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  • POLSC221: Introduction to Comparative Politics
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  • The Constitution and the Structure of Government Power
    Course Introduction
    Course Syllabus
    Course Terms of Use
    Unit 1: Social Science and Comparative Politics
    1.1: Social Science Basics
    Science and Scientific Research
    Thinking Like a Researcher
    1.2: Comparative Methodology
    Comparative Analysis within Political Science
    Mill's Methods: How We Determine the Causes of Events
    Causal Reasoning
    Evaluating Research Methods of Comparative Politics
    Unit 1 Assessments
    Unit 1 Multiple Choice Assessment
    Unit 1 Short Answer Assessment
    Unit 2: The Nation-State
    2.1: The State
    State Formation
    Characteristics and Functions of the State
    The Sovereign State: Hobbes' Leviathan, Part I
    2.2: The Modern State System
    The Sovereign State: Hobbes' Leviathan, Part II
    Authority and Legitimate Violence
    Politics as a Vocation
    International Law and the New World Order: Redefining Sovereignty
    2.3: Non-Democratic State Forms
    Dictatorship and Totalitarianism
    Authoritarianism
    Nationalism and Legitimation For Authoritarianism: A Comparison of Nicholas I and Vladimir Putin
    Unit 2 Assessments
    Unit 2 Multiple Choice Assessment
    Unit 2 Short Answer Assessment
    Unit 3: Democratic States and Democratization
    3.1: Defining Democracy and the Characteristics of Democracy
    What is a Democracy?
    Democratic Governments
    Theories of Democracy
    Democratic Values: Liberty, Equality, Justice
    Democracy and Majority Rule, Part I
    3.2: Democratization
    Democratization
    Democracy and Development: The Role of the UN
    Latin American Politics after the "Third Wave" of Democratization and Its Future Prospects
    Conceptualizing and Assessing the State of Democracy in the World Today
    The Arab Spring: Prospects for Democracy
    Unit 3 Assessments
    Unit 3 Multiple Choice Assessment
    Unit 3 Short Answer Assessment
    Unit 4: Comparing Political Structures and Institutions
    4.1: Comparing Constitutions and Government Systems
    Constitution Building: A Global Review
    The Constitution and the Structure of Government Power
    The Executive Branch
    The Judicial Branch
    Types of Democracy
    A Bicameral Legislative Branch
    Unicameralism
    Thailand's Evolving Senate Today
    Activists and Strict Constructionists
    4.2: How to Design Multi-level Government
    Public Opinion
    Sources of Governmental Power
    Federalism
    Direct Democracy Options
    4.3: Bureaucracy
    Bureaucracy
    The Bureaucracy
    4.4: Trends in Governance: Public Sector and Privatization
    Public-Union Sector Politics and the Crisis of Education in South Africa
    Water Privatization: A Worldwide Failure?
    Unit 4 Assessments
    Unit 4 Multiple Choice Assessment
    Unit 4 Short Answer Assessment
    Unit 5: Political Behavior
    5.1: Political Behavior and Political Culture
    Political Culture and Socialization
    Political Socialization and Nation Building
    Participation, Voting, and Social Movements
    Voices from the Internet Underground
    Turkey's EU Quest and Political Cleavages under AKP
    5.2: Civil Society
    Civil Society Is...
    Civil Society and Current Challenges to a United India
    The State of Civil Society in South Africa
    Grassroots Strategies for Creative Social Change
    The People's Climate March and the Global Grassroots Movement Fighting Fossil Fuels
    Interest Groups
    The Widespread Challenges of NGOs in Developing Countries
    5.3: The Media
    Noam Chomsky and Manufacturing Consent
    Developing Independent Media as An Institution of Accountable Governance
    Regulation of the Media
    Understanding E-Democracy Government-Led Initiatives for Democratic Reform
    5.4: Voting System Factors
    Electoral System Design
    Expanding Democracy: Voter Registration Around the World
    How Voters Decide
    Vote for the Future You Want
    Why is Turnout at Elections Declining Across the Democratic World?
    Voting: A Forgotten Privilege
    Computational Modeling of Government Policy to Attain Long-Term Higher Voter Turnout for Sustainable Democracy
    What's Wrong with Gerrymandering?
    Proportional Representation
    Are Protest Votes Wasted Votes?
    Unit 5 Assessment
    Unit 5 Multiple Choice Assessment
    Unit 5 Short Answer Assessment
    Unit 6: Comparing Ideology, Policy, and Decision-Making
    6.1: Contemporary Mainstream Political Ideologies
    Conservatism
    The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism
    Liberalism
    How Universal is Liberalism?
    International Women's Day 2015
    Toward Institutionalizing Gender Equality in Africa
    Social Democracy
    The Crisis of Social Democracy: A Sustainable Philosophy for the Left
    Green Party
    6.2: The Public Policy Cycle
    Policy Making: Political Interactions
    Making Public Policy
    Policy Making and Advocacy
    Negative Stereotypes About the Policymaking Process Hinder Productive Action Toward Evidence-Based Policy
    Iron Triangle
    Interest Groups and the Political System
    Military-Industrial Complex
    6.3: Politics beyond the Policy Process
    Informal Economy
    The Role of the Informal Economy in Addressing Urban Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa
    Global Corruption Status Report
    Unit 6 Assessment
    Unit 6 Multiple Choice Assessment
    Unit 6 Short Answer Assessment
    Unit 7: Comparative Case Studies
    7.1: Africa
    Africa: States of Independence
    Tackling Africa's First Narco-State: Guinea-Bissau in West Africa
    The Politics of Oil and Identity in Nigeria
    Oil Exploitation in the Niger Delta and the Legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa
    7.2: Latin America
    History of Latin American Countries
    Inequality in Latin America: The Role of Conditional Cash Transfer
    Should Cash Transfers Be Confined to the Poor?
    Financing Development
    Latin America's Tragic Engagement With Microcredit
    Did NAFTA Help Mexico? An Assessment After 20 Years
    The Intractable Conflict: Why Colombia's War Against the FARC Eludes Resolution
    7.3: Asia
    The Rise of Asia: Reaping Promises, Avoiding Perils
    Secrets of Success and Failure of Asian Economies: China, India and Japan
    Asia's Unsung Female Leaders
    China's Human Rights Diplomacy
    Role of Policies in Economic Growth: A Case Study of China's Economic Growth
    The Linkage Between Land Reform and Land Use Changes: A Case of Vietnam
    7.4: The Middle East and the Islamic World
    The Breakup of the Ottoman Empire
    History of Israel
    Israel
    Warfare and Territorial Expansion in Islam
    Tackling Extremism
    Politics in a World of Civilizations
    Unit 7 Assessment
    Unit 7 Multiple Choice Assessment
    Unit 7 Short Answer Assessment
    Study Guide
    POLSC221 Study Guide
    Course Feedback Survey
    Course Feedback Survey
    Certificate Final Exam
    POLSC221: Certificate Final Exam
    Saylor Direct Credit
    Archived Materials
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  1. POLSC221: Introduction to Comparative Politics
  2. Unit 4: Comparing Political Structures and Institutions
  3. 4.1: Comparing Constitutions and Government Systems
  4. The Constitution and the Structure of Government Power

The Constitution and the Structure of Government Power

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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.

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Saylor Academy © 2010-2025 except as otherwise noted. Excluding course final exams, content authored by Saylor Academy is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Third-party materials are the copyright of their respective owners and shared under various licenses. See detailed licensing information. Saylor Academy®, Saylor.org®, and Harnessing Technology to Make Education Free® are trade names of the Constitution Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization through which our educational activities are conducted.