Poli 201

*“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”*

Plato on “Why study politics?”

Why is Politics important?

* One of the areas in life we cannot avoid
* Without participation in politics, you end up being governed by improper leaders
* To give us the right direction

Government is accountable to…?

Its citizens and Public Opinion

Democracy is…?

The worst type of government, except all the other systems we have already tried

China as a superpower

* Threatens the democratic system because they are making their own authoritarian rule
* Argues that you don’t need democracy to be efficient

International Relations Theory

States are always having conflicts with each other

Socratic Method

A Fabricated conversation between teacher and students, instigated by continual questions by the teacher that explores the student’s views and opinions

Power

Ability to achieve goals in a political system and to have others do as you wish them to

Influence

The ability to change behaviour in others without exerting direct power over them

Charisma

A type of influence where people follow leaders without using any external force

Democracy

* People participate and are ruled by people
* People have power
* Leader is accountable to people and public opinion
* Voting gives people power

Political Studies

Formal study of politics within and among nations

* Helps us understand how events and decisions that seem far removed from our lives actually affect us
* We see how this government works and how the government is considered machinery to run a state
* *Demonstrates how we organize ourselves in a social environment*

Politics if a phenomenom of…

Conflict and conflict resolution because people are diverse and complicated

Government

The institutions and people responsible for carrying out the affairs and administration of a political system

Conflict

Differences in preferred outcomes among social groups

Conflict Resolution

Process in domestic or international affairs that attempts to reconcile antagonism through use of negotiation and mediation

The fundamental goal of politics

Fairness in society

Socialization

* Thomas Hobbes
* a process whereby individuals act in a social manner


* the creation of social and political authority and rules to regulate behavior and thus permit the operation of social units

Social Contract

**Thomas Hobbes’ Theory**

* People live together in society in accordance **with an agreement** that **establishes moral and political rules of behavior**
* We can live morally by our own choice and not because a divine being requires it

Public Goods

**Basic responsibility of every state and government**

* Resources that are present in a political system whose use by one individual should not affect the use by others

Liberal Democracy

A political system ==**based on freedom**== and the principle that governance requires the ==**assent of all citizens**== through ==**participation**== in the electoral process, articulation of views, and ==**direct or indirect representation**== in governing institutions

Authorianism

A political system requiring absolute obedience to a constituted authority

Illiberal Democracy

Regular elections occur; but people have no civil rights

More resources leads to more…

Conflict; since more sections want more resources

State

**The Whole; Permanent**

* The only institution in society that ==holds access to the legitimate use of force within its territorial jurisdiction;== holds the authority and legitimacy to make and enforce decisions about the ==distribution of resources in a society==

Basic Elements of a State

* Controlled Area
* International Recognition
* People or Citizens

Government

**People who run it; Changes or impermanent**

* Part of the state apparatus, albeit an impermanent one because elected governments come and go while the state itself remains intact over time
* The mechanism is the party that is centralized

What is **modern western state** based on?

* Defined territorial boundaries
* Rule of law
* Sovereignty
* Legitimacy

State rule is..?

Impersonal, everyone is equally subject to the rules of the state, including state actors

State is considered **what** authority?

Exclusive for that land and people

* Right to make any law and implent it

Approaches in Political Studies

* Political Philosophy
* Canadian Politics
* International Relations
* Comparative Politics

Political Studies is…?

A systematic examination of events in society

* No consensus on how this should be accomplished
* We study how humans should live in a society and the relationship between state and society

Political Philosophy

* Rooted in **Aristotle** and **Plato**
* Humans are political by nature
* Tends to seek not only to describe what is but also to make normative claims about what ought to be

Aristotle Philosophy

*Government exists to* ***promote and foster*** *virtue in a way that* ***leads to the good life*** *of its citizens*

* Politics are inherently human, only humans posses *logos* (Language and reason)

Canadian Politics

Focus within Canada’s borders

* Two defining political institutions; **Parliament** and **Federalism**
* Common topics of study: The concentration of power in the political executive; cooperation and conflict between federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous governments; distribution of wealth among provinces; role of the courts; social policy issues

Parliament

Highest legislature consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons

Federalism

System of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government

International Relations

Studies political, economic, legal developments on the global stage and relationships between countries that are affected by developments

Dominant perspectives in International Relations

* Realism
* Liberalism
* Marxism

Realism

View of international which stresses its competitive and conflictual side; emphasizes the role of the state and national interest

Comparative Politics

What is within a state

* Focuses on basic concepts of a state
* Concentrates on the link between politics and society

Analytical Approach

* Perspective that views politics as an empirical discipline rather than a science
* Argues that politics can’t be broken down into parts
* Draws heavily on fields of law, philosophy and history

Behaviouralism

The perspective that concentrates on tangible aspects of politics **rather than values**

* Objective was to establish a discipline that was scientific and objective
* We needed to come up with **fixed laws** without involving ourselves in the research

Post-Behaviouralism

Approach that allows **values and ideology** in its analysis

Structural-functionalists

Approach that focuses on the role of political structures and their function in society

* Represents a group within a larger classification of researchers called **system-theorists**
* Study an institution and see its impact of it on society
* **We only study parts of a system**

Systems theory

Views politics as a system of interaction, binding political structures such as government to action

* **Studies the entire system**
* Argues that politics is a dynamic process of information that encompasses institutions, groups and individuals

Political Economy

Approach that views political and economic spheres as harmonious and mutually dependent perceptions of the world

* **How countries influence others**
* Relationships between people, government and economy
* Subjective, **Personal biases are involved**

Comparative Approach

Method of analysis that compares different systems of political authority

* Compares two things, we highlight differences and variables

Most similar systems

Method of comparative analysis that examines political systems that have many common features to identify different variables and have **different outcomes**

Most different systems

Method of comparative analysis that examines political systems that share no or few common features **yet outcome is the same**

Levels of Analysis

Suggests that accurate analysis must be inclusive of international, domestic and individual arenas of interaction

* **We break down systems and try to understand it**

Individual level of Political influence

Focus on studying leaders and how the leader contributed to the state

Globalization

How the world became more connected and interconnected

* Intensification of relations across borders

Protectionism

Tendency of countries to safeguard their own economic sectors or industries through tariffs, quotas or other forms of legislation

MNCs or Multinational Corporations

Represents one way in which globalization connects international political and economic systems

* **Corporate bodies that operate in more than one country**

Domestic Politics

Concerned with politics, governance and administration of national governments and individual countries

International Politics

Concerned with relations across the globe and their interactions

What do we mean by political concepts?

It’s a **general consensus** on what to expect

Concepts

General idea emerging from events of instances

* Not universally agreed upon
* Helps us establish consistency

Political Organization

How humans govern themselves into the **body politic**

* May start with a common territory but will lead to values and beliefs
* An **agreement** and **social contract** that how people agree on rules and **how they will govern themselves**

Order

Condition in which both units and interaction within a political system are **marked by regularity and stability** with the **imposition of enforced rules, structures, and practices**

* This leads to customary behavior and expectation

Democracy

Political system based on the principle that governance requires the assent of **all citizens through participation** in the electoral process, articulation of views, and direct or indirect representation in governing institutions

Direct democracy

Referendum, laws, and policies are decided by a majority **rather than a body of elected representatives**

Indirect democracy

Voters choose delegates to create the laws of government on their behalf

Monarchy

Form of government by a single ruler who holds at least **nominally absolute power**

Tyranny

Government by a single ruler who often exercises arbitrary power for his or her benefit rather than that of the community

System

Group of **individual entities** or actors that interact with each other to form an **integrated whole**

* Entirety and how these parts interact

International System

System of **two or more actors** that interact regularly in the **global arena,** using established processes in the given issue areas

* NGOs, MNCs, UN
* No system on an international level that contains authority

Organization

**Structured relations** existing within a political community that are established to **distribute** both the responsibilities and privileges that arise from formal association or others

Institutions

Groupings that have developed to attend to particular societal needs

* Strongest when they are **autonomous, transparent and accountable**
* **Essential for building effective systems**

State

Recognized political unit, considered to be sovereign, with a defined territory and people and a central government responsible for the administration

\

Sovereignty

Recognition by other political authorities that a government is legitimate and rightful for a political community

* Gives state control over their territory
* Internal; must exert control
* Externally; must have recognition from others

Nation

Group of persons who share an identity that is based on, but not limited to, shared ethnic, religious, cultural or linguistic qualities

* Based on commonality

Nation-state

Autonomous **sovereign polity** of people who share a predominant common culture, language, ethnicity, or history

Agency

Individual or group activities in a social context

* Implements rules

Political Action

Assumes the ability to act and will to do so

Power

Ability to achieve goals in a political system, and to have others do as you wish them to

* **Principle power in politics**
* Dynamic; actively used to achieve goals
* Static; Used as a measurement of capability

Steven Lukes and the “Three Faces” of Power

* **Decision-making power**: policy-making, legislation
* **Non-decision-making power:** the ability to set agenda and get issues discussed
* **Ideological Power**: Ability to influence people’s thoughts

Hard Power

Use of military, economic and physical means to influence behaviour

Soft Power

Use of charisma like ideas or emotion to influence people

* People **voluntarily** do what you want them to do

Authority

Power of right to force obedience

Traditional Authority

When a person receives their power through customs, traditions or lineage

* Includes Monarchies and religion

Rational-legal Authority

Authority is bound based on rules and legal-bound institutions

* Elected officials

Legitimacy

What is lawful, appropriate, proper and conforms to the standards of a political system

Laws

Rules imposed on society by the governing authority

* Regulatory system for politics

Legislation

Laws enacted by the governing authority

Values

Principles, standards; what an individual or community esteems as meaningful

How do we define equality?

* **Political**; Right to participate
* **Social**; Status given to all
* **Economic**; Distribution of benefits

**Conceptions of Equality**; Ancient Greeks

* Plato and Aristotle
* Looked at differences and not quality

**Conceptions of Equality**; Thomas Hobbes and John Locke

All are deserving of equal treatment (Political equality)

**Conceptions of Equality**; Adam Smith

Equality through economic opportunity

* Competition is the invisible hand that guides the economy
* Economic forces left on their own would lead to efficiency and growth over time

**Conceptions of Equality**; John Rawls

Everyone would choose equality over the uncertainty of the alternative

* Equality should only be accepted if it is good for the disadvantages
* Inequality should only be allowed if it is in favour of the vulnerable

Adam Smith’s Theory

Advocated a form of liberalism where rule of law is significant

* Wealth is created through productive labor
* Self-interest motivates people
* **Free market and trade; Laissez-faire**

Progress

Advancement in society towards a better and improves state of affairs; *An integral element of liberal political theory*

Justice

State of affairs involving the maintenance of what is right and fair within a society

Social Justice

Equitable distribution of goods and values in society

Economic Justice

The redistribution of economic resources from certain groups in society to others

Liberty

Freedom and despotic control

* Comes with responsibility to society

Negative Liberty

Areas of activity in which **governments do not interfer**e, an individual is free to choose

Positive Liberty

The **government does get involved** (ex; economic redistribution), enabling citizens to reach their potential