Chapter Fifteen Flashcards
State Sanctioned Shaming
The legal system, the police force, the prison system and a shift from physical to psychological techniques, such as solitary confinement.
Authority
The justifiable right to exercise power
Bureaucracy
emphasis on efficiency, predictability, and rationality, marked by impersonality and the application of formal rules without regard to personal allegiances or feelings
The Milgram Experiment
Devised in 1961 by Stanley Milgram to see how far ordinary people would go to obey a scientific authority figure
Paradox of Authority
Once a person or institution decides to use physical coercion, it loses all its legitimate authority
International State System
A system in which each state is recognized as territorially sovereign by fellow states
Welfare State
A system in which the state is responsible for the well-being of its citizens
Soft Power
power attained through the use of cultural attractiveness rather than the threat of coercive action (hard power)
Game Theory
The study of strategic decisions made under conditions of uncertainty and interdependence
Collective Action Problems
The difficulty in organizing large groups because of the tendency of some individuals to freeload or slack off
Civic Voluntarism
Donating one’s labor for the public good
Weber
most directly applicable to the modern state, with its structured legal systems and bureaucratic administration and it gains legitimacy through laws, regulations, and procedures that are designed to be rational, impersonal, and objective
Charismatic Authority
Belief in the supernatural or intrinsic gifts of the individual. People respond to this kind of authority because they believe that the individual has a special calling
Tradition Authority
Belief in time and custom. People respond to this kind of authority because they honor the post and they believe that time-proven methods are the best
Legal-Rational Authority
Belief in procedure. People respond to this kind of authority because they believe that the requirements or laws have been enacted in the proper manner
Power
the ability to carry out one’s will despite resistance
Domination
the probability that a command with specific content will be obeyed by a given group of people
Coercion
the use of force to get others to do what you want
Civil Rights
the rights guaranteeing a citizens personal freedom from interference, including freedom of speech and the right to travel freely
Political Rights
The rights guaranteeing a citizens ability to participate in politics, including the right to vote and the right to hold an elected office
Social Rights
The rights guaranteeing a citizen’s protection by the state
Democracy
government wherein power theoretically lies with the people
Dictatorship
A form of government that restricts the right to political participation to a small group or even to a single individual
Political Party
An organization that seeks to gain power in a government generally by backing candidates for office who subscribe (to the extent possible) to the organizations political ideals
Interest Group
An organization that seeks to gain power in government and influence policy without campaigning for direct election or appointment to office
