Chapter 3

Different types of regimes (the formal and informal political institutions that define a type of government) provide different models for the appropriate relationship between citizens and states. Regimes use different ideologies to legitimize these models. All regimes have formal institutions that reflect their ideological claims, even as they may have informal rules and institutions that conflict with them and at times actively undermine them.

Before the modern state, the subjects of monarchs had little to say in their relationship with the state. Over time, the concept of citizenship developed, with the principle that citizens were not just residents of a given territory, but were members of a political community. The six main regime types considered in this chapter are liberal democracy, communism, fascism, modernizing authoritarianism, semi-authoritarianism, and theocracy with case studies provided for each.

Liberal democracies derive their legitimacy from protecting the rights of their citizens. Civil rights guarantee individual freedom as well as equal treatment by the state and political rights are associated with active political participation such as free association and voting. In addition to these rights, social democracies also emphasize the importance of social rights, which are related to basic wellbeing and socioeconomic equality.

Communism, on the other hand, derives its legitimacy from the ability to create complete equality among citizens. Socialism, according to Marxist thought, is the first stage of communism and embodies a state wherein the working class rules, every citizen works the same amount for the same wage, and there is collective ownership of the means of production.

Fascism is both antiliberal and anticommunist. It conceives of the citizen and state as one entity, whereby the state controls all aspects of society and the economy. The interests of the state subsume the rights of citizens or civil society. Fascism was wholly discredited by Nazi rule and the fascists dictatorships of World War II, and is no longer openly practiced by any modern state, though neofascist parties remain active in many states.

Authoritarianism, however, remains common. Modernizing authoritarianism derives its legitimacy from economic development and can take the form of one-party, military, personalist, or bureaucratic-authoritarian regimes. Since the end of the Cold War, semi-authoritarianism has become increasingly common. In these regimes there are elections with a formal opposition and some open political debate, but these processes are so flawed that the regime cannot be considered truly democratic. Finally, theocracy is rule by religious authorities. However, this type of regime is relatively rare in the modern world, and the only contemporary example is Iran.

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should understand:

• The historical development of the concept of ‘citizen’.
   
• Different types of rights that citizens may or may not have.
   
• The role that ideology plays in legitimizing the authority of a regime.
   
• The differences and similarities between contemporary ideologies and regimes associated with them.