Week 7: Government Flashcards
According to Max Weber, what is power?
the ability of an individual or group to achieve its goals despite the resistance of others
According to Max Weber, what is rational-legal authority?
when domination is legitimated on the basis of legally enacted rules and the right of those with authority under those rules to issue commands
According to pluralists, how is political power distributed and exercised in liberal democracies?
Power is distributed among many groups, allowing all of them to have some effect on policy
*groups coexist, compete, and share in the exercise of power
How is balance of power between social groups sustained by civil, political, and social rights associated with citizenship?
civil: freedom of speech, religion, and the right to own property
political: the right to participate in elections and run for public office
social: the right of every individual to enjoy a minimum standard of economic welfare and security
What are interest groups?
any organization that attempts to persuade elected officials to consider its aim when deciding on legislation
According to Seymour Martin Lipset, what are the five fundamental tenets of American political culture that serve to limit and check the concentration of political power?
- Liberalism: liberty, equality, and property
- Individualism: independence and self-reliance
- Populism: appeals to ordinary people
- Meritocracy: ability to determine social standing
- Anti-statism: distrust of government
According to sociologists, what is the nation-state?
people with a common identity and shared culture that belong to a political apparatus or government that rules over a territory
According to pluralists, how do news media organizations operate in the U.S.?
they operate within a free market and compete among each other for audiences
According to conflict theorists, such as Karl Marx, how does wealth translate to political influence?
Wealth enables funding for special interest groups, lobbyists, political campaigns, and for think tanks
What is lobbying?
the act of persuading influential officials to vote in favor of a cause or otherwise lend support to the aims of the interest groups
What was the legal result of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)?
it overturned restrictions on unlimited corporate and union spending expressly advocating the election or defeat of candidates
How is money donated to political campaigns being spent?
Advertising, mail, staff, and fundraising
According to Karl Boggs and Karl Marx, how has the rise of corporations impacted the modern democratic state?
legislation is dictated by the wealthy because those in political power have an interest in the elite because they finance campaigns
How is power exercised by those who occupy the top positions of these ‘great institutions’?
It is exercised by the decisions they make, which affect the lives of ordinary men and women
According to C. Wright Mills, who are the power elite?
political, economic, and military circles that share decisions having at least national consequences
*they are the people who decide national events
