Principles of Comparative Politics

PrefacePART I. WHAT IS COMPARATIVE POLITICS?1. INTRODUCTION   Overview of the Book   The Approach Taken in This Book   Key Concepts2. WHAT IS SCIENCE?   What Is Science?   The Scientific Method   An Introduction to Logic   Myths about Science   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Problems3. WHAT IS POLITICS?   The Exit, Voice, and Loyalty Game   Solving the Exit, Voice, and Loyalty Game   Evaluating the Exit, Voice, and Loyalty Game   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Preparation for the Problems   ProblemsPART II. THE MODERN STATE: DEMOCRACY OR DICTATORSHIP?4. THE ORIGINS OF THE MODERN STATE   What Is a State?   Somalia and Syria: Two Failed States   The Contractarian View of the State   The Predatory View of the State   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Preparation for the Problems   Problems5. DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP: CONCEPTUALIZATION AND MEASUREMENT   Democracy and Dictatorship in Historical Perspective   Classifying Democracies and Dictatorships   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Problems6. THE ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP   Classic Modernization Theory   A Variant of Modernization Theory   Some More Empirical Evidence   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Appendix: An Intuitive Take on Statistical Analyses   Problems7. THE CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP   Classical Cultural Arguments: Mill and Montesquieu   Does Democracy Require a Civic Culture?   Religion and Democracy   Experiments and Culture   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Problems8. DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS   Bottom-Up Transitions to Democracy   Top-Down Transitions to Democracy   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Problems9. DEMOCRACY OR DICTATORSHIP: DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?   The Effect of Regime Type on Economic Growth   The Effect of Regime Type on Government Performance   Conclusion   Key Concepts   ProblemsPART III. VARIETIES OF DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP10. VARIETIES OF DICTATORSHIP   A Common Typology of Authoritarian Regimes   The Two Fundamental Problems of Authoritarian Rule   Selectorate Theory   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Problems11. PROBLEMS WITH GROUP DECISION MAKING   Problems with Group Decision Making   Arrow's Theorem   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Appendix: Stability in Two-Dimensional Majority-Rule Voting   Problems12. PARLIAMENTARY, PRESIDENTIAL, AND SEMI-PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRACIES   Classifying Democracies   Making and Breaking Governments in Parliamentary Democracies   Making and Breaking Governments in Presidential Democracies   Making and Breaking Governments in Semi-Presidential Democracies   A Unifying Framework: Principal-Agent and Delegation Problems   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Problems13. ELECTIONS AND ELECTORAL SYSTEMS   Elections and Electoral Integrity   Electoral Systems   Legislative Electoral System Choice   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Problems14. SOCIAL CLEAVAGES AND PARTY SYSTEMS   Political Parties: What Are They, and What Do They Do?   Party Systems   Where Do Parties Come From?   Types of Parties: Social Cleavages and Political Identity Formation   Number of Parties: Duverger's Theory   Conclusion   Key Concepts   Problems15. INSTITUTIONAL VETO PLAYERS   Federalism   Bicameralism   Constitutionalism   Veto Players   Conclusion   Key Concepts   ProblemsPART IV. VARIETIES OF DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL OUTCOMES16. CONSEQUENCES OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS   Majoritarian or Consensus Democracy?   The Effect of Political Institutions on Fiscal Policy   Electoral Laws, Federalism, and Ethnic Conflict   Presidentialism and Democratic Survival   Conclusion   Key Concepts   ProblemsReferencesIndex