Domestic politics Flashcards
Simplification
Lot of scholars explain why they do simplification: believe that it is interesting to focus on the state alone rather than take into account everything that is happening internally.
We have to make simplifications cause otherwise the whole truth is too complicated ?
Causality
We all make assumptions about the world, we can’t problematize/explain everything: assumptions are usually not correct but that’s okay. Causality for ex is only in our brains; in fact, everything cause something. Causality is a way to see the world and to make sense of it in order to live.
A. Moravcsik
Internal actors within states use states so their interests are satisfied more efficiently. National interest doesn’t exist. There are only private interests and the state serves private interest of the dominate private actors.
Lobbies
A lobby is a way for a small group of people to have their interest satisfied: we believe it is very close to privileges: seen as contrary to our democratic process. Lobbying is a legitimate way to push your agenda.
Importance of lobbies in the US: Mearsheimer & Waltz
loose coalition of individuals and organization that actively work to shape US foreign policy.
6 diff factors: influence voting and the result of voting - money - efficient organization - no good competition - good in public discourse - many people sympathetic to the lobby in position of power.
Administration
If you interview a policy maker after their time in office, they would say their stronger factor that made it difficult for them was bureaucracy.
A state is organized: has many ministries, institutions and each of them focus on specific issues with their own staff.
Most of the time, administrations are formed to apply the rules. Conventions, procedures, rules are diff for each administrations.
Bureaucracy
No improvisation in bureaucracy. Bureaucratic system is basically inert.
If you want bureaucracy to change, you can try, but time & ressources in office are limited, should carefully choose the issues you want to change. Most of the time, if you fight against bureaucracy, you loose.
