Political parties (Factions) are unavoidable but neccessary evil, as thought by James Madison. Political parties today are widely accepted and thought of as a must. They bring together many types of people and fulfill two functions:
1. Establish the means by which amjority rules; without political parties, government would be too fragementd.
2. Create means by which politicans can be held accountable by everyone; members hold candidates to goals and voters view whether politicans do a good job or not.
Political parties encourage democratic competition.
3 types of political party system: single party, 2 party, or multi party.
Single party is often associated with authortarian regimes. 1 party monopolizes politics and other parties are banned; 1 party helps get people into politics by membership and participation but only minority (>10% usually) are active politicans in it.
The single party system can be broken down into university, work place, or neighborhood level. These elements report to higher party and keep tabs on specific levels. Members of 1 party have privleges that directly benefit the members so that they defend the authortarian government.
1 party uses leadership to deliever propaganda and such of the current regime, which is commonly associated with communism. PRI dominated Mexico and used 1 party regime.
Interest group system (Liberal Democracy, Social Democracy (Socialism), Authortarian)
In Liberal Democracy, government power is limited in power for greater freedom for individuals. Liberal Democracy - individuals are responsible enough to care about themselves and care about themselves; the best state is weak, with property and businesses regulated as little as possible to boost captialism. Interest groups are pluralist and compete for ear of desicion makers.
Social Democracy - Liberal government with partys of Communism thrown into get rid of the two extremes. Social Democracy has private property and open market but ambivalent of overall benefit of society. Market and property should be encouraged but controlled by government to keep individual benefit from hurting society. Wide array of public goods (health care, transportation) is available by state. Federal Reserve should control money and inflation based on government. Competition should not get in way of government leadership. Social Democracy manages interest groups through neocoportatism rather than pluralist. Neocoportatism involves state, labor, and buisnesses; rejects interest of pluralist in favor of policy to build consensceous over competition by creating limited interest group that represent large buisness and labor. These are recognized by state as legitatmate representatives and these and the state decide on issues. Open competition goes down small number of interest groups recognized by government together make descions of certain areas.
Authortarian government is overbearing and powerful state - corportitism is most common interest group.
Coroportitism - party creates and sanctions super limited groups and then restrics groups that are not sanctioned by government and the sanctioned groups are only allowed to speak and others aren't. Alternative groups aren't allowed to exist.
Bureacracies (How professional [Will it work with any political leadership?] and how recruited [Activelly seek out best to be government workers? Appointed? Spoil system?])
Military-effects politics through informal pressure (China and Russia), periodic seizures of power (Nigeria). Mexico has problamatic military states that struggle for legitamacy and stability - military might feel itself neccessary for stability and rule (is possible to have have public support).
Military rule - no real ideology, must constantly prove legitamacy
Judiciary Branch: How much independence (autonomy)? Judicial review?
Constitution Court - highest judical body that rules on constitutionality on laws and bodies of government. Many deomcracies lately have seen development of judical power and has brought controversy. Constitution courts aren't directly elected, some people think that htey might confuse or thwart governments ruling. Members serve long-term positions and politicans can't influence court. Serve to defend democratic power from other powers using judical review-like powers.
2 types of Judical Review:
Concrete Judical Review - Case needed to use Judical Review
Abstract Judical Review - Reviews a law before it goes into effect.
Globalization - process that results in greater interdependence on other countries on global scale.
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