Chapter Two

Comparing Political
Systems
 Learning Objectives
• 2.1 Explain the reasons for using the comparative method to study
politics and the goals of description, explanation, and prediction.
• 2.2 Define the components of a political system and discuss the
ways domestic and international environments can affect it.
• 2.3 List six types of political structures, and provide a few examples
of how a similar structure functions differently in Britain than it does
in China.
• 2.4 Discuss how the functions of Russia’s political structures
changed after the collapse of communism.
• 2.5 Describe the roles of conditions, policies, and outcomes in
evaluating a political system.

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 Why We Compare
• “Without comparisons to make, the mind does not know
how to proceed.” ----Tocqueville
• By comparing political institutions, values, processes in
other countries will increase our analytical skills that can
be used at home
• Methodological Core of Scientific Study
• Aristotle: economic and social comparisons of Greek
city-states
• Contemporary Political Scientists:
• explain differences between processes and
performances of political systems
• compare two-party/multi-party,
presidential/parliamentary, poor/rich

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Some shared points
• Comparison is a fundamental exercise for
all human reflections (empirical and
theoretical)
• Comparison is the methodological core of
scientific study of social sciences
– compare the past and present
– compare experiences from different nations
– develop explanations
– test theories in non experimental
environments
 • Methodology within political science that is
often used in the study of political
systems, institutions or processes.
• This can be done across a local, regional,
national and international scale.
• Study of comparative politics can increase
understanding of current events
• Analyzes government and politics of
countries in detail

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 How We Compare
• Description: first stage in the study of politics
• Set of concepts to describe it:
• Conceptual framework: clearly defined and
well understood
• Intersubjective: understood in same way by
different subjects
• The easier this set of concepts is to
understand and the more generally it can be
applied, the more helpful it is to the study of
politics.

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3 Basic Questions of Comparative
Politics
• What are we comparing? Units of analysis—
states and governments
• How do we systemitize our understanding of
comparative politics? Can’t study all, so we take
small samples and generalize.
• where can we make the comparisons?
--Across cultures/nations (vertical)
--Across groups/social movements (horiz.)
--Across time (temporal)
 Common Good Partial / Private Good

Tyranny / Despotism
Rule by one Monarchy rule of master over
slaves

Aristocracy (rule by the Oligarchy (rule by few)

Rule by few
best) (wealthy)

Polity (ruled by different Democracy (rule by the

Rule by many
groups) people) (poor)

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 How We Explain and Predict
• Identifying Causal Relationships
• Theories: well supported statements about
causal relationships
• Hypotheses: causal explanations not yet proven
• Ex , we might be interested in the relationship
between democracy and international peace
(see Box 2.2).
• Political Data: useful in testing hypotheses
• Variables: differing features associated with
cases
• Predictions: testing hypotheses against data

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The Comparative Method: Stages
• 1. Identify a problem/question (Ex: What
causes/promotes democracy?)
• 2. Gather data, collect info thru observation
• 3. Formulate connection between data, make a
hypothesis
• 4. Make prediction/projection (inference) from
generalization (if/then statement)
• 5. Verify/Falsify (Falsification more useful)
• 6. Theory
 Political Systems:
Environment and Interdependence
• System: interdependent parts acting within an
environment
• Political System: set of institutions concerned with
formulating and implementing collective goals
• Governments are policymaking parts of political systems
• Political system exists in international and domestic
environments
• International: exchanges among countries,
interdependence and globalization
• Domestic: economic and social systems, political
culture

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 Comparative Approaches
(David Apter)
• Institutionalist: look at institutions. (What
makes a strong state? Military, economy,
resources, legitimacy, adaptive power of states.
Is regime Totalitarian, Authoritarian,
Transitional, or Democratic?)
• Developmentalist: look at society, culture.
• 2 types: Modernization and Dependency school
Comparative Politics Approaches
• Traditional—look at cultures, study to learn
similarities. Focus: formal institutions only
• Behaviorist Approach—Feelings, attitudes,
functions as opposed to institutions. Shift to
infrastructure. Use mass media, foreign policy,
public opinions, ideology to analyze. Focus:
cross-national, cross-cultural (“Western world”).
Take a prescriptive approach and analyze data
empirically
 Political Systems:
Structures and Functions
• Structure: parliaments, bureaucracies,
administrative agencies, courts
• Perform functions which enable
government to formulate, implement,
enforce policies
• Six types of political structures: political
parties, interest groups, legislatures,
executives, bureaucracies, courts

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 Political Systems:
Structures and Functions
• Functions: activities necessary for policy to be made and
implemented in any political system
• Interest Articulation: individuals/groups expressing
needs/demands
• Interest Aggregation: combines different demands into
policy proposals
• Policymaking: decides which policy proposals
become authoritative rules
• Policy Implementation: enforces public policies
• Policy Adjudication: settles disputes about policy
application

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 Political Systems:
Structures and Functions
• System Functions: determine whether or not system will
be maintained or changed
• Political Socialization: families, schools, media,
churches, and political structures that develop,
reinforce and transform the political culture
• Political Recruitment: selection of people for political
activity and government offices
• Political Communication: flow of information through
society and various structures that make up the
political system

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 An Illustrative Comparison:
Regime Change in Russia
• Example of structures and functions in Russia before
and after breakdown of communist rule
• Two revolutionary changes:
• end of the single-party political system
• dissolution of the Soviet Union into 15 member
republics
• Russia became independent noncommunist state
• Comparisons here illustrate use of the structural-
functional approach
• Enables examination of how same functions are
performed in different countries, or in the same country
at two different points in time

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 The Policy Level: Performance, Outcome,
and Evaluation
• Policy Level of the Political System:
• what do differences in structure and function do for
interests, needs, aspirations of people?
• Policy Performance:
• outputs of a political system - extractions,
distributions, regulations, symbolic acts

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 The Policy Level: Performance, Outcome,
and Evaluation
• Outcome of Public Policy:
• never wholly in the hands of the people and leaders:
• internal environment, external world, simple chance
may frustrate most thoughtfully crafted programs and
plans
• Evaluation:
• assessing performance and outcomes
• consider goods associated with the policy level:
welfare, security, fairness, liberty
• assess performance and outcomes in each of these
areas

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