Final Flashcards
What is politics
-the study of power
-concerned with collective decision making
-a social activity
Two main concerns for politics
- What are the appropriate limits of the political realm?
- Is politics concerned with cooperation or conflict?
Political thinking:
A problem/issue/puzzle
Competing views on how to analyze the issue
Expensive political view
Everything is political, the personal is political
Narrow political view
Politics concern the functioning of the city, focus on public life. The boundaries of public life is still being disputed.
Warner on gender and
Sexuality
The personal is political = an social arrangements are power-laden
Warners is politics concerned with cooperation or conflicts.
Conflict seems inevitable as society contains different interests and values
3 big political questions to follow
- What values should political decisions serve?
- Who does/should make the decisions?
- How should the decisions be enforced?
Reading for political life
Micheal warner
3 approaches for the study of politics
- Normative
- Empirical
- Semantic
Normative analysis
Questions about values = what kind of society should we want or value?
Necessary to the function of politics
Empirical analysis
Indetifying observable phenomena
About how things are not now the ought to be
Semantic analysis
Focuses on the meaning of concepts- their origins and why/how we use them.
2 major approaches of empirical thinking
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning:
Creates theories from first principles
EX: rational choice theory
Inductive reasoning
Generalizations drawn from empirical observations
EX: behaviourism
What is the state?
A political community where a single mechanism exercises supreme authority within a given territory
The concept of the state varies across space and time.
What historical event is associated with the Treaty of Westphalia?
Response to decades of conflicts in Europe, enshrined norms of non-interference
The European model of the state was later exported, often by force through colonialism.
What are the three characteristics of the state according to Weber?
- Bounded territory
- Ultimate authority
- Ability to use force
Weber’s definition emphasizes the state’s structural attributes.
According to Marx, what is the state?
An apparatus (‘superstructure’) that produces and protects capitalism (‘mode of production’)
Marx argues that the primary function of the state is to entrench and enforce class relations.
How do Weber and Marx differ in their descriptions of the state?
- Weber: State as an apparatus of power
- Marx: State as a result of power
This highlights their differing perspectives on the nature and function of the state.
What is Locke’s primary purpose for the state?
To protect private property
Locke’s view emphasizes the state’s role in safeguarding individual rights and property.
Fill in the blank: The state varies across _______ and _______.
[space] and [time]
True or False: The Treaty of Westphalia established norms of interference among European states.
False
The Treaty established norms of non-interference.
What pressures exist on Weber’s definition of the state?
Various interpretations and critiques, particularly from Marxist perspectives
The definition of the state is subject to debate and can vary based on theoretical frameworks.
What is political theory?
Theories that ask questions about governance, institutions, and societal ideals
Key questions include virtues required for good governance, necessary institutions for a good society, and the ideals a good society should promote.
What virtues does good governance require according to political theory?
Strong, capable, courageous, seeking glory
These virtues reflect a Roman sense of virtue as discussed by Machiavelli.
Who wrote ‘The Prince’?
Machiavelli
Machiavelli wrote ‘The Prince’ while he was in exile and focused on the traits a virtuous prince should possess.
What is the significance of context in understanding historical thought?
We cannot understand historical thought without its context
This lesson is emphasized in Machiavelli’s work.
Who is associated with the concept of the ‘Veil of Ignorance’?
Rawls
John Rawls introduced the ‘Veil of Ignorance’ as a way to consider principles of justice.
What does the ‘Veil of Ignorance’ ask individuals to consider?
How to set up the institutions of society without knowledge of personal circumstances
This includes ignorance of place in society, class, social status, wealth, talents, natural abilities, opinions about good/justice/values, and levels of optimism/pessimism/risk-taking.
What personal characteristics are obscured behind the ‘Veil of Ignorance’?
Place in society, class, social status, wealth, talents, natural abilities, opinion about good/justice/values, natural levels of optimism/pessimism/risk-taking
This obscurity is essential for fair decision-making in creating a just society.
Fill in the blank: Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’ emphasizes the importance of a virtuous _______.
[prince]
True or False: The ‘Veil of Ignorance’ allows individuals to consider their social status when designing societal institutions.
False
The concept specifically removes knowledge of social status to promote fairness.
What are the basic facts about humans?
Humans need to eat and cannot fly
These are fundamental biological and physical characteristics of humans.
What are some basic facts about human psychology?
Humans are roughly equal, have likes/dislikes, and have beliefs
This highlights the shared traits and individual preferences of humans.
What does moderate scarcity imply?
We do not have unlimited material resources
This concept emphasizes the limitations of resources available to society.
What are the two basic principles of Rawls’ view?
- Equal basic liberty
- Equal offices
These principles advocate for fairness and equality in society as articulated by philosopher John Rawls.
What is the difference principle according to Rawls?
It allows for social and economic inequalities only if they benefit the least advantaged members of society
This principle is part of Rawls’ theory of justice.
Why have a state and a government?
To exert power
This highlights the necessity of governance for maintaining order and authority in society.
True or False: Power equals authority.
False
Power refers to the ability to coerce, while authority is recognized and accepted power.
What does power impress?
Coercion
This emphasizes the forceful aspect of power in social dynamics.
What does authority not do?
Impress coercion
Authority relies on legitimacy rather than force.
What is legitimate political authority?
The right to command and the right to be obeyed
Distinct from power, which is the ability to compel compliance.
What is de jure authority synonymous with?
Political authority
De jure authority is recognized as legitimate.
What compels de facto authority?
Force
An example is a mugger, who uses force to compel compliance.
Define autonomy in the context of political authority.
Freedom to govern oneself combined with responsibility to use our reason
Autonomy assumes that individuals have an obligation to use their reason.
What are the assumptions of autonomy?
- Obligation to use reason
- Humans are responsible for their actions
- Responsibility requires consideration of one’s actions
This includes self-legislating.
What is the problem with authority and autonomy for Wolff?
Humans are defined by their autonomy, while the state is defined through its authority
There is no clear room for reconciliation.
What are the reasons we obey authority?
- Tradition
- Official positions
- Extraordinary characteristics
These factors influence compliance with authority.
What does the State of Nature refer to?
A pre-social state of affairs
It varies enormously amongst thinkers.
What is the Social Contract?
A thought exercise that can be real or hypothetical
It explores the legitimacy of political authority.
Define consent in the context of political authority.
Agreeable or favourable disposition to a proposition
Consent can be hypothetical, tacit, or explicit.
What is hypothetical consent?
Consent that never really happened
It raises questions about what people would consent to.
What is tacit consent?
Silent or unspoken consent
It implies agreement without verbal acknowledgment.
What is explicit consent?
Defined articulation of consent
It involves clear communication of agreement.
What was Thomas Hobbes’ view of the state of nature?
A horrible place where life is ‘nasty, brutish, and short’
This view underscores the need for social contracts.
Why do we need a contract according to Hobbes?
To create stability
The contract requires majority consent to give authority to the sovereign.
What does Hobbes’ contract require?
Majority consent to give authority to sovereign
It involves acquisition of the sovereign’s authority.
What were John Locke’s natural laws?
- Duty not to harm others
- Duty to preserve self
- Duty to preserve others wherever possible
These laws govern human interactions in Locke’s state of nature.
Why do we need a contract according to Locke?
It is inconvenient to obey three natural laws
The contract requires unanimous individual consent.
What do Wolff, Locke, and Hobbes recognize?
Conflict between people and authority
Each philosopher offers a different solution to this conflict.
What is Wolff’s stance on political authority?
No legitimate political authority, but states are important/fact of life
This perspective emphasizes the conflict between autonomy and authority.
What is Hobbes’ solution to the conflict between people and authority?
Consent, probably a monarch
Hobbes believes in a strong sovereign to maintain order.
What is Locke’s solution to the conflict between people and authority?
Consent with results varying
Locke emphasizes individual rights and collective agreement.
Define democracy
- no universally accepted definition
- promotion of common good and political equality
Competing theories of democracy
I. Protective theory
2. Participation theory
3. Deliberative democracy
protective theory
Direct democracy is unrealistic/ undesirable
Participatory theory
Active participation creates better citizens
Deliberative democracy
Debate increases legitimacy of democratic designs
3 ways of evaluating democracy
- Is it good in itself
- is it good for it’s effects
- does it have good side effects
Who writes for democracy
Sen
What is a universal value
Doesn’t need to be accepted by everyone but everyone has a reason to accept it
Why is ideology important?
- Very influential
-Organizes our interpretations of facts/ events/ actions
What is a political ideology
A set of ideas, beliefs, opinions, and values that:
-Demonstrate a recurring pattern
- are held by significant groups
- aim to influence the public
The left-right spectrum
- Attempt to impose clarity for ideologies
What is ideological denial
- For many, ideology is a bad word
- some deny that they are ideologies at all
Ideologies terminology
- They seek to control political languageand interpret them differently
- they are political tools and not rigorous.
Marxism defined
Critiques capitalism, main focuses on class struggle and economic relations
Aiming for a classless and a stateless society
Liberalism core principles
- Liberty, individualism, freedom, equality, toleration, consent
Morally neutral
3 types of liberalism
- Classical liberalism( limited role of state)
- Modern liberalism ( more sympathetic to state intervention)
- Neoliberalism (return to classic liberalism)
Are there alternatives to liberalism
No real alternatives
How does Brooks characterize conservatism
- Sentiment over reason, trust in emotional responses and values cultural wisdom
- not limited to institutions, includes Development of good citizens
What is Brook’s core arguments
- American conservatism is in tension with itself
- values stability and change and is materialist and morally rooted
What reasons does BrookS offer to answer ‘how did conservatism devolve into trumpism’
Race, economics, loss of national confidence
Conservatism core values
Value tradition, anxiety about charge, authority, hierarchy ,human perfection ,property
Socialism core principels
Community, equality, social class, common ownership
Nationalism
Sole focus on the rule of the nation (thin ideology)
Populism
- Anti - elite, identifies with the people, claim that people of power are damaging the people’s interests.
Anarchism
Rejection of state, societybased on agreement and cooperation
Feminism
- Gender inequality is unjust
- critiques the way ideologies are mapped
Are political parties and ideologies always in line with eachother
No!
What is the main goal of identity politics
Self determination for a specific identity group
What are 2 main beliefs underlying identity politics
- Identities are repositories of knowledge
- An o pressed group must lead their own liberation
What is intersectionality in the context of identity politics
The idea that no axis of identity can be understood separately from others
What makes race political?
Race is undeniably political, both in it’s consents and consequences
What is the problem of strategic essentialism in identity politics
Using simplified definitions of identity for strategic purposes, which man ignore complex intersectionality of identities.
How does identity politics relate to liberal ideals
Identity politics is generally seen as an extension of liberal ideas, focusing on libration for marginalized groups
How is race defined?
Race is socially constructed over time, and it is conceptually fuzzy with subjective self- identification
Why is collecting data based on race important?
It aids in recognition, but requires the creation of categories, with benefits likely out-weighing the harm
What are 2 pervasive ideas in Canadian political science regarding race?
- the 2 founding nations and anti- Americanism
What is the main critique of focusing on elites/institutions in Canadian political science?
Minorities are underrepresented in studies that focus on elites/institutions
Key take away from identity politics
Identities matter, are mutable, and identity politics is held to different standards than other approaches
What’s the critical question raised about identities in identity politics?
Are identities real?
They are socially constructed and embody social facts about ourselves and the world.
What’s the recommended direction for future political science work on race in Canada
Reconsider the focus on elites and institutions, and recognize the pervasiveness of race across subfeilds.
What is political culture?
A shared way of life, including ideas values beliefs and orientations toward the political sy stem, distinct from public opinion
Why is political culture important?
It explains the differences between people and states, why some groups hold power, and a regime’s legitimacy
What conceptual challenges exist when studying political culture?
Incorrect assumptions about a single political culture unclear relationships between altitudes and institutions, and the reciprocal influence of culture and the state
What puzzle does the study by Banting, harell, and kymlicka adress
It addresses the marginalization of minorities within national communities and explores whether inclusion is possible under certain conditions
What method did Banting, Harrell, and Kymlicka use in their study
They used an experimental survey with 1200 participants Te test responses from various groups including, seniors,French speaking quebeckers, immigrants, and aboriginal peoples
What were the findings on the study on minorities claim making
Minority groups face membership penalties, with their right to make claims seen as lower than the majority
What lingering normative issue did the study identify
Why should the legitimacy of minorities be dictated by majority perceptions?
What are the key difference between multiculturalism and assimilation
Multiculturalism celebrates and affirms diversity
Assimilation seeks Te bread individuals into a single national culture
When did Canada establish it’s multicultural policy
Muticuturaism joining the charter in 1982 and the multiculturalism act in 1988
What is kumiicka’s approach to balancingmulticulturalism with liberalism
Reconciles liberalism with multiculturalism by arguing that culture enables individual autonomy and is valuable for self- respect
What shift occurred in Canadas treatment of immigrants/ ethic groups
The assimilationist approach was replaced by a point-system and multicultural integration
What is a Key claim of indigenous groups in Canada?
The key claim is self-determinations moving from paternalism to self-government
What was the impact of the quiet revolution in Quebec?
It led to linguistic equality for French speakers, cumulating in the official language act of 1969
What are the critiques of multiculturalism according to guy rocher?
Rocker argues that muticulturaism undermines Canada’s bicultural und binational nature - serving as a front for engish-language assimilation
What are some achievements and challenges of Canadian multiculturalism?
Achievements include recognition of demographic diversity and a shift towards heterogeneity.
Challenges include obscuring structural inequities and maintaining a vertical mosaic of inequalities
What are some critiques of multiculturalism
It reinforces essentialist views of culture ,threatens political stability, and can lead to social breakdown
