Essentials of Comparative Politics 6th

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CHAPTER 6: Nondemocratic Regimes

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Nondemocratic regimes are best defined as political systems in which

a. a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without being constitutionally responsible
to the public.
b. a small group of individuals exercises power over the state but remains constitutionally responsible
to the public.
c. one person is elected by the state and then wields unlimited power.
d. power is held by a single political party.

ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: Defining Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Contrast

authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. MSC: Remembering

2. Country X holds regular elections for a legislature, though most of its citizens have little faith in the
validity of the results. Its powerful military operates largely outside of the control of the government, but
it does not control the actions of the government. The government executive wields enormous power, but
there is also a judiciary that occasionally rules on constitutional matters. A number of political parties
compete with each other, but the government regularly restricts their campaigning activities. Based on
this description, in which category could Country X most reliably be placed?
a. patrimonial regime
b. corporatist regime
c. clientist regime
d. illiberal regime

ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: Totalitarianism and Nondemocratic Rule OBJ:

Contrast authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. MSC: Applying

3. Which of the following examples can be described as totalitarian?

a. the Soviet Union under Stalin
b. Iraq under Saddam Hussein
c. Saudi Arabia under the Saud family
d. China under Jiang Zemin

ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: Totalitarianism and Nondemocratic Rule OBJ:

Contrast authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. MSC: Remembering

4. As a political system, totalitarianism is

a. common.
b. rare.
c. common only in Latin America.
d. common only in Africa.

ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: Totalitarianism and Nondemocratic Rule OBJ:

 Contrast authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. MSC: Remembering

5. Which of the following represents a challenge to the behavioral revolution’s assertion about the
relationship between nondemocratic rule and modernization?
a. The presence of a strong middle class has proven to be a key component of modernization.
b. Authoritarianism can be found only alongside capitalism.
c. Modernization’s disruptive process can lead to nondemocratic rule.
d. Many wealthy countries in the world are nondemocratic.

ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: Origins and Sources of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ:
Analyze competing theories for the emergence and perseverance of nondemocratic regimes. MSC:
Understanding

6. Which of the following statements is consistent with the “resource trap” theory?
a. Abundant natural resources often free those in power from the need to tax the people.
b. Abundant natural resources in a country are typically tied to religious rule, which encourages
undemocratic governing structures.
c. Heavy taxation in resource-rich countries inspires resentment by the people, leading to authoritarian
crackdowns.
d. The portability of natural resources contributes to the desire of elites to hang on to power.

ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: Origins and Sources of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ:
Analyze competing theories for the emergence and perseverance of nondemocratic regimes. MSC:
Understanding

7. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between civil society and
nondemocratic regimes?
a. Nondemocratic regimes wield such power that civil society is irrelevant.
b. Nondemocratic regimes often seek to empower and expand civil society.
c. Nondemocratic regimes attempt to eliminate the idea of the state as an arena for social organization.
d. Elimination of civil society by nondemocratic regimes encourages populism.

ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: Origins and Sources of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ:
Analyze competing theories for the emergence and perseverance of nondemocratic regimes. MSC:
Understanding

8. Bureaucratic authoritarianism typically relies on the close cooperation of which groups?

a. the military and the state bureaucracy
b. the state bureaucracy and organized labor
c. the military and organized labor
d. the state bureaucracy and the legislature

ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Understanding
 9. Which of the following statements best characterizes the “Asian values” argument?
a. Asia has cultural and religious traditions that encourage individualism and free expression, making it
more receptive to democracy.
b. Asia has cultural and religious traditions that encourage conformity and obedience, making it less
receptive to democracy.
c. Asian cultural and religious traditions lead to authoritarian regimes that are typically less violent.
d. Asian values tend to discourage the formation of a middle class, which limits democratic institutions.

ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: Origins and Sources of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ:
Analyze competing theories for the emergence and perseverance of nondemocratic regimes. MSC:
Understanding

10. Purges are an example of

a. co-optation.
b. coercion.
c. patronage.
d. corporatism.

ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: Nondemocratic Regimes and Political Control OBJ:
Explain how nondemocratic regimes maintain power. MSC: Remembering

11. Which of the following statements about populism is accurate?

a. Populism draws much of its power from an anti-institutional approach.
b. Populism is a specific ideology most closely associated with authoritarianism.
c. Populist movements rely heavily on elites and established institutions for legitimacy.
d. Populism commonly relies on a robust civil society.

ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: Origins and Sources of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ:
Analyze competing theories for the emergence and perseverance of nondemocratic regimes. MSC:
Remembering

12. The process by which individuals outside an organization are brought into a beneficial relationship with
it, making them dependent on the regime for certain rewards, is known as
a. dependency.
b. integration.
c. acculturation.
d. co-optation.

ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: Nondemocratic Regimes and Political Control OBJ:
Explain how nondemocratic regimes maintain power. MSC: Remembering

13. A system whereby authoritarian regimes sanction a limited number of organizations to represent the
public (and restrict unsanctioned ones) is known as
a. kleptocracy.
b. corporatism.
c. rent seeking.
 d. clientelism.

ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: Nondemocratic Regimes and Political Control OBJ:
Explain how nondemocratic regimes maintain power. MSC: Remembering

14. Which of the following best describes the rule in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) by
the government of Mobutu Sese Seko from 1965 until 1997?
a. one-party rule with strong use of clientelism
b. military rule tending toward bureaucratic authoritarianism
c. personal rule with increasing reliance on patrimonialism over time
d. illiberal democracy

ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Remembering

15. A system in which states co-opt members of the public by providing specific benefits to a person in
return for public support is
a. clientelism.
b. corporatism.
c. rent seeking.
d. kickbacks.

ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: Nondemocratic Regimes and Political Control OBJ:
Explain how nondemocratic regimes maintain power. MSC: Remembering

16. Countries that appear to have many of the trappings of democracy but restrict the democratic process to a
great degree are known as
a. illiberal regimes.
b. crypto-democracies.
c. democratic tyrannies.
d. subdemocracies.

ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Remembering

17. In which of the following ways does clientelism differ from corporatism?
a. Clientelism involves the military as well as business, rather than business groups only.
b. Clientelism tends to replace individual corporations with state-sanctioned ones.
c. Clientelism requires a more structured set of sanctioned and licensed organizations.
d. Clientelism relies on individual patronage rather than on large organizations.

ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: Nondemocratic Regimes and Political Control OBJ:
Explain how nondemocratic regimes maintain power. MSC: Applying

18. Which of the following would be an example of rent seeking?

 a. providing cash payments to influential industry leaders in return for political support
b. giving control of a nationalized industry to supporters of those in power
c. power sharing between labor and the military in a nondemocratic regime
d. nationalizing a previously private utility and keeping it under tight state control

ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: Nondemocratic Regimes and Political Control OBJ:
Explain how nondemocratic regimes maintain power. MSC: Understanding

19. Which of the following statements about one-party rule is accurate?

a. It is often combined with a corporatist regime.
b. It forces party membership on nearly all citizens.
c. It typically prevents the development of extreme forms of rule like totalitarianism.
d. Single-party influence is rarely able to penetrate very far down into society.

ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Understanding

20. The nature of Stalin’s rule in the Soviet Union is mostly associated with which of the following?
a. patrimonialism
b. rational-legal legitimacy
c. personality cult
d. bureaucratic authoritarianism

ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: Nondemocratic Regimes and Political Control OBJ:
Explain how nondemocratic regimes maintain power. MSC: Remembering

21. Which of the following statements regarding nondemocratic rule and legitimacy is accurate?
a. Nondemocratic regimes are never legitimate in the eyes of the public.
b. Nondemocratic regimes are never legitimate in the eyes of the international community.
c. Nondemocratic regimes may enjoy the same level of institutionalization as any democratic regime.
d. Nondemocratic regimes were only considered legitimate if they are industrialized.

ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: Nondemocratic Regimes and Political Control OBJ:
Explain how nondemocratic regimes maintain power. MSC: Understanding

22. Which of the following characteristics is an illiberal regime likely to have in common with a democratic
regime?
a. The executive is weaker than other institutions.
b. Referenda are used rarely and are limited in their ability to affect policy.
c. Parties are restricted in their ability to compete, but the military is firmly under civilian control.
d. The executive, legislature, and judiciary are established and have their respective arenas of authority.

ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Applying
23. Once considered relatively unusual, military rule became much more common over the past 50 years,
particularly in
a. Africa and Latin America.
b. Eastern Europe and Africa.
c. Latin America and Eastern Europe.
d. East Asia and Eastern Europe.

ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Remembering

24. Which term refers to a military seizure of the government?

a. coup de grâce
b. coup d’état
c. military usurpation
d. armed politics

ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Remembering

25. Which of the following is among the characteristics that have led some to consider Russia a bureaucratic
authoritarian regime?
a. Opposition to technological modernization comes primarily from the military regime.
b. Union leaders have found themselves endowed with high levels of authority, bolstered by the
government.
c. The head of government and top rulers came into their positions from the military or security
services.
d. Military and industry in the country find themselves on opposite ends of the political spectrum.

ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Understanding

26. Which of the following statements best describes the record of economic growth under military rule?
a. In some cases of military rule, economic growth has been high, but in many more cases it has led to
instability and poor development.
b. Countries under military rule, either current or historical, have yet to demonstrate any period of
sustained economic growth.
c. Some cases of military rule have led to instability and violence, but in many more cases they have
led to high economic growth.
d. Military rule produced high levels of economic growth in Asia but not in Latin America.

ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Understanding
 27. Bureaucratic authoritarianism often justifies military rule by asserting that
a. only the military can restore public pride.
b. only technocratic leadership can rise above “irrational” politics.
c. civilians are inferior to the officer corps.
d. only the educated elites should be given the right to rule.

ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Remembering

28. Communist countries are examples of which form of authoritarianism?

a. illiberalism
b. hybrid regimes
c. patrimonialism
d. one-party rule

ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Remembering

29. A nondemocratic regime in which holy texts or religious law form the foundation for its rule would be
known as
a. a theocracy.
b. religious illiberalism.
c. fundamentalist monism.
d. orthodox authoritarianism.

ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Remembering

30. Which of the following is the best example of a country that could be described as a theocracy?
a. Thailand
b. Jordan
c. Iran
d. Egypt

ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Distinguish

between personal, monarchical, military, one-party, theocratic, and illiberal regimes. MSC:
Remembering

ESSAY

1. What is the link between civil society and populism in nondemocratic systems? Is the presence of a
strong civil society always democratic?
 ANS:
A good answer will note that nondemocratic regimes typically absorb or severely limit forms of
organization outside the state (civil society), and may create conditions more favorable to populist
movements aimed at taking back the state from elites or established institutions. Furthermore, a good
answer will note that civil society is not necessarily or intrinsically democratic and may actually serve to
foster ethnically exclusive or antireligious sentiment, especially if more democratic forms of civil society
are restricted.

DIF: Difficult REF: Origins and Sources of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Analyze competing
theories for the emergence and perseverance of nondemocratic regimes. MSC: Understanding

2. What is the role of elites in fostering nondemocratic rule? Why might a resource-rich state be
nondemocratic with low levels of public interest in democracy?

ANS:
A good answer will note that political elites who own state reserves of natural resources have the ability
to run the state without having to tax the public, in many cases actually providing generous subsidies.
The taxation-and-representation trade-off effectively keeps public demand for more political say at a
minimum.

DIF: Difficult REF: Origins and Sources of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Analyze competing
theories for the emergence and perseverance of nondemocratic regimes. MSC: Evaluating

3. What is co-optation? How do nondemocratic regimes achieve political control through co-optation?

ANS:
A good answer will define co-optation as different than coercion—the process by which individuals
outside that state are brought into a beneficial relationship with it, one that creates dependency on the
regime for certain rewards. Furthermore, co-optation may take two general forms, corporatism—
solidifying control over the public by sanctioning a limited number of organizations to represent the
people; and clientelism—a less structured process of co-optation that relies on individual patronage, such
as providing benefits to people in exchange for votes, and may include rent seeking and kleptocracy.

DIF: Difficult REF: In Sum—Retreat or Retrenchment for Nondemocratic Regimes? OBJ:

Understand the persistence of illiberal regimes despite the trend away from authoritarianism.
MSC: Analyzing

4. What are the five forms of nondemocratic rule and what is each one’s preferred method of control? In
recent years, are nondemocratic regimes retreating or retrenching? Why?

ANS:
A good answer will note the five forms along with each one’s most common form of political control—
monarchical (patrimonialism), military (armed forces), one-party (party membership), theocratic
(religious-political leadership), and illiberal regimes (limited institutionalization). A good answer will
also note that the large-scale trend during the last 30 years indicates fewer nondemocratic regimes but
 recent trends suggest greater acceptance of strong political leadership and a decline in political rights and
civil liberties.

DIF: Difficult REF: Models of Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Explain how nondemocratic regimes
maintain power. MSC: Evaluating

5. How is totalitarianism different from other forms of nondemocratic rule? Why have some scholars
suggested that the concept of totalitarianism be abandoned in comparative politics?

ANS:
A good answer will note the several distinctions between totalitarian regimes and other nondemocracies.
Totalitarianism entails a highly centralized state with unified economic, societal, and state institutions,
along with a clearly defined ideology that informs the goals of the state, and it employs terror and
violence in subverting institutions and individual freedom. A good answer will also note that some
scholars suggest abandoning it due to the concept being used to describe both fascism and communism
(from the right and left of the spectrum) rather than a specific analytic category for regimes.

DIF: Difficult REF: Totalitarianism and Nondemocratic Rule OBJ: Contrast authoritarian and
totalitarian regimes. MSC: Understanding