Unit 4: Comparing Political Structures and Institutions
A constitution provides a road map for a political system. Although constitutions vary from state to state, they are similar in many ways. Constitutions define political leadership, modes of representation, a legal framework, and the limits of a government's power. A constitution expresses the collective values and supports the security and stability of developing institutions.
In this unit, we explore how constitutions serve common needs. We consider how their differences reflect the values and interests of diverse constituencies. For example, legislatures may be divided into different types of houses and have different rules for choosing their members, but they typically have the same lawmaking purpose. We we often can trace these similarities and differences to specific reasons that allow us to better understand the culture or society. For example, the way a government is organized often reflects the social stratification of the political community in question.
We will examine different characteristics of government as factors in our study of comparative politics. We derive these factors from the written constitution, the political leadership, and the bureaucracy that emerged over time. In each case, we discuss political factors with an eye toward comparison. For example, we identify the degree of bureaucratic privatization in each system, how a community's geography influences government interaction, how governments gravitate toward immobilization in their policy-making, and how each of these factors leads to patterns in the political process over time.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 13 hours to complete.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- identify the role of constitutions in government systems;
- distinguish between presidential, semi-presidential, and parliamentary systems;
- distinguish between unitary, federal, and confederal governmental models;
- compare and contrast the role of the executive in selected countries;
- compare and contrast the role of the judicial branch in selected countries; and
- compare and contrast the role of the bureaucracy and the policy process in selected countries.
- identify the role of constitutions in government systems;
4.1: Comparing Constitutions and Government Systems
Read pages 1-56 of this report. It provides an overview of 22 constitution-building processes from around the globe. What purpose does a constitution serve? What are its essential elements? What factors contributed to the need for these countries to create a constitution in the first place?
Read this chapter, which provides a solid background on the events leading up to the first American political system and the principles embedded in the Constitution.
Read this article. In presidential systems like the United States, the Executive Branch is a central point of political power. As you read through the White House's description of the Executive Branch, make sure you are clear on the specific roles and responsibilities of the Executive Branch.
Read this article. As you read through the White House's description of the Judicial Branch, make sure you are clear on the specific roles and responsibilities of the Judicial Branch.
Read this article. Make sure you can distinguish the major differences between presidential, semi-presidential and parliamentary systems. For example, what are the basic operating principles of parliamentary, presidential, and semi-presidential systems? Are political parties more powerful in parliamentary or presidential systems? Also, be able to give an example of a country with a parliamentary, presidential, and semi-presidential system. Evaluate what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of each system. Is anyone of these three systems better than the other? Why or why not?
Read this section on the features of bicameralism in the U.S. Congress. From its creation in 1788, Congress remains the model for the greatest deliberative governmental institution in the world. With that in mind, why is Congress held in such low esteem by most Americans? What key institutional features have made it most prone to criticism? Does bicameralism factor into this criticism?
Read this article. What characterizes and differentiates bicameral and unicameral legislatures? What are the pros and cons of each system?
Read this case study on Thailand's experience under both bicameral and unicameral legislatures. What have been the results of this "constitutional re-engineering"? Has it served to ultimately strengthen or weaken its representative government?
Read this section. Almost immediately following the creation of the Constitution, the Founding Fathers split into two opposing camps over the question of how loosely or strictly to interpret the Constitution. This is a debate which has continued up to the present day, particularly around contemporary hot-button issues like same-sex marriage, abortion, health care, and presidential power.
4.2: How to Design Multi-level Government
Watch this lecture. Diversity is a major component of the American political system. Politics touches the lives of all Americans regardless of color, gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, or religion. As such, there are a variety of factors that predispose citizens to differ from one another in terms of their political perceptions, values, and attitudes. How do institutions measure and respond to these differences in a way that ensures an effective and responsive governance?
Watch this presentation on the differences between federal, confederate, and unitary governments around the world. Note which countries fall into each category. What additional information might you be able to glean from a country based on their system of government?
Read this article. Be sure to note the advantages and disadvantages of unitary and confederal governments.
4.3: Bureaucracy
Read this section, which begins on page 196. Modern society is defined in part by the presence of bureaucracy. Weber defines the characteristics of bureaucracies and explains why they are part of modern social systems. As you read his essay, think about how bureaucracy impacts governance.
Read this chapter, which provides a comprehensive overview of the modern day bureaucracy. What are some of the specific ways in which the bureaucracy has increased its power over the past several decades?
4.4: Trends in Governance: Public Sector and Privatization
Read this report on public-sector unions in South Africa. Why do the authors believe that teacher's unions have contributed to the country's ailing education system? What solutions do they offer in terms of reform and/or redesign?
Read this article on the global trend of water privatization. What structural and economic obstacles do developing countries face by the prospect of contributing financially for access to clean and safe water?
Unit 4 Assessments
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.