iron Chancellor": a woman from former East Germany. "We can manage! (the refugee policy)". The post-Merkel era: will Chancellor Olaf Scholz change German policies? The Federal President The President is elected by the Federal Convention (Bundesversammlung) composed of the majority of Bundestag and the 16 state legislature members, the only purpose of which is to select the President by a secret ballot. He or she serves a five-year term with a maximum two terms. The President represents the state, has ceremonial roles, but the presidential powers are more than that, among the powers are representing Germany to sign treaties, approving laws, or vetoing them if s/he believes them unconstitutional. The President is usually above politics, does not make public statements on political issues, and is neutral in political controversies.- quite the people rather than make executive decisions, you don't want another Hitler issue, to last a strong government The bureaucracy Civil service in Germany can be divided into two categories: those who are career civil servants and those employees and workers.- German civil service are banned to participate in strikes or extreme (to express extreme ideals), France are allowed. There are more civil servants working for state governments. Principles for career civil servants include: loyalty, obedience, no extreme behavior, ban on strike, recruitment and promotion based on merits, etc. Bundestag and Bundesrat- bicameral Bundestag (lower)- Members of the Bundestag are elected for a four-year term. An election was held on Sep 24, 2017. Half of its members in this multi-party parliament are elected on first-past-the-post bases and the other half elected proportionately on party list. It is at the center of Germany's political life. In the new Bundestag, seven parties are represented in six factions with a total of 735 deputies (it was 709 in the last election). Its main functions are legislation, federal budget, and election of the Chancellor. A large proportion of work is done by the permanent committees (currently 23). Parties are grouped by their political views. Not one single party can dominate. Always get compromise by the majority common groups. Bundesrat (upper) The upper house of the parliament. It has a total of 69 members (each state has 3-6 members). The states (Länders) participate in the legislation and administration of the Federation through Bundesrat. It has rights to initiate, discuss, object, and approve parliamentary bills. The President of Bundesrat is rotated every year from minister-presidents of the states. Different of the US and different elected based on population and like the us- (based in interest of the state) How does a bill become a law A bill may be introduced by the Bundestag, the Bundesrat, or the Federal Government. Most of the bills are introduced by the Government. If the Government initiates a bill, the Chancellor must send it to Bundesrat for comments (six weeks), then transfers it to Bundestag with the comments from Bundesrat. Similar procedure applies to bills initiated from Bundesrat. Bills initiated from Bundestag do not need to submit to Bundesrat first, they can be initiated by one parliamentary group or 5% of its members. The President of Bundestag approves the bill to be printed and distributed to the members of both houses. Then it is the first reading, unless it is highly controversial, it will be assigned to the related committee(s) for deliberation. After the committee(s)' work, it is ready for the second reading debate. The third reading is usually without detailed debate and voting is followed. If passed by a majority, it is sent to Bundesrat as an act, which the latter cannot amend. If in disagreement, it may call for the Mediation Committee consists of equal numbers from both houses. When an act is passed in both houses, the Chancellor and the competent minister countersign it. Then the President sign it into law. In germany and france, judicial review is guaranteed by the constitution. Uk and US do it by cases. They do it by books by written. The judiciary The Federal Constitutional Court The Constitutional Court consists of two Senates with 8 justices each. The Senates are chaired by President and Vice-President of the Court respectively. The justices are elected by Bundestag and Bundesrat (each elects half of them) and serve a term of 12 years. The Court has judicial review power, may declare federal law unconstitutional. Its jurisdiction can be divided into: (a) constitutionality of law; (b) disputes between branches of federal government and the states; (c) individual complaints of unconstitutionality of court decisions and statues. The federal court system German federal court system is rather complicated. It has five courts of final appeals. (Federal Court of Justice, and specialized courts like federal administrative, finance, labor, and social courts respectively). Federal Court of Justice (the ordinary court) deals with appeals concerning criminal, civil, and family cases and on point of law only. Currently it has 127 judges in 25 senates, with 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels. The judges are selected by the competent federal minister and state ministers as well as an equal number of members from Bundestag, and appointed by the President. They serve till reach the mandatory retirement age of 65. Administrative is one of the highest- governments action Germany has a finance court Germany has a labor court They have specialized courts We have collective bargaining power but the European lack The court systems of the states Each state has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts. The Bundesländers (Federal States)- 16 Constitutional requirements Must be republican, democratic, and social Based on the rule of law Some governments are called state government, some called land government. Government structure Minister-presidents and the ministers The minister-presidents are chosen by a unicameral legislative body, the Landtag. In the United State that has one house unicameral- Nebraska. In Germany is more common. The city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg are governed slightly differently from the other states. Each has a Senate, and the heads are called President, First Mayor, and Governing Mayor respectively. Political Participation Political parties Development of political parties Political party activities are guaranteed by the Basic Law The legacy of Weimar Republic: a multi-party system in the parliament, though the trend is moving towards a two-party dominance system (CDU/SPD). Multi-party system allows the existence of issue-oriented parties, as well as extremist parties (e.g., National Democratic Party (New Nazi), Die PARTEI (apolitical, satirical) Multiparty system more accurate and fairer representation of its voters. Political positions of major parties Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD. A center-left party believes in social democracy. Became the largest party in the 2021 election. Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU). A center-right party believes in Christian democracy, and liberal conservatism. Alliance '90/ The Greens. A center-left party that promotes green politics. Free Democratic Party (FDP). A liberalist center/center-right party. Alternative for Germany (AfD). A populist right-wing party. Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU), ruling party in Bavaria, joined the CDU with similar ideologies plus regionalism. The Left Party. Believes in democratic socialism. Elections Mixed-member proportional voting system is applied in the election of Bundestag Each ballot has two sets of candidates. Voters vote twice on the same ballot (299 for individual candidates and 299 for political parties). The first set consists of those individual candidates (with their party affiliations), the voter chooses one of them. And the first-past-the-post candidate wins. The second set is a list of political parties, voters choose one party to support. The parties get their seats proportionately according to this set of votes. "Balance seats". This method has been applied to ensure a guaranteed minimum number of seats for each party in the Bundestag (In 2021 election, a total of 137 seats added, making the total to 735). Bundesrat elections Degressive proportionality (used to determine the number of delegates in the Bundesrat. It's a compromise between equal number of delegates (e.g., US Senate) and strictly proportional representation.) Each state will choose 3-6 delegates. As such, small state like Bremen will have 3, and the largest state like North Rhine-Westphalia only gets 6, The German voters Eligibility of voters (18+ years of age). Must register to receive voting card. Voting turnout rate is relatively high in Germany (70-90%) Factors affecting turnout rates: trust of government, self-confidence, economic situation, and more political choices, etc. In general, former East Germany voters have a lower turnout rate. Germans ballot. Every votes two sets of candidates. Favorite individual and their favorite political parties. Every voter has two votes. Only one elected. Multimember representation for the individual. Social movements and social issues The old and the demonstrations Ageing population and its consequences Retirement age and shortage of working force Political apathy of the old generation The young and restless High-school dropouts and functional illiteracy rate Rising crime rates among youngsters, high juvenile delinquency rates. Unemployment rate among young workers The younger generation of the new immigrants The right-wing The new Nazis: tracing back to the 1930's? Violent crimes against immigrants, refugees, and ethnic minorities Organized demonstrations and parades. Legal issues of the use of swastika and other Nazi symbols. Public Policy Energy policy As a highly developed economy and the largest consumer of electricity in Europe, Germany has a 35 percent of its power generated by renewable energy in the first half of 2017. Germany has decided to terminate all nuclear facilities by 2022 after the Fukushima accident. (Energiewende) However, Germany needs to face a higher cost of electricity especially when natural gas and petroleum import from Russia is severely affected by the Russo-Ukrainian war. The government policy emphasizes conservation and the development of renewable sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, water, and geothermal power. EU policy As the de facto leader, Germany's active role in EU and EU parliamentary politics. Germany's leading role in the euro-zone. Germany's high profile role in handling European refugees and other social issues. Immigration policy The changing concept of Germany as a country of immigration Government policies on integration of immigrants and local population. Handling problems of immigration: culture conflicts, rights and duties of new immigrants, and jobs and education Economic policy The uneven development of the West and East Policies toward different economic sectors. Focus on digital and information area. "Overregulation"

Lecture Outline #8

Pol_S 241 Intro to Com. Govt. & Pol. ` Y. Ren Lecture Outline #8 European Union: A Coalition of Constitutional Democracies- coalition of sovereign states Keywords: Treaty of Rome (EEC, "Common Market"), Maastricht Treaty, European Parliament, European Council, European Commission, Council of Ministers Road to European Integration Early stage The Marshall Plan The United States and the post-WWII Europe: preponderance and challenges. Objectives of Marshall Plan: European revival, contain communism. The Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC, 1948) was set up to run Marshall Plan. Later, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, (OECD, 1960). Today 36 members, plus key partners (4 BRICS and Indonesia). Early years of European cooperation The Brussels Treaty (1948). France, the UK, and Benelux countries (collective defense) NATO (1949). Military cooperation in response to the Cold War. The Council of Europe (1949). Today all European states except Belarus and Vatican City. European Coal and Steel Community: the first step ECSC was established in 1951, proposed by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, signed by France, Germany, Italy, and the Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg). It is the first significant step to European integration; established a common market among the six European nations in coal and steel. It had four institutions: a High Authority (9 independent appointees, executive power); an Assembly having supervisory and advisory powers; a Council made up of one representative of each of the national governments a consultative and some decision-making roles; and a Court of Justice with 9 judges. Expansion of economic cooperation The EEC (1957) The EEC is mainly for economic integration, with the objectives to establish a common market to coordinate economic policies of the member states. Urotow Created by the Treaty of Rome (1957), the EEC later became European Community in 1993 when EU was established, then ceased to exist in 2009. Uk joined and left- 1970, economical crisis The creation of the European Atomic Energy Community (1957, Euratom) Promoting the use of nuclear power in Europe. One of the three main bodies of European economic cooperation. 27 members The Merger Treaty (1967) Combined the executive bodies of three European communities: the EEC, the Euratom, and the ECSC. The EEC Commission runs the three institutions. It is the real step towards EU. Abrogated by the Amsterdam Treaty signed in 1997. The Birth of EU The Maastricht Treaty The Maastricht Treaty, or the Treaty on European Union was signed in 1992. It restructured Europe's three-pillar system: the first pillar (Title II-IV): EEC, ECSC, and Euratom; Title V: the 2nd pillar, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP); and Title VI: the 3rd pillar, Justice and Home Affairs. The pillar system abandoned on 1 Dec 2009 with the Treaty of Lisbon. EU enlargement Original EU economies. 27 member states now with Croatia being its newest member. Consequences of membership expansion: policy and development differences. UK and Brexit. Treaty of Lisbon (effect Dec 2009) Increased roles of EU Parliament President of European Council and High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers Legally binding human rights charter, and Citizen's initiative, allowing citizens to propose referendums to initiate EU legislation (min. 1m signature in a "significant number" of EU members. EU Institutions The policy-making and executive institutions European Council Composed of heads of the member states/governments, the European Council President, and Commission President. Referred to as European Summit. Highest political body of the EU, having the function to deal with major issues that have "a major impetus in defining the general political guidelines of the EU". Meets at least twice a year (usually four times), usually in Brussels Summit. Commission contributed one person to form a council. The Commission 27 Commissioners (one from each member state). Selected by their countries. Think European instead of thinking of their country. Not represent their country, but Europe. President of the Commission is appointed by the Council with the approval of the European Parliament. The President serves a five year term. "The only body paid to think European". An independent supranational body. Unlike the Council (representing each member state) and the Parliament (representing citizens). Working languages: English, French, and German. Powers of the Commission: propose and enforce EU laws, more restricted than most of the national governments. Foreign policy not included (handled by the European Council's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy) The law-making and evaluating institutions European Parliament Sits in Strasbourg and Brussels with a secretariat based in Luxembourg. Composed of representatives of the peoples of the EU member states. The number of MEPs currently is 705 (w/ the President). Directly elected in accordance with the proportion of the population of each member state, with a minimum of 6 and maximum of 96 from each member state. Formed by party group. Germany green party. Main powers: (a) legislative power including making laws (with the Council), treaties, and asking the Commission to propose legislation; (b) supervisory of all EU institutions and electing the Commission President; and (c) budgetary. MEPs are grouped into several parliamentary groups. A multi-party parliament. The largest two are the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Other parties groups include European Conservatives and Reformists, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, European United Left/Nordic Green Left, and European Greens/European Free Alliance, etc. Reflecting the political positions of major EU powers. The most recent election indicated that it was in favor of far-right. Council of the European Union Principal decision-making institution of the EU. Informally called "the Council" (of Ministers). Main functions include negotiating and adopting EU laws, Coordinating EU member policies, adopting EU budget (jointly w/ EP) and signing agreements with other countries and IOs. The more powerful body of the two legislative/decision-making bodies. Composed of one minister from each member states. Numbers and participants are not fixed, e.g., when Foreign Affairs Council is held, participants are foreign ministers, at Ecofin (Economic and Financial Affairs) Council, finance ministers will attend. Decisions are made over a qualified majority (conditions: (1) 55% members or15/27; (2) 65% of EU population), and rejected by blocking minority (at least 4 members with 35% population). Simple majority is required for procedural & administrative issues. Parliamentary equalivent cabinet and one of the legislature. Ordinary Legislative Procedure Preparation. The Commission prepares and submits a legislative proposal to both Parliament and Council of the EU, (a) on its own initiative; (b) at the request of other EU bodies/members; (c) through citizen's initiative. First reading. The Parliament President refers the proposal to a committee to study. The committee discusses and amends it and submits it to the Parliament for vote in plenary, if accepted, it is sent to the Council. The Council may choose to accept (it is then submitted to the Presidents/Secretaries-General of the Parliament and the Council for signatures), or it may choose to adopt its own position of first reading. The second reading. Again, first in Parliament based on the Council's first reading position, then passes it to the Council for a second reading as well. Conciliation. If no agreement reached, the Presidents of Parliament and Council select equal numbers from each of the two chambers for conciliation. The joint text is back to the Parliament and Council for voting, and it is passed by a simple majority. If one of them fails to accept, or doesn't act on time, the proposal fails. The judicial and legal enforcement institutions Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Sits in Luxembourg. The highest court in EU. It is divided into two courts: Court of Justice and General Court. In the Court of Justice, each member has a judge but in any given case only 3or 5 judges needed, or 15 as "grand chamber". There are 11"advocates-generals" to assist the Court. In the General Court, 2 judges from each EU country The Court's main jobs: (a) EU law interpretation; (b) taking actions for, failure to fulfill obligations; annulment (against EU laws violating treaties/human rights); and failure to act; (c) direct actions from private sectors/individuals against EU decision/actions. Is not part of European Union. Even if the European Union respects them. It is NOT part. The US doesn't have a human rights court. Something similar but weaker. Relations with European Court of Human Rights: separate courts but the ECJ respects (and is bound by) human rights cases decided by the latter. European Court of Auditors Established in 1977, located in Luxembourg, to supervise EU funds, audit EU revenue and expenditure, and help to improve EU financial management. Court members are appointed by the Council (one from each member state), and have a renewable term of six years. It divides into "chambers" to audit various aspects of EU work. European Central Bank Composition Established in 1998, and located in Frankfurt, Germany. The Executive Board composed of its President and Vice-President, plus 4 other members appointed for 8-year terms by the Eurozone countries. Governing Council composed of the Executive Board, and governors of the central banks of all Eurozone economies. Basic roles Managing the Euro: regulating interest rates, lending policies, etc. Supervising the financial markets and institutions and EU member economies. Monitoring EU economic & monetary policy. Public Policies of EU Economic and financial policies Historical moments demanding European economic and financial policy coordination The post-WWII reconstruction and the push from the United States. The period of "Eurosclerosis" of 1970s and early 1980s, where the economic stagnation prevailed in West Europe, marked by high unemployment and low economic growth, and government "overregulation" and high social benefits. Europe 2020 made in 2010: 1) Employment (>75%); 2) R&D > 3% GDP; 3) Climate change (20% emission reduction) & energy (20% more efficiency); 4) Education (< 10% early school dropouts and 40% adults complete tertiary education; 5) Poverty/social exclusion: less at least 20 million people. Challenges from rising economies of the major developing countries. Uk is not a member. Principles of the EU internal market The "four freedoms": free movements of goods, capital, service, and labor. Eliminating trade barriers Coordinating agricultural, labor, social welfare, transportation, and trade policies. The Schengen Agreement Originally established in 1985 in Schengen, Luxembourg, established common visa policy in 1990, incorporated in EU law in 1999. Today it has 26 Schengen members, including 23 EU members except Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Ireland, plus non-EU countries Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. Abolished border control among member economies. Since 2016, several members temporarily reinstalled border control in response to the new immigration crisis. Free movement in the Schengen area has accelerated exchanges of goods, services, personnel of the members, and weakened sovereign rights to make it easier for a European integration. Very important for European integration- You don't have to check in every country in Europe. Just in one translates. Agriculture policy of EU Agriculture was one of the main issues for the common market. In the primary agricultural sector: agriculture, forestry, and fishing, there is a declining trend in the past decades among the main agricultural members. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), established since 1962, undergone some major changes. Subsidizing agriculture sector of members, especially those heavily relying on agricultural products like France (in the early years), Spain, Greece, Portugal. The CAP has gone through a few major reforms focusing on four areas: food security, competiveness, sustainability cohesion, and policy efficiency. The Eurozone A region of EU member countries adopting euro as their national currency. Created in 1997, today it has 19 members, and some microstates like Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican are also allowed to use euro. Too small. The Eurozone is managed by finance ministers of the member states. Eurozone crisis. A European Stability Mechanism was created in 2011 to help those bailout countries. Since 2008 crisis, the Eurozone has offered a dozen bailout programs to help countries like Cyprus, Greece, and Romania, etc. Second currency provide a challenge to the US dollar. Bretenwood system. Before that was Japanese yen. Common Foreign and Security Policy Historical development of a European common foreign and security policy After WWII, France proposed to establish a European army to prevent militarization of Germany. The plan was eventually led into the European Defense Community (EDC) agreement (1952). Germany and the Benelux countries approved, and France's National Assembly failed to ratify it. The Cold War and NATO somewhat slowed down the progress on a European common foreign/security policy. Political cooperation was linked with the ideological differences. The Single European Act (SEA) of 1986 was a major step towards European cooperation in foreign policy. The Maastricht Treaty established a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) for the European Union. Main objectives of the common foreign and security policy Enable EU members to speak and act in the foreign and security policy field as one. The CFSP seeks to preserve peace & strengthen international security; promote international cooperation; develop and consolidate democracy, the rule of law; and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Organizational structure High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (currently Federica Mogherini, 2014-20), whose role is to conduct the foreign policy of the European Union (EU). The High Representative chairs the monthly meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (27 foreign ministers from member countries), and attends the European Council. Under the High Representative, the European External Action Service (EEAS) oversees the external policies of EU. Currently about 139 EU delegations around the world. Is EU moving towards a super-government? Globalization and the trend of European integration International trade and the development of FTAs Inter-EU relations Brexit and its consequences: To integrate in European economy, harder mobility of labors, harder trade Relations with other economies Germany and France integration expanded to west and then east. You must have market economy. Baltic countries joined later. Met minimum condition on market economy. Free Trade agreement expanded along the integration. Article section 8. Abolish trade barriers within the states. European Union is the third largest. Surpassed Japan. World second largest trading partner. After the US. Brexit: Britain exit European union. Joined union 1973. They are in Europe but not in Europe. Same thing with Japan is in Asia but doesn't consider themselves as Asia. Have to sign free trade agreement with Europe. Different trade policy. Harder. UK is the most supported major European power. Will EU be the first "super-government"? The establishment of "state-like" institutions: democratic but weak. The limitations of current models of international organization: an enlarged and loose copy of a nation-state. The direction of EU institutional reforms Criticisms of EU No breakthrough from the existing IGO models. Outside of government structure. Never reach the integration of sovereignty. They want to build a super nation, but not the major are willing to give up their soverignty. Parliament is very weak. Executive branch is behind their sovereignty. Bow to Realpolitik. Not easy to eliminate local protectionism. Euroscepticism within and outside of EU.