Gaton, Patricia Marize February 19,

2022

CMS 3A Sir Richard

Talento

Module 1 Assignment 1

Key Questions

1. How much power do different people or groups have in different political

systems?

 There are 3 types of regimes that I have read from the reading which is the
democracy where citizens are free to express themselves through the means of
voting for their chosen government officers to represent them in order to improve
the livelihood of the country, an example of this would be the upcoming elections of
the next Philippine president. While the authoritarian regimes are basically where
no government and nondemocracy exist since only one person or a small group of
people are the leader(s), this type regime will either make or break the country
since it was said that in this regime the country may not grow like other countries.
Then we have the electoral authoritarian regime and I have read little of this in the
first of the readings but under this regime has the element of democracy which on
the election process in which the ruling party still has control over in order to
remain in power, an example would the country of Russia. But there is still the
influence of those in and given the power that influence the masses by either
through their actions, thoughts, and perspective on things. In which I can connect
the pluralist and elite theorist in this it can help to understand comparative politics.
Where the pluralist is in for both coexistence and equality as well as their
individuality of their own cultures, whereas elite theorist are more into a small
group of people who they believe should be in power and who have both power
and money to lead the country.
2. Do self-interest, beliefs, or underlying structural forces best explain how
people act in the political realm?

 Yes, but typically, any political actor’s that are in power will definitely pursue any of
their own self-interest whether it benefit the civilians in their area or just benefit
their own image. This can also be defined when it comes to group behaviors where
their interests are one common thing(s), an example would be the cleanup project
for the manila bay beach where the officials of manila finally agreed to clean up the
beach during this time of pandemic since there are limited number of people
outside. Then beliefs enter the political realm where the political actors are then
influence by their own moral values and beliefs, and that’s where political culture
comes in where one will be taught the basic common values when it comes to
one’s value and beliefs and this will gradually evolve into their known beliefs right
at this moment an example of this would be Senator Pacquiao’s belief that he can
help with the Philippines poverty since he had a firsthand experience of the poverty
present in the country during his youth. Then we have structural forces explains
how people act when it comes to the political realm, one of those would be the
ruling class which is the bourgeoisie where they use their advantages to influence
the proletariats into buying their product because they can believe that in buying
those products, they too are part of the bourgeoisie. Then we have political
institutions where a set of rules, standard, and norms limits political actors of their
actions and behaviors since they have to follow those rules which is the
constitution. All three of this influences all political actors here in the Philippines
and an example of that is the upcoming election for the next president of the
country.

3.     What kinds of evidence can help us determine why political actors do what
they do?
  When it comes to understanding the action and doings of various political actors
around the world. Their actions and decision are maybe influenced by their own
interest, beliefs, or other structural forces that they have grew up with. I believe
that with the study of comparative politics we can understand the political actors a
bit more by analyzing their action in connection to their interest and beliefs. An
example would be Mister Pacquiao’s statement that he beliefs that he can and
wants to find a solution to our countries poverty since he had experience what the
poverty is like because he grew up from it. Because he had worked hard to pull his
family out of poverty and he wants to do the same with the country.

4.     What can be learned from comparing political behavior and outcomes across
countries?

 We can learn that by comparing these various political actors how their interest,
other structural forces, and their beliefs have influence them when it comes to their
action and decisions. We can comprehend the internal and external influences that
we face on a local and global scale. We can apply our newfound knowledge to how
we interact with other countries, as well as further explain their behavior toward us.
But we mustn’t also forget their moral standing on things whether they be
transparent to the people they govern over or are they keeping something from us.
There is also a term that history will repeat itself. There are just somethings in the
past that we don’t want to be repeated. An example would be the martial law, it
was a good concept but ideas will always have flaws like during that time they had
given the police too much power over the people which was a mistake because the
police then had abused the power given to them by doing illegal and sinful things
to the masses. We as human beings can learn from our mistakes and grow more
to be a better person the same could be said for our country. We had seen the
political span of President Duterte and President Trump over their respective
country and we saw what we wanted for our country. Now in these upcoming
elections we must chose what’s best for the country and our chosen leader must
do what’s best for the people in the Philippines.
Discussion Questions

1.     What are the major areas of interest in comparative politics?

 The major areas of interest when it comes to studying in comparative politics are
the following. The first would be political development where at first you would
think it connects to economics but really, it’s the process by which modern nations
and states emerge, as well as the evolution of political institutions and regimes.
Then we have the different regime type and the change they bring with it, we have
democracy (the citizens have the right to vote for their country leaders) and
authoritarian regimes (one person or a small group of people have the power over
their country) but there has been a development of electoral authoritarian regime
(where election is present but a ruling party still has power over the country). Third
is the representation and participation where its closely related to the second major
area where in democracy the participation of the masses through voting and in
dictatorship is the representation of the leader in their country. Third is the policy-
making processes where policies that govern society are made and the
government then will decide which policies their going to use. The fifth and last is
political economy is about the interaction of economic phenomena and politics, this
also can relate to political development, and in this they also study which regime
that produces a better economic outcome.

2.     What Is Comparative Politics?

 Fist we define politics where communities (big or small) make a collective decision.
Then comes in comparative politics where it focuses on the decisions, actions, and
the power of various countries and compare them with each other. As well as
studying the political phenomena in more than one place in a specific time period
in order to develop an understanding why they did that political activity.
3.     Why Study Comparative Politics?

 For one thing comparative politics has many benefits for anyone studying it. It’s
also a way for us to understand all the political events and behavior and the
various developments of other countries around the world. A systematic
comparison of various political systems and events around the world can yield
important lessons from one location that can be applied in another. Comparing
politics allows us to develop broad theories about how politics works.
Comparativist will focus more on empirical theory due to it describe a pattern, then
try to explain what caused it, as well as predicting what cause it.

4.     How Do Comparativists Study Politics?

 Unlike another scientist we don’t have our own laboratory to control our field
because we cannot truly control the real political world. We use the scientific
method in order get an accurate outcome of the political events we study. Methods
of research are systematic processes that are used to ensure that the study of a
phenomenon is as objective and unbiased as possible. Those methods are case
study (to deepen our understanding and knowledge), comparative method
(investigate the same phenomenon in multiple cases, and they try to mimic
laboratory conditions by carefully selecting cases.), and quantitative statistical
techniques (Evidence can be reduced to numbers, and statistical methods can be
used to compare a large number of cases systematically.).

5.     What Explains Political Behavior?

 In the world of political science, we try to understand why political actors do what
they do and why they do it. This is where interest, beliefs, and structures come in
because these are what influences political actors in their words, action, and
 decisions in the political realm. This is also where the saying that they act in the
best interest for their country, nation, or for themselves.

6.     Who Rules?

 In democracy, the one that rules over the masses is the president and the various
officers are were elected by the citizens to be their representatives. While in
dictatorship only one or a small group of people are truly in power over the people
in their country. The elitist rules over the pluralist theory. Where the elitist has this
subtle control over us by convincing us the pluralist into buying the product, they
either advertising or using. By convincing us to spend our money into buying
various products, we the pluralist has this stereotypical thinking where if we buy
this various product items, we are part of the elitist group. Where the power of
economy which is money rules over the masses because they are the ones buying
the products.

7.     Where do particular political phenomena occur, and why do they occur

where they do and how they do?

 In order to understand the various political phenomena in different places and time,
we must know the how and why. Then we can use the three scientific methods
which are case study (to deepen our understanding and knowledge), comparative
method (investigate the same phenomenon in multiple cases, and they try to mimic
laboratory conditions by carefully selecting cases.), and quantitative statistical
techniques (Evidence can be reduced to numbers, and statistical methods can be
used to compare a large number of cases systematically.) when it comes to
understanding political phenomena. These three have the same goal which is to
study the various political phenomena accurately but as said in the reading the
political world is not something we can control due to multiple variables that can
occur.
 Module 1 Assignment 2

1. Give the definition of the Key Concepts

◆ Authority is where a person or people have the authority to rule over something or
someone. Authority generates its own power as long as people believe the person in
charge has the authority to make decisions.

◆ Comparative politics is the systematic study of government and politics in various

countries in order to better understand them by highlighting their differences and
similarities.

◆ Concept is a concept, term, or category. Every field of study is built on a specialized

vocabulary comprised of terms that must be understood and defined in order to serve
as our points of reference.

◆ Governance is with or without the input of formal institutions, the process through
which decisions, laws, and policies are established.

◆ Government are the societies that are ruled by their institutions and structures.

◆ Gross domestic product is the primary measure of an economy's size, calculated by

assigning a monetary value to all goods and services produced in a given year,
regardless of who owns the various means of production.

◆ Ideology is a set of views that are linked, a common understanding of the world, or a
blueprint for how politics, economics, and society should be organized.
◆ Institution is the long-lasting and internally complicated formal structure or practice
having a political goal or effect.

◆ Legitimacy is the right to rule. Authority generates its own power as long as people
accept that the person in authority has the authority to make decisions.

◆ Political science is the study of government and political theory and practice, with
emphasis on the structure and dynamics of institutions, political processes, and political
behavior.

◆ Political system is where the means by which a society's common decisions are
reached and implemented successfully.

◆ Politics is the process of making and executing shared or communal decisions,

people negotiate and compete in the process of making and executing decisions.

◆ Power is the ability to produce the desired results. The term is frequently used as a
synonym for influence, but it is also used more narrowly to refer to more forceful modes
of influence, most notably, gaining one's way through threats.

◆ Social science is where the study of human society and the structured interactions
among its members.

◆ Three Worlds system is a political typology that split the world along ideological lines,
with states labeled based on their Cold War stance.

◆ Typology is the classification system that divides states, institutions, processes,

political cultures, and other things into groups or kinds based on shared characteristics.
2. Answer the discussion questions

◆ What is government?

 Are the institutions that is used to govern over the citizens. Another meaning is
how a small group of people agreeing on a decision without the need for special
procedures and example would be a club organization agreeing on a certain event
to do at the following month. It’s also the highest form in the political world which
ranges from the president to the mayors of different places inside the country. The
government is an institution made out of people who were given public authority to
govern over the masses. In democracy the government will work for the people
they govern over by giving them what they need an example is security and
welfare. While in authoritarian the government as little to no power to do them
being controlled by a person or a small group of people.

◆ What is politics? Where does it begin and end?

 Politics is the process of making and enforcing shared or communal decisions, in

which people negotiate and compete. It’s also a collective activity amongst a group
of people that are influenced by power. It ends and begins with the relationship
between different places which is the political system. Where different leaders in
the Philippines come together to talk about their political agenda for the location
that they govern over and the It’s president will announce all the laws that are
needed to be implemented and gives advices to other leaders. In those political
relationships can either have conflict or cooperation with one another.

◆ Who has power, who does not, and how do we know?

 Any person who has both money and power can influence the masses to picked
them to be their leader. Power is one of the key elements in governing over others
and to achieve the goals that they had set out. The three dimension of power is the
following; first is the ability to influence or persuade others, second is the
 undermine a specific issue by leaving it out of the discussion, and the third and last
is the manipulation of information from the masses by making the issue inexistent.

◆ Does it necessarily follow that to be a democracy is to be legitimate, and to be

legitimate is to be a democracy?

 Yes and no. Democracy is about the freedom of the people to vote for their chosen
leader and recognizing them as the authority. There’s a difference between
authority and legitimacy. Where authority the leader was given the right to rule over
the people due to the trust given to the leader as long as the leader have the
power to rule. Whereas legitimacy is the rightful procedures taken as the leader
and the acceptance of the people of the leader’s authority over them. But
legitimacy is not necessarily to democracy but in other regimes as well.

◆ Are the ideological distinctions in modern political systems as important and

as clear as they once were?

 Yes. The political system during the old times ideologies are more specifics unlike
in today’s society. Today ideologies are simpler which is known as the right and left
sides. This concept came from France where the king sits on the top middle of the
table overlooking all his council where on the right sides are the noble leaders
while on the left sides are the leaders of the commoners. But now leftist is simply
known for their pursuit in equality and rights while the rightist is then known for
their traditionalism and their pursuit in the nations interest.

◆ What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Democracy Index and Freedom
in the World as means of classifying political systems?

 The Democracy Index and Freedom in the World are both the same in how they
operate and how they are described. They’re both are more open for interpretation
which is the strength of both DI and FW while their weakness in the dynamic of the
various political behaviors and the systems as well. As well as how the political
world is very uncontrollable which makes rating and putting those countries into a
table to be a bit complex but it’s helpful in understanding the political world.