1. Introduction

Study

Chapter 1 presents a framework for understanding politics by first placing the United States in a global context. A global focus highlights an important distinction between at least two types of countries prominent in world affairs and highlighted in this book: One type of country has an "institutionalized" political system. In a second, much larger group of countries society and the political system are undergoing processes of "transition." In the institutionalized polities, constitutions establish basic principles and laws for governance, and relatively homogenous political cultures have resolved the most basic questions of territory, citizenship, and the purposes of government. The "transition countries" represent a variety of interesting challenges for scholars and students of comparative politics. In Central and Eastern Europe, societies are emerging from a long period of Soviet domination, and they are engaged in a dual process of transition from communism to market economies and from authoritarian practices to competitive electoral politics. In other regions, countries such as Brazil, Mexico, China, South Korea, Iran, and Morocco (the focus of subsequent chapters) are in the midst of their own transitions toward more market-based economies and increasingly competitive electoral politics.

Chapter 1 proposes a basic framework for understanding both institutionalized political systems and countries in transition. Applying this framework to institutionalized political systems, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan, draws the reader's attention to three areas of comparative analysis: constitutional frameworks, social and political dynamics, and government institutions. Applying this framework to societies and political systems in transition requires considering three key questions, which guide the analysis throughout the text. First, what is the agreed purpose for government? Second, how does government actually function? Finally, who exercises political authority? Applying this framework and answering these important questions encourage the reader to learn by engaging in comparative political analysis.

Review Questions

After reading the chapter, students should be prepared to answer the following questions:

  1. Explain how political systems change and what factors influence the pace and direction of political change.


  2. What basic characteristics differentiate the political cultures of Western democracies and the political cultures of the successor states to the former Soviet Union?


  3. Why is the nation-state the most important unit of analysis in comparative politics?