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Introduction to Politics 1353 > Week 2 - The State > Flashcards

Week 2 - The State Flashcards

1
Q

The Perspectives of the State

The state as a contested concept

-Role of State?

A

The state is the highest form of political organisation. Scholars are divided over a range of matters including, but not limited to:

|•Role of the state i.e. what the state ‘ought’ to do. Different thinkers and philosophical traditions hold very different ideas about the essential purpose of the state…a set of literature.

  • For some, the State’s role should simply be to protect from internal and external threats. The Nightwatchman state.
  • Another theory to actively encourage and support the capacity for people, and enhancing social and political rights…a welfare state. Expanded notion of the state.
  • The primary function of the state is economic development…rights are not as important…a capacity to provide materially.
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2
Q

The Perspectives of the State

The state as a contested concept

-Future of the state?

A

•Debates about the ongoing relevance of the State in a globalised world

  • The future of the state; where does the future of the state lie…a redundancy of the state.
  • The state losing its capacity to determine solely for itself and is losing power.
  • State still the most significant political unit.
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3
Q

The Perspectives of the State
The state as a contested concept
-A Natural Condition?

A
  • ‘Man is by nature a political animal’…’It is clear then that the state is both natural and prior to the individual.’
  • Aristotle suggests that: the state is “A natural and inevitable condition born from our inherent social and political nature”
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4
Q

The Perspectives of the State
The state as a contested concept
-A Necessary Condition?

A
  • There are a range of views on the state’s…arrangements

* Restrain human kind’s natural proclivities

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5
Q

The Perspectives of the State
The state as a contested concept
-A Destructive Condition?

A

• The State only aims at instilling those qualities in its public by which its demands are obeyed, and its exchequer is filled. Its highest attainment is the reduction of mankind to clockwork.

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6
Q

What is the State?

-definition?

A

The minimum definition of what constitutes a state: A political community formed by a territorial population subject to one rule.

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7
Q

What is the State?

-Descriptors

A
  1. The highest form of political organisation.
  2. Predominant form of modern political organisation.
  3. A modern phenomenon
  4. Emerges in Europe and exported throughout world
  5. Literature of the State is based on the European experience

The modern state, a particular type of state, historical circumstances, literature surrounding state based heavily on the European experience.
The ‘state’ was exported throughout the World by Europeans…and hence its significance arises from colonisation. The state can however adapt to local settings where it is imported. The State has been exported and proliferated throughout World.
How the structure of the state emerged the way it has is not exactly known, and there are many theories to explain it.

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8
Q

What is the State?

-Characteristics of the State?

A

A. Claims a monopoly over the legitimate use of force in a given territory…no other force within the state/set of actors capable to match that force. If other actors did exert comparable force, it would not be legitimate.

B. Territorially bounded, and occupies defined territory…can claim authority over a territorial space which it must defend

C. Comprises a permanent political community…a permanent population

D. Claims Sovereignty… i) Right to rule citizens/right to govern and protect political community. ii) Free from external interference against other states…

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9
Q

What is the State?

-Distinguishing between State and Government?

A

The State and Government are related, but different.
 State is a sovereign entity with absolute power, where that sovereignty is permanent; A governments power is limited, whose tenure is limited.
 The government is only one institution that makes up all the entities and institutions that make up the state. The government only gives authoritative expressions of the State.
 The state survives regardless of who holds office.
 The State in principle or theory is an inclusive entity…representing the permanent interests of the state and is fundamentally about the common good; governments represent particular communities, at a particular point in time.
 A state might be a nation, but a nation might not be a state.
 Nation=socio-cultural entity; in contrast, the state is a legal and political entity. A nation may aspire for state-hood and sovereignty, but may not be a state.

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10
Q

What is the State?

-

A

Sovereignty is not Always Straightforward
The concept of statehood is brittle and ambiguous.
1. External sovereignty-recognised by International Community-little to non-existent internal capacity to exert sovereignty. Somalia
2. A state may have no formal external sovereignty but developed internal sovereignty. Taiwan.
3. Fierce contestation may abound about the legitimate claimant of sovereignty. Ukraine, Crimea, Russia…

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11
Q

Evolution of the Modern State

?

A

 From decentralised political units in Feudalism for example, a transition has occurred to consolidated and centralised sovereign entities.
 The most radical shift in sovereignty involved sovereignty being with the people and away from the idea of a religious god or entity or human representative.
 In the 18th century there is another profound break in thinking about the source of sovereignty away from a single ruler to one located in the nation or the public will

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12
Q

Features of European State?

A

 Stress on the Rule of Law
 Centralised Organisation (hierarchy, public institutions, bureaucracy)
 Demarcate State and Society/State and Religion
 Citizenship, Partiicipation, Nationhood

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13
Q

Democratic and Authoritarian States

I) Categorising States?

A

These elements/factors/aspects are ways to more intricately describe the nature of the State, and its role in the international community of states. Economic Development (Developed v developing) Structure of Power (Federal v multi-level v unitary) Strength/Coherence (Weak v Strong, Superpower) Duration Size

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14
Q

Democratic and Authoritarian States
ii) Political Systems?

  • Demo v authoritarian?
  • Labelling and categorising
A
  • A fairly crude distinction will be made between democratic and authoritarian states. There is a spectrum between Democratic on one end and authoritarian on the other. It is increasingly complicated to label States as either one or the other. Difficult to neatly categorise.
  • And categorisation implies that States are identical: we may describe a group of states as ‘democratic’ and use this label as a binding feature…but in reality these states will be diverse and different and differ to one another.
  • When you categorise, you oversimplify the differences. Give rise to the view that they are fundamentally similar/different when different labels apply to different states, but this may not always be true. Democratic states will infringe upon ‘democratic’ ideals.
  • Caution should be applied when labelling and categorising states. The process is only a means of simplifying quite a complicated global system of statehood.
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15
Q

Democratic States?

A
  • Democracy has multiple meanings and can take various forms: The idea is Power from the bottom. Stress is placed on the power residing with the people.
  • As a principle, democracy has many iterations/meanings. The commonality between democratic states relates to the institutional innovations that are associated with democracy (these differ); the aspects that express democracy which bring about popular control.
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16
Q

Democratic States

Waves?

A

First wave: Democracy has its roots in liberal politics: protecting people from governments.

Second Wave: Post War, states developed institutions to bring about liberal democracies, with appropriate limits on governments.

Third Wave: Recent wave, assumed the mantle of democracies and infuse people with the idea: THE END OF RIGHT WING DICTATORSHIPS IN EUROPE. THE END OF MILITARY DICTATORSHIPS IN LATIN AMERICA. FALL OF SOVIET REGIME. These third wave states have adopted democratic ideals, but have no experience of democracy and struggling to consolidate democracy, and not totally respected. The principles that are trying to be adopted are not inherent or natural to the state. These forms of states practice a very superficial sort of democracy. Extent of embracing of democracy limited.

17
Q

Democratic States

Dimensions of Democratic States?

A

•Popular control
•Transparency
•Respect for the rule of law– Stress on constitutional governance and legitimate ruling and the upholding of the rule of law. Important feature, the institutional devices would be meaningless if the rule of law was not observed by governments.
•Opportunities for citizens to participate in political life…One vote, one value…
•Laws which provide rights protections…Restriction on the extent to which the state can involve itself in the lives of citizens…
…it is about limiting government. Not natural conditions, principles that have developed.

18
Q

Democratic States

Majoritarian versus Consensus?

A

A way to distinguish between two types of democracies. This differentiation is the extent to which constrains the exercise of power following the democratic process.
The most important point of distinguishing (consensus/majoritarian) is by looking at the executive/legislative split/congregation. The executive-legislative split indicates consensus, convergence indicates majoritarian.

19
Q

Democratic States

Majoritarian Governments?

A

Majoritarian democracies: Privilege the ‘majority view’ and concentrate decision-making power; assumes cultural and political homogeny: Few societal collieries. The interests of the people are similar. These systems are assumed to be more accountable, generally. Considered to be more efficient. Few impediments beyond electoral cycle on what government can do/achieve.

  • Mandate to act/rule for interests of citizens.
  • Ensure executive is a part of the legislative-Parliamentary systems.
  • Negotiating endlessly complicates process. Weak division of powers, particularly in relation to executive and legislative branches.
  • Concentrate government into one level of government into a unilateral parliament. Two chambers make it easier to pass legislation/enact policy.
  • Diverse interest group system; no opportunities for these interest groups to involve themselves formally in decision-making.
  • Flexible constitutions…fewer impediments.
  • Not licence to change arbitrarily, but flexible nonetheless. Limited judicial review.
20
Q

Democratic States

Consensus?

A

Consensus Democracies: Emphasises the inclusion of the ‘minority view’ in decision making. These are democracies that attempt to diffuse political power throughout society. Grant political power to a range of actors. Stresses idea of inclusivity.

  • Different interests need to be expressed in politics.
  • Better for diverse populations, multi-cultural.
  • Multi-party executive council…executive sits separately to legislature.
  • Federal State system, multiple levels of Parliament to ensure local representation.
  • Specific formal opportunities for interest groups to participate.
  • Associated with bi-cameral legislatures. Supported by electoral system that allows for minority groups to access legislature/access to decision making…
21
Q

Democratic States

majoritarian easy?

A 
Majoritarian: 
•Single party executives cabinets 
•Fused executive and legislative organs 
•Unitary state 
•Pluralist interest group system 
•Unicameral legislatures (or asymmetric bicameralism) •Flexible constitutions 
•Limited judicial review
22
Q

Democratic States

Consensus easy?

A
  • Multi-party executive cabinets
  • Separated executive and legislative organs
  • Federal/devolved state
  • Corporatist interest group system
  • Bicameral legislatures
  • Fixed constitutions
  • Strong judicial review
23
Q

Authoritarian States

A

Power from the top: the oldest forms of political organisation/rule. Authoritarian states have adapted to modern realities.
 A crude grab bag term that is used to describe a super diverse collection of political arrangements:
–Post communist states (also sometimes known as hybrid regimes) i.e. Russia
–Totalitarian states i.e. North Korea
–Autocracies/Monarchies i.e. Nepal
–Military states i.e. Burma
–Theocratic states i.e. Iran
–Presidential monarchies i.e. Zimbabwe

24
Q

Authoritarian States

Brooker? Iterations and Demarcation

A

 Brooker suggested two modern iterations of authoritarian rules, away to demarcate:
-Dictatorship by organisation (military/party/group)
-personal dictatorship who assumes control of an organisation and then to establish and maintain control ((Presidential Monarchies))
 Why this trend?
Brooker suggests that this trend occurs because with the rise of democracies, rulers claiming legitimacy on the basis of religion, the modern authoritarian state has transformed the way in which they may claim or assume control of state.

25
Q

Authoritarian States

-Characteristics of Authoritarian States

A

Weak rule of law…ineffective enforcement: Adhockery around law and its excision.
Rule by single leader or small clique of elites (with virtual but not total impunity)
Limited (to no) opportunities for formal political participation
Strict state controls over access to communications and the media
Strong military and security presence
Weak rule of law, especially in regards to its effective enforcement

26
Q

Summary

A
  • State is a modern phenomenon and the predominate form of political organization at the current time
  • Although the modern state substantially emerged in Europe it has been exported
  • One of its hallmark features is the emphasis on the idea of sovereignty and questions about the legitimate source of sovereignty, especially as it applies to ruler’s claim to rule
  • States develop different types of political systems and arrangements
  • Democratic states stress popular control but institutionalise this ideal differently
  • In contrast, authoritarian states concentrate power in a single ruler or small group and are often even more varied in their institutional formats than democratic states

Introduction to Politics 1353 (4 decks)

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