Chapter 14 - Politics

Question 1

Power

Answer 1

The ability to control others, even against their will

Question 2

Authority

Answer 2

what power turns into when most people agree with how the political machine is run

Question 3

3 types of Authority

Answer 3

1. Traditional Authority = the norm in tribal and feudal societies, rulers inherit authority through family or clan ties.
2. Legal-Rational Authority = in modern societies, authority derives from respect for the law.
3. Charismatic Authority = based on a belief in the claims of extraordinary individuals that they are inspired by a god or some higher principle

Question 4

Political Revolutions

Answer 4

the overthrow of political institutions by an opposition movement and its replacement by new institutions, take place when widespread and successful movements of opposition clash with crumbling traditional or legal-rational authority

Question 5

State

Answer 5

consists of the institutions responsible for formulating and carrying out a country’s laws and public policies

Question 6

Civil Society

Answer 6

the private sphere of social life

Question 7

Authoritarian States

Answer 7

sharply restrict citizen control of the state

Question 8

Totalitarian States

Answer 8

citizens lack almost any control of the state

Question 9

Democracy

Answer 9

citizens exercise a high degree of control over the state. they do this mainly by choosing representatives in regular, competitive elections

Question 10

Political Parties

Answer 10

organizations that compete for control of government. in the process, they give voice to policy alternatives and rally adult citizens to vote

Question 11

Lobbies

Answer 11

organizations formed by special interest groups to advise and influence politicians

Question 12

Mass Media

Answer 12

print, radio, television, and other communication technologies. In a democracy, the mass media help keep the public informed about the quality of government

Question 13

Public Opinion

Answer 13

refers to the values and attitudes of the adult population as a whole

Question 14

Social Movements

Answer 14

collective attempts to change all of part of the social, political, or economic order by means of petitioning, striking, demonstrating, and rioting, and establishing lobbies, unions, and political parties

Question 15

Pluralist Theory

Answer 15

holds that power is widely dispersed. as a result, no group enjoys disproportionate influence, and decisions are usually reached through negotiation and compromise

Question 16

Elites

Answer 16

defined by Mills as small groups that control the command posts of major institutions

Question 17

Ruling Class

Answer 17

defined by Marx as a self-conscious, cohesive group of people in elite positions. they act to advance their common interests and are typically led by corporate executives

Question 18

Power Resource Theory

Answer 18

holds that the distribution of power among major classes partly accounts for the successes and failures of different political parties over the long term

Question 19

State-Centred Theory

Answer 19

holds that the state itself can structure political life, to some degree, independently of the way power is distributed between classes and other groups at a given time

Question 20

Post Materialist Theory

Answer 20

claims that growing equality and prosperity in the rich industrialized countries have resulted in a shift from class-based to value-based politics

Question 21

Under what conditions do some societies become highly democratic?


Answer 21

Citizens win legal protection of rights and freedoms when their middle and working classes become large, organized, and prosperous; and when powerful, friendly, pro-democratic foreign states support them

Question 22

The most important Canadian federal election of the 20th century

Answer 22

November 21st, 1988

Conservatives

Question 23

Elite theory

Answer 23

small groups occupying the command posts of the most influential institutions make important decisions that impact and affect all members of society