Midterm quiz Flashcards
State of nature
the real or hypothetical condition of human beings before or without political association
The Transition to State (Hobbes)
For Hobbes, the first step to the state derives from reason. The transition to the state is a necessity to get out of a state of destruction and anarchy. In order to ensure a peaceful life within the State, man must therefore forego his natural right.
The Transition to State (Locke)
For Locke, the transition to the state for occurs when justice is impartial. Before establishing consent between people, there is transmission in a state of their natural rights in return for justice. It relies, as in Hobbes, on the rule of the majority.
The Transition to State (Rousseau)
Rousseau tells us that it is private property that ends the state of nature. Asocial contract is a necessary precondition for the creation and legitimacy of property rights
state
*Is the organization that maintains a monopoly of violence over a territory. (Weber).
*The monopoly of force over a given territory.
*A set of political institutions to generate and carry out policy. *Typically, highly institutionalized.
*Sovereign.
*Characterized by such institutions as an army, police, taxation, a judiciary, and a social welfare system
Regime
is defined as the fundamental rules and norms of politics
Government
is the leadership or elite in charge of running the state
State, Regime, Government
Governments are less institutionalized than states
The Diversity of States
*Big & small states:
*Vatican City -smallest legally independent entity in geographic size and population
*Russia -largest landmass
*China and India -largest populations
*Political implications of geographic and population size?
*Big countries not always most important
*Small ones can be: Cuba, Israel, Vatican City
*Area and population do not determine a country’s political system.
*Geographic location can have strategic implications.
Concepts The Modern State
*The Modern State
*The most important form of political organization in modern politics
*In its ideal form, is characterized by centralized control of the use of force, bureaucratic organization, and the provision of public goods
Concepts (State Capacity )
State Capacity
The ability of the state to achieve its objectives:
*Control violence
*Tax the population (as needed for public functions)
*Maintain institutions and rule of law
Concepts (Failed State)
Failed States State that cannot or does not perform its expected functions (this is also a basic lack of “state capacity”)
Concepts (The State–Society Relationship )
The State–Society Relationship
Well-functioning states are fairly autonomous yet are responsive to civil society
Characteristics of Modern States
Bureaucracy A form of organization that has individuals operating and working under established, specified, and often complex rules
Impersonality States identified with institutions rather than the personalities of their leaders
Sovereignty States are the ultimate authority within their specifically demarcated territories.
Several Traditional functions that most modern states perform
Defense
Policing
Taxation
Order Administration, and “Legibility”
*Mapping and Territory Management
*Property Regulation
*Censuses, Migration Control
*Administration of State Resources
*Catalog Beliefs and Values
Causes and Effects: Why Do States Emerge?
Political/Conflict Theories
Political/Conflict Theories
- “War made the state” (Charles Tilly)
- For states to emerge, several factors needed: Centralized authority, Ability to tax population to raise revenue, Ability to mobilize population for collective projects
- Wars served all these purposes and led to rise of states
Causes and Effects:Why Do States Emerge?
Political/Conflict Theories
Economic Theories
Cultural Theories
Diffusion Theories
Causes and Effects: Why Do States Emerge?
Economic Theories
Economic Theories
*States are a reflection of underlying economic interests
*Capitalist classes may favor rise of states because stable state maximizes profit potential and preserves their dominance allowing exploitation of labor (Karl Marx)
*Elite coalitions may craft new institutions like modern states to ensure their own rights (Douglass North, et al.)
Causes and Effects: Why Do States Emerge?
Cultural Theories
Cultural Theories
Ideas and cultural forces in peoples’ lives led to favoring the state as an organization
Theory: emergence of nationalism led people to see the state as an expression of their nation and accept its legitimacy
Theory: religious changes with Protestantism reshaped attitudes toward role of institutions in daily life (Philip Gorski)
Causes and Effects: Why Do States Emerge?
Diffusion Theories
Diffusion Theories
It was not foregone conclusion that everywhere would end up with states
Question: Why did the state as a form of organization spread around the world?
*Theory: states had military advantages over non-states and thus came to dominate
*Theory: states reflected needs of economic interests that pushed for state creation everywhere
*Theory: state organization became an important, high-status model that took root everywhere (i.e., perhaps even where not necessarily efficient)
