Paper #3 – Institutions and Representation
In chapters 6-8, we study governing institutions in democracies and authoritarian regimes. In this paper, you will give an overview of the main governmental institutions, as well as analyze how the policies and procedures of the regime affect the citizens of that state.
Questions to consider (Democratic Countries):
• What are the key governing institutions in the state?
• Is there a reasonable level of accountability?
• How is power separated between the governing institutions?
• What effect does the electoral system have on participation and representation?
• How do you characterize the political party system?
• Who are the main veto players?
Questions to consider (Authoritarian Countries):
• What are the key governing institutions in the state?
• How do these institutions exemplify the regime type of the state?
• To what extent do the authoritarian rulers rely on repression to rule?
• Who benefits from co-optation in this state, and how do they benefit?
• How do authoritarian leaders deal with the problem of succession in this state?
• Do you believe that 1) institutionalization or 2) repression and co-optation are most important for the stability and/or legitimacy of this regime? (you may choose to answer this question in the context of stability, legitimacy, or both)
Requirements
• Due Thursday, May 7
• Length: 1500-1800 (approximately 3-4 pages)
• Format: MLA, APA – any style is fine, as long as you cite all sources, both in-text an in a works cited page or bibliography
• Sources: Academic Sources, Newspapers, and Databases only; no websites of unknown or inexpert origin, and definitely no Wikipedia.
0 comments