1: Core Concepts Flashcards
Politics is typically viewed as falling under one process, but it also falls under another. Elaborate.
Politics is about who gets what, when and how.
Politics is the study of the nature, distribution, and use of power.
What is political science? What are the three targets of study?
The academic discipline that studies how politics and its power happen and its effects.
Values, institutions, actors.
Explain how politics were defined by the following figures:
- Aristotle
- Bierce
- Turner
- Dahl
Aristotle: master science.
Bierce: interests masquerading as contest of principles.
Turner: peaceful reconciliation of social and economic differences.
Dahl: patterns of relationships that involve significant degree of control, influence, power, authority.
Danzinger (1991) provided four common definitions of politics. What are they?
Exercise of power.
Public allocation of values.
Resolution of conflict.
Competition among individuals, groups, or states pursuing their interests.
There are two ways to view politics in political science. What are they?
Empirical: fact-based, observable data vs. ideas, thoughts.
Normative: based on values, ideas (e.g., why did X people not come out to vote?).
There are four approaches to studying politics. What are they?
Institutionalism: systematic analysis of political organizations.
Behaviouralism: actors, behaviour of individuals.
Public choice: maximization of individual utility.
Political economy: involvement of state in economy.
What makes up the political economy?
Politics Economy
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State Markets
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Political economyRoman ‘loyalty,’ or ‘res publica’ held what ideals? What did they see democracy as?
What were they responsible for founding?
Ideals: government, freedom, laws, citizenship.
Democracy: mob vice.
Institutions, laws, administration.
Representation mechanisms include what two things?
Direct democracy, representative democracy.
Direct democracy involves referendums and plebocites. What are these?
Referendum: on existing mechanic; yes/no, legally binding.
Plebocite: yes/no, not legally binding.
What are institutions?
Structures that define and constrain behaviour within political system.
What is the classical definition of liberalism?
Sovereignty of the individual (i.e., rights, freedoms).
Democracy has _____, liberal democracy has _____.
Features; principles.
We tend to think of democracy as what three things?
Aspirational.
Normative.
Institutional.
What is the difference between a weak institution and a strong institution?
Weak: corrupt, underdeveloped, undemocratic (people have little impact on procedure/form).
Strong: durable (lasts through time), accountable, transparent, autonomous.
Established institutions prefer continuity, as that offers _____.
Stability.
What is a general definition of government?
System of offices, oversees and guides individuals in political system.
Define a government of a country.
Organizational claim to exercise exclusive regulation of legitimate use of force in enforcing rules within territory.
Define the following forms of government:
- Totalitarian
- Authoritarian
- Monarchical
- Liberal democratic
- Theocratic
Totalitarian: influence totality of individuals within state; all are authoritarian.
Authoritarian: regulate great deal of life, but not in totality.
Monarchical: in past, absolute power vested in monarch; today, constitutional, therefore powers vary.
Liberal democratic: no monarch, official is elected by the people; various vested powers; society usually displays liberal ethos.
Theocratic: religion is ruler; therefore, institutions founded upon religious principles.
What is Canada’s form of government? Who is sovereign?
Constitutional monarch (Crown with Charter of Rights & Freedoms).
Parliament is sovereign.
What is Canada’s organizational institution?
The Crown.
What are two main reasons for government?
Security (territorial, individual, etc.)
Well-being of citizenry (only when security is fulfilled).
The government is the highest legitimate authority because they are _____.
Sovereign.
Governments offer _____ in exchange for _____.
Liberty; security.
Explain the difference between government, governance, and civil society.
Government: ruling authority with power to make, enforce laws.
Governance: activity of government; associated with institutions, civil society.
Civil society: totality of voluntary civic/social organizations.
What is political power? What is meant by hierarchical power versus linear?
Social ability to induce others to do what you want.
Power and politics relates to hierarchical; money and economics relates to linear.
What are the three forms of power?
Influence: someone can carry out will without feeling forced.
Coercion: forcibly applying one’s will.
Authority: obey because accept person or groups exercising power doing so acceptably.
What are the three types of authority?
Traditional (e.g., monarchs).
Legal.
Charismatic (attractable qualities/personality).
What is meant by the input and output with regards to legitimacy?
Input: refers to people at the table; who is contributing to public policy, do they have the right?
Output: are outcomes of policy acceptable?
What government did Aristotle believe was the best and why?
Ruled by the one, the few, and the many.
Concentrated single form of government = increased risk of tyranny.
What are the two most important ways government power is distributed?
Unitary system: single government in charge of most legislative organizations (e.g., U.K.).
Federal system: central government in charge of some policy, some legislation.
Federal systems distribute power to subunits. What are examples of nations that do this?
Canada’s provincial governments are subunits. In the U.S., states are subunits.
Why do federal systems require a constitution?
Tells us who has jurisdiction over what.
List five institutional features of federalism.
Formal division of power.
Written constitution, amending formula.
Bicameral federal legislative body (2 chambers).
Mechanism for intergovernmental relations.
Courts - act on disputes between governments.
Federations can be centralized or decentralized. What does this mean?
The more decentralized a government, the more power the subunits have.
What are values?
Set of guiding principles that help us make decisions.
Values shape our behaviour and define who we are by considering what three things as ‘good’?
Principles, standards, qualities.
List seven values.
Equality.
Social order.
Security.
Progress.
Justice.
Liberty and freedoms.
Rights.
