QUIZ 2 Flashcards
(26 cards)
Q: What are the two main features of public goods?
A: 1. Non-excludable (cannot prevent certain people from having it) 2. Non-rivalrous (one person’s consumption doesn’t prevent others from consuming it)
Q: What is the free rider problem?
A: When an organization provides public goods but individuals would rather not pay and still reap the benefits.
Q: In selectorate theory who are the leaders and challengers in a democracy?
A: Incumbent and challenger.
Q: In selectorate theory who are the leaders and challengers in an autocracy?
A: Incumbent leader and elites (other government members).
Q: Who normally has more information in selectorate theory: leaders or challengers?
A: Leaders.
Q: In selectorate theory what are residents divided into?
A: The selectorate and the disenfranchised.
Q: What is the typical goal of revolutions in selectorate theory?
A: To get someone into the selectorate who was not in it before.
Q: In the United States who is considered the selectorate?
A: The voting population.
Q: What is a winning coalition?
A: A subset of the selectorate whose support gives political power to leadership over the rest.
Q: How many electoral votes is the winning coalition in the U.S.?
A: 270 electoral votes.
Q: In selectorate theory what does W/S represent?
A: The probability of being selected to get private goods.
Q: What happens when W/S is very small?
A: Loyalty to the current leadership is very high; individuals are less likely to defect.
Q: What must leaders do to stay in power according to selectorate theory?
A: Pay off their coalition enough so they don’t support the challenger.
Q: What is the minimalist definition of electoral democracy?
A: A system where individuals acquire power through competitive struggle for votes.
Q: What is the liberal definition of democracy?
A: A political system with strong protection of individual and group liberties, autonomous spheres of society
Q: In autocracies what is the source of legitimacy?
A: Not based on real elections; typically monarchy chosen successors
Q: What happens to the loser in autocracies compared to democracies?
A: In autocracies the loser faces prison for life or death; in democracies stakes are lower.
Q: What is the endogenous explanation for democracy?
A: Democracy is more likely to emerge as countries develop economically.
Q: What is the exogenous explanation for democracy?
A: Democracies may arise independently of development but survive better in developed countries.
Q: What are the two assumptions of the exogenous explanation?
A: 1. Development protects democracy. 2. Higher per capita income lowers the chance of democracy failing.
Q: What is modernization theory in the context of democracy?
A: Democratization is the final stage of a general economic and social development process.
Q: What are the two types of government based on leadership dependence?
A: Dependent (L>1) and Autonomous (L≤1).
Q: Why is the Middle East an outlier regarding democracy despite having wealth?
A: Religion, tribalism, and strong international support for current systems.
What is the rentier effect?
Governments get wealth from oil, enabling lower taxes and more services, making citizens happier and reducing democratic pressure.
