Professional Documents
Culture Documents
General remarks
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, and having completed the Essential reading and
activities, you should have a good understanding of the way in which
different democratic institutional systems work. Specifically, candidates
should be able to explain:
why institutional analysis is a key aspect of comparative politics
how institutional stability and political legitimation interact
what is meant by political culture and how it influences institutional
behaviour
how presidential systems differ in key respects from parliamentary
ones
the relationship between elective and non-elective dimensions of the
democratic state
the concept of federalism and how it differs from local government.
We recognise that candidates may not cover all topics in the syllabus
in the same depth, but you need to be aware that examiners are free
to set questions on any aspect of the syllabus. This means that you
need to study enough of the syllabus to enable you to answer the
required number of examination questions.
The syllabus can be found in the Course information sheet in the
section of the VLE dedicated to each course. You should read the
syllabus carefully and ensure that you cover sufficient material in
preparation for the examination. Examiners will vary the topics and
questions from year to year and may well set questions that have not
appeared in past papers. Examination papers may legitimately include
questions on any topic in the syllabus. So, although past papers can be
helpful during your revision, you cannot assume that topics or specific
questions that have come up in past examinations will occur again.
If you rely on a question-spotting strategy, it is likely
you will find yourself in difficulties when you sit the
examination. We strongly advise you not to adopt this
strategy.
though when they do, this conflict can be resolved in different ways. For
this reason, the question asked for examples.
To take just one, Alexis de Toqueville made the observation of US politics
that political questions usually tend to resolve themselves into judicial
ones (i.e. popularity follows legitimacy and not normally the other way
round). This makes for a certain institutional robustness autonomous
constitutionalism is for the most part legitimate but it also limits what
popularity can do to effect change. For example, a lot of US New Deal
legislation was ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court although
it may well have been both popular and legitimate in the sense of
procedurally appropriate.
Question 2
One cannot understand comparative politics without some understanding of
political culture. Discuss.
Reading for this question
A different but also valid approach would be to start from the idea that
public opinion in democratic systems tends, though not invariably, to
shape public policy in the long run. For a study of how political culture has
changed over time see:
Inglehart, R. Culture shift in advanced industrial society. (Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1990) [ISBN9780691022963].
Question 8
Consider whether term limits are an essential part of democratic presidentialism.
Reading for this question
Linz (1990). As with other arguments about presidentialism, it was Linz who
put the issue of term limits on the academic agenda.
Question 10
Referendums are the best way of resolving constitutional disputes that involve
ethnicity, religion or nationalism. Discuss with examples.
Reading for the question
Relevant are the modern classics dealing with democracy such as:
Dahl , R.A. Democracy and its critics. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991)
second edition [ISBN9780300049381].
Dahl (2000).
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one might hazard a guess that there will be less international intervention
purely to effect regime change in the future than there has been in the
past. It may be true that particular regimes that lose domestic support can
be vulnerable to overthrow but most of them have more to lose from being
domestically unpopular.
Legitimacy also implies at least a modicum of due process while popularity
need not. In an ideal world, popularity and legitimacy would go together
in some kind of harmony. In the real world, however, they often conflict
though, when they do, this conflict can be resolved in different ways. For
this reason, the question asked for examples.
To take just one possible example, Alexis de Toqueville made the
observation of US politics that political questions usually tend to resolve
themselves into judicial ones (i.e. popularity follows legitimacy and not
normally the other way round). This makes for a certain institutional
robustness autonomous constitutionalism is for the most part legitimate
but it also limits what popularity can do to effect change. For example, a
lot of US New Deal legislation in the 1930s was ruled unconstitutional by
the US Supreme Court although it may well have been both popular and
legitimate in the sense of procedurally appropriate. Relevant examples can
be drawn from other countries as well.
Question 2
One cannot understand politics in any country without some understanding of
its cultural context. Discuss with examples.
Reading for this question
For a study of how political culture has changed over time see:
Inglehart (1990).
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There are a number of additional works that may be helpful such as:
Sartori (2005).
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Question 7
Economic crises are more threatening to democratic stability than a problematic
institutional structure. Discuss.
Reading for this question
A good place to start is to ask why democracy has not broken down in
wealthy countries since 1945. Relevant is:
Lipset (1983).
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