INTRO TO POLITICS

Question 1

Politics as the art of government.

Answer 1

The view that politics is about the role and activities of running a country (or an area) carried out by politicians.

Question 2

Politics as ‘public affairs’

Answer 2

The view that politics is about the issues that concern the public and the way ordinary citizens get involved in running a country and influencing government decisions.

Question 3

Politics as compromise and consensus

Answer 3

The view that politics is about resolving conflict and competing interest through negotiation

Question 4

Politics as Power

Answer 4

This is the view that politics extends to all aspects of human existence.

Politics is not confined to a particular sphere (government or public realms). Rather it is about who gets makes the decisions and who can change the behaviour of others to do what they want.

Politics takes place at every level. In families, the school yard and within friendship groups just as much as amongst states.

Question 5

Define Authority

Answer 5

Authority is power that is perceived as legitimate by the social structure.

Question 6

Define Power

Answer 6

Power is the ability to influence the behaviour of people.

Question 7

How many bases of Power are there?

Answer 7

Legitimate Power
Referent Power
Expert Power
Reward Power
Coercive Power

Question 8

Legitimate Power

Answer 8

This is also call positional power because the holder has been awarded a formal position of power (legitimately) i.e. politician, CEO of a company, school principal etc.

Question 9

Referent Power

Answer 9

Ability to get people to do what the power holder wants due to their charisma, personality, popularity and the admiration people have for them via attracting loyalty from their admirers.

Advertising has long used this power. Notions of Nationalism and Patriotism are less obvious examples of referent power.

Question 10

Expert Power

Answer 10

Use of expertise, skills, talents or knowledge to gain the trust and respect of people in order to get people to do what the power holder wants.

Question 10

Reward Power

Answer 10

Using benefits, incentives, increases in pay or responsibility to get people to do what the power holder wants.

Question 11

Coercive Power

Answer 11

Use of negative actions such as punishment or withholding of rewards to force people to do what you want. Uses fear of negative action or use of actual action to pressure someone to behave how the power holder wants.

Question 12

What are the 4 categories of power

Answer 12

Superpower
Great Power
Regional Power
Middle Power

Question 13

Superpower

Answer 13

A great power plus great mobility of power’ (Fox 1944). British Empire, Soviet Union and USA. Today only the USA is a Superpower.

Question 14

Great Power

Answer 14

Nations that have strong political, cultural and economic influence over nations around them and across the world.

Question 15

Regional Power

Answer 15

Nations that have influence and power within a region.

Question 16

Middle Power

Answer 16

(Subjective) Second-tier nations that could not be described as regional powers but that exert a degree of influence within their region.

Question 17

Political and Legal Power

Answer 17

The use of laws by governments to regulate society.

Power is exercised by the coercive power of the state through the ability to enforce laws through policing and the law (fine and the courts).

Question 18

Economic Power

Answer 18

The use of money or financial inducements to control a person or group.

Power is exercised through taxation, economic sanctions, foreign aid, loans or trade barriers (Tariffs).

Question 19

Military power

Answer 19

The use of coercive force to control a situation within or outside a state.

Within a state might be for civil unrest or natural disaster. Externally in relation to events inside another country’s borders. Peacekeeping or war.

Question 20

Social or cultural power

Answer 20

The way certain values, traditions, lifestyle or language may impact on the way people live or view themselves. This can be at a personal, national or global level.

Question 21

Psychological power

Answer 21

This is the way that thought is controlled in particular situations. Businesses use advertising for this. Governments and interest groups use propaganda. Fake news is also a form of this.

Question 22

Soft power

Answer 22

These are attractive tactics through
- Diplomacy
- Good example
- Appeal to commonly held values
- Propaganda

Question 23

Hard Power

Answer 23

These are coercive tactics.
- The threat or use of force
- Economic pressure or sanctions
- Assassination
- Subterfuge (Maskirovka)