A Reflection

 

Comparative Politics is much more than simply looking at the political structures of different nations. Although the class does offer students the insight into the ways countries from around the world choose to rule, it shows the ways in which nearly all aspects of society affect global affairs.

 

When looking at politics there are many different aspects that must be considered. The class referenced such sources as economic factors, societal conditions, technological development, and history as some of the many options. Comparative Politics includes all of these, and many more, in order to give students a broad global perspective of the vast number of differing political systems that are currently present. When one originally thinks of the subject, only politics comes to mind, with such ideas as elections and the spread of democracy. However, the class is much more than a standard stereotypical definition. It offers an in-depth perspective into the many arenas of a nation that come together to form its politics, and shows the multiple relationships that countries develop with one another to create the massive system of global politics.

 

Overall, Comparative Politics truly does compare the unique political structures of different nations. But, instead of simply looking at which countries use democracy and which ones do not for example, it divulges into the culture of each nation and the backgrounds that make their political systems comparable. The class is much more than simply comparing political structures, it is an insight into global affairs and the ways in which modern global society works and will continue to work in the future. 

 

 

Mock Election

There is a lot to be said about the german mock election and how it actually can reflect how the political system works in one particular powerful country.  But in terms of lessons to be taken away from the German system, certain things can be said.  One of the first things that can be said is how power hungry people can be when it comes to supporting what they want to see done or what think should be done.  The three parties who recieved lesser votes than the FDP all sacrificed the possibility of being chancellor and the possibility of three seats in the cabinet in order to give themselves a shot at having the highest power available.  Each of the lesser parties, besides the one that recieved the chancellorship settled in order to gain “security” from the majority party.  Another important point to be taken away from the style of german elections, is that the party vote and individual vote can be a little bit complicated but seems to best represent the different proportions of society.  Being able to vote for a charismatic individual in a party opposite that you like, but still can vote loyality to your party, makes voting along issues and individual stances much easier.  This exercise was a good example of how typical politics can run and that sometimes it is more about the power than the people but is still representative of the views and concerns of the different regions through a electoral process.

Viva Cuba

Recently Fidel Castro resigned as the leader of Cuba leading Raul Castro to take the reigns. Cuba has welcomed the change as more freedoms have become available to all of its citizens. In his short time in office Raul has, “legalized cell phone use for ordinary Cubans; granted Cubans access to previously off-limits tourist hotels; and legalized the sale within Cuba of microwaves, DVD players and personal computer.“ 

 The changes in Cuba’s government fits perfectly with our semester long topic and with this week’s topic of democracy. Many people take for granted in heavily industrialized nations the basic freedoms that we all possess. Something so simple such as booking a hotel room for a night out, is something that some nations accross the globe do not allow their citizens to do. The punishment for doing something we all do daily, such as using a cell phone, was previously extreme. Many of the qualities of democracy that Schmitter and Karl discuss in their piece “What Democracy Is…And Is Not” were not previously present that allowed Cubans to protect their rights and to not be punished for expressing basic freedoms. Schmitter and Karl site, participation, meaning “all citizens may not take an active and equal part in politics, although it must be legally possible for them to do so,” as one item that makes democracy successful. Democracy was not previously  present in Cuba under Fidel’s control, which allowed citizens to be punished for basic rights.

 Cubans have been living under conditions of extreme punishment for expressing common freedoms that are found in most developed parts of the world. Without basic parts of democracy such as federalism, checks and balances, and responsiveness, according to Schmitter and Karl, countries like Cuba are able to restrict their citizen’s rights. With a change in power and a shift towards more democracy in Cuban the country is already experiencing better conditions. Cuban are generally happy about the changes, and hopefully with an increase in even more deomcracy Cubans will be able to finally enjoy the same rights a majority of the world has been experiencing for years.

 For more information:

 

Video #1

Video #2

Video #3 

 

Flirting – Punishable by Law

In Saudi Arabia, the national religion is Islam and is practiced in a conservative way that is called “Wahhabism.”  As it turns out, this conservative type of Islam limits the interactions that common male and female citizens can have outside of a marriage.  Given the recent celebration of love, Valentines Day, there has been growing controversy in the country about what is acceptable behavior and what is seen as a criminal offense in the eyes of the “mutaween” who punish such crimes.  Now, the fact that only Islamic holidays are allowed to be celebrated and that any other celebration is in violation of the common law is a perfect example of Islamic Fundamentalism which O’Neil claims that, “in Islamic fundamentalism, we find arguments that states and nations where Muslims live should return to Koran as the source for national laws, constitutions, and government policies” (69).  There is one instance where abiding by these religious laws has gotten men into trouble for seemingly petty crimes, something that would not even be punishable in less theocratic states like the US.  In another article, 57 men are under investigation for allegations of illegal flirting at a mall in the holy city of Mecca.  This is a crime because men are not supposed to have interactions with women due to the segregation of sexes under the religious laws and conservative Wahhabism.  These religion based laws would be highly controversial in a more democratic and free country but those living within the boundaries of this nation are constrained to practice one religion and one religion only, Islam.

Rational Genocide

The small country of Kenya has been facing increasing levels of terror as the number of mass killings has increased in recent weeks. With turmoil reaching all parts of the country, its citizens are faced with the daily battle of simply trying to survive. So far “more than 800 people have been killed across Kenya and tens of thousands have fled their homes.” Kenyan officials have stated that “today, if you look at Kenya you see violence on the streets…ethnic cleansing…[and] genocide.” The majority of these actions have come from opposition leader Raila Odinga who has, as Max Weber comments, “a conscious belief in the absolute value of some ethical, aesthetic, religious, or other form of behaviour, entirely for its own sake and independently of any prospect of external success.“ This type of belief correlates to the rational choice approach often described in comparative politics. Odinga believes that his opinions are correct and will stop at virtually nothing in order to reach his goals. Much like the rational choice approach, Odinga follows the theory that “individuals act in accord both with their preferences and beliefs” (PowerPoint, 2/7/2008). Odinga is willing to go to the extremes he is currently using in order to fulfill his personal beliefs. However, the tension and mass killings in Kenya highlight an extreme negative example of the rational choice approach. Although many do not agree with Odgina’s actions, to him, his methods have low levels of risk and will produce the “best” outcomes. Although the situation is extremely devastating, is correlates with our semester long topic of looking at enforcement strategies in such areas as Africa. In many instances, citizens of Kenya are either not breaking the law or committing minimal crimes and are being persecuted regardless. It is interesting to notice how the open brutality is continuing simply because of one man’s rational choice. Similarly, it will interesting to see how Kenya will develop in upcoming weeks, and to see if the enforcement strategies used will begin to be based not solely on Raila Odinga’s rational choices, but hopefully they it will instead be based on the country’s rational choices as a whole. 

To watch a video further explaining the genocide happening in Kenya, click here. 

Crime and Punishment

For our semester long topic we will be comparing the enforcement strategies for small crimes in the middle East and Africe.  Special attention will be paid to the countries of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Kenya.  The enforcements of these small crimes have been particularly harsh in these countries and it extends throughout their nations.  Religion plays a large role in society in the Muslim world and further comparison of these nations will indicate if that is a factor  We will continue to compare their treatment of men, women, and even examine the different policies within the countries for children (particularly in a school setting).  Through comparing various aspects of each of these nations governments and societal backgrounds we hope to find common indicators to why these nations are so harsh when it comes to common theivery.

Comparison #1

“We used to be the locomotive that pulls the train, and to a large extent we still are; Chinese factory owners will not be happy about a U.S. slowdown. But while we still influence the world economy, the new reality is that the world economy increasingly influences us.”      

     “A three-judge panel in northern Afghanistan has sentenced a student journalist to death for distributing a paper he printed off the Internet that allegedly blasphemed Islam”