2. If institutional capacity is not sufficient to channel demands arising from
electoral participation into effective government, then Iraqis may return to
settling their differences with bullets instead of ballots again.
IX. COMPRATIVE POLITICAL ANALYSIS: ARE PEOPLE BETTER OFF? WHY DO
SOME POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS WORK BETTER THAN OTHERS?
A. Problem
1. Some political institutions perform better than others.
2. Robert Putnam asks why this is the case in his book Making Democracy
Work.
a. Putnam compares the effectiveness of regional governments in Italy.
b. He likened the problem to a botany experiment in which genetically
identical seeds—the new regional governments—were placed in different
soil so as to compare how they developed; if their diverse settings made a
difference in how the seeds grew.
B. Methods and hypothesis
1. Putnam used qualitative methods of seeking information by interviewing
officials, community leaders, and voters in various regions.
2. He also used quantitative methods by collecting data from the regions on
government performance and possible causes of differences in performance.
3. He hypothesized that the performance of regional institutions in Italy would
be shaped by and reflect the social context in which they operated.
C. Operationalizing concepts
1. Putnam developed indicators to assess the performance of regional
governments.
a. Among the indicators: whether the governments met budget deadlines,
implemented programs and responded to questions that he sent.
D. Results
1. Regional governments that performed best were located in areas where there
was a great deal of civic trust and engagement.
2. Civic trust and engagement were cultivated by a rich array of voluntary
associations.
3. Good citizens and good government reinforced each other.
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REVEL Assets
3.1 Outline the role political participation plays as a bridge connecting the state to society.
Case Study: Arab Spring
3.3 Distinguish political parties from other forms of political participation, describe why
they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of party systems.
Activity: Comparing Political Parties
Video: Iraq: Election build-up: Security operation/violence continues
3.5 Illustrate the unique properties of social movements.
Video: Egyptian parliamentary elections scheduled to begin this weekend are the direct result of
a bloody 18-day popular uprising, Egypt’s Arab Spring
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is true of political participation that takes place in authoritarian
countries?
a. The most meaningful form of participation in authoritarian countries is in the
electoral process.
b. Authoritarian rulers encourage public protests if they believe that the protests enhance
public support for the regime.
c. Political participation cannot take place in authoritarian countries that do not respect
democratic rights.
d. In authoritarian counties, participation often takes the form of satire and ridicule that
undermines support for the government.
analyze why groups select different modes of political expression.
Topic: Political Participation
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
63
2. The rules, processes, and other aspects of political systems that shape whether and how
people participate in politics are known as:
a. party systems.
b. opportunity structures.
c. federal arrangements.
d. constitutional frameworks.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: LO 3.2: Describe the different forms political participation takes and
analyze why groups select different modes of political expression.
Topic: Political Participation
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
3. Early voting studies found that:
a. persons with high education were more likely to vote than those with low levels.
b. those with higher income were less likely to vote than those with lower income.
c. in the United States, there was no correlation between income level and voting
turnout.
d. party affiliation and education level determine who votes.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: LO 3.2: Describe the different forms political participation takes and
analyze why groups select different modes of political expression.
Topic: Political Participation
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
4. Which of the following electoral rules would encourage less-privileged people to vote in
greater numbers?
a. requiring voters to register to vote at least one month prior to the election
b. scheduling Election Day on a weekday
c. compulsory voting provisions that make voting a requirement for everyone
d. making elections nonpartisan so voters do not know the party affiliation of candidates
analyze why groups select different modes of political expression.
Topic: Political Participation
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
64
5. According to political scientist Peter Evans, who benefits the most from collective
action?
a. politically-connected elites
b. less-privileged people
c. paid interest group staff
d. wealthy individuals
analyze why groups select different modes of political expression.
Topic: Political Participation
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
6. Which of the following best explains the behavior of the Founders of the American
Republic with regard to political parties?
a. The Founders opposed parties in theory and did not engage in party politics.
b. The Founders supported parties in theory and enthusiastically engaged in party
politics.
c. The Founders supported parties in theory, but did not actually engage in party politics
themselves.
d. The Founders opposed parties in theory, but engaged in party politics anyway.
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of
party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
7. Political parties emerged:
a. early in the sixteenth century as a way to counterbalance the authority of the church.
b. early in the seventeenth century when new colonial governments were seeking greater
autonomy.
c. early in the eighteenth century in the struggle against absolute monarchs.
d. early in the nineteenth century with the rise of democratic governments.
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of
party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
65
8. The class-based and urban and rural divisions embedded in the European party system
emerged as a consequence of changes in society that occurred as a result of:
a. the disruptive influence of World Wars I and II.
b. the rise of industrial capitalism.
c. conflicts between state and church leaders.
d. rivalries between local and national officials.
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of
party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
9. Party systems are distinguished from each other by:
a. number of political parties, ideological breadth, and degree of institutionalization.
b. number of political parties, type of electoral rules, and degree of institutionalization.
c. number of political parties, percentage of seats in legislature held by dominant party,
and type of electoral rules.
d. number of political parties, ideological breadth, and type of electoral rules.
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of
party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
10. In contrast to what you would find in weak party systems, in strong party systems:
a. party membership rates are lower.
b. party identification among the electorate is lower.
c. party unity in the legislature is more unified.
d. party performance varies more widely from election to election.
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of
party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
66
11. Environmentalists seeking to create an influential Green Political Party in the United
States that could win seats in the House of Representatives would most likely prefer:
a. a winner-take-all electoral system.
b. a single-member district electoral system.
c. a proportional-representation electoral system.
d. a combination of winner-take-all and proportional representation.
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of
party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
12. In a two-party system, the leaders of the two major parties would most likely support:
a. winner-take-all electoral rules.
b. proportional-representation electoral rules.
c. electoral rules that require winners to have a majority of votes.
d. a mix of winner-take-all and proportional representation.
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of
party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
13. __________ electoral rules tend to create bias toward two-party systems.
a. Proportional-representation
b. Winner-take-all
c. Compulsory
d. Voluntary
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types of
party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
67
14. Which kind of party system would be most likely to help improve opportunities for
individuals with low capabilities?
a. well-organized, disciplined parties that articulate clear programs and appeal mainly to
very poor people
b. well-organized, disciplined parties that articulate clear programs and appeal to a
broad coalition of voters
c. parties based on patronage
d. a two-party system
participation, describe why they emerged, and analyze the emergence of different types
of party systems.
Topic: Political Parties
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
15. What distinguishes interest groups from political parties?
a. only parties mobilize voters at election time
b. only parties raise money
c. only parties engage in efforts to influence public policy
d. only parties nominate candidates for public office
corporatist interest group systems.
Topic: Interest Groups
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
16. Which of the following strategies would an environmental interest group like the Sierra
Club likely adopt to overcome the free rider problem?
a. lobby for environmental laws that only benefit members of the group
b. offer incentives to encourage people to join the group as dues-paying members
c. increase membership dues to ensure that all members pay their fair share
d. organize themselves in a way that eliminates the costs of group formation and
maintenance
corporatist interest group systems.
Topic: Interest Groups
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
68
17. Central to the free-rider problem is the fact that:
a. it is relatively easy to organize groups of like-minded people for action.
b. interest groups are most likely to develop in systems that provide people multiple
points of access to influence policy.
c. interest groups often focus on a particular area of policy at the exclusion of others.
d. people want the benefits of an interest group’s effort without having to join it.
corporatist interest group systems.
Topic: Interest Groups
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
18. Which of the following is true of the Internet’s effect on interest groups?
a. The Internet has made interest groups irrelevant in modern politics.
b. The Internet has eliminated the incentive for people to be free riders.
c. The Internet has raised operational costs for interest groups.
d. The Internet has made it easier for interest groups to recruit members.
and corporatist interest group systems.
Topic: Interest Groups
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
19. In a __________ interest group system, membership in interest groups is optional, and
interest groups lack power to sanction their members.
a. state corporatist
b. strong
c. corporatist
d. pluralist
and corporatist interest group systems.
Topic: Interest Groups
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
69