GVPT 280 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Multiple Choice, Backsliding, Autocracy
21 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Midterm Review
Reminders
• Midterm is Wednesday
• No discussion on Friday
• Maryland Discourse is hosting a debate on Oct. 25th; if you attend, you can get extra credit
• Deadline for voter registration is OCTOBER 16th!!!!!!!!!
Exam Format
• Three parts:
o Multiple choice
o Short-answer
o Short essay
• MC will focus on larger concepts and O’Neil text
o Only readings from lecture & discussion will be included
• Full citations are not required for written responses, though if noting a specific author’s
argument, you should include their name
• You should have general knowledge of cases to cite as examples
Readings
• Know authors and their main arguments. For example:
o Weber → the state has a monopoly on the legitimate use of force, is sovereign over its
territory, and can claim legitimacy
o Herbst → war played an important role in constructing states in Europe; this has
implications for the development of newer, non-Western states
o Lipset → modernization and economic development are political correlates of
democracy; increased literacy and other factors foster democracy
o Wood →
o Linz →
o Lijphart →
Democratic Consolidation
• What is democratic consolidation?
o Institutional (i.e. elections and secondary institutions to secure electoral rules) and
informal consolidation (i.e. citizens and leaders adhere to democratic norms) →
democracy becomes “the only game in town”
o Consolidation can take much time, multiple transitions, and ongoing processes
• What role does modernization play in consolidation?
o Strong, stable economies and moderate economic disparities make democratic
governance more resilient
o Democracies that reach a certain threshold of development are more likely ro survive
