3022 Final Exam Essay Questions Instructions: Three of the following 6 questions will be on the final exam.

Please prepare to answer these questions in comprehensive and detailed manner (about 1 page per answer). 1. The Political Institutions of Democracy Describe the functions of the branches of democratic government, the structural differences between presidential, semi-presidential and parliamentary systems, the advantages and disadvantages of unitary vs. federal systems of administration, different types of electoral systems and the various judicial traditions. The three branches of the government are the legislative, executive, and judiciary. The legislative branch is empowered to make laws. Then the executive branch implements and enforces laws. Then these laws are interpreted by the judicial branch. The most important distinction between these democracies is in the presidential system the process in built around separation power; refers to the different branches. The branches are accountable to the public. They work against each-other not with each-other. In a bi-cameral system (United States) the electorate votes for parliament (which we call congress) and the president. The president then appoints his administration. Then the administration runs the departments i.e. department of labor. Parliament can impeach the president. This system is not good at initiate policies. The parliamentary system the electorate votes for parliament and then there is a vote for the prime minister. To remove the prime minister there is vote of no confidence. In addition, this type of systems traditionally can have a head of state or president. They are ceremonial figures. It is also built on fusion of powers. Political scientist think this is the best system. The semi-president system (Hybrid) electorate votes for the parliament and then in a separate election they vote for the president. Then the executive(PM) who comes out of the parliament ( Co-habitation). The president can be impeached and the pm can be removed by a vote of no confidence (Problem System). 2. Free Market and Command Economies Compare and contrast free market with command economies. What are the benefits and problems associated with both systems if they were to exist as ideal types? Where do we find mixed economies and what are its distinguishing features?

Free market economy: Where households own resources and free markets allocate resources through the workings of the price mechanism. An increase in demand raises price and encourages firms to switch additional resources into the production of that good or service. The amount of products consumed by households depends on their income and household income depends on the market value of an individuals work. In a free market economy there is a limited role for the government. Indeed in a highly free market system, the government limits itself to protecting the property rights of people and businesses using the legal system, and it also seeks to protect the value of money or the value of a currency. Planned or command economy: In a planned or command system typically associated with a socialist or communist economic system, scarce resources are owned by the state (i.e. the government). The state allocates resources, and sets production targets and growth rates according to its own view of people's wants. The final income and wealth distribution is decided by the state. In such a system, market prices play little or no part in informing resource allocation (Not Complete yet! I still need to talk about problems and benefits)

3. What is Development and what explains why some Countries are poor? What is development? What are the elements that make developed countries different from less developed ones? What are the behavioral, institutional, structural and cultural obstacles to development? What, according to these approaches, keeps countries poor and what makes them rich?

4. Regime Change What is a revolution? Why do revolutions occur? Be able to provide some arguments from the research traditions of rational choice, institutions, structure and culture that help us understand why people revolt and what might explain their success. 5. Democratization What is democratization? Why does regime change increasingly involve the move from authoritarian to democratic systems? Name the most important behavioral, institutional and cultural factors that are believed to influence the current wave of democratizations around the globe. 6. Terrorism Provide a definition of terrorism. Explain how rational choice, cultural factors and institutions influence the development of terrorist groups and activity. Present an argument about what variable is most important and suggest responses to terrorism based on your assessment.