POL 100, Quiz 1, Introduction to Politics & Government

What is Politics

Its hard to define, Context matters. Ie whos the most powerful person in the world, you may say your mom but someone may say a prime minster because they were thinking in 2 different contexts.

Politics is about the power struggle between people

Politics is the process of analyzing and understanding decision-making and power dynamics across different contexts—from personal relationships to global governments. Because power shifts depending on the situation, politics is fluid and requires us to examine both micro (e.g., family) and macro (e.g., nations) levels to see who holds influence and how decisions are made.

What are the 3 faces of power and describe them all.

First Face : The ability to affect decisions

Person A has power over B to do something B normally wouldn’t leading to person A’s desired outcome. Ie mayor build a new highway in city, though it affects citizens they have to go with it because the mayor has power over them.

Second Face: The ability to ensure issues are not raised

This may occur when people are exluded from decision making processes, it eliminates the conflict or issues being raised. ie. Indigenous people trying to voice their opinions and concerns but are silences and over powered, and when new oil pipes are built they aren’t consulted or even part of the decision process.

Third Face: The ability to impose dominant ideas of society

This ideological power (mind control). One person being brainwashed by the other into thinking something but they are so brainwashed they think its their own idea at that point. ie. a kid thinking one thing and growing up beleiving whatever their parents say. Homeless people being failed people of society when in relaity it a probelm with our society/economy.

What is Authority and the types? How many are there?

Authority is the right to exercise power. ie. both a robber and taxman have the power to take your money but only the taxman has the authority to do it.

Max webber identifed 3 types of authority based on where it came from which he called

Three Types of Authority

1. Charismatic Authority: Based on personal qualities of the leaders, they inspire and influence their followers, while gaining trust. ie taylor swift, pierre trudeau

2. Traditional Authority: This is based on longs standing customs, and traditions. ie monarchy/royal family

3. Legal-rational Authority: These people get their authority based on legal rules (laws) ie. police, judges, military, any elected position based on law.

What is Political Ideology

A set of ideas and beliefs about goverment, society, the economy etc should run

Idea vs Ideology

An idea is something YOU HAVE (its internal in our minds and we control it)

An ideelogy is something that HAS YOU (a system of interconnected beliefs that shape how we see the world, instead of just having a thought an ideology frames your perspectice and guides/ influences all of your choices

What was the European Enlightenment?

A movement in the mid 18th century (1740-1750ish) that emphaszied not accepting traditional religion but instead shifting to using their own reason and science to understand the world and guide their choices.

Instead of relying on religion to bring them to the after life after they die

Making change while we are alive not focusing on what happens afterwards.

It was a shift from beliving in traditions and religious views to moving towards logical reason, individualism and skeptism of authority (questioning everything)

What was the French Revolution?

The French Revolution of 1789 was influenced by the enlightnments ideas.

The third estate (common people) were fed up of the econmic hardships they faced daily, (low wages, high food cost) and the unequal social structure (third estate pays tax to support second and first needs), they also had little political power.

The French people wanted to challenge the authority structure ( the church having power over people)

This led to the storming of the Bastile, this showed the king that the people were willing to use violence to get change made.

Later in the revolution the Reign of terror ran by the committee of public safety, the executed anyone they saw as enemys to the revolution. Ie priests, nobles even ordinary citizens and some revolutionists. They used fear to maintain control.

Finally Napolean came, overthrew the goverment and ended the chaos of the revolution once and for all.

What are the Positives and negatives of political Ideology

Negatives:

Often presented as oversimplified (ignoring factors and just throwing blame)

Often leads to echo chambers where all we hear keeps fueling our opinion or ideology without consider whats outside.

People often use their ideologies to justify the unjustifiable actions ie holocaust, rowanda genocide, genocide can never be justified.

Positives

provides us with a dirrection to a persons political thinking and actions

Ideologies provide us with different ideas and ways common good can be acheived

NOT ALL POLTICAL IDEOLOGIES ARE EXTREME.

How did the left and right spectrum develop?

After the French Revolution the French national assembly has people sit on a certain side depending on their view of how society should be ran. 

Those supporting the old order sat on the right because they value tradition and stability

Those opposed the monarchy, questions authority, values greater social and economical equity sat on the left

This formed our modern day political spectrum.

Left vs Right (Topics: Econonical Equality, More Gov intervention, Social Justice, Secularism)

Left

Econonical Equality: High and more taxes, taxation, social welfare program

More Gov intervention: gov has to provide healthcare education, have an active role, regulation, public ownership (gov owns the assets ie land), public social safety nets

Social Justice: Racial, gender, LGBTQ+, workers, enviornment

Secularism: (seperation of religion from state affairs), tends to keep religion out of state affairs

Right

Econonical Freedoms: (Capitalism = where businesses, land, and money are owned by individuals, not the government.), property rights, private enterprises

Limited role of the Gov: Lower taxation and regulation and free market.

Tradition and stability: Family, religion and cultural normals.

Nationalism and Conservatism: national sourvernty, cultural conservatism, preference for crubing (making stricter laws) imigration to mainatin cultural and social cohesions ( a nation has the authority to govern itself without external interference)

What is Liberalism

Focuses on indvidual freedoms ie freedom of speech, choice, privacy, worship

Liberalism opposes kings and or dictators who use unlimited power and make unfair choices because they can. Instead power should be limited by laws and elected people.

They support the rule of law, meaning even those in power must follow the law.

Liberalism says goverment shouldn’t be interfering much with your private life.

Liberalism = freedom, limited government, rule of law, individual rights, and democracy.

What are the types of liberalism and how many are there?

Classical, Reform, Neo-Liberalism. 3 types

What is Classical Liberalism

John Locke is the founding father of classical liberalism

It involved social contract theory (man is free to make whatever choice he wants.

The only thing man cant do is dispute things, the goverment settles thing thats it.

Classical Liberalism limits government power because he was suspicious of people with power. The governments role is limited to protecting freedoms (life liberty and property) and settling disputes thats it. The people have economical freedom, and the Laissez-faire or invisble hand is a metaphor showing how the market runs itself.

A form of liberalism that emphasizes limited government and free marketplace.

Classical liberalism is a form of liberalism that supports individual freedom, limited government, and a free-market economy.

What is the Laissez-Faire economic system?

It translate to let it be.

The government steps back, and people and businesses run things on their own through trade, competition, and self-interest.

What is Reform Liberalism?

Reform liberalism or known as modern liberalism says Freedom is important, but sometimes the government must step in to help people have equal opportunities.

The workers were in bad condition because the gov couldn’t interfere during classical.

They believe a laisse-faire economoy leads to poverty and inequality

They believe that the role of the goverment has to increase to protect workers and the economy. Gov should also be helping with social justice and equaility. Helping those who have been disadvantaged ie scholarship money, or quotas (10% more women)

Equity instead of equality.

What is Neo-Liberalism

Neo Liberalism doesnt believe in social welfare programs, they thing they aren’t long lasting, they don’t want to pay for others hospital bills

They want to let the free market run and believe the freemarket will protect individual freedoms because it will lead to growth.

They want taxes reduced

Overall it focuses on economic freedoms, individuals have more power to choose, consume and compete.

Neoliberalism believes people should have maximum economic freedom with little government interference, letting markets decide everything.

why do we/ did we see the cycle of the three kinds of liberalism

Society keeps cycling because there’s no one-size-fits-all solution different problems call for different ideas about freedom and government.

Conservatism

Respect for traditon and authority, they do not fall for radical change.

• Edmund Burke was a key thinker, reacting against the French Revolution.

• Views society as an organic thing that changes slowly over time, not quickly by revolution.

• Believes in a strong government to keep order and stability.

• Values traditions, customs, and religion to keep society together.

• Skeptical of equality, thinks society should have a hierarchy.

• Believes the upper classes should protect others and provide moral guidance.

Conservatism values tradition, social order, and strong government, believing society evolves gradually and that hierarchies help maintain stability.

“A perspective or ideology that emphasizes the value of order stability, respect for authority, and tradition. Based on a view that humans are inherently imperfect, with a limited capacity to reason.”

What is the new right?

The New Right came abouts in reaction to the New Left…

What was the New Left? A political movement in the 1960s and 70s, Focused on civil rights, anti-war protests, feminism, environmentalism, and social justice. Wanted more government action to fix inequality and promote personal freedoms.Challenged traditional authority and pushed for cultural change

the New Left, which pushed for more government intervention, social equality, and progressive cultural changes in the 1960s-70s.

the New Right sought to bring back traditional values while also promoting economic freedom.

The New Right believes in criminals being punished not rehabiliataed or educated, they want tougher laws to reduce crimes.

Neoconservatism ( They favor a strong military and aggressive foreign policy, including military action against countries they see as threats, like those called the “axis of evil” (e.g., North Korea, Iran) or “rogue states.”)

The New Right is a political movement combining free-market economics, traditional social values, tough crime policies, and a strong, interventionist military stance.

What is Socialism

It came abouts because of the problems capitalism made (everything privatly owned+free market).

Capitalist societies under paid workers and therefor expolited them

This system of society went against human nature as it sent everyone to act for their own self interest instead of being social and coperative.

Capitalism created a huge gap between rich and poor

Collective Ownership of the Means of Production: Instead of businesses being owned by individuals or corporations, socialists want shared or public ownership. This means things like factories, land, and resources would be owned by workers or the community, not private companies.

Socialism is an ideology that opposes capitalism’s inequality and exploitation, and supports collective ownership, equality, and cooperation.

What is Marxism?

Marxism is the theory while communism was the goal. Marxism is the theory that envisions a classless stateless society ran by the working class where factories and land were owned by the workers not the big corporations.

What is Leninism

Vladimir Lenin adapted Marxism.

• He argued that capitalism wouldn’t fall on its own — it needed a revolution led by a disciplined party.

• This is what happened in the Russian Revolution (1917).

Leninism is Marxism plus a strong, organized party to lead a revolution and temporarily control the state to build socialism.

Democratic socialism vs Social democracy

Democratic socialism wants to give power to the people by letting them control the economy instead of large corporations or private owners. It aims to get rid of capitalism, but to do it peacefully and democratically, not through a violent revolution.

Social democracy, on the other hand, doesn’t want to get rid of capitalism. Instead, it believes the government should step in to make the system more fair, reducing inequality and providing equity and social welfare while keeping private ownership and markets.

What is Democratic Socialism?

Gives power to the people, private profit is limited.

Socialism should be acheived by democratic rather than revolutionary means and that a socialist society should be democratic in nature with poltical rights and freedoms respected.

Democratic socialism means using democracy to make sure everyone shares wealth fairly and has equal opportunities.

Social Democracy

Social Democracy is a political approach that reforms capitalism instead of ending it, aiming for social and economic equality through democracy and a strong welfare state. It supports fairer societies and global cooperation.
Examples: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland.

What is anarchism

Anarchism is a ideology that views the state as the key source of oppresion and they want to replace it witha. soceity with no rulers. They reject hierarchical aurthority (essecially government), Big example is the Spanish War 1936-1939

Anarchism is a belief that the government (state) is a source of oppression and should be abolished, replaced by a society based on voluntary cooperation and self-governed communities without rulers.

What is Fascism

An ideology that combines an aggresive form of nationalism with a strong belief in the naturalness of inequalities and oppose/ are in opposition to both liberal democracy and communism. It stems from nationalism (loyalty to a country/ your country)

Wants to dominate the weak, most feared ideology

• Aboslute loyalty

• Total control of state

• bad treatment of foreigners/ minorites ( lots of racisim)

• strong authoritarian dictatior leader

• rejects enlightenment thoughts

• sees war as opperturnity to prove themselves/ asserte dominance

• The dont support the weak (they dont have humainitarian policies/aid)

Ie adolf Hitler

What is Nazism?

The perspective that the Aryan race (germans) is superior to Jewish people. They believed they are the heir to the Aryan master race and therefor need to maintain ethnic purity. 

They saw jewish people as racial enemys or subhumans. 

Resulting in the holocaust (mass genocide)

What is feminism? What are the types? How many are there?

Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist expoitation and oppression.

• Very misunderstood, its not women vs men, men aren’t the enemy, feminism and inclusion go hand in hand. Feminist politics aim to challenge, dismantle and or change partriarchy (the strucutre where men have power over women)

• The feminist movements are often described in waves

• Wave 1 : Women are people too, this was them starting out so they wanted to be recognized as peoples, gain voting rights, economical rights like property and wages, enter the labor market and education rights.

• Wave 2 Women deserve Rights and opportunities 1960s-1980s, now its pay rights/ fixing the pay gap, sexual violence/ domestic violence awareness and  reproductive rights like contraception and abortion/ the right to it. Roe v Wade was a case in 1973 that protected womens rights to abortion. But in June 2022 it was overturned, the court said the constitution doesn’t guarentee the right to abortion which means states can decide if abortions is legal or not.

• Wave 3 this brought awareness to interesctiional feminsim (a form of feminism that recognizes not all women experience oppression the same way), sexual liberation (exploring sexualities) and trans inclusion which invoolves ebracing the spectrum of genders.

• Types of feminism theres liberal feminism, socialist feminism, radical feminism, ecofeminism too (talked about later) mainly first 3

What is Liberal Feminism

More laws/ legal rights for women

They think discrimination againist women limits opportunites

they want to end unjust laws, adopt action programs

equailty in education, employment, legal and political rights

Overall Liberal feminism is a type of feminism that focuses on achieving equal rights and opportunities for women through legal and political reforms.

What is Socialist Feminism

Fighting capitism and patriary

Opression by both male dominance (patriary) and also economical inequality (capilatlism) 

Women are doing house work, childcare and raising the next genderation of work force unpaid for the patriarchal capitalist society.

The liberation of women in their eyes involves both a struggle against patriachy and thetransformation of capitalism into a cooperative and egalitarian socialist society.

They have to fight the patriarchy and also capitalism

What is Radical Feminism

wants a change of the whole system.

They think liberal feminism was agreeing with capitalism and patriachry is deeply embedded in culture, this affects women and men.

The goal it to eliminate the patriarchy, they also believe oppression of women is the oldest deeply entrenched form of oppresion. They believe that if you don’t fight oppression now against women it will seep into other things/ supports the idea that all forms of oppression are connected

Materialist Values vs Postmaterialist Values

Materialist Values: economic and physical security/ order (focus on jobs and economic growth)

Post materialist values non economic goals, freedom of expression, enviorment (focus on wellbeing, happiness, less on physical things.

What is Enviornmentalism? What/how many types are there?

The idea that humainity need to change its relationship to nature, us protecting natural environment ensures we can sustain all forms of life. 

The cause it that humans think they can dominat nature without concern for the consequences.

We need to move from anthropocentrism ( man thinks it can dominate and get away with no consequences) to ecocentrism (everything focused on earth)

Perspective that people are ignoring climate change, everything has a limit, earth is the focal point of our lives 

There are many varities of enviornmentalism such as Reform envoirnmentalism, free-market envionmentalism, deep ecology, ecofeminism

Reform Environmentalism

Using better science and technology that are less polluting or ‘smarter’ technolgoies.

• ie elon musk with tesla.

Those who believe in RE believe economical growth and Environmental protection can work together. 

What is Free market Environmentalism?

Private owners of farms/forest should manage the reasources rather than goverment.

Small farmers/ indigenous groups have long term interest which gives reason to keep land healthy, if its unhealthy it impacts them.

but big companys dont like this because they just want to take what they need and leave, often leaving behind a big negative impact.

Overall. profits can turn a blind eye to degredations and the cost of enviornmental degredation should be included in the price of goods.

Free market environmentalism is the idea that private property rights and market incentives ,not government regulation, are the best way to protect the environment.

What is Deep Ecology?

Sees anthropocentrism(idea that humans are the centre/dominate or suprior to nature/ everything else) as the fundemental cause of enviornmental ddegradation, and that humans have no right or power to act this way.

They want to spread enviornmental consiousnes, and everyone is equal to plants in hopes to create unity

the spiritual connection is developing a deep connection and respect for the land. 

Deep ecology says we should reduce human population (birth rates), and lead simpler lifestyles by consuming less.

Eco fascism vs deep ecology.

Deep ecology is about protecting all life by changing the way we think and life. Eco-facism protect nature by controling or trying to eventually remove people seen as threat (the non elites)

They want to wipe half the population due to lack of reasources and the see certain races as superior & have rights over others (enviornmentalism + white supremacy). Lifeboat ethics come in. ( if each weathy country is a life boat if we help the poorer ones we will sink too, this is used to justify not helping non white countries when they are suffering or dying)

Social ecology

The ideology that we can’t fix the enviormental crisis without fixing social problems like inequailty, hiarchy and oppression. Once the social hiarchy is broken it will end expolitation of people and nature.

Social ecology vs Deep ecology

They both vaule small scale self sufficient communites. But deep sees humans as part of nature and its their job to be respectful to nature and not control it while social see humans as the guide for everyone to sustainabilty/ fix problems.

Eco feminism

This is enviornmentalism and feminism combined. They see the patriarchy as the cause of enviornmental degradation. This is because women and nature are both controlled and hurt by the same sources which is why they are connected. To fix this they say empowerment of females with education and employment will challenge patriarcal traditions. This lead to them having fewer children, slowing population growth and puts less stress on the enviornment.

Empowering women ie education= lower birth rates= less stress on enviornment

What is Populism?

Sure! Here are a few simple sentences to explain populism:

1. Populism is the belief that politics should represent the will of “the people” against a corrupt elite.

2. It creates a divide between ordinary citizens (“us”) and the powerful elite (“them”).

3. Populists often reject expert advice and established institutions, claiming they don’t serve the people.

4. Populism can appear on the left or right, depending on what “the people” are fighting for.

Populism isnt _?

a full political ideology on its own, it can attatch itself to any ideology left right or centre, this is called this thin ideolgoy

Left wing populism

Tax the wealthy and large corporations, they see the elites as the problem

advocate policies that benifit the poor and the working class (advocating rights for common people)

Occupy wall street

Right wing populism

Issues of national idenity immigration preservation traditional values

anti enviormnetalism, anti globalization, nativism ( close the borders, being anti immigrant, building a wall)

Ie trump saying that europe is going to hell for immigration and that the UN is failing and the UN’s climate change agreements is/are a scam.

Populist leaders characteristics

strong leader says they are the voice of the people

does bold actions against expert advice (scientists, advisors) and instead try to mobalize the general public to gain support.

They creat false promises and show they are one of the people to make a connection. They also challenge or push teh limits of important systems (they ignore rules to weaken the systems ie court)

when their simple solutions dont work they blame other countires.

Political Culture. What are the political culture types.

The beliefs values and additudes people have about how politics and government should work. Political culture shapes the confidence and trust in politicians and goverments.

Parochial cultures, subject political cultures, particaipant political cultures. + civic cultures?

Parochial cultures

the people arent aware or care much about politics or the government. The people have no expectation of goverment and the people have minimal involvement. This is common in traditional or rural societies.

Subject political cultures

People aren’t politically active but has expectations that the gvoverment willprovide. Often in places coming out of authoritarian type of government, before they never had the insentive to vote.

Participant political culture.

The people play an active role and expect political systems will deliver in return. The people vote, protest etc. but they can includence gov decisions.

Civic culture

Made by almond and verba.

They beleive civic culture is the best for democracy.

They believe participant political culture lead to instabilty because there is too many demand for the gov to handle.

They beleive a mixture of subject/ participant (civic culture) is the best.

They do this by having everyone vote , but a small group of educated citizens plays a bigger role in influencing policies.

What are the critcisms of civic culture

Justification of status quo (stability over change)
assumption that the small group is educated and secualr (not influenced by religion)

dalton 2006 “Without public involvement in the process, deomocracy loses both its legitmacy and its guiding force”

Poltical efficancy

Political efficacy is the belief that your actions can influence politics and government—that your vote or voice actually matters.

People with high political efficacy feel they can make a difference; those with low efficacy feel powerless or ignored.

Political socialization

How did you get the polticfal values you have today? Or what influenced them?

Agents of poltical socialization

Major agents =family/parents (they inform you first when you have no previous experience)

Peer groups education systems, social metic etc.

Trickle up effects. Kids can influence political values of parents ie what they learned at school