COMPARATIVE POLITICS

NUR AZIZAH
 LITERATURE
• Landman, Todd, 2000. Issues and Methods in
Comparative Politics : An Introduction. Routledge,
London and New York.
• Chilcote, Ronald H., 1981. Theories of Comparative
Politics: The Search for a Paradigm. Boulder, Colorado,
Westview Press.
• Mas’ud, Mohtar dan Colin MacAndrew, Perbandingan
Sistem Politik, Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada Press.
• Palmer, Monte and William R Thomson. 1978. The
Comparative Analysis of Politics. Itasca, Illinois: F.E.
Peacock Publisher, Inc.
• Dogan, Mattei and Dominique Pelassy, 1984. How to
Compare Nations, Chatham, New Jersey : Chatham
House Publisher. Inc.
Grading and Course Requirements
• The final course grade is the average
score earned on the following
assignments:
– Final Test
– Midterm Test
– In class paper presentation : make a paper
which compare a nation and other nation, or a
periode and other periode.
– Some Assignment
– Class participation
 Defining Comparative Politics
• Comparative Politics involves the
systematic study and comparison of the
world's political systems.
• It seeks to explain differences between as
well as similarities among countries.
• It is particularly interested in exploring
patterns, processes, and regularities
among political systems.
 Defining Comparative Politics
• Comparative Politics is still identified as a
study of politics within nations, as oppose
to international relations, which examines
politics among nation.
• Conection to International Relations
– Comparative politics is not a subfield of
International Relations.
– These two fields do of course overlap, but are
separate field of study.
 Political Science
• Political Science have some sub fields :
– Political Theory
– Comparative Politics
– International Relations
– Etc

• Comparative Politics is considered one of

many sub fields in the discipline of political
science.
 Politics
• Politics is the process by groups make decisions
• Although the term is generally applied to
behavior within government, politics is observed
in all human (and many non human) group
interactions, including corporate, academic and
religious institutions.
• Political science (also political studies) is the
study of political behavior and examines the
acquisition and application of power.
 Politics
Alternate Definitions
• Dictionary definitions, for example, “the art
and science of government”
• Harold Lasswell, who defined politics as
“who gets what, when, where and how”
• Mao Zedong, who said “Politics is war
without bloodshed while war is politics
wiyh bloodshed”
• Otto von Bismarck’s cryptic remark,
“Politics is the art of feasibility”
 The Types
of Comparative Politics Studies
• Studies of one country
• a particular institution (political parties, militaries,
parliaments, interest groups)
• a political process (decision making), or public policy
(e.g., labor or welfare policy) in that country.
• When we focus on a single country or
institution it is necessary to put the study into a
larger comparative framework.
• That means we should tell why the subject is
important and where it fits in a larger context.
 The Types
of Comparative Politics Studies
Studies of two or more countries –
• Comparison of the role of the military in
Africa and the Middle East,
• the quite different paths of development of
the East Asian countries and Latin America.
 The Types
of Comparative Politics Studies
• Regional or area studies
• Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, East Asia,
Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe, or other sub
regions.
• Such studies are useful because they involve
groups of countries that may have several things in
common -- e.g., similar history, cultures, language,
religion, colonial backgrounds, an so on.
 The Types
of Comparative Politics Studies
• Studies across regions
– Democratization in East and Southeast Asia
• Global comparisons
– With the improved statistical data collected
by the world bank, the UN, and other
agencies, it is now possible to do
comparisons on a global basis.
 Thematic studies
Comparative politics focuses on themes as
well as countries and regions.

E.g., themes such as dependency theory,

corporatism, role of the state, process of
military professionalization.

Thematic studies are often complex and

usually carried out by more senior scholars.
 Topics of Comparative Politics
• Comparative Politics covers a broad range
of topics.
– The field has no one single focus.
– Different scholars have different preferences.
 Topics of Comparative Politics
• Comparing Constitution
• Comparing the varying form of
government in the world (Classification)
– Aristotle (Kingship-Tyrany, Aristocracy-
Oligarchy, Polity-Democracy)
– Almond and Powell (Democratic –
Authoritarian)
 Topics of Comparative Politics
• Comparing Political Institutions :
– Political Party :
• Golkar in Indonesia – UMNO in Malaysia
• Justice Party in Indonesia (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera) and Malaysia (Partai
Keadilan-Anwar Ibrahim/Wan Azizah wan Ismail )
• Labour Party in United Kingdom and Australia
• Democrat Party at USA and Indonesia
– Parliament : Parliament in United Kingdom – Parliament in USA
– Military :
• The Role of Military in Thailand and Myanmar
• The Process of military professionalization
– Interest Group :
• The Role of Business Community in Australia and Japan
• Woment Movement in United Kingdom and Australia
• Woment Movement in Indonesia and Argentina
• Labour in Polandia and United Kingdom
 Topics of Comparative Politics
• Comparing Policy / Comparing Desicion
Making Process / Comparing Political
System) –
– Comparing Domestic Policy : The Increasing
of Oil Price in Indonesia and Malaysia
(2000’s) (Easton : Political system Analysis)
– Comparing Foreign Policy : Indonesia and
Malaysia’s Foreign Policy at Libanon.
 Topics of Comparative Politics
• Comparing Electoral System
– The influence of Electoral System to Women’s Seat in
Australia and Swedia Parliament
• Comparing Political Behavior
– Voting Behavior in Sleman and Bantul (Pilkada 2005)
• Comparing Political Culture
– Comparing Cultural Revolution at China (Mao era :
1960-1970’s) and Cambodia (Pol Pot Era : 1975-
1979)
• Comparing Elite
– Political Elite in Myanmar and East Timor
 Topics of Comparative Politics
• Comparing Class (Marxian), Dependencia Theory
– Class Conflict at Vietnam and Cambodia (1920-1990’s)
• Comparing Democratization, state society relations
– Democratization in Thailand (1980-2006) and Indonesia (1997-
2006)
• Identity and Ethnic Politics
– Separatism at Patani and Moro
• Comparing Political Economy

• Note :
 Comparing the varying form of government in the world
(Classification)

• Since comparative politics is specialized,

scholars lack wide-spread knowledge in all
forms of government.
• There is a debate over whether or not
comprehensive regime classification is possible
due to its complexity.
• The traditional and most often used division
between governments is a dichotomy
(democracy vs. dictatorship (i.e. Moore, 1958)
 Form of government
• Forms of government

– Aristocracy
– Autocracy
– Democracy
– Despotism
– Dictatorship
– Monarchy
• Absolute monarchy
• Constitutional monarchy
– Oligarchy
– Republic
• Islamic republic
– Single-party state
– Theocracy
– Tyranny

• A form of government is a colloquial term that refers to the set of political institutions
by which a state is organized in order to exert its powers over a political community.
 ██ presidential republics, full presidential system
██ presidential republics, executive presidency linked to a parliament
██ presidential republics, semi-presidential system ██ parliamentary republics
██ parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch does not personally exercise power
██ constitutional monarchies in which the monarch personally exercises power, often alongside a weak parliament
██ absolute monarchies
██ states whose constitutions grant only a single party the right to govern
██ military dictatorships
 States by their systems of
government as of April 2006.
• ██ presidential republics, full presidential system
• ██ presidential republics, executive presidency linked to a
parliament
• ██ presidential republics, semi-presidential system
██ parliamentary republics
• ██ parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch
does not personally exercise power
• ██ constitutional monarchies in which the monarch personally
exercises power, often alongside a weak parliament
• ██ absolute monarchies
• ██ states whose constitutions grant only a single party the right to
govern
• ██ military dictatorships
 ARISTOTLE'S CLASSIFICATION
OF TYPES OF GOVERNMENT
Rule By :
Legitimate Illegitimate
Government Government
(for benefit of (for benefit of
all) rulers)
One Monarchy Tyranny
Few Aristocracy Oligarchy
Many Polity Democracy
 David Easton’s Model of a
Political System
• A system is any entity which has parts that connect with each other.
• Every state on this planet has a political system, an economic
system, a system of social structure, and a cultural system.

• Political systems can be analyzed by their structures and functions.

– Functionally, the political systems may be defined as:
1. authoritatively allocating values (David Easton).
2. determining "who gets what, when, and how. (Harold Lasswell).
3. the steering mechanism which controls the ship of state. (Aristotle,
Deutsch).
4. having a monopoly on the legitimate use of force.
– Structurally, political systems may be defined in terms of input,
conversion, output, and feedback operating in at least three different
environments.
Concept from David Easton,
The Political System

Decision making function of all political systems:

"authoritative allocation of values;"
 The Political System
I. Structure
1. Introduction
2. U.S. Constitution
3. Federalism
4. State and Local Government
II: Inputs
5. Demographics
6. Social Groupings
7. Interest Groups
8. Political Parties
9. Campaigns and Elections
10. Media
11. Political Socialization
12. Public Opinion
13, Voting Behavior

III: Conversion Structures

14. Congress
15. Presidency
16. Bureaucracy
IV: Outputs
17. Economic Policy
18. Foreign and National Security Policy
19. Other Domestic Policies
V: The Judicial System
20. The Dual Court System of the United States
21. The Federal Court System
22. The U.S. Supreme Court
23. The Bill of Rights
24. First Amendment Freedoms
25. Due Process and Fair Trial
26. Equal Rights
27. The Umpire Role of the Judiciary
• VI: Conclusion
 Comparison of US and UK
United States United Kingdom
Constitution Unwritten Constitutionalism
Federal System Unitary System

Republic Monarchy
Presidential System Parliamentary System
Two Party System Two Party System
Democracy Democracy
 Political Party Systems
• One Party Systems
• Two Party Systems
• Multi Party Systems