Politics and Social Movements

Question 1

Arab Spring

Answer 1

• series of protests beginning in Egypt and growing to intensive measures
• ex. Tunisia: initially for employment in Tunisia
• started with Mohammed (unemployed graduate) selling food on the streets to make a living
• set himself on fire and died, many other young people protested this further

Question 2

G20 Protests Toronto 2010

Answer 2

• protesting against the IMF, World Bank, World Trade Organization
• voicing critique of American corporate interests
• protesting against the power of there big organizations

Question 3

Tiananmen Square

Answer 3

• began as a student protest but grew larger
• criticizing government, wanted change
• wanted greater rights, democracy and more freedom
• many university students were killed

Question 4

Civil Rights Movement

Answer 4

• Dr. Martin Luther King
• religiously inspired and preached non violence
• Ghandi
• like Martin preached non violence

Question 5

Pluralist

Answer 5

• power dispersed
• main power holders are various groups (widely shared)
• power based on holding political office
• basis of public policy is the will of all citizens
• lower classes do have influence on politics

Question 6

Elite

Answer 6

• power held by:
• largest companies
• executive branch of government
• the military
• these groups are often interconnected (Mills supports this)
• Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9 11

Question 7

SES and Political Engagement

Answer 7

• positive relationship between household income and donations to political parties
• inverse relationship between household income and cynicism about political process (low income individuals are more cynical about the government, believe that they don’t have any say in what the government does)

Question 8

Instrumental Marxist

Answer 8

• economic elites control the government because:
• they become political leaders
• government officials refer to them for political advice
• big businesses support political parties through campaign donations

Question 9

Structural Marxists

Answer 9

• government is constrained to work within capitalism and cannot ignore what’s in the best interests of capitalists

Question 10

Power Balance Theory

Answer 10

• power shifts: elites do not have all power now

- example: cross-national comparisons in rates of unionization

Question 11

State-Centred Theory

Answer 11

• this theory argues that the state can structure political life quite separate and apart from economic elites and take a life of its own

Question 12

Relative Deprivation Theory

Answer 12

• when individuals tack economic resources they are likely to mobilize and form social movements

Question 13

Resource-mobilization Theory

Answer 13

• social movements emerge when people have enough resources to demand change