What is CPO?

1. What is CPO?

2. I. IntroductionA Traditional Chinese proverb says “may you live in interesting times”. I think that it is pretty safe to say that we do live in interesting times.

3. Introduction • As the author of a popular CPO textbook, Charles Hauss makes clear, “political life may well have changed more in the past few years than in the rest of recorded history”Do you agree???

4. I. Introduction Examples of this change: • a. collapse of Berlin Wall 1989 • b. disintegration of the USSR in 1991 • c. triumph of capitalism over communism • d. AIDS and overpopulation crises • e. Growth of interdependence/globalizationand reactions to it (see f.) • f. 9-11-01 terrorist attacks & aftermath

5. II. Definitions Comparative Politics • J. McCormick (p. 2): “CPO involves studying the institutions, character, and performance of government and the political process in different countries to (1) better understand how politics works and (2) draw up rules about politics” • Politics: McCormick (p.1)“the process by which two or more people make decisions on issues of mutual interest” • Politics: Lasswell“the process of deciding who gets what, when, and how”

6. II. Definitions Power • 1. An impt concept that is widely misunderstood to mean control of wealth, resources, etc… Better way of looking at it: • Hauss: “the ability to get people or groups to do what they ordinarily would not do” • Snow and Brown: “the ability to get someone to do what that individual would not otherwise do”

7. II. Definitions State • Kegley and Wittkopf: “a legal entity that possesses a permanent population, a well-defined territory, and a government capable of exercising sovereignty”

8. II. Definitions Nation • Hauss: nation refers to “cultural, linguistic and other characteristics that can tie people together”

9. II. Definitions Government • Janda, Berry, Goldman: “government is an institution that has the legitimate right to use force--including imprisonment and execution—to control human behavior within territorial boundaries”

10. III. Comparison “You can’t be scientific if you’re not comparing,” political scientist James Coleman used to tell his students…countries not really unique/are comparable is what he’s suggesting

11. III. Comparison The “uniqueness trap” often catches commentators of the American scene off-guard • For example: Person X might say “the US political system is breaking down”. But the question is always, compared to what?

12. III. Comparison • To France in 1958 (collapse of the govt over the crisis in Algeria)? To China in 1966 (Cultural Revolution)? Or to the US itself in 1861-65 (Civil War)? To Afghanistan or Iraq RIGHT NOW? • Compared to these other cases, the US today is in rather good shape.

13. IV. Why Study CPO? • 1st, it is inherently interesting • 2nd, comparison helps us understand ourselves • 3rd, comparison helps us understand other countries • 4th, comparison helps us to understand the global system • 5th, comparison helps us break down ethnocentrism

14. V. Classification Systems A. Three World’s System of Classification (Alfred Sauvy, 1952) • 1. 1st World: wealthy, democratic industrialized states (N. Am; W. Europe; Japan) • 2. 2nd World: communist block (led by USSR, China, Cuba etc) • 3. 3rd World: all the restless developed countries of Africa, ME, L. AM, S Asia)

15. V. Classification Systems B. McCormick’s System of Classification (the Six Arenas)/pp13-18 • Liberal Democracies a. 31 countries located mainly in Europe and N. America, including Japan and S Korea b. stable govts, wealthy, free market econ. Systems with highly developed systems of welfare states

16. V. Classification Systems B. McCormick’s System of Classification (the Six Arenas)/pp13-18 Communist & Post-communist (CPC) Countries a. 29 mainlyE European and Asian countries led by Russia, China, N Korea and Cuba24 have moved away from this system and only 5 “officially” remain communist (China, Cuba, Laos, N Korea, Vietnam)

17. V. Classification Systems B. McCormick’s System of Classification (the Six Arenas)/pp13-18 Newly Industrializing Countries (NICs) a. 32 mainly S East, S Asian, Caribbean and LAM countries undergoing rapid pol, econ, social and technological change b. countries like Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Jamaica, Philippines, Singapore, S Africa, Thailand, Turkey, etc

18. V. Classification Systems B. McCormick’s System of Classification (the Six Arenas)/pp13-18 Less Developed Countries (LCDs) a. 36 mainly African, C Am, Pacific Island statesBelize, Bolivia, Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Zimbabwe b. they have potential (for pol, econ, and social stability) BUT aren’t quite theremany democratic but poor, corrupt, social divisions, etc

19. V. Classification Systems B. McCormick’s System of Classification (the Six Arenas)/pp13-18 Islamic Countries a. 26 mainly ME and N African statesstates like Afghanistan, Algerian, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen b. Majority are Muslims, and where religion plays signif actual or potential role in politics and economics/different levels of econ, pol development…interesting that Turkey, Indonesia listed as NICs…

20. V. Classification Systems B. McCormick’s System of Classification (the Six Arenas)/pp13-18 Marginal Countries a. 35 mainly sub-Saharan African countries b. poorest, least politically developed states in world…UN calls them “least developed countries” c. pol. Instability, deep social divisions, poor records on human rights, pol concentration of power, extensive black markets, heavy dependence on foreign aid, and isolation from intl community/globalization