What is politics and how should we analyze it? Flashcards

1
Q

Why is politics so hard to define?

A
  1. Not sure how wide it is (the state, the family, society)

2. Has negative and positive views towards it (conflict and corruption or noble calling to give back to the people?)

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2
Q

Why is politics associated with conflict?

A

“All complex societies contain many different interests and values”

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3
Q

What are the 2 assumptions that make it seem that politics is unavoidable?

A

Assuming that A) someone needs to sort out and reconcile the different values in society and B) all societies must deal with economic scarcity, it seems natural that societies need some type of mechanism to determine how those limited goods will be distributed

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4
Q

Who defined politics as “who gets what, when, how”?

A

Harold Lasswell

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5
Q

How do the decisions on economic goods distribution affect society?

A

Determines both the nature and well-being of those living in it

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6
Q

What else does politics define besides the distribution of economic goods?

A

What is the good life? What type of society do we want to live in? Which values should be prioritized?

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7
Q

Who pointed out a “central divide” between people’s preferences and what was that division?

A

Stoker; “central divide…has been between those who prefer liberty over equality and those who prefer equality over liberty”
example: better to have the choice of healthcare provider and medical procedure as in the US system (even if you cant pay for it) or to have much less choice but state-funded healthcare as in Canada?”

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