Reaction papers for course “The institutional structure of democratic regimes”
Seminar 1 The Polity and its defining features. The Modern State.
Seminar 2 Beyond the State model. Challenges to the State model. Weak and failed states.
Seminar 3 The analysis of political regimes. Democratic regimes.
Seminar 4 Typologies of non democratic regimes. Grey areas between democracy and non democracy.
Seminar 5 Democratic Executives and forms of government.
Seminar 6 Executives in parliamentary governments and in presidential governments. Institutional and functional varieties.
Seminar 7 Parliamentary institutions: institutional varieties.
Seminar 8 Parliamentary institutions: members, parties and legislative production.
Seminar 9 Parties and party systems: typologies.
Seminar 10 Parties and party systems: trends of transformation.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Seminar 1 The Polity and its defining features. The Modern State
- Seminar 2 Beyond the State model. Challenges to the State model. Weak and failed states.
- Seminar 3 The analysis of political regimes. Democratic regimes
- Seminar 4 Typologies of non democratic regimes. Grey areas between democracy and non democracy.
- Seminar 5 Democratic Executives and forms of government
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes the various perspectives on the modern state, its challenges, and its forms of government. It critically examines the theories and arguments presented by different scholars, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
- The definition and functions of the modern state.
- The relationship between the state and society.
- The challenges to the state model, including weak and failed states.
- The analysis of different political regimes, particularly democratic and non-democratic ones.
- The advantages and disadvantages of presidential and parliamentary systems of government.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Seminar 1 examines the concept of the modern state, analyzing the theories of Skocpol, Mitchell, and Gill. The author critiques their arguments and questions their lack of novelty and deep analysis.
- Seminar 2 delves into the challenges to the state model, focusing on Schmitter's analysis of the dual paradox and the EU's political organization. It also explores Patrick's perspective on weak and failing states, critiquing his catch-all framework and unanswered questions.
- Seminar 3 analyzes democratic regimes, focusing on Tilly's and Lijphart's perspectives. The author criticizes their normative approach to democracy and questions the relevance of the majoritarian/consensus distinction.
- Seminar 4 examines the typology of hybrid regimes, proposing that they exist and can help prevent the transition from democratic to hybrid regimes. It discusses the perspectives of Linz, Levitsky, Diamond, Schedler, Ottaway, and Tansyn.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this paper include the modern state, its development and decline, state autonomy, state-society relations, challenges to the state model, weak and failed states, democratic regimes, non-democratic regimes, hybrid regimes, presidentialism, and parliamentarism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the defining features of a modern state?
A modern state is defined by its institutional structure, autonomy, and relationship with society. The papers discuss theories by scholars like Skocpol and Mitchell regarding state development and its functional roles.
What are weak and failed states?
Weak and failed states are those that struggle to maintain political organization, provide public services, or exert authority over their territory. The text critiques catch-all frameworks used to define these challenges.
What is the difference between majoritarian and consensus democracies?
Based on Lijphart's perspective, majoritarian systems focus on concentrated power, while consensus systems emphasize power-sharing and broad participation. The paper questions the relevance of this distinction in normative analysis.
What are hybrid regimes?
Hybrid regimes represent "grey areas" between democracy and non-democracy. They combine democratic elements with autocratic practices, often used as a typology to understand political transitions.
How do presidential and parliamentary systems differ?
The analysis explores the institutional and functional varieties of executives, comparing the stability and accountability of presidential systems versus the legislative production and party dynamics of parliamentary systems.
- Quote paper
- Karina Oborune (Author), 2010, Reaction papers for course “The institutional structure of democratic regimes”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/155094
