Chapter 1 Flashcards
Approaches to conflict resolution
Politics without repression, politics of reconciliation.
Politics
Authoritative allocations, resolution of conflicts, gathering support for collective projects.
Power
The ability to induce others to do what one wants.
Forms of political power
Influence, coercion, authority
Influence
Power of persuasion
Coercion
Ability to force people to do things through fear.
Authority
The right to exercise power through public respect.
Legitimacy
How people respond to the command of their leaders.
Authority of coercion
Power without legitimacy
Types of public authority
Traditional, rational-legal, charismatic.
Traditional Authority
Authority based on inherited position or custom
Rational legal authority
Power originates in law and rests with legally created offices, not with any individuals.
Political modernization
The transition for on traditional to rational legal authority
Charismatic authority
Authority based on personal qualities
When do charismatic leaders occur?
In times of social crisis, and political modernization. This is a one generation phenomenon
Sovereignty
Highest authority of the state
Ideas of sovereignty
Personal, parliamentary, and popular
Personal sovereignty
Sovereignty of an absolute monarch
Parliamentary sovereignty
Absurd power to parliament and not a monarch
Popular sovereignty
Supreme authority resides in the people themselves and not parliament delegates. Only possible through direct democracy.
Domestic sovereignty
Power to make laws, to enforce laws, and to control all the administrative functions of government.
International sovereignty
Right to deal with other sovereign governments as equals. Right to domestic sovereignty without intervention.
Criteria for a state
Population, territory, sovereignty
Functions of the state
Maintain social order, prevent internal conflicts. Defended against internal threats, provision of public goods.
Public goods
Goods that are not divisible among individual consumers. Therefor not provided through user pay systems
Nation
A psycho-political entity.
Factors to the development of national identity
Ethnic and racial identity History Geography Language and culture Religion Common interests Government
Highest level of group identity
Nation
Ethnic identity
Feeling of common identity based on common ethnic background
Nation State
Exists when the physical boundary of the sovereign authority coincides with the psychological boundary of the national identity.
Citizen
Formal member of the state as a political community, have special rights.
Types of government
Monarchy Tyranny Aristocracy Polity Oligarchy Democracy (mob rule)
Modern typologies
Democracy and Autocracy
Parliamentary and presidential systems
Federal and unitary systems
Monarchy and republic
Types of democracy
Direct and representative democracy Liberal Social Plebiscitary Deliberative democracy
Representative democracy
Decision made by a small group of elected politicians
Advantages of representative democracy
Decision making process easier,
Contributes to consensus building
Elections keep politicians in check
Criticism of rep democracy
Elitist culture
Politicians can pursue self interest over public interest
Plebiscitary democracy
The use of referendums, initiatives, and recall procedures to remove elitist culture.
Deliberative democracy
Governing decision are made based on discussions by citizens
Liberal democracy
Power of government is limited by law and constitutions, regular elections that are fair. Rights of people to freely engage in political activity are well established.
Criticism of direct democracy
Populist and majoritarian in nature
Highly divisive
Too costly
Ideas of representation
Trusteeship
Delegate
Party member
Microcism
Trustee
Representative rely on their own judgement to decide what is good for their constituents, may act contrary to what constituents want.
Delegate
Representative Subordinate own views for their constituents and act as instructed by constituents , even when contrary to their own judgements
The party member
Representatives act as loyal members of their party and follow the instructions of party leadership
Microcosm
The institutions of representative should be a miniature version of the society it represents. Representation of all social groups.
Difference between social and liberal democracy
Liberal: individual freedom, civil and political rights
Socialist values: economic equality and social justice, economic and social rights.
Criteria for good government
Transparency Accountability Responsiveness Participation Efficiency and effectiveness Achieve important goals
Formal institutionalism
Old approach that emphasizes the analysis of the formal institutions of the state.
Public policy analysis
How public policy are formulated
A dynamic approach
Pluralism
A society centred approach
Social and political pluralism
Nation building
Process of developing a common feeling of national identity
