Unit 1 Deep Dive: Power, Regimes, and Why Governments Endure

Power

The ability to get people to do something, even if they do not want to (e.g., through force, money, information, or control over opportunities).

Authority

Power that is viewed as legitimate; people accept that a ruler or institution has the right to make binding decisions.

Legitimacy

Widespread belief (among citizens and especially elites) that the existing political order has the rightful authority to govern; not the same as popularity.

State

Enduring institutions that claim authority over a territory and population (e.g., bureaucracy, courts, security forces, tax system).

Regime

The rules of the political game—how leaders are chosen, what limits exist, and what ideology or norms structure governance.

Government

The current leadership team running the state under a given regime.

Sovereignty

The claim that the state is the highest authority within its territory and is recognized as such by other states.

State Capacity

The ability of the state to implement decisions—collect taxes, enforce laws, deliver services, and maintain order.

Rational-Legal Authority

Authority based on formal rules and institutions (constitutions, laws, procedures, elections, courts) rather than personal loyalty to a leader.

Traditional Authority

Authority rooted in long-standing customs and beliefs that rule is legitimate because “this is how it has always been done” (e.g., monarchy, hereditary rule).

Charismatic Authority

Authority based on devotion to a leader seen as extraordinary (often emerging during crises), where personal loyalty can override institutions.

Ideological Authority

Authority justified by an official belief system that claims to define how society should be organized (e.g., communism, theocracy, revolutionary nationalism).

Coercion

The use or threat of force by security institutions (police, military, intelligence, surveillance, imprisonment); a source of power but not necessarily authority.

Patronage

Distribution of jobs, contracts, or benefits by leaders in exchange for political support; especially important where institutions are weak.

Clientelism

Ongoing patron-client relationships in which political support is traded for material assistance and protection over time.

Information and Agenda Control

Power gained by shaping what people believe is true or politically possible through media influence, censorship, internet controls, and framing opposition as illegitimate.

Rule of Law

Principle that laws apply broadly and predictably, including to leaders, limiting arbitrary punishment of political rivals and supporting accountable governance.

Civil Liberties

Freedoms (speech, press, assembly, religion, due process) that make meaningful political participation possible.

Institutional Constraints

Checks that limit executive power (e.g., legislatures, courts, federalism, independent agencies).

Democratic Regime

A regime with competitive elections, meaningful participation, and protection of political rights and civil liberties, where incumbents can realistically lose and outcomes are accepted.

Authoritarian Regime

A regime that concentrates power in a leader or small group and severely restricts competition; participation and institutions may exist but are subordinated or controlled.

Hybrid Regime

A system combining democratic-looking institutions (elections, parties, courts) with authoritarian practices that skew competition and reduce genuine electoral uncertainty.

Procedural (Input) Legitimacy

Legitimacy derived from accepted decision-making procedures (clear rules, meaningful competition, rule of law), so people accept the process even when they dislike outcomes.

Performance (Output) Legitimacy

Legitimacy gained by delivering valued results (economic growth, security, services, prestige), often emphasized where electoral competition is limited.

Stability

Durability and predictability of political order (regularized leadership change, low risk of coups/civil conflict, functioning institutions); not the same as democracy.