MIDTERM Flashcards
Define ‘Politics’
encompass human interactions aimed at making preserving and amending social rules. it is the “art of gov” or “what concerns the state”
2 facets of politics?
- members of poli comms have diff interests and values (the larger the comm, more likely to have diff interests/values)
- scarcity requires the distribution of material and non-material sources (money, rules for basic stnadard of living, scarcity means politics are somewhat necessary when taking traditional approach)
alternative visions of politics in terms of if conflict is inherent
- marxists argue that once capitalism is replaced, societies wont need politics or the state
- more optimistic visions focus on consensus and the sacred links between humans
Power and politics
power - ability to get others to do what they otherwise would not
other ways to exercise it
Webers types of authority
charismatic - now and in traditional societies. rulers didn’t have to use coercion bc charisma gained them legitimacy
traditional - royalty, commonwealth. conveyed by tradition, power passed on through tradition
legal rational- rules, constitutions ppl look to in terms of legitimacy. gives ruler ability to have power without coercion, just look to what is in writing
how do we study politics
normative - asks what ought to be. think about big picture and why we are asking these questions. shooting ideas around. example: “do states have moral obligation to accept refugees.”
empirical analysis - asks what is. what is going on in real world. “which factors are most important in determining the outcome of refugees hearings in canada?”
subfields of poli sci
political philosophy - asking what should be. classic and critical
comparative- traditional way. health care is common. compare across time to come up with arguments that hold true in some way or another. take objective and apply to big pic and vice versa
international relations - began after WW2. Interest in country to country relations. things that go on at global level
politics in global age
approach politics from domestic perspective while acknowledging interdependence when relevant
is it a science
depends on def of science
challenges
- humans are unpredictable and change minds
social science because it studies human interactions
what is political science
systematic study of politics - making of decisions that relate to the governing of a poli comm
3 faces of power
first face - ability to affect decisions. bargaining and negotiating among diff political actors
second face - ability to ensure that issues are not raised. control of the political agenda
third face - ability to affect the dominant ideas of society. assumes decisions will reflect the interests of the dominant groups bc of their ability to shape the ideas of the poli comm
fundamentalism
revival of strict religious beliefs seeking to promote the fundamental principles of the faith, including belief that sacred scriptures are the word of God and should be strictly followed
authority and legitimacy
authority - right to exercise power
legitimacy- acceptance by members of a political comm that those in position of authority have right to govern
common good and individualistic perspective
common good - what is good for entire poli comm
Individualist perspective: assume that human beings act primarily in accordance with their own interests
political ideology
provide ppl with necessary reference points for making sense of the world around them
frames the problem we want to correct and the projects we want to pursue
classic ideologies
liberalism, socialism, conservatism
liberalism origin
first political doctrine during a rising middle class challenging absolutist power and feudal privilege. prior to liberalism absoluteist rule (1 person exercised power without means of transferring it). people were born into certain type of society and that could not be changed. was argued against creating individualism
economic component took shape in early 19th century around the time industrial capitalism became dominant. extolled virtues of free market and protection of private property. private property was only thing liberalism can control
advocated rule of law
reform liberalism
‘modern’ came after WW2. promoting minimum gov intervention to help people meet basic needs. still respecting private property though. modern adaptation to how world evolved
gov regualtion
classical liberalism
accentuate individualism. (basically just reject reforms idea of minimum gov interference)
emphasizes limited gov and a free market
favour laissez-faire economic system where privately owned businesses, workers and consumers freely interact in marketplace without gov interference
liberalism
based on idea that we should have freedom to pursue what we want and not obliged to keep up with standards and norms
reason, individualism, freedoms, tolerance, rule of law, consent, equality
trudeu is not classic liberalist
neo-liberalism
based on strong belief in the free marketplace and opposition to gov intervention in the economy
why do political ideologies matter
A political ideology largely concerns itself with how to allocate power and to what ends it should be used.
modern liberalism
supports government regulation on private industry, opposes corporate monopolies, and supports labor rights
will liberalism fail?
In western world - it is dominate and influences politics and the way we talk
- Liberalism is founded on faulty assumptions
○ Society is formed because we contracted to live power - history is actually more familial then liberalism is willing to admit
○ Use natural world as canvas for own desires - consume at will, master nature instead of work with it. Historically, people worked with nature instead of against it
Encourages these flexible bonds. No need to compromise, why should we see others pov
2 faulty assumptions of liberalism
- voluntary nature of societies
- human separation from nature
what are the big 3?
conservatism, liberalism, socialism
milestones such as Industrial revolution shaped contours of these
beginning of conservatism
after French Revolution due to acceleration of economic/political change
“conserve status quo” (traditions, structures of authority)
conservatism
- tradition (look at past before make decision)
- authority
- human imperfection
- property
- hierarchy
- pragmatism (humans are imperfect and hiearchies there for reason)
new right
new right - developed as counter-revolution to growth of the welfare state and ‘progressive’ social values
- combines the promotion of free-market capitalism and limited gov and traditional cultural and moral values
- promote free market ecom and protecting property right
social conservatism
advocates public policies based on traditional moral and religious values like opposition to abortion, gay marriage and pre-marital sex
View Bible as the literal truth
Neoliberals
an advocate or supporter of free-market capitalism, deregulation, and reduction in government spending.
new classic liberals
return to classic liberalims as solution to economic (and social) problems
neoconservatism
- believe that the U.S. should take an active role in global affairs to spread democracy and counter threats, while also supporting free-market policies at home
- morality and traditions and culture is now centre stage. Hierarchy is less emphasized and stronger emphasis on past and the morals that guide and protect from humanistic desires. Emphasis on nation is importing, idea that is meaning to nation beyond boundaries of the country
- want to restore traditional values linked to family, religion and nation
welfare state
gov ensures that all people have a decent standard of living and are provided protection from hardships resulting from circumstances like unemployment, sickness, disability and old age
socialism
- Undoing the idea of private property and creating economy that is shared and cultivated by all without recognizing that we can live and share resources and be better off
- developed in reaction to rise of industrial capitalism
reformist tradition of socialism
- labelled social democracy
- reflects growing influence of the working class in capitalist ecnomies
revolutionary socialism
classical marxism and orthodox communism
classical marxism
capitalism will implode bc of its internal contradictions
- creates excess to top and bottom will think they very diff.
. Recognize they are actually similar and there will be a revolution to end capitlalsim.
Orthodox communism
took ideas from Marx and take them over and implement them through coercion
- Paying wages that are equal for equal work
This has failed - didn’t translate very well for blueprint in human society
spread to eastern europe, china and beyond
social democracy
- balance between the market and state intervention
- Believe capitalist economy can be reformed to ensure that it works for the common good - advocate greater social and economic equality to achieve a meaningful democracy
senate bill 3
legislative against drag performances
“common-sense, child safety bill”
how does populism relate to core ideologies
It emphasizes democracy by advocating for the inclusion of the common people’s voices but can undermine democratic norms if it prioritizes personal authority.
Populism often aligns with nationalism, advocating for national interests over global ones, and can adopt socialist principles by promoting wealth redistribution.
while populism can challenge liberal ideals by questioning established institutions.
populism
divides society intro ‘people’ and ‘corrupt elite’
view elites as corrupt, pops argue that gov should reflect the general will of people
Favour direct democracy and recall elections that allow voters to recall legislative representatives
right wing populism
people in ethnic terms
Attack those from diff ethnic group oe race than the majority group
Focus on cultural and identity issues than on social justice and economic equality issues
left populism
people in socioeconomic class
carbon tax case
Defining factor of populism in example
- Identify group of people as collective (commuters)
Not identifying individual concerns
Conservatives and carbon tax
- Using markets to mitigate carbon emissions
- Direct taxes vs cap and trade
○ Consumers have tax they must pay for carbon to emit (direct tax)
○ Cap and trade - not limit but individuals ca trade them freely. Pay someone for more admission credits
- Political ideology of decision-makers is one factor among many that influence outcomes
○ Beyond level of pollution and wealth in order for gov to decide
○ Hypothesis: more rightly goes, more likely to have market based approach for market taxing
○ Shift over time on how new right politician talks about carbon tax. Shows up ideology can shift
Does proving carbon along with the “new right” ideology?
state
permanent, diverse, centralization of power (president), geographic entity enjoying sovereign
A state regulates its own population and stays the same whereas government changes every few years
ex. comissioner exercises control of RCMP under direction of the Minister of Public Safety
sovereign state
- States claim to be of highest authority for their population
- States arent subject to any external authority, but expect to be able to act independently in the world
Make agreements with other states for various purposes but remain soverein because they can cancel them
government
set of institutions that makes decisions and oversees the implementation on the behalf of the state for a particular period of time
nation-states
a sovereign state whose citizens or subjects are relatively homogeneous in factors such as language or common descent.
sovereign states based on people living in a country who share a sense of being a member of a certain nation.
nation
defined as a group of people who share a sense of common identity and who typically believe they should be self-governing within their homeland.
nationalism
based on view that the nation-state is the best form of a political comm, a nation should have its own self-governing state, and that the interest, cultures and values of the nation should be promoted.
Inspired important political movements and actions
Some seek to expand boundaries and others seek independence to from their own nation-state or to achieve autonomy and degree of self-gov
ethnic nationalism
views common ancestry along with the cultural traditions and language associated with a particular ethnic group as the proper basis for a nation-state.
Can result in harassment, discrimination and oppression of those who don’t share common characteristics of dominant group.
civil nationalism
views shared political values and political history as the basis of a nation-state. Tend to be more inclusive, treats all permanent residents of a state as equal citizens regardless of characteristics
citizenship
links us to state
is less important on ways of defining people (western)
legal status and instrument of nation-building
how have i interacted with the state
school
passport office
drivers license
state formation
under pressure of war, survival depended on establishment of military and economic capabilities
tillys argument of state formation
“war made the state, and state made the war”
human attitude towards violence
get into groups, groups become bigger and begin to protect its borders
how did state system consolidate
balance of power and costs of expansion
now have own standing armies and breaking/new formation is not rlly necessary
balance of power
posture and policy of a nation or group of nations protecting itself against another nation or group of nations by matching its power against the power of the other side.
costs of expansion
its expensive to build new states so it is not as common
attributes of states
enforce laws/regulations
document population and control the border
taxation rules, collection processes
widespred legitimacy
separation of public offices from office holders
state capacity
ability of governments to effectively implement their policies and achieve their goals.
must sustainably raise sufficient resources, usually by collecting taxes; hire skilled and impartial security forces and public servants; and gather accurate information about their populations, among other things.
nightwatchman state
maintain order, enforce contacts and protect against external threats
developmental state
exercise power to pursue economic developmentso
social democratic state
intervene in economy to promote equality and social justice
GDP allows to compare money spent on social programs
Gross domestic product
jus soli and jus sanguinis
jus soli - cit awarded through birth
- popular in Canada
jus sanguini - been linked to different understandings of national identity
- linked by parents
- popular in Japan
naturalization
the admittance of a foreigner to the citizenship of a country.
this law changes the most depending on the political debates
nation-building
project to construct or rebuild a nation-state and its underlying institutions and sense of community
importance of state defining who is a citizen
gives citizens right to participate - right to vote, healthcare and education
state knows their population
citizenship tests
example of earned citizenship
let applicants learn about new home
think of elements from your crit review
how are nations different than states
A nation is a group of people with a common language, history, culture, and (usually) geographic territory. A state is an association of people characterized by formal institutions of government, including laws; permanent territorial boundaries; and sovereignty (political independence)
ethnic groups
population made up of people who share a common cultural background or descent.
can be nations but don’t have collective political aspirations
cultural perspective of a nation
each nation is a natural extension of pre-existing human societies
nations are extended ethnic group
out dated
modernization
argues that nations- and the ideology of nationalism - developed to meet the needs of industrializing societies
happens naturally
create nation out of necessity
instrumental
nations constructed as a result of elite manipulation
national identity to control population
discursive
national identities evolve through state-society interactions
putting flad up at citizenship ceremonies
people who heavily support nations is what makes nation strong
patriotism vs nationalism
P is passion for state
N is collective comm and reason why it deserves self-governance
liberal (civic) nationalism
melding of self-determination and universalism
We are a nation but it doesn’t mean that it is better or stronger then other ones. Lets make it so people can join if they want to. Still boundaries but not exclusionary. Post world war 2 era
anti-colonial
influenced by liberal nationalism but with less emphasis on individualism and more on economic and social solidarity
opposed to colonial rule of one country by another
Frame who we ‘arent’ - India remained states because of strong nationalism and movements that there was not 1 language to bond on to throw off change of colonizer . See people going to smaller ethnicities want more sovereignty
expansionist
superiority and/or entitlement
Nazis (also mix of conservatism). Belief one nation is better than others, bring people into this that don’t rlly want to. Contemporary Russia
conservative
return the nation to its “past” glory
Counter to liberal nationalism. “Make America Again” Returned to thinking of nation in the past, we must return to this glory.
Russia and special military force
Articles say:
- Putin engaged in this is because of fear of NATO expansions. Undermine Russian’s soveriegnity
- Desire to expand russian territory (socio and psychological explanations)
- Expands frame of whose involved for motivation of beyond the elite
Is there smth about content about russian nationalism about why has there been this mission?
- Great portion of pop is supportive of this
- Even with media access
Interviewing Russians across country to see if there was smth common felt within nation
- Belief that russia has national mission to expand to civilize
- Russkie culture at core and acceptance of other ethnicities
- Keeping russia together is important and paranoia that any change would lead to collapse of russia
Potential of complimentary answers to why he started mission and continue on with it
Catonia
Period with emphasis on nation-building to eliminate differences
Emphasize to what extent to people have dual identities - see they exist- hypothesis, stronger dual identity is, more stable state is. People see benefits of being part of state and feel comfy in their own groups
dual identities
involves the simultaneous activation of existing subgroup identities and a common in-group identity, for example Korean American.
how do nations emerge and can new ones emerge?
through a complex mix of historical, social, political, and economic factors.
language and collective identity
Yes, new nations can form, although it’s a complex and challenging process in the modern world. Today, the formation of new nations generally requires a combination of strong internal factors, such as a distinct identity and political unity, and external factors, like international recognition.
how does nationalism affect politics
Nationalism significantly influences politics by shaping policies, identities, and attitudes both within and between countries. Nationalism often focuses on promoting the interests of a specific nation or cultural group, and it can have both positive and negative effects, depending on how it is applied and the context.
is nationalism an ideology
yes, both simple and complex
multinationalism
recognition and support of multiple national identities within a single political state.
are multinational states stable?
stability of multinationalism depends largely on the political structure, economic conditions, and cultural relationships within a given state. While multinational states can be stable and prosperous, they also face unique challenges in maintaining unity, representation, and harmony among diverse groups.
- power sharing, identity sharing
multiculuralism
celebration and accommodation of ethnic diversity
are multiculturalism and multinationalism the same?
No but they are related
multicultural is newer. involved public funding and recognition of non-majority cultures
minority nations can proclaim and practice multicult
