Chapter 1- Lecture Flashcards
What is hard power?
military power (for example)
What is soft power?
brute force is limited, prohibited.
“A has power to the extent that A makes B do something that B would not otherwise do”
What are the resources that A uses to make B do it (for example)?
- money
- threat of punishment
- authority
- respect
What does Hans Morganthau believe hard power is? (you don’t need to know the whole quote word for word).
“Power may compromise anything that establishes and maintains the power of man overman…from physical violence to the most subtle psychological ties by which our mind controls another”
-Power is domination. Brute force (made B do it). Power is akin to control–power, force, coercion
What reins in hard power?
the law
What does Joseph Nye Jr. believe soft power to be? (once again, do not force yourself to recite the whole quote).
“Soft power is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments. It arises from the attractiveness of a country’s culture, political ideals, and policies.”
-force is limited
According to Nye, what can one achieve when using soft power?
Receive benefits with fewer costs
Which is more instrumental in society, hard or soft power? Why?
Soft power because hard power is less visible because they are limited by laws.
What is authority acc. to Mintz?
The right to exercise power that is accepted by those being governed as legitimate.
What is traditional authority? Examples?
Authority is based on customs that establish the right of certain persons to rule.
- custom and history
- Ex. monarchy, the pope, parents, PM
What is charismatic authority?
Authority that is based on the personal qualities of that leader. Might include exhibiting extraordinary or supernatural qualities through such means as performing miracles, issuing prophecies, or leading a military victory.
-popular admiration/heroic qualities
What is rational-legal authority?
The right to rule “based on legal rules and procedures rather than the personal qualities and characteristics of the leaders.”
- vested in the offices held by individuals and the mechanisms that placed them there.
- not the individual but their office. The election is what makes them legitimate.
What are the three ways that power can become socially approved?
- traditional authority
- charismatic authority
- rational-legal authority
Is authority a mix of all three powers?
yes
What is legitimacy acc. to Mintz?
Acceptance by the members of a political community that those in positions of power have the right to govern.
What is legitimacy closely related to the concept of in democracies?
consent
Why are elections important in regards to legitimacy?
- they lead to the process of being legitimate
- the process leads to acceptance
What are some of the major political issues in your local, provincial, and national communities?
local: public transit workers contract
provincial: drinking and driving
national: murdered and missing indigenous women
Where do you come into play in the context of local, provincial, and national issues?
A lot of issues are filtered throughout own subjective experience. What matters to you today is a part of your race, gender, wealth, etc. Different things matter to different people.
Democratic governments, when deciding what issues to deal with, how are they made aware of them? Is it top down? Or do community groups make them aware of certain issues?
- Both
- Think of the agents of socialization that we are exposed to. How does the media play a role in public opinion, whether or not it leads to action?
- Why are some issues ignored and others not? It all comes back to power.
Explain some questions of common good that arise from this quote: “Ideally politics is about pursuing the common good of a political community.”
- Is the common good tied to the majority, not the few? Is it something static, or does it change?
- In the context of a democratic system, does the common good change with the interests of the collective?
- Are governments always in tune with the discussion of the common good?
