Wiki Pages

In order to be the most effective, the Wiki pages need to be simple and presented in a straight forward manner. Separating by countries is a must, and I think individual headers about each aspect of the country followed by a short, concise paragraph should be included. Last but not least, pictures and graphs are very helpful. With appropriate captions or explanatory paragraphs they will say much more in a direct fashion than a novel's worth of words will.

Wiki Pages

I think the best way to set up these wiki pages would be to do them simply. By that, I mean there should be separate sections for specific parts of a country's political system (structures, interest articulation, etc.). Although videos and other forms of media may be helpful, I feel the pages should writing based. It will be much easier to actually learn the concepts this way. Videos should not be completely excluded though.

Wiki Page

I think the best way to organize the Wiki page would be by country. Then under each country there could be photos, videos, and information. I think that would make the wiki page really helpful and easy to use. It would also help us once we begin comparing the different countries.

Wiki pages

I think that on the Wiki page there should be a page for each country we learn about. Additionally, there could be tabs on the major importances in that government that led to additional information about the basic ideas. The tabs could have information on the system, structure and functions of the individual government, but also it could have links to things such as videos or articles that also help to explain the concepts in another way other than just defining what it is.

Wiki Pages

I think the wiki pages will be very useful for helping us compare the systems of different countries. The best way to organize it would be to give every country its own wiki page so that none of the pages get mixed up. I think it would be best if we then divided each wiki page into sections, like having videos on one part, pictures on another, and information on another. I'm very excited to get this going.

Wiki Page Blog

I believe the best way to divide the pages is by using a system, structure, and function approach. It would start out as what systems there are, allowing easy access to jump to the country you need for a specific example of a system without knowing much about it at first. An example would be if a student needed to find an authoritarian ruled country to provide examples, instead of going through every country, the student will be able to primarily categorize it by the system. By doing this, the class will have to memorize the systems for each country. From there you can click on the country, which will state the basic facts (system, function, structure, pop., economy, G.D.P, G.N.P) and from there different categories pertaining to specific ideas such as chapters.

Wiki Page

I like the idea of having the Wiki page divided up by country so that it will be easy to review key aspects of each government as well as be able to compare them. Similarly, I think it might be helpful to have a section that just highlights the most important topics we've learned so far, and which can be edited to add new information whenever we learn it. It would sort of be like the chapter outlines we did but more concise.

Wiki Page

I think that the Wiki page should be organized by country and then put into different subsections per coutnry that would correspond to each chapter. For example, there should be an information section for interest articulation for each country. Also, if we want to do videos, there should a seperate section for that so it doesn't get mixed in with the actual information. The way that it will be effective is if it's organized by country and by different topics. That will help us compare each country with each other much easier when we get to those chapters.

Wiki Format

The Wiki should be similar to the blog in that it is easy and user friendly to post, as well as attach videos, photos, etc to the posts.  It should also have an easy commenting function to make comments on posts easy.  Yay Wiki!

Wiki Page

The best way for the Wiki to be formatted is for each country to have its own wiki page. Thus, information can be uploaded to the Wiki about each country. In each page, there can be subcategories that break the country down even further. Each country should have its own wiki page, which would teach learn the most about each country.

How the Wiki Page Should Be Formatted

I think that the best way to approach the wiki page is by splitting it up by country and each country should have the same sections o its easy to compare. For example if we are doing China then the page should have sections labeled articulation, aggregation, policy making, and so on through all of the major comparable parts of government and their functions. At the end of the page there should be a section that describes what is unique to that country and have a summary of the overall form of government and policy making at the beginning. Diagrams and charts would also be helpful. I think the main thing is to use information that will be on the tests and is from the book.

For the Wiki Pages I think it would be most helpful if there were a "homepage" which showed the country's name (obviously), and then a list of tabs: Political Culture and Socialization, Interest Groups (including aggregation and articulation), Political Parties and electoral process(?), history of the nation (where did their traditions come from ect.), and perhaps a Political Structures tab as well. Then, within each of these tabs it could be somewhat like a blog format where someone can post something and people can comment below it from there- this way everything is organized in a general manner, and people can see how things were discussed chronologically.

Neo-Corporatism

The best interest group system is the Neo-Corporatist Interest system. Although the Pluralist System allows for more diversity in the interest groups and views, the Pluralist system is lacking in efficiency. Because there are many conflicting groups in the Pluralist system, policy making is difficult. And although the Corporatist model is very efficient, it too has a downside. In the Corporatist model the government has too much power over the interests being articulated. There is usually a lack representation of all of the views and opinions. Many time in the Corporatist model the articulation of all of the different interests are sacrificed in return for efficiency. The Neo-Corporatist Interest system is a good halfway point between these two systems. The Neo-Corporatist Interest system balances the need for the representation of many different views and opinions with the need for efficiency. This system is the most fair and effective interest group system.

Neo-Corporatism is the way to go

neo-corporatism i believe is the best kind of interest group system for a nation because of its connection with policy making. Although there may be only one group for each area, the answer to problems are resolved and implemented with precision and speed. With a pluralist interest group system there are numerous groups for each view on an area of expertise. This allows for a more diverse, but more decentralized organizational structure. Because of this policy implementation is harder because of the separation of government and the interest group. With a controlled interest system, the views are separated by social sector, creating an imbalance in interest articulation rendering democracy useless. Without finding a proper balance between interest articulation and government a nation cannot be a liberal democracy.

Interest Group Systems

There needs to be a balance between structure and breathing room. A democratic corporatist group provides that necessary balance. It is focused on each societal interest, not just one. The big problem with pluralists is that multiple groups only focus on one part of society and that is inefficient in bringing out the needs of everyone else. The problem with controlled interest is that there may be too much structure and it's too focused. Usually these interest groups are part of an authoritarian government. There are bound to be these problems. A democratic corporatist group system has the right amount of structure that is needed, but it doesn't have too much structure. It has different focuses that strives to provide benefits to everyone. Unlike pluralists, people get more focused. Pluralists only have one dimension. Controlled interest groups have too much regulation and there is such thing as necessary deregulation. Too much regulation leads to unhappiness of the people. Democratic corporatist groups are in the middle of these and are beneficial to most people. When looking at all of the interest groups from a perspective, balance is the key for happiness of the people. People like balance. These other two interest group systems are completely divided. Both have positive and negative effects. Democratic corporatists have both positive effects from these other interest groups and are most beneficial to these people because of the balance it provides. Balance leads to more positive effects to not only the people, but also the government and its system, structure, and function.

What's the best?

All three interest group systems have the potential to be successful in their own ways, but the one that I think to be most likely is a democratic neo-corporatist system. A pluralist system is good in that it gives every person a voice without fear of government control. However, there are almost too many voices to all be heard or to even be taken seriously. A pluralist system will result in a lot of protests and demonstrations that have no result and there won’t be any progress in this system. A controlled system is good in that there will be progress because the interest groups actually work directly with the government and the government will listen to them. But the downside is that they are by and by controlled by the government so the voices are not entirely what the people might actually be thinking or wanting to say. The reason I believe a democratic neo-corporatist system to be the best is that it’s the middle ground between the two. It will have more progress than the pluralist system, but the people will have more say than in a controlled system. Additionally, having a single peak association in charge will create a sense of order and organization in the system which will increase the legitimacy of the system. Pluralist and controlled systems are extremes in opposite directions, and the democratic neo-corporatist system is a form of compromise in the middle of the two. 

I'm A Friendly Fascist

Contrary to the beliefs of everyone else in the class, I firmly support a controlled interest group system as the best. Here's why:

Mainly, when it comes to policy making a controlled interest group system is much more efficient and effective. Pluralist and neo-corporatist systems have too many voices and the policies made do not support what's important in the long run nor are they effective. Controlled systems are streamlined and direct to be the most efficient and effective at making policy that supports the government and maintains the strength of the government. While some may believe that controlled systems don't help citizens and interests aren't articulated well, but when we look at the big picture the interests of the groups are articulated to the government very well and the government responds well to this articulation.

Furthermore, people are misguided into believing that pluralist or neo-corporatist systems see more success in creating policy that is better for the people. In modern governments lobbyists and corporations control the articulation systems and their interests overshadow those of the people. Due to the nature of these systems the groups that articulate more end up gaining more, and lobbyists take control as a result. The people end up being under represented. In a controlled system the government controls interest groups to facilitate the improvement of the government for the people, not for lobbyists. There's no lobbyist intervention distracting and delaying important policy making.

Because a controlled system is more efficient, effective, and better supports the improvement of the people's and government's interests over the interests of businesses, corporations, and lobbyist, it is quite clear that, though imperfect, a controlled system is best.

Neo Corporalist is the best system

Neo Corporatist is the best form of interest group system. It is the most effective in articulating the needs of the all of the citizens in a society. Pluralist systems are comprised of multiple interest groups. There are  multiple interest groups that represent the same thing. In a Neo Corporatist system there is one group that represents the needs of that group of people, similar to teachers unions. By having single group that represents the needs of that group of people they are more likely to make a difference. In a Neo corporatist system there is more of a relationship between the interest groups and the government.  This makes it easier to make an impact on the government. Business, labor, government are all involved in policy decisions in Neo Corporatist systems.   In a pluralist society there are way to many groups representing the needs of one group of people. They are not going to make as much of a difference because of the amount of groups, in one group there are not going to be as many people as in a corporatist system because there are so many different groups that they can join. They are not going to make as much of an impact.

Illuminati System

I digress...

In terms of interest groups achieving their goals and actually getting policy created upon their interests a democratic corporatist system yields the best results.  The consolidation of interest groups puts more power in the peak interest groups that embody each sector of society.  In pluralist systems too many similar interest groups are competing for similar results and nothing gets done because interest groups are too small and do not carry enough power.  In the corporatist system though, peak interest groups carry enough power and are able to effectively communicate the interests of the group to make an impact on government.

In terms of government control over interest articulation the controlled system is clearly the best.  This is the case because in a controlled system interest groups exist to facilitate government policy whereas in pluralist and corporatist systems, interest groups are often petitioning against the government for legislature in the interests of its members.

NEW WORLD ORDER

Neo-Corporatism!

The pluralist system allows for multiple interest groups to compete for influence in several policy domains, meaning that there can be a great number of groups. While this may seem like the best approach, especially in a democratic society, there can only be so many influential interest groups before things start to get hectic. The government will eventually become biased towards the most beneficial and influential interest groups, leaving the ones with less money and other constraints to fall behind. Because of this, neo-corporatism is a more efficient relationship between interest groups and the government because it allows for more of a focus on certain groups who are expressing interests to develop certain policies. A side of neo-corporatism is an income policy, which would help control inflation, which is very important for a well-functioning country. Pluralism allows for too many groups all fighting over certain policies while neo-corporatism would allow peak groups to use most of their energy actually accomplishing something. 

Neo Corporatist is the best one

In order for interests to actually be expressed to the government, the neo-corporatist system is the best form. The pluralist system does not work efficiently because all of the “voices” become convoluted. There are too many groups with not enough membership to actually have their opinion heard. This can prove troublesome for the government, as the number of interest groups can be overwhelming for the government.  On the other end of the spectrum, the controlled system is very bad for the public. The interest groups are not actually there to represent the voices of the people, so they are not effective interest groups. The best system would be the corporatist system because it has enough membership in the group to make their voice heard, and the system does not become too fragmented. Thus, the neo-corporatist system is the best form structure for interest groups. 

Neo Corporatist Interest Systems

The Neo Corporatist Interest System is by far the best system for efficiency as well as expressing the issues of the people accurately. The issue with the pluralist system is that with the multitude of different groups trying to express different views, interests and opinions for the same section of society (such as education, medicine, and law). This means that they often clash and work against each other which leads to less effective articulation overall. The issue with a controlled system is that the government has to much say in what is being articulated and so while the education sector may be vocalizing on behalf of their people they are not responsible to the people's desires or best interests. The great thing about the neo corporatist system is that there is one group that consolidates the power of the group and unites them under one cause and set of view points independent of government influence. This allows for a prosperous and liberal economy and more open and modernized society.

Why Neo-Corporatist Systems are the BEST EVER

Although Pluralist Systems may initially seem to be the the best of the three interest groups systems, for it is the most democratic by allowing many different associational groups to coexist and lobby their individual needs, the Pluralist System is actually not the most effective when it comes to being successful in their policy making process. The most effective interest group system that exists is actually the Neo-Corporatist model. The Corporatist model is much better in sustaining employment, restraining inflation, and are much more efficient in policy making and implementation than the interest groups within a Pluralist System. Not only is the Neo-Corporatist model more efficient and effective in obtaining their needs, but it also still retains a certain level of democracy, for the people still play a large role in the aggregation of interests and the articulation of their needs within the single peak association that is linked with the government (this democracy does not exist in a Controlled Interest Group System because the government limits all interest articulation to benefit the regime). Therefore, it may be said that the Neo-Corporatist model is a "happy-medium"- it still retains the principles of democracy while also adopting the efficiency that comes with governmental relations.

Question 18

According to the book, interdependence among countries generally includes all of the following EXCEPT for which item?

Answer: page 29-30 in the hard cover... " The interdependence of countries- the volume and value of imports and exports, transfers of capital, international communication, the extent of foreign travel and immigration- has increased enormously in the last decades."

Why Tax Revenue Isn't an Input

Tax revenue isn't an input because it is considered an output. On page 35 of the textbook it says this:

"The outputs are the implementations of the political process. These are the substantive impacts on the society, the economy, and the culture. They include various forms of extraction of resources in the form of TAXES and the like."

So the book classifies taxes as an output, not an input.

Russia

Universal suffrage starts at the age of 18 in Russia.  The government is headed by the Prime Minister and the state is headed by the President.  The Prime minister is appointed by the President, who rules a 6-year term. Yet, this is still corrupt.  For example, Putin was President for 6 years, then appointed Prime Minister, and now holds office again and can run for two terms. The State’s Duma has to approve the Prime Minister before it is decided. 

The power is divided amongst three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative.  The executive is headed by the President and the Prime Minister.  The judicial branch consists of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Arbitration, and the office of the Procurator.  The legislative, or lawmaking, branch is lead by the Federal Assembly.

Russia is on its way to being a liberal democracy, but Putin’s rule keeps it from truly being one.  The President has the most power, then the Prime Minister.  The State Duma recognizes United Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and Liberal Democratic Party of Russia as its political parties.THe debate in Russia now is over whether democracy shouldbe centralized or not. 

 

Mexico

How does one gain power? 

• The president is elected by a simple majority of registered voters in the thirty-one states and the Federal District. 

How is power divided? 

• The government is divided into an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch.
• The President heads the executive branch. There is no vice president. A Mexican president is only allowed to serve one six year term. 
• The legislative branch is a bicameral congress. Congress has the power to pass laws, impose taxes, declare war, approve the national budget, approve or reject treaties and conventions made with foreign countries, and ratify diplomatic appointments.There is an upper chamber, which addresses all matters concerning foreign policy, approves international agreements, and confirms presidential appointments and a lower chamber, which deals with the government's budget and public expenditures. Both chambers draft, discuss, and approve legislation and ratify high-level presidential appointments. Members of Congress can serve more than one term, though the terms cannot be consecutive.
• The judicial branch is divided into federal and state systems. The highest court is the Supreme Court of Justice, consisting of twenty-one magistrates and five auxiliary judges, all appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate or the Permanent Committee. 

Explain the political system: 

• Mexico has a presidential system with strong and independent legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The president is elected by majority vote for a six-year term.
• Mexico is a federation integrated by 31 States and a Federal District. Each State elects its own governor and legislature; municipal authorities are chosen at the local level.
• The Chamber of Deputies has 500 members, elected for a three-year term; 300 elected by simple majority in single-member districts, and 200 elected by proportional representation in five 40-member regional districts.
• The Senate has 128 members, elected for a six-year term. Each state elects three senators, and in addition 32 are elected by proportional representation on a single nation list.
• Re-election for consecutive terms in prohibited for all federal deputies and senators.
• Legislators can be elected to the other chamber when their term expires, and they can be re-elected to the same cture; municipal authorities are chosen at the local level.

Externalities: A consequence (positive or negative) of an economic activity that is experienced by unrelated third parties

China

How is power divided?

The most recent and current edition of the constitution of the People's Republic of China outlines a division of power among three bodies: the People's Liberation Army, the Communist Party of China, and the State Council. Each entity has their separate place in the system. The CCP deals with the political decisions of the state, the State Council acts as the primary administrative body, and the PLA serves as the military branch. Each branch is separate and has their own separate jobs. However, because the constitution names the CCP as the sole political party of the state and the party has all legal power in the government each branch is very intertwined with Party members. Essentially the constitution divides the power but reconciles it all in the CPP to create a one-party state with a strong and stable central government.



How does one gain power?

Due to the strength of the single party system in China, gaining vast amounts of power is not as hard as in other less centralized governments. To gain power in China one must first be elected to the National People's Congress. This is the basic level of national governing power in China apart from local governance. As a large body, 3,000 members, an individual has little power. However, there exists a hierarchy in the CCP that allows an individual to gain copious amounts of power. The highest tier is the Politburo Standing Committee. This is a 9 member committee and the most powerful decision making body in the Party. While this is only a Party matter, the single Party has so much power in the government that each member of this elite committee has lots of power and influence. In each branch there exists a similar hierarchy through which an individual can work their way, usually with the help of bribes, to the top.



The political system:

China's political system is technically a socialist government, but they allow an open market economy in addition to their state owned businesses and industries. They have a constitution that divides power, yet also grants all the political power to a single party, the CCP. With  a large majority of both the country and the politicians members of the CCP, they have a lot of power and the government is very strong and centralized. While issues may arise with regards to human rights violations and human needs, the government is very effective on account of its lack of slow and cumbersome discourse. The rights and opportunities of China's citizens are limited compared to democracies around the world, but they aren't as limited when compared to more oppressive and authoritative regimes.

Define externality

ex·ter·nal·i·ty

noun/ˌekstərˈnalitē/

externalities, plural

1. A side effect or consequence of an industrial or commercial activity that affects other parties without this being reflected in the cost of the goods or services involved, such as the pollination of surrounding crops by bees kept for honey
2. The fact of existing outside the perceiving subject

China

How does one gain power in this country?

Anyone over the age of 18 can vote for people to represent them in the Nation People’s Congress and then the NPC essentially controls the rest of the political system. It appoints the president, the premier, the judges, and more or less every other governmental position so the only time that the people have a nominal say in the government is when they elect their representatives. The reason this participation is more nominal and not as pronounced as the American republic is that the congress only accepts people from the same political party with the same views and interests.

How does power divide in this country?

The power in China is subdivided amongst the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The legislative branch is a unicameral congress called the National People’s Congress or the Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui. The congress has nearly 3000 seats and the representatives are elected into office by their local region and serve a term of 5 years. While the official standpoint of the Chinese government is that anyone can get elected, in reality only members of the CCP and its allied political parties are allowed in. The executive branch consists of the President and Vice president. Currently their president is President Hu Jintao and their Vice President is Xi Jinping. The president serves 5 year terms and can be elected twice. The executive branch also has a premier who is nominated by the president and confirmed by the congress and currently the premier is Wen Jiabo. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme People's Court whose judges are appointed by the National People's Congress, Local People's Courts, and the Special People's Courts. While this may appear very similar to the U.S. model of government it really isn’t as the congress controls essentially every aspect of the government and the President is merely a puppet for their purposes. The CCP controls the government completely and faces no significant political opposition.

Explain the political system:

The government is essentially a representative semi democracy in that there are supposed elections for political positions of power; however, all of the politics is controlled by one party and no opposition truly exists. The country is split into 23 different regions, which all have a small local government but are mainly ruled by the central communist government. In nearly every major decision the congress is unanimous due to their coinciding interests for example the vote for the new president was more or less unanimous with 2963 votes for Hu out of the 2987 potential votes. The country is slowly becoming more and more open and democratic but as for right now the political system is quite closed to the public and is very involved with the every day to day lives of the people in China.

Externalities are defined as a cost or benefit that is not transmitted directly through prices. 

Great Britain

How power is divided:
The united kingdom is considered a constitutional monarchy, this means that the head of the state is the monarch (King or Queen) but his/her power is limited by the constitution. This means that not only the head of state gets a say in the government of the united kingdom. The prime minister who is appointed by the queen holds alot of the power in the government. Just below the queen sits the house of lords and the house of commons. Comparing to the United States government it is similar in the sense that if a bill or law is going to passed it needs to pass through both houses before it is sent to the monarch for his or her approval. The House of Commons hold more legislative power than the House of Lords. The house of Lords responsibility is making laws and checking government actions.
How one gains power:
To gain power in the House of Commons you need to be elected in by the people.The house of commons is the lower house of the bicameral parliaments. Originally to be in the House of Lords it was heredity meaning passed down in the family, but more recently the queen herself has been appointing the Lords. There are two sections of the House of Lords one which is a birth rights and the other is where the Queen of Prime Minister can appoint people.
Political System:
Currently the Prime Minister holds most of the political power. Since there is in fact no written Constitution it falls under a weird category. The legislative branch is represented by Parliament, meaning the Houses. The executive power is held by the prime minister. Who has taken in a role similar to the president of the United States. The judicial power is represented by the Supreme Court. The House of Commons is perhaps the most important because without having an written constitution it makes it hard to control. 
   

Iran

1. How is power divided?
    There is one Supreme Leader, currently Ali Khamenei, who has ruled since 1989. The Supreme Leader has full control over the nuclear & foreign policies and the armed forces and he also has the highest religious authority. There is also a President, currently Mahmoud Amedinejad, who is elected by the people (every four years and can run twice, just like the US). The President does not have as many powers as the Supreme Leader, but the President can sign foreign treaties, administer the national budget, and appoint individuals such as governors, ministers, and ambassadors with the approval of Parliament. The Parliament drafts legislation, raitifies treaties, and approves the national budget. There is then an Assembly of Experts, which elects the Supreme Leader and can remove him from power at any time. There are also local councils.

2. How does one gain power in Iran?
    Anyone seeking power in Iran must be Islamic, for it is an Islamic republic. The Council of Guardians have designed a written exam to test the Assembly of Experts' candidates' eligibility. There is a lot of corruption in the nation's politics today, making it difficult for some to gain power and easier for others.

3. Explain the political system.
    The Iranian political system is a mix of appointed individuals and direct elections of individuals. The executive branch contains the Supreme Leader and the President. The legislative branch used to be bicameral but is now unicameral because the senate was removed after the Iranian Revolution. The Majlis, or Parliament, is made up of 290 members who are elected for four-year terms. The judicial branch consists of a head Judiciary (appointed by the Supreme Leader), who then appoints the head of the Supreme Court and the chief public prosecutor.

4. An externality occurs when the private costs or benefits to the providers or buyers of a service or good is different from the overall social costs or benefits that come from its consumption and production.