Comparative Politics , Case Questions

Answer the questions from “Introducing Comparative Politics/Fourth Edition” by Orvis and Drogus.(Page numbers are given)

1.            p.123 How could we best determine if contemporary extreme right parties such as the National Front are neo-fascist?  What core principles would we look for to determine this?

2.            p.128 Compare the Brazilian case with box above on one party regime in Tanzania. What common elements and what differences do you see?  Does it make sense to think of them both as modernizing authoritarian?

3.            p.131 What elements of neopatrimonial authority to you see in Abacha’s regime? How do you think a country can best begin to move away from this type of rule?

Then pick answer one of the following case questions:

Mexico:

1. Electoral authoritarian regimes base their legitimacy on a combination of democratic and nondemocratic claims. What were the most important bases of legitimacy for the PRI led regime and how democratic were those claims?
2. Do formal or informal institutions seem more important in understanding the key elements of Mexico’s regime? Why?

Iran:

1. What are the democratic elements in Iran’s theocratic regime?  Do they matter?
2. Does it make sense to categorize the Iranian regime as theocratic or should it be considered electoral authoritarian. Why?