The vocabulary and tools of comparative politics, applied to the six course countries: China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia and the United Kingdom. How political scientists use data, what separates a state from a nation or a regime from a government, democracy vs. authoritarianism, how regimes democratize, where power and legitimacy come from, and what keeps a state stable.
Political scientists compare countries using quantitative and qualitative evidence. Causation is hard to prove because many variables interact, so they separate correlation from causation and empirical from normative statements. Common data sources include the HDI, GDP and GDP per capita, GDP growth, the Gini index, Freedom House, Transparency International and the Failed States Index.
A state combines a permanent population, governing institutions and a defined territory with international recognition. A regime is the fundamental rules for gaining and using power, and usually outlasts governments. A government is the people and institutions making binding decisions now. A nation is a people with shared identity. Sovereignty is a state's right to govern itself.
How democratic or authoritarian a state is depends on rule of law, state control of the media, free and fair elections, transparency and citizen participation. Democratic branches tend to be independent of one another. Authoritarian regimes include illiberal or hybrid regimes, one-party states, theocracies, totalitarian governments and military regimes.
Democratization is a transition from authoritarian to democratic rule, aiming at fair elections, participation, universal suffrage, transparency, protected rights, equal treatment and the rule of law. Electoral rules can include more groups, corruption holds it back, it can stall or reverse, and consolidation makes reversal unlikely.
Power and authority come from constitutions, religion, the military, political parties, legislatures and popular support. In China the Party controls the military; Iran became a theocracy in 1979; Nigeria and Mexico became multiparty republics; Russia is a managed democracy; the UK devolved power to keep stability.
Democracies can keep sovereignty using less force than authoritarian regimes. Regimes change when rules and institutions are replaced, slowly or suddenly, through elections, coups or revolutions. Governments change more often and more easily, usually through elections, appointments and succession, but sometimes violently, as in Iran and Nigeria.
Federal states (Mexico, Nigeria, Russia) divide power among levels of government, giving regions some autonomy over services like education. Unitary states (China, Iran, the UK) concentrate power nationally for uniform, potentially more efficient policy. The degree of centralization changes over time in response to ethnic divisions, supranational organizations and other countries.
Legitimacy is citizens' belief that the government has the right to use power as it does; it gives a regime authority and can increase its power. Sources include elections and constitutions, plus nationalism, tradition, effectiveness, economic growth, ideology, religion and the ruling party's endorsement.
Governments keep legitimacy through policy effectiveness, political efficacy, tradition, charismatic leadership and institutionalized laws. Peaceful conflict resolution and transfers of power, less corruption and economic development reinforce it; corruption, less electoral competition and serious problems undermine it. Devolution can help or hurt, and disputed elections can spark protests.
Internal actors can strengthen or threaten stability and the rule of law. Course countries fight corruption, separatist violence, drug trafficking and discrimination in different ways, and respond differently to mass protests. States limit violent actors partly to attract investment, and pressure from protesters and civil society can produce reforms.