Outline of the Discussion


 Institutionalized Power
 Effective, Weak, and Failed States
 Unitary or Federal Systems
 Electoral Systems
 
 INSTUTIONALIZED
POWER
 Institutionalized Power

 Political institutions are the working
structures of government, such as
legislative and executive departments.
 Institutionalized Power

 Political institutions take on lives of
their own. This gives the political
system stability; citizens know who is in
charge and what is permissible.
 
 EFFECTIVE, WEAK,
AND FAILED STATES
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Effective states
 These control and tax their entire
territory.
 Laws are mostly obeyed.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Effective states
 Government looks after the general
welfare and security.
 Corruption is fairly minor.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Effective states
 Effective states include Japan, the
United States, Canada, and most
European countries.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Weak states
 These are characterized by the
penetration of crime into politics.
 Justice is bought.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Weak states
The government does not have the
strength to fight lawlessness, drug
trafficking, corruption, poverty, and
breakaway movements.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Weak states
 Democracy is preached than practiced
and elections often rigged or dishonest.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Weak states
 Much of Asia, Africa, and Latin
America are weak states.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Failed states
 These have essentially no national
government, although some pretend
they do.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Failed states
 Warlords, militias, and drug lords do as
they wish.
 There is no law besides gun.
 Educational and health standards
plunge.
 Effective, Weak, and
Failed States

 Failed states
 Many count Afghanistan and Somalia
as failed states.
 
 UNITARY OR
FEDERAL SYSTEMS
 UNITARY
GOVERNMENT

A unitary government is a government in which
all the powers of the state are concentrated in the
hands of the Central Government sanctioned by
the constitution.
 UNITARY
GOVERNMENT

Merits of the unitary government
In this system, the same law, policies and the same
administration prevail in the country under one
government.
 UNITARY
GOVERNMENT

Merits of the unitary government
The administration becomes strong and the
national unity is integrated.
 UNITARY
GOVERNMENT

Demerits of the unitary government
In the unitary system of government, the local
governments have no power.
They carry on administration depending on the
will of the central government.
 UNITARY
GOVERNMENT

Demerits of the unitary government
Very often the central government does not know
the local problems and grievances.
So, the laws passed by the central government
may not be useful according to the needs and
demands of the local government.
 FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT

In the system of administration, the constitution
distributes the powers between the Central
Government and the State or Provincial
Government
This system is present in India and in the United
States of America.
 FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT

In the system, there are two types of government:
the central government, and the state government.
The constitution distributes power between the
central and the state or provincial government.
In this system of administration the constitution is
written and it is rigid.
 FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT

Merits of the Federal government
 Citizens are closes to their local governments,
where they can influence officials and see how
decisions are made.
 FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT

Merits of the Federal government
 In the U.S., states have been called “laboratories
of democracy” because they can experiment with
new programs.
 If they work, they can be copied nationwide; if
they fail, not much harm is done.
 FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT

Merits of the Federal government
 Powers are distributed between the central and
the provincial government by the constitution so;
the burden of works of the central government is
lessened.
 FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT

Demerits of the federal government
 Local governments may lack the money to finance
programs, and their officials are sometimes
incompetent and corrupt.
 FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT

Demerits of the federal government
 Local decision-making can lead to duplication of
services and poor coordination.
 FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT

Demerits of the federal government
 Federalism is difficult. Local governments differ
culturally, economically, linguistically, or
historically.
 
 ELECTORAL
SYSTEMS
 Electoral Systems

 These are important in institutional
choices.
 They help determine the number of
parties and the degree of citizen interest
in politics.
 Electoral Systems

 There are two general types of electoral
systems: single-member districts and
proportional representation.
 Electoral Systems

 Single-member district with plurality
win, also known as plurality system or
“first past the post” is an electoral
system wherein one member of
Parliament or of Congress is chosen to
represent the entire district by winning a
plurality (not necessarily a majority) of
the votes.
 Electoral Systems

 In proportional representation or PR
system, the number of seats allocated to
a congressional district is proportional
to the size of its polity.
 People elect the party that they wish to
occupy the seats allocated for their
district.