POLI 201 Chapter 1 Terms

Civil Society

Outside of government, but still related to the state.

• NGOs, religious institutions, interest groups of all kinds, the media, business organizations.

Power

The ability to force behaviour upon those who would not otherwise choose it, implies coercion

Authority

Associated with legitimacy; rule by the consent of the ruled (that can come from elections or…)

Night-watchman state

in which the government concentrates on ensuring external and internal security, plays little role in civil society, and allows business to operate relatively unhindered.

Developmental State

Adopt this hands-on model forge strong relationships with private economic institutions to promote economic development

• Ex. Japan

Social Democracy

Is a political and economic ideology that combines a capitalist free-market economy with a strong social safety net and government regulation to reduce inequality

Welfare state

A system where the government takes responsibility for protecting and promoting the economic and social well-being of its citizen

Pluralism

Society compromises thousands of groups of shapes and sizes pursuing thousands activities and competing for political, social, and economic influence.

• Pluralists

Interest Groups

An organization set up to promote or defend a particular interest or cause Ei

Elitism

Power was concentrated in the hands of powerful eilte that dominated the economic, military, and governmental spheres

• Eilte theorists argue that all societies, regardless of democratic rhetoric are ruled by a single, unified, and self-concious eilte.

  • This would show one elite at the top of the pyramid and the masses at the bottom

Socialism

An economic and political philosophy where the community or the government owns the controls the major means of production, distribution, and exchange of goods

• The dominant class was the bourgeoisie and the dominated class was the proletariats

The new right theory of the state

The state having the tendency to expand activities far beyond what is healthy for society.

• For politicians to offer ever-increasing benefits to attract votes but once elected, they find it difficult to meet their promises

  • Has the tendency of the state bureaucracy to expand because it is in its interest to do so.

Utilitarianism

Legitimacy of government should be judged by the degree to which it promotes the greatest happiness or the greatest happiness of all people.

• If governments maximize happiness, they are valid, if they fall short of this goal, they are not.

Empirical Political Analysis