Chapter 15 Flashcards
Main issue of politics
to provide for common good, people are often forced to surrender some control of their lives to leaders and government
individuals needs
often conflict with group need
political system
social institutions and procedures for achieving the goals of a group
each society must have
political system to allocate valued resources
politics
exercise of power/authority
power
ability to exercise ones will over others
sources of power
force, influence, and authority
force
use of coercion to impose ones will on another
influence
power through process of pursuasion
authority
recognized institutionalized behavior
how is authority given
legitimate power through elected or publicly acknowledged position
tragedy of the commons
common land overused by individuals
conflict of
social and individual interests
how might we benefit from shared land
must give up all individual gains
how do we address tragedy of the commons
politics develops as a system
what is the main problem with tragedy of the commons
power tends to be abused
what is the problem of taming of the state
state has monopoly on legitimate use of force, how to keep from using it to exploit its own people
how many requirements to tame the state
two
1 requirement
clear set of rules (laws) that limit the states power and means of exercising power (laws that government can only go so far)
2 requirement
a structure where power is dispersed among many powerful groups
elitist state
a single elite group rules
what does the elitist state lead to
tyranny
pluralist state
rules by many competing elites
how is political power dispersed among pluralist state
dispersed among groups with diverse interests
