Soc 100 - Politics III

Question 1

Cybernetics

Answer 1

Study of society’s CONSCIOUS mechanisms of control (e.g. state). How does society become informed about and monitor itself?Important in Structural Functionalism and Systems Theory (Niklas Luhmann)�

Question 2

If spontaneous order fails, what do structural functionalists recommend?

Answer 2

societies need institution to make clear decisions about their future and deal with problems that emerge�.

Question 3

What role does the state play? Describe it. According to st fu.

Answer 3

The state plays the role of Goal Attainment: it’s the way societies consciously decide on their aims, and figure out the best way to fulfill them.State is a conscious, deliberate mode of social order�.

Question 4

The State

Answer 4

The social institution responsible for setting rules that govern us as a whole.A society’s way of administering itself as a whole.State refers to set of institutions, some of which merely implement rules; extends beyond politics to include e.g. police, welfare system�.

Question 5

What does the state monitor, and arbitrate impartially between?

Answer 5

it monitors relations between individuals and groups, and should in theory stand above them, to arbitrate impartially between them.

Question 6

Nation vs Nation-State

Answer 6

Idealised image of society as culturally, ethnically, or linguistically unified whole: you inherit national identity, and it’s part of who you ‘are.’�vs.A ruling state institution that identifies itself as the state of a particular ethnic/cultural group, not just as an impartial governing institution.

Question 7

What is the Political Sate to the nation?

Answer 7

an institution within that broader unity� (coherent unit held together by common values, beliefs, etc.)

Question 8

In contrast to nations, how were people organized in the past few centuries?

Answer 8

strong belief in nation-state, i.e. a nation (or culturally-unified group) should have own self-government, and hence its own state.

Question 9

Social Exchange Theory. Who uses this idea to explain State?

Answer 9

George Homans.We can best understand society as the product of a series of calculations of cost and benefit by individual members.In this theory, State is the consequence of a calculation of best interest�-people agreed to form a state and surrender to authority because stability benefitted them�

Question 10

How does Weber think the Modern State can only be defined sociologically?

Answer 10

We have to say that a state is that human community which (successfully) lays claim to the monopoly of legitimate physical violence within a certain territory…. The state is held to be the sole source of the ‘right’ to use violence�

Question 11

For critical theorists, what is key for ruling classes to assert their dominance?

Answer 11

State control; a tool for control.

Question 12

What do Crit Th focus on to ask questions about state power? What questions do they ask?

Answer 12

The Monopoly of Legitimate Violence.-Who controls the levers of power? What is the purpose of their control?�-How do class relatins affect control of the state? Is there a connection between State and wealth, or religion, or gender, or ethnicity?

Question 13

Bureaucracy

Answer 13

Trained professional officials, operating by set rules and procedures to administer organization.For Weber, official government bureaucracy an inevitable part of complex society�.

Question 14

How do older states compare to modern states in terms of bureaucracy?

Answer 14

Older (monarchical) states relatively small, as government had few tasks beyond keeping the peace. Modern states have far more social tasks, so requires more complex social apparatuses to fulfill its tasks�:-Welfare systems, healthcare, education. Military also larger, and more complex: reliant on advanced technology�

Question 15

What does Weber think is the product of power struggles between monarchs and nobles?

Answer 15

The rise of the bureaucracy.Bureaucrats are professionals, selected and promoted on basis of expertise, not because they’re friends with the king.Bureaucracy runs by rules and procedures: an ‘iron cage.�’

Question 16

Government

Answer 16

The specific branch of the State tasked with making decisions and setting policy goals overall.

Question 17

How does State compare to government?

Answer 17

Whilst the State includes all institutions setting rules for social life, ‘government’ more narrowly refers to the particular people who make specific decisions about individual topics�.-Govt includes Parliament, Prime Minister

Question 18

Head of Government vs Head of State

Answer 18

Stephen Harper is the head of Government: he is the chief officer of the executive branch, making decisions.The Queen is the head of State: the individual who represents the political body of society as a whole�

Question 19

Good types of govt?

Answer 19

The One: Monarchy: a single wise, benign ruler for the common good�The Few: rule by ‘the best,’ who understand good of all society.�The many: Constitutional Govt: shared between the ‘best’ and the masses�

Question 20

Bad types of govt?

Answer 20

The one: Tyranny: one man rules for his own benefit�The few: Oligarchy: small group exploit power over rest of society.�The many: Democracy: rule by the ‘rabble’; often chaotic�

Question 21

What did Aristotle think about the types of govt?

Answer 21

Could both have good or bad forms, and each form could degenerate into its bad form quite easily.

Question 22

Totalitarianism

Answer 22

State controls every aspect of social life; signs of political power are everywhere. (Nazism, Stalinism�)-private life, leisure time, culture are all filled with ideological symbols�

Question 23

Authoritarianism

Answer 23

Strong central leader, little public opposition; reliance on force to ensure compliance. (e.g. Pinochet)

Question 24

Liberal Democracy

Answer 24

Open public sphere, theoretically governed by citizens, with protection for rights of free speech etc�.

Question 25

Pluralism

Answer 25

Pluralist societies have no single or unified ruling ideas: they try to include many different voices.

Question 26

Direct Democracy

Answer 26

Entire body of citizens makes all decisions on state affairs. Everyone is part of the government�.-Think ancient greece

Question 27

Representative Democracy

Answer 27

Citizens vote for representatives to make decisions for them in Parliament (MPs)�.

Question 28

Proportional Representation

Answer 28

Type of rep. democracy.MPs chosen on party’s national share of vote�.

Question 29

First Past The Post

Answer 29

Type of rep democracy.MPs chosen individually by local riding/constituency�.

Question 30

Separation of Powers

Answer 30

Principle that different branches of government should be in hands of different people, to reduce the possibility of abuses of power�.

Question 31

Three Branches of Govt

Answer 31

Executive: Prime Minister/President who carries out the laws with force�Legislative: Assembly of representatives who make the law�Judiciary: Legal system, which interprets and applies the law.�(note: Canada is strange in that the PM has power in both the exec and legislative. Not like that in US)

Question 32

Polyarchy

Answer 32

Decisions emerge from multiple different sources of power, not necessarily from a single state controlled by tight-knit group.State itself may be unitary, but it does not exercise power in one-directional way.Not purely ‘democratic,’ but not authoritarian

Question 33

Who wrote “Who Governs?” (1963) and what was its significance?

Answer 33

Robert Dahl’s Who Governs? (1963): studied how decisions were actually made in New Haven, Connecticut.Not a pure democracy, but many different groups contributed to decision making.Many ways of making opinions known: openness to persuasion, multiple sources of influence�.

Question 34

Politics

Answer 34

The organised competition for control of state and government institutions. Interest groups work together to promote their specific interests�.-Politics provides relatively-peaceful struggle�

Question 35

Structural Functionalist view of politics?

Answer 35

Structural functionalists emphasise role of politics in competitive selection of best people for particular tasks in government�.Talcott Parsons suggests political system helps promote and organize citizen engagement in broader social tasks, thus bringing most talented into system�.

Question 36

Power Elite. What have sociologists found out about access to political power despite an open political system?

Answer 36

Small group at the top, including wealthiest businessmen, political leaders, old ruling classes who have effective control over power�.-control of and access to political power is often monopolised by small power elite of similar social background. Example: Representatives may be lobbied by big corporations�.

Question 37

C Wright Mills pyramid-shaped power structure in politics

Answer 37

Small number of people at the top, composed of corporate rich, military leaders, and executives, constitute a power elite.Medium group of local leaders, legislators with some influenceDisorganised masses�

Question 38

How does G William Domhoff refine C Wright Mills pyramid-shaped power structure?

Answer 38

refines it to three overlapping groups, at the centre of which power is located�.-Social Upper Class, Corporate Community, and Policy-Planning Network

Question 39

Describe who holds political power in Canada and why it is difficult for new or smaller parties to be represented.

Answer 39

-John Porter’s 1965 classic, The Vertical Mosaic argues that power in Canada is held in small number of hands of groups based in Toronto & Montreal�-Only two parties – Liberals & Conservatives – have ever governed at federal level. First-past-the-post system often makes it difficult for new or smaller parties to be represented.Governments usually win minority of popular vote (40% usually enough to win majority of seats in Parliament)�

Question 40

Describe the current voter participation situation in many western countries.

Answer 40

voting participation has fallen to around 60% of eligible voters.System is stable, but relatively low direct participation.Turn-out has fallen steadily over past two decades�.

Question 41

Describe Gender Inequality in modern politics across the world. Where is it most equal?

Answer 41

males still constitute vast majority of representatives in Parliaments and other assemblies across the world:Highest proportions of women in Rwanda, where many men were killed in civil wars, and Sweden, with historical tendency towards gender equality across society�

Question 42

Gender representation in politics in Canada. How many women in parliament? How many women have had powerful political positions?

Answer 42

women are only around 20% of members of Parliament.�Powerful political positions usually held by males.Only one female Prime Minister of Canada so far, Kim Campbell.Only one party leader currently female�

Question 43

What does control of bureaucracy do for dominant groups/individuals?

Answer 43

allows dominant groups or individuals to fulfill their plans more effectively, and to exert power.

Question 44

Describe the IEMP System and who created it.

Answer 44

Four Interrelated Networks of Power.-each provides different forms of controlMichael Mann.Ideological, Economic, Military, & Political Power.Each uses specific forms of organisation to control others�

Question 45

Define closure. Who used this to describe how powerful groups maintain their grasp on power?

Answer 45

Frank Parkin.Closure: They use control of state to set up legal barriers, e.g. qualifications, to resources of status or power�

Question 46

Citizenship

Answer 46

Political membership in a State, granting rights and liberties protected by the institutions of government.Legal status, distinct from cultural ‘belonging.’-Contrast with shared cultural identities, allowing mutual understanding; citizenship doesn’t depend on this�.

Question 47

How is it shown that Citizenship does not depend on shared cultural identities?

Answer 47

Shown by the fact that it’s possible to ‘acquire’ citizenship of another state�.

Question 48

What is new citizenship often marked by? Describe.

Answer 48

rites of passage: swearing allegiance to head of state, official recognition. Symbolises official ‘socialization’ of newcomer�.

Question 49

Civil Liberties vs. Civil Rights

Answer 49

Freedom of speech, assembly, movement, press, which protect us from the government�vsPositive rights guaranteed to every member of state, e.g. right to vote. (citizenship)

Question 50

How does the state categorize us?

Answer 50

required to treat us ‘bureaucratically’ according to specific rules.Criminal justice system = key example�

Question 51

Collective Conscience

Answer 51

Durkheim’s term for the shared moral values and beliefs of society, as embodied in its code of laws�

Question 52

In social contract theory, how is the state’s use of legitimate violence justified?

Answer 52

Right to punish comes from your own consent�.

Question 53

Why do St Fu see punishment as essential?

Answer 53

essential for restoring social harmony: it helps make everyone similar.�

Question 54

What does Emile Durkheim suggest about punishment?

Answer 54

punishment defends the collective conscience: society uses the state to punish individuals who breach the shared moral code.Public punishment ‘reminds’ the rest of society of their shared values as well – not just the criminal�!

Question 55

Spectacle

Answer 55

Public display put on by those in power to ‘awe’ the citizens into obedience. From theory of Situationists (Guy Debord)�-punishment historically used as a spectacle, public and open for all to see, often grisly.

Question 56

What does Michel Foucault say about the changing form of punishment (from public to private)?

Answer 56

Punishment under monarchies is public spectacle: Foucault describes grisly public punishment of a king-killer.In contrast, modern societies punish behind closed doors, in prisons. Criminals are subject to discipline: trained to live according to strict schedule, obey commands.In theory, criminals are reformed; in fact, trained like animals�!

Question 57

Governmentality

Answer 57

Set of techniques of power by which state creates ‘good citizens’, easy to govern.From childhood, we are ‘disciplined’ to act in certain ways, and to conform�.

Question 58

Describe Foucault’s broad definition of disciplinary institution.

Answer 58

For Foucault, prisons are just one disciplinary institution, or mechanism by which the modern state helps ‘create’ individuals as obedient citizens. Others include schools, army, hospitals.These institutions operate by measuring every aspect of individual performance, ranking us on a scale relative to others. We are trained to pass exams, perform certain tasks.E.g.: all your exam scores are kept on record�.

Question 59

What is the effect of living with several “disciplinary institutions?” What does it train us to do?

Answer 59

Constant measurement trains us to watch over ourselves: when you revise for tests, you are forcing yourself to meet standards of government – and not spending time questioning power�.

Question 60

What does the modern state reduce individuals to?

Answer 60

Reduces individual to a disciplinary unit, made to fit the shape of the machine. The state is everywhere�.