b. Two Types of Political Regime(R)

b. Two Types of Political Regime(R)

A political organization is a political system, and it is a group of people governed by a rule system (R) ^[Ch.2.5]. The capability that governs the rule system is power^[Ch.2.7], so the political regime can be considered a combination of the power relationships of each political member (m). As a result, individual characteristics of political members and traditions and customs that influence their behavior, as well as explicit laws, are all included in the political regime.

 

The problem is that it is impossible to have a generalized understanding of politics by including individual characteristics and uniqueness such as traditions. Let's examine the individual traits in the power dynamics among PKB friends. If we focus on the personal characteristics of Peter, who is powerful in the power phenomenon among friends, and Kevin, who makes a lot of money, it will only be a story about those individuals and their friends, not a discussion about general political phenomena. Therefore, it is necessary to generalize personal characteristics and think about "people who are as powerful as Peter." The key is to reduce individual uniqueness to various aspects of the rule system (R). The same goes for traditions and culture. In this case, the political regime is simply a rule system. That is, the political regime is a set of rules, procedures, and agreements that regulate the relationship between the ruler and the ruled. 

The rule system can be generally classified into two types: ⓐ "human relations regime" and ⓑ "legal regime". In other words, the reality of the political regime is a composite of these two rule systems. When people are regulated according to the will of others, it is referred to as a "human relations regime." On the other hand, when people are regulated according to an impersonal command system, it is referred to as a "legal regime."  This difference is shown in the diagram [Diag.2.B.1].

 

[Diag.2.B.1] Two Types of Rule System(Political Regime)

 

 

㉠ Human Relations Regime and Legal Regime

First, the human relations regime refers to a system where political actions are determined by personal relationships. P and K are close friends from childhood, but they are not comfortable with B. So, P appreciates K's small help but is passive towards B's request. This is the aspect of the human relations regime between P, K and B.

 

The core of the human relations regime is that there is an implicit decision-making area for individuals who are not regulated or cannot be regulated by explicit laws and institutions, and that in that area, personal relationships (such as friendship or trust relationships) regulate people's political behavior. Therefore, the human relations regime is very important in understanding implicit political phenomena with a limited scope in time and space.

 

The reason why explicit laws and institutions cannot fully regulate individuals' implicit domains is due to the flexibility of rules^[Ch.2.6c]. There are always areas that cannot be regulated by abstract legal provisions in human activities. Therefore, the political domain constituted by the cooperative relationship between people necessarily has a regulated area by the human relations regime, regardless of its size. Even if the authority of the White House and the National Assembly is precisely regulated by law, the political influence and outcome of the White House and the National Assembly can greatly vary depending on the ability, effort, and intention of the White House staff and the speaker and members of the National Assembly.

 

Second, the legal regime is a system regulated by explicit laws. For example, if the three friends P, K, and B draft a set of rules and establish a social club, this would be an instance of a legal regime. In such a regime, stakeholders establish clear rules to regulate each other's behavior and cooperate with each other. Power relations are also determined accordingly. When viewed on a broader scale, whether it be a national political system or international politics, they all without exception are based on a legal regime. Complex legal provisions are explicitly defined, modified according to procedure, and behavior is regulated and power is exercised accordingly.

 

The legal regime refers to a system regulated by written laws. If the laws are not codified and are only shared through the beliefs of the members, then the legal regime is an unwritten system. This is essentially just a legal system infused with the human relations regime. The unwritten system possesses a character that is intermediate between the human relations regime and the legal regime and is appropriate for application in more informal settings.