Comparative Government Study Guide: Political Participation

Welcome! This guide is designed to help you ace your exam on political participation. Let's dive in!

Table of Contents

• Introduction to Political Participation
• Forms of Political Participation
  • Voluntary vs. Coerced Participation
  • Voting
  • Protests
• Supportive vs. Oppositional Participation
• Violent Political Behavior
  • Examples from Course Countries
• Political Participation and Legitimacy
  • Legitimacy and Safety Valves
  • Authoritarian vs. Democratic Regimes
• Referenda
• Final Exam Focus

Introduction to Political Participation

Forms of Political Participation

Voluntary vs. Coerced Participation

• Participation can be voluntary (chosen freely) or coerced (forced by the government).
• Both authoritarian and democratic regimes can have voluntary and coerced participation.

Voting 🗳️

• Formal and individual form of participation.
• Can be compulsory (required by law) or voluntary.
  • Example: Australia (democracy) and North Korea (authoritarian) have compulsory voting.
  • Mexico has compulsory voting, but it is not enforced.

Protests 📢

• Informal and group-based form of participation.
• Occur in both authoritarian and democratic regimes.
• Civil society plays a crucial role in organizing protests, especially in democracies.
  • Civil society is the shared interests, purposes, and values of typically non-governmental agencies that attempt to enhance the participation of citizens in policymaking.
• Authoritarian regimes often use counter-protests to diminish the impact of opposition protests.
  • Examples: Russia 🇷🇺 and Iran 🇮🇷.

Supportive vs. Oppositional Participation

• Political participation can be:
  • In support of the regime.
  • Against the regime.
  • Independent of the state.
  • Under the direction of the state.
• Example: Russia's use of state-directed counter-protests.

Violent Political Behavior

Examples from Course Countries

• UK (Northern Ireland) 🇬🇧: The IRA (Irish Republican Army) used violence for independence. The UK responded with army occupation.
• Mexico 🇲🇽: The Zapatista Army declared war, demanding rights for indigenous populations. Resulted in expanded indigenous rights.
• Nigeria 🇳🇬: Boko Haram uses violence to create an independent state. The Nigerian government has responded with violence.
• China 🇨🇳: 2009 Uyghur riots due to dissatisfaction with government treatment. The Chinese government responded with violence and concentration camps. *

* **Russia 🇷🇺:** **Chechen conflict** and wars due to Chechen resistance to Russian control. Russia responded with military force. * **Iran 🇮🇷:** **Nationwide protests** over oil prices, some calling for the removal of the Supreme Leader. Iran responded with internet shutdowns and violence.

Extra 💡 - Russia-Ukraine conflict: Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine are examples of violent political behavior with significant international implications. Consider the debates about Russian public support for these actions.

Political Participation and Legitimacy

Legitimacy and Safety Valves

• Legitimacy is the right to rule as determined by citizens.
• Safety valves are processes that allow discontented citizens to express themselves to prevent rebellion.
  • Examples: Protests, civil society, and referendums.
  • Example: Zapatista protests in Mexico led to government reforms.

Authoritarian vs. Democratic Regimes

• Authoritarian regimes often use citizen participation to intimidate opposition or give an illusion of influence.
• Democratic regimes hold elections to allow citizen control of the policy-making process.

Referenda

• Referenda (or referendum) allow citizens to vote directly on policy questions.
• Used to:
  • Promote democratic policymaking.
  • Allow a chief executive to bypass the legislature.
  • Oblige citizens to make difficult decisions on public policy issues.
• Example: The UK has used referenda for devolution, independence, and Brexit.

Regions of the UK that voted to leave (🟥) and remain (🔵) in the European Union.

Final Exam Focus

• Highest Priority Topics:
  • Forms of political participation (voting, protests).
  • The role of civil society.
  • Violent political behavior and its causes.
  • Legitimacy and safety valves.
  • Referenda and their uses.
• Common Question Types:
  • Compare and contrast political participation in different regime types.
  • Analyze the causes and consequences of violent political behavior.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of different forms of political participation.
  • Explain how political participation impacts legitimacy.
• Last-Minute Tips:
  • Time Management: Quickly identify the key concepts in each question and focus on providing clear, concise answers.
  • Common Pitfalls: Avoid generalizations; use specific examples from the course countries to support your arguments.
  • Challenging Questions: Break down complex questions into smaller parts and address each part systematically.