Institutions and the state Flashcards
What Describes an Institution?
A pattern of repeated behaviour that adds predictability to social life.
What is a formal Institution
A codified set of rules ex. Government institutions, political parties more formally constructed and legally based.
What is an informal institution?
A set of unwritten rules that arise do to social attitudes and preferences. Ex. ethnic group.
What three things do Institutions do?
1)Structure and constraint behaviour
2)Provide tools and resources
3)Help to solve issues that require collective action and cooperation
What two ideas summarize the Structure and Agency debate?
Structure may have an impact on political outcomes but Agencies also shape political outcome
What are three components to Giddeon’s Structration theory?
System
structure
structration
In Giddeons model system refers to?
The political system
In Giddeons model structure refers to?
Political institutions
In Giddeons model Structration is?
The factors that provide resources for change in the operation of the political system
What does state capacity refer to?
The ability of a government to administer and it’s territory effectively.
Describe “The state”
Highest level of sovereignty that a region / territory can achieve. The state it’s self can be described as numerous institutions working together to maintain stability and order
What 4 ways does state capacity come in?
Extractive capacity
steering capacity
legitimation capacity
coercive capacity
Who said “War made the state and the state made war”?
Tilly, 1975
When did the modern state emerge?
The 17th century
What are some consequences to state development?
When modern states arise permanent beuracracies tend to follow
What are some negative but key aspects of the modern state?
1)Impersonal
2)Rule-based
3)Goal oriented
4)merit and performance based promotion
What was the point of colonialism? What were some of its impacts?
Was meant to be extractive and provide more resources for the colonizing nation. Because of this Europeon bureaucratic structure as well as their institutions were adopted by post colonial nations.
What is a patrimonial state?
A state in which the ruler claims the realm or territory as their own personal property - problematic ideology low key
Why did countries adopt the western state model for themselves? What did this create?
To compete with Europe , it created a state system that branched globally
What are the two functions or roles of the modern state?
Internal - the state acts as a tool
External - the state manages relations with other states and protects it’s population from forge in affairs
What 3 things do string states have the capacity to do?
Provide human security
Posses Predictable ways of adjusting
freedom of participation tolerance for dissent civil and human rights
What is law boundedness a major factor of?
The idea of the modern state
Before the state what existed as the source of law?
Religion or clan groups
What is legal positivism?
It is summarized as the western perception that law is what the state says it is
Secularism
The idea and practice of separating legislative powers from religion to the state
What is the rule of law?
The rule that society is expected to obey the law and no one member of its ranks resides above it.
What are legislators?
Law making bodies
What 3 things do laws determine?
Criminal behaviour
punishments for criminals
Impartial rules for adjudication of disputes
What are the two uses for a constitution?
Denotes the overall structure of a political system
It outlines the institutions of the state the procedure for changing them and the basic rights and obligations of it’s citizens
When did Canada get it’s constitution and the charter of rights and freedoms?
1982, when the Canada act was implemented
What did the Canada act do?
Made it so that Canada could implement its own laws without having to get parliamentary approval from Britain.
What is Judical review
The ability to challenge government decisions through the court
What do all States have?
Courts specifically designed for the adjudication of constitutional laws.
What is federalism
It is the division of power between and responsibility to different authorities in states.
what are three reasons to implement federalism
Geographical locations - local givernmanets make regional control easier
Diversity of population - Guarantees minority groups government representation
Asymmetrical Federalism - Denotes certain level of autonomy to certain regions
