Exam 1 Flashcards
What is the definition of politics?
All the relations, processes and values associated with the practice of a government. (RPV)
What is the definition of political science?
The systematic and scientific study of politics.
Relationship between politics and political science?
Politics is what political scientists study
What is Max Weber’s definition of the state?
A human community that successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.
According to Max Weber, what is the relationship between the state and politics?
A relation of men dominating men, a relation supported by means of legitimate violence.
What are the main tasks of political science?
Ethical Recommendation
Empirical Understanding
Prudential Judgement
What is ethical recommendation?
How things should be (ideally)
What is Empirical understanding?
How things are
What is Prudential judgement?
How things can be (realistically)
What are the 7 steps of scientific inquiry?
- Formulating a research question
- Developing a theory
- Identifying the variables
- Operationalizing the variables
- Generating hypotheses
- Testing hypothesis with evidence
- Reporting results
What is positivism?
Knowledge can only be derived from observation.
What is behavioralism?
Purpose of scientific inquiry is to discover observable patterns of behavior.
Which are the main 4 subdisciplines of poli-sci?
- Political theory and philosophy
- American Politics
- Comparative politics
- International politics
Which are true of Plato?
Famous work: The Republic
Ideal regime: Aristocracy
Idealistic
Which are true of Aristotle?
Famous work: Politics
Ideal regime: Polity
Realistic
What is true of Augustine of Hippo?
Famous work: City of God
Which are true of Thomas Aquinas?
Famous work: Summa Theologica
Modern constitutionalism
Which are true of Niccolo Machiavelli?
Famous works: The Prince, Discourses on Civil Liberty; Civic virtue
Ideal regime: A virtuous republic
Which are true of Thomas Hobbes? hint (THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORISTS)
Famous work: The Leviathon (people make up the government)
Ideal regime: Government by a sovereign (monarch of parliament)
Human beings are materialistic and selfish by nature
State of nature: state of war
Social contract: people delegate to a sovereign power the right to maintain social peace.
Which are true of John Locke? Hint they are social contract theorists
Famous work: Two Treatises of Government
State of nature: people have natural inalienable rights to life, liberty and property
Social contract: people give gov’t right to protect their individual rights
Which are true of Jean-Jacques Rousseau? hint he’s a social contract theorist
Famous work: The Social Contract
Social contract: Government acts on behalf of the people and the general will
Which are true of Edmund Burke?
Famous work: Reflections on the Revolution in France
Founder of modern conservatism
Which are true of Mary Wollstonecraft?
Famous works: A Vindication of the Rights of Man, Vindication of Rights of Women
Feminism and the rights of women
Which are true of John Stuart Mill? hint :(
Famous works: On Liberty, Considerations on Representative Government
Ideal regime: Representative, constitutional government that maximizes happiness
Utilitarianism: Society’s goal to maximize happiness
What is the definition of political ideology?
The beliefs and practices that guide political actors in political communities
What is the definition of liberal democracy?
Constitutional government characterized by popular rule, protection of basic rights, and political and economic competitions.
What is classic liberalism?
Limited government, not absolute, not arbitrary, protects basic rights
What is democracy?
Government by the many
What are the main features of liberal democracy?
- Popular government
- Rights-respecting government
- Constitutional government
- Representative government
- Responsible government
- General welfare government
What are the ideals of modern liberals in America?
- Willing to employ gov’t power
- Gov’t responsible to help disadvantaged groups
- Fast change
- Progressive and non-religious
What are the ideals of modern conservatives in America?
- Market mechanism serves political, social and economic ends
- Gov’t guarantees equality of opportunity for disadvantaged individuals
- Slow change
- Traditional and religious
What is the relationship between nationalism and liberal democracy?
- Liberal democratic ideas sparked movements of national self-determination
- People of some nation decide own affairs
What is the relationship between capitalism and the establishment of liberal democracy?
- Developed together
- Agree on need for limits on gov’t activity
- Recognize importance of the middle class
- At odds when distribution of income favors
What works is Karl Marx famous for?
The Communist Manifesto and The Capital
What is the role of social class in Marxist philosophy?
Determines who controls “means of production” (land, capital)
What are the core ideas of Marxism
- Class struggle: human socieites divided into classes over “means of production”
- Dialectical change: societies transition between socio-economic systems
- Historic materialism
What does “means of production” mean?
Some classes have control over land, and some have control over capital
What were Vladmir Llyich Lenin’s main contributions to communism?
Advocated a one party state
the social and intellectual “vanguard” that guides society to communism
What were Joseph Stalin’s main contributions to communism?
Communism can be confined and developed in one country
What were Mao Zedong’s main contributions to communism?
Farmers, not just industrial workers are important for Communist change.
What is the main Marxist critique of capitalism and democracy?
Capitalism allows for class interests to be in constant conflict
What is the definition of authoritarianism?
a type of political organization, a category of regimes* (which are set of rules)
What is the relationship between authoritarianism and ideologies?
Government by some!!
What is a dictatorship?
A type of authoritarian regime
Extreme concentration of power in the hands of one person (dictator) or a very small group of people.
Ex: Nazi Germany
What is a totalitarian regime?
Extreme case of authoritarian regime
The state controls every aspect of public and private life.
Ex: North Korea
What is fascism and what is its relationship with authoritarianism?
An example of a dictatorial and totalitarianism regime.
What were the main ideas of fascism in Germany in the 1930s and 40s?
Strong dictatorial leadership
Total control of private and public life
Glorification of the nation state
Racial superiority and anti-semitism
Imperialism and state-expansion
What is Caramani’s party competition model?
Parties mediate between the people and the government
What is Caramani’s populist model?
The government expresses the presumed will of the people
What is Caramani’s technocratic model?
Interest of the people: identified through rational and scientific methods
What are the critiques of the party competition model by supporters of the populist and technocratic models?
Not responsible, represents the state and not the people.
What are the main ideas/features of social democracy?
Ideology “in the middle”
combines elements of liberal democracy and marxism
1. Liberal democratic principles
2. Egalitarianism
3. Government ownership of key industries
4. Promotion of extensive welfare state
How is equality understood in social democratic ideology?
Welfare state creates economic equality
What are the similarities and differences between Social Democracy, Marxism and Liberal Democracy?
A compromise between liberal & marxist principles
- limited gov’t
- free market & capitalism
- political equality
- gov’t ownership of industries
- extensive provision of welfare
- economic equality
