What is Democracy? Flashcards
What is power?
The ability to do something or make something happen
or
The ability to get people to act in a desired way - even if this might be against their will.
What is absolute power?
The unlimited ability to do as one wishes - this exists only in theory.
What is persuasive power?
The ability to persuade others that a course of action is the right one
What is legitimate power?
Involves others accepting an individual’s right to make decisions, perhaps as a result of an election
What is coercive power?
This means pressing others into complying, using laws and penalties.
What is authority?
This is the right to take a particular course of action
What is tradional authority
The right to govern exists because authority has existed over a long period of time. This applies particularly to hereditory monarchies, such as the shiekhdoms of the Middle East. It can be assumed that if the people have allowed such monarchies to exercise power over a long period of time, they are, by implication, consenting to such rule.
What is charismatic authority?
Based on an individuals ability to inspire, persuade and attract a following through the force of their personality. Here, authority is granted by acclaim, because people wish to be ruled over by a particular leader. Typically combined with other forms of authority to increase authority overall.
What is legal rational authority?
This refers to any rational way of granting authority. In modern democracies, thsi is always by electionand so it is best described as “elective authority”. In current politics, this is the most powerful justification for the exercise of power.
What is government?
The activity or system of governing a political unit.
or
The set of institutions that exercise authority and make the rules of a political unit.
What is the state?
The state is the set of institutions that exercise authority over a political community within a territory. It includes the institutions of government that determine the common rules of a political unit. The state has a monopoly on the legitimate use of force and its institutions include those that enforce order, such as the police, courts, military ans security services.
What is the Westminster model?
A form of government exemplified by the British political system in which parliament is sovereign, the executive and legislature are fused, and political power is centralised.
List the key features of the Westminster model
- The constitution is uncodified and easily amended
- The doctrine of parlaimentry sovereignty concentrates power at the centre
- The executive and legislature are fused, with the former being dominant
- Government ministers are bound by collective responsibility and party discipline is imposed in parliament.
- An independent judiciary upholds the rule of law but cannot strike down laws made by parliament
- Sub-national government is largely absent and local government is weak
- Single-party government is the norm, given the operation of the single-member plurality electorsl system and the two party system.
- a system of representative democracy means that the government is held to account through elections, which are the key form of political participation.
What is politics?
1) Who gets what, when and how
2) The process by which individuals and groups with divergent interests and values make collective decisions.
What are the two features of society that necessitate politics?
1) Scarcity of resouces - certain goods, from material wealth to knowledge and influence, are in short supply, so disputes arise over their distribution.
2) Competing interests and values - There are competing interests needs and wants in complex societies, as well as different veiws on how resources should be distributed.
