PS 210 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Elite Theory
Document Summary
Some countries with democracies remain poor (ghana), while other nondemocratic governments preside over great economic growth (vietnam). Regime type does not directly result in a certain outcome every time. Regime change is a profound transition in a country"s political system. Example- france has been a state and nation for centuries but has had many (at least 9) regimes. Regimes are broadly assorted into democracy and authoritarian. Democracy is at its minimal definition, a regime where citizens have basic rights to express and change government. Authoritarian regimes can be quite diverse, from fascist nazi germany to the communist soviet. Electoral authoritarian is where there are regular elections, but the same party continues to remain in power. Regime change can take various forms such as revolutions, coups d" tat, and democratization. The great recession spurred political change in europe and america. Politics- the process by which human communities make collective decisions.