Lecture 2 Flashcards
Power (to)
the capacity to bring about intended effects;
ability to achieve goals
Power (over)
forceful mode of influence; focuses on
relationships
“the ability to influence or force others to do something that
would not otherwise have done”
Three dimensions of power
• Power as decision-making: who prevails when
preferences conflict? (Dahl, 1961)
• Power as agenda setting: who controls whether
preferences are expressed? (Bachrach & Baratz, 1962)
• Power as thought control: who shapes preferences?
(Lukes, 1974)
political power
the ability held by individuals and groups in a society that
allows them to create and enforce laws and policies for the
community
authority
the right to exercise power and influence of a particular position that
comes with that position
Legitimacy
• citizens’ belief that the power-holders have the right to exercise
power and authority
• Different from Legality (being lawful)
Jurisdiction
the territory or sphere of activity over which the legal authority of
(political) power extends
Legislative
the power to make laws and policies
Executive
the power to put plans, policies, or laws into
effect and enforce them
Judiciary
he power to interpret laws and punish who
break them
Heredity
power and authority is passed on to one who is a member of (royal) family
Affiliation
power and authority is passed among members
of a group/party
Election
power-holders are chosen by an electoral process
State
a territory containing a population and marked by borders,
having the legal and political authority known as government, that is
regarded as both sovereign by the citizens of the state and the
governments of other states.
people/Citizen
mass of population living within the state
Territory
fixed portion of the surface of the earth inhabited by
the people of the state
Government
managing authority through which the will of the
state is formulated, expressed and carried out
consists of institutions responsible for making
collective decisions for society
Sovereignty
he supreme source of authority of the state to
command and enforce obedience (internal sovereignty); which is
recognized by other states (external sovereignty)
Citizen
A full member of a state, entitled to the rights and subject to
duties associated with that state
Nation-State (Sovereign-State)
Autonomous political community whose citizens share a common national identity
Multinational State
a range of national identities under a single government e.g. United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium
Two conceptions of the state
Natural rights (by John Locke)
• Citizens posses natural right to life, liberty and property, given by
God or by nature
• Must be protected by law and limit the authority of government;
state as problem
• Underpinning the American revolution and constitution
General will (by Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
• Citizens make decisions for the good of society as a whole
• Empowered government; state as solution
• Underpinning the French revolution and constitution
Westphalian system
the modern state system emerged after 1648 Peace of
Westphalia, based on sovereignty of states and political self-determination
Criticism of the State
• Imposing unnecessary divisions on human society.
• Having a history of going to war with each other.
• Limiting the free movement of people and capital.
• Pursuing state interests at the expense of human interests.
• Allowing exclusion to dominate over inclusion.
• Promoting narrow identities at the expense of broader identities.
• Poor record of working with other states to address shared problems
such as terrorism, trans-boundary pollution, illegal immigration, and
the spread of disease.
Globalization
Process by which links between people, corporations, and
governments in different states become integrated through
trade, investment, and technology
Intergovernmental Organizations
bodies whose
members are multiple states
Political System/ Regime
Interactions and organizations,
including but not restricted to government, through which
collective decisions are made and enforced
(Liberal) Democracy
• Representative and limited government based on formal
laws and rules
• Guarantee of civil liberties and individual rights (freedom of
expression, association)
• Free and fair elections based on universal suffrage, party
competition and political pluralism
• Systems of checks and balances
• Independent media and public access to information for
‘enlightened understanding’
Authoritarian regime
• Rulers above the law and not accountable
• Political and individual rights (freedom of expression,
association) are violated
• No elections or show/sham elections
• Political participation is limited and discouraged
• Independent parties are banned
• The media are controlled
Hybrid regime (anocracy or competitive authoritarianism)
• Combination of democratic and authoritarian elements
• Rulers are elected in a competitive (but not fee) elections
• Rulers exploit their position and interfere media to keep their
opponents off-balance
• Rule of law and checks and balances (e.g. Judiciary) are
weak
• Individual rights are poorly established
Indexes for classifying political systems
- Freedom in the World index
- Democracy index
- V-dem project
