Mid-term Flashcards
What are 3 things that connect societies?
geography, culture, history
What can you use to differentiate between societies?
language, religion and customs
What are the 3 main reasons why our world is becoming more and more interconnected?
-technology, migration, trade
What is a Canadian example of a distinct group that is different than the rest of Canada?
The Quebecois
What is an institution and give an example?
a permanent aspect of society
ex: House of Commons
What are the 5 main functions of government?
- protect citizens from external attacks
- enforcement of societal norms
- settling disputes
- promote economic growth
- provide basic standard of living
What are the 4 characteristics of government?
- not permanent
- not all governments are the same
- tied to a legislature
- not all are positive
What is the main political divide that exists?
Between those who prefer liberty over equality and those who prefer equality over liberty
What is the difference between power and authority?
Power is using force or threat of force to make people do what you want. Authority is when the people see you as legitimate so they allow you to rule
What is normative analysis?
evaluating to figure out what is right and wrong and to find out whether a certain action can be justified or not.
What is semantic analysis?
Examining the meaning, origin why and how we use concepts
What is the etymology of the word politics?
comes from the greek word polis meaning city-state
How did Bertrand de Jouvenal define politics?
mobilizing support for a political issue
How did David Easton define politics?
the resolution of dispute and conflict
What is the feedback loop in David Easton’s concept of politics?
repeating the process of conflict resolution until people are happy, we are always in a feedback loop
What did Alan Ball focus on in his research?
conflict
How did Harold Lasswell describe politics?
Who gets what, when, where and how
What are the 2 main forms of formal alliances?
- international agreement
- coalition
When and where did the first sovereign states appear?
15th and 16th century in Europe
What is the difference between de jure and de facto sovereignty?
de jure is the legal right to rule supremely
de facto is your actual ability to do so
What is a night-watchman state?
government is heavily involved on external and internal security, but plays a small role in civil society
What is a night-watchman state similar to?
classical liberalism
What is a developmental state/illiberal democracy?
strong relationship between the state and private economic institutions
What is a social democracy?
welfare state, little development
What is pluralism?
the idea that there should be a diverse and competing centers of power in society
What are the 2 different kinds of interest groups and give a definition?
Sectional: protecting the interests of their members
Promotional: promote the interests of a marginalized group or an ideal such as the environment
What is elitism/elite pluralism?
the idea that a select group of elite individuals are better to lead a society than anyone else
What is corporatism?
organization of society by corporate groups
What is utilitarianism?
the legitimacy of a government should be judged by how happy it’s citizens are
What are Mass Politics?
mobilizing groups in support of a political issue
What do you need in order to exercise authority?
Legitimacy
What do you need in order to have legitimacy?
- respect for the source of command
- sense of duty to follow command