Definitions and concepts Flashcards by muneer sharifi

politics
root-word = city-state

Polis

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Scientific approach to politics.
English enlightenment and advancements of science.
Started in 17th Century

The modern age of governing

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Written By Thomas Hobbes in light of the English Revolution
Pushed absolute Monarchy and self-preservation of the individual.

“The Leviathan” 1651

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An approach to politics that stresses the use of scientific methods to study social phenomena. Dominated American political studies in the 1950s and 1960s. They focus on political topics that are quantifiable.

Behavioralism

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An approach that starts with empirical observations from which explanatory generalizations are generated. The theory follows observation and generalization—a bottom-to-top approach.

Inductive Method

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Associated with so-called rational choice theories of politics. It focuses on politics being a response to the problem of collective action. top to bottom approach.

Deductive Method

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Identifies observable phenomena in the real world with a view to establishing what is, rather than what ought to be; the basis of the natural sciences.

Empirical Analysis

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Concerned with clarifying the meaning of the concepts we use, as many concepts in this study have no clear definition

Semantic Analysis

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Treaty that Ended the 30-year war.
Catholicism Vs. Protestant (Austria vs. Northern Europe).
Resulted in the push for sovereignty.

Treaty of Westphalia 1648

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A theory that says that people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behaviour. Also a book title written by Rousseau

Social Contract

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Legislative - Parliament, Congress
- to Pass laws
Executive - Cabinet
- To develop and enforce laws
Judicial - Courts
- To Interpret laws

Branches of State

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Government state and Nation-state.
(Federal vs.Provincial/state)

Levels of State

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Rights are given to every human by God at birth. (Negative Rights). The state and society cannot interfere with these rights.

Natural Rights

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Form of state that intervenes heavily in all aspects of social and economic life, often through brutal and oppressive state police. 20th century phenomenon. The most extreme end of Authoritarianism

Totalitarianism

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Theory of the state.
Society is seen as being composed of thousands of activities that have the
effect of creating many different groups of all shapes and sizes. The existence
of, often competing, groups is a natural feature of all societies of any complexity. The state’s role is to mediate these groups.

Pluralism

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Theory of the state.
Society should be ruled by a single, unified, self-conscious elite

Elitism

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Shrinking in the state that allows for minimal state interventions in the economy.

Night Watchmen State

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Origins of the word “pouvir” = to be able
Three definitions
-Ability to do something

Power

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The Ability to convince others to do something.
Liberal view

Soft power

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Ability to force others to do something.
Conservative view.

Hard power

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The power of the state is illusionary but exists in the economic realm; it is oppressive.

Marxist view of Power

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Legitimate exercise of power.
Taking action with the support of others.

Authority

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Rule by virtue of inherited right –traditional, patriarchal right

-Authority is organic rather than enacted

-Obedience based on inherited status/customary rule

Traditional Authority

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Rule by virtue of holding office (elections)

-Rule of Law basis of authority (respect for laws, elections, peaceful transfers)

-Obedience to office holder not individuals

Rational Legal Authority (Modern state)

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-Rule based on exceptional qualities of person -Individual seen as prophet, hero, or savior -Obedience based on devotion/duty to individual leader

Charismatic Authority

The supreme power of lawmaking within a territory.

Sovereignty

Globalization Challenges (Movement of people, Information and technology, economic globalization. Identity Challenges (Regional/National claims)

Challenges to Sovereignty

The legal right to rule supremely

De jure Sovereignty

The actual distribution of political power.

De facto Sovereignty

Revolution is necessary to over throw capitalism. The state protects interests of the dominating class.

Marxist Theory of Politics

A systematic and comprehensive political doctrine based on rational principles that provide both an explanatory theory and prescriptive program of mass action.

Ideology

1. Mass Action 2. Universal ‘rational’ principles 3. Prescriptive program of Action – Utopia/Endpoint 4. The market economy

The link between modern age and ideology.

Written by John Locke in 1689. Natural rights of liberty and property.

"Two Treatises of Government"

Focus on positive liberties. The state should intervene in society and the economy; and should provide basic goods to the people in order for them to be free to act. Social and economic rights.

Welfare Liberalism

Focus on Negative Liberties. The state should not interfere with the economic market. There should be 0 restrictions on what individuals have access to. The state should focus on protecting and preserving individual liberties.

Classical/Neoliberalism /Libertarianism

A seventeenth- and eighteenth-century intellectual and cultural movement that emphasized the application of reason to knowledge in a search for human progress. It was both a cause and effect of the decline in the authority of religion. Liberalism, Socialism, nationalism, and anarchism emerged from this movement.

The Enlightenment

An idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, especially with the aim of gaining and maintaining the nation's sovereignty over its perceived homeland to create a nation-state.

Nationalism

An extreme length of Authoritarianism and Nationalism, a 20th-century phenomenon., A product of particular political and historical circumstances or as a product of flawed human psychology and moral decay.

Fascism

a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including nation-states, and capitalism. Removal of all government. Linked with socialist traditions.

Anarchism

An ideology which rejects corruption, domination, and tyrannical rule to embrace civic freedom, secularism (separation of religion from state), and citizens’ duties as central to a “good” political life

Republicanism

Origin word for republic

Res publica

Rights that provide something that people need to secure their well-being, such as a right to an education, the right to food, the right to medical care, the right to housing, or the right to a job.

Positive rights

The right to be free to do some action or to do no action. They are to be free from the interference of another person or group of persons. The view focuses on the rights of a citizen to noninterference on the part of their government. (The right to Privacy, life, to do what you want with your property, etc.)

Negative Rights

Anti-Romantic/Revolutionary/Republican Organic View of Society Conservation of Tradition -Skepticism of Change Pessimistic View of Human Nature -Belief of Law and Order -Emphasis on duties rather than rights Inequality and Hierarchy -Belief in aristocracy leading society

The Tenents of Conservatism

An ideology that defends two older traditions: fiscal conservatism (economic classical/neo liberalism) and social conservatism (traditional social values along with law and order/security)

Neo-conservatism

An ideology that believes capitalism is an economic system that creates poverty, alienation and inequality and must be replaced or modified by a more egalitarian system (common ownership, greater redistribution of public money, free public education, healthcare, and social services)

Socialism

An approach for explaining the transition from capitalism to socialism. Derived from the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the theory explains economic revolution as a function of society and the interaction between capital and labour.

Dialectical Materialism

First foundations of modern rights. Everybody is born with rights by nature: Universal, comes before state policies. It was heavily pushed by John Locke. Life, Liberty, and property. Heavily criticized by Jeremy Bentham as well as Karl Marx.

Natural Rights

Origin/source changes Content Broadens Scope Expands (Exclusive groups become included)

Evolution of rights

Written by T.H> Marshal and discussed the importance of social rights.

"Citizenship and Social Class" 1950

The idea that collective decisions are only legitimate if they are made after reasoned and detailed discussion. It requires citizens to be rational in their arguments and decision-making.

Deliberative Democracy

A political theory which explores the application of norms and values of democracy at the transnational and global sphere. It argues that global governance of the people, by the people, for the people is possible and needed. It is suggested that given that citizens of nation-states are increasingly affected, if not dominated, by forces happening beyond the boundaries of the particular nation-state within which they live, then what matters now is ensuring that global forces are controlled by democratic means.

Cosmopolitan Democracy

Made by UN to protect the rights of all humans around the world. Article 2 : Non-discrimination clause (race, gender, etc.) Article 3: Basic Rights: ‘Life, liberty and security of person.’ (Locke) Articles 4-21: Political/Civil Rights = Negative freedom - E.G. Legal rights, mobility rights, classical freedoms (mill) Article 22-26: Social/Economic rights = positive Freedom - E.G. Right to work, pay, education, shelter etc. (Green)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

Fundamental freedoms (sec.2) Democratic rights (sec.3-5) Mobility Rights (sec.6) Legal rights (sec.7-14) Equality Rights (sec.15) Linguistic Rights (sec.16-23)

Canadian Charter of Rights

Recognize of Group rights Sec.25 – Protection of Treaty Rights Sec. 27 – protection of Multi-culturalism Government can over-ride Charter Sec. 1 – reasonable limits Sec. 33 – Notwithstanding clause.

Limitations of Individual Rights in the CHOR

UK, US, Canada Single member constituency (one person representing constituency) Ballot: Voter puts one ‘X’ beside his/her choice The seat is won by the person with the most votes.

Single-member plurality system (First past the post)

Elected Seats are proportional to the popular vote. Multiple members in riding Different kinds of PR Party List System Single Transferable Vote

Proportional Representation.

Written by Alex de Tocqueville. Talks about the celebration of democracy. Democracy = ‘nation of joiners’ Democracy depends on active, engaged civil society.

"Democracy in America" 1835

Written by Gabriel Almond and Sydney Verba. Comparative Analysis of 5 Nations Three kinds of political culture Subject: citizen is aware but passive Parochial: Citizen unaware of politics Participant: Citizen aware and active Civic culture requires active citizens. USA is best example of Civic Culture.

"The Civic Culture" 1963

Written by Robert Putnam. American democracy requires engaged citizens. Decline in Civic participation in the last 40 years. 1900’s – 1960’s Increase in Service Associations 1970’s – Present – Decline in Service Associations Causes of Decline: Dual career families, television, generational change, mobility. The collapse of ‘Civil Society’ is bad for democracy.

"Bowling Alone" 2000

a general association of nation-states to make mutual guarantees concerning economic and political independence and territorial integrity, regardless of each state’s size or capacity.

League of Nations

School of thought, (sometimes also referred to as liberal realism, the International Society school or the British institutionalists) maintains that there is a 'society of states' at the international level, despite the condition of anarchy

English School

responsible for maintaining international peace and security and its functions and powers are set out accordingly. It embodies the UN’s aspirations to provide for ‘collective security’—a term encapsulating the notion that true security cannot be obtained through the practice of ‘every state for itself”.

UN security council

includes health security, employment security, environmental security, and security from crime as emerging global issues.

Human security

a theory that most of the core concepts in international relations are socially constructed. This means that they are made through social interaction and socially-applied meanings, rather than given inherent, natural value

Constructivism

An approach that seeks to challenge and critique mainstream assumptions and practices in the field of international relations.

Constructive IR theory