Democracy means “rule by the people” and involves competitive elections wherein citizens vote to elect representatives. Dahl’s (1998) commonly accepted definition of minimum democracy (or polyarchy) entails six institutions: elected officials; free, fair, and frequent elections; freedom of expression; access to alternative sources of information; associational autonomy (the right to form independent organizations); and inclusive citizenship (including universal suffrage).

Regime Type: Democracy

An autocracy (or authoritarian regime) rejects rule by the people in favor of rule by an individual or a small group of elites. Autocracies can come in many forms, such as monarchy (imperial Britain), totalitarianism (Nazi Germany), single-party rule (contemporary China), or a military junta (contemporary Myanmar/Burma).

Regime Type: Autocracy

Anecdotal analysis of different countries’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic has often pitted major autocracies like China against large democracies like the United States. This common media narrative typically notes how China has been more successful in curbing COVID-19, whereas the United States has struggled to mount an effective federal response to the pandemic. This comparison has led some academics to investigate whether autocracies (or dictatorships) are better at handling crises like COVID-19 than are democracies.

Regime Type and COVID-19 Response

A regime is the political system of a country, specifically the basic institutions that determine the rules by which a government functions. Comparative political scientists typically distinguish between democracies and autocracies (or authoritarian regimes), though they allow for considerations of hybrid regimes as well. 

Wesleyan University

The following concepts are essential for understanding other concepts in comparative politics:
- The distinction between nations, states, and nation-states
- The difference between sovereignty, authority, and legitimacy
- The definition of a regime and the definition of different regime types

Foundational Concepts of Comparative Politics

Wikibooks contributors. (2021, June 2). Comparative Politics. Wikibooks. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Comparative_Politics

Wikibooks - Comparative Politics

- A nation is a group of people sharing a common identity, particularly of language, culture, race, and/or religion.
- A state is when a government exercises power over people permanently living in a clearly-defined territory.
- A nation-state is when a state governs over a single nation of people (e.g. France). By contrast, some states govern over multiple nations (e.g. Spain).

Nations, States, and Nation-states

- Sovereignty is the exercise of power over a given territory.
- Authority is the ability to exercise power, meaning that sovereign authority is the ability to exercise power over a given territory.
- Legitimacy is the normative recognition that someone should have authority over a given territory.

States may have a combination of sovereignty, legitimacy, and authority. A state may be a legitimate and sovereign authority if most actors within and outside the state recognize its ability and deservingness to rule over its territory. A government in exile may be recognized as the legitimate ruler of a territory, though they may not exercise any real power over their former country and therefore lack sovereign authority.


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