Chapter 17 - Government and Politics Flashcards
the ability to exercise one’s will over others
power
refers to accepted power that people agree to follow because of its perceived legitimacy
authority
authority type that is accepted because of tradition. its legitimacy exists because it has been accepted for a long time.
traditional authority
a more modern form of traditional authority. facilitated by an administration and military that are purely personal instruments of the master
patrimonialism
type of authority that is accepted because people are drawn to the leaders personal qualities
charismatic authority
type of authority that is made legitimate by laws written rules, and regulations
rational-legal authority
absence of organized government
anarchy
a government in which a single person (a monarch) rules until he or she dies or abdicates the throne
monarchy
government where a monarch has absolute or unmitigated power
absolute monarchy
government of a nation that recognizes monarchs but require these figures to abide by laws of a greater constitution
constitutional monarchy
government where power is held by a small elite group. members ascend to positions of power because of military might, economic power, etc
oligarchy
government where power is held by a single person (or very small group) that wields complete and absolute authority over a government and population
dictatorship
government that attempts to control all aspects of its subjects’ lives; including occupation, religious beliefs, and number of children permitted in each family
totalitarian dictatorship
government that strives to provide all citizens with an equal voice, or vote, in determining state policy, regardless of their level of socioeconomic status. has a constitution
democracy
government in which citizens elect representatives to promote policies that favor their interests. synonymous with republic
representative democracy
the underlying social norms and values of a group
politics
a concept holding that all people’s votes should be counted equally
one person, one vote
which perspective views the government as having four main purposes, as well as enforcing and regulating
functionalism
which perspective views social structure as the cause of any social problems such as poverty and crime
conflict theory
describes what Marx saw as the small group of powerful people who control much of a society
power elite
which perspective is most interested in how government is affected by face-to-face interactions, and the perceptions of symbols and images
symbolic interactionism
