Core Political Science Concepts: Power, Ideologies, and Critical Theories

Power, Authority, and Political Systems

• Power: Ability to achieve an objective by influencing the behavior of others.

• Forms of Power:

  • Coercion: Use of fear or threats of harmful consequences.

  • Inducements: Offering rewards or bribes.

  • Persuasion: Using truthful info to encourage action in self-interest, or misleading info to manipulate.

• Political Agenda: Priority issues in political deliberations.

• Free-Rider Problem: Voluntary collective action issue where individuals enjoy group benefits without contributing.

• Authority and Legitimacy:

  • Authority: Right to exercise power.

  • Legitimacy: Acceptance by political community members that those in authority have the right to govern.

  • Charismatic Authority: Based on perceived extraordinary or supernatural qualities of a leader.

  • Traditional Authority: Based on customs establishing the right to rule.

  • Legal Rational Authority: Right to rule based on legal rules and procedures.

• Perspectives and Systems:

  • Common Good: What is good for the entire political community.

  • Individualist Perspective: Views human beings as acting primarily in accordance with self-interest.

  • Pluralist System: Diverse groups influence government decisions with no single group having dominant influence.

States, Nations, and Governance

• State: Fixed, self-governing political community whose institutions make binding rules.

• Sovereignty: Principle that states are the highest authority for their territory and population, free from external authority.

• Government vs. Governance:

  • Government: Institutions making and implementing decisions on behalf of the state for a period of time.

  • Governance: Making and implementing decisions involving state and non-state organizations.

• Actors: People operating within complex webs of power and relationships that enable or constrain them.

• Nations and State Structures:

  • Nation: Group sharing a common identity and belief in self-governance within a homeland.

  • Nation-State: Sovereign state based on people sharing a common national identity.

  • Binational/Multinational States: States whose populations are composed of two or more nations.

  • Secessionist Movement: Self-identified nation seeking to separate from a sovereign state.

• Nationalism and Integration:

  • Nationalism: Belief that the nation-state is the best political community and national culture/values should be promoted.

  • Ethnic Nationalism: Based on common ancestry, cultural traditions, and language.

  • Civic Nationalism: Based on shared political values and history among citizens.

  • National Self-Determination: Right of nations to choose their political status and sovereign state.

  • Official Multiculturalism: Policy recognizing, encouraging, and supporting cultural diversity.

  • Interculturalism: Integration model establishing contact and dialogue in a French and secular public space.

  • Citizenship: Status of permanent residents as full members of the political community with rights and duties.

Political Ideologies and Spectrum

• Enlightenment: Mid-18th century intellectual movement emphasizing human reason.

• Political Spectrum and Law:

  • Left: Advocacy for social and economic equality, universal human rights, and opposing state support for religion.

  • Right: Opposition to social/economic equality; maintenance of traditional, religious-based moral values.

  • Rule of Law: Universal subjection of rulers and ruled to known, predictable, and impartial rules.

• Liberalism:

  • Liberal Democracy: Combines limited government, individual freedom, and rule of law with elected representatives.

  • Classical Liberalism: Limits government to protecting life, liberty, and property.

  • Laissez-Faire Economic System: Free market interaction without government interference.

  • Reform Liberalism: Combines individual freedom with government action to remove development obstacles.

  • Welfare State: Government guarantees a decent standard of living and protection from hardship (unemployment, sickness, disability, old age).

  • Neo-Liberalism: Strong belief in free markets and opposition to economic intervention.

• Conservatism:

  • Conservatism: Emphasizes order, stability, authority, and tradition, viewing human reason as limited.

  • Reactionaries: Advocates returning to past hierarchical values and questioning further democratization.

  • New Right: Combines free-market capitalism with traditional moral values ("fusionist consensus").

  • Social Conservatism: Promotes policies based on traditional moral/religious values (opposing abortion, same-sex marriage, premarital sex).

• Socialism and Left-Wing Thought:

  • Socialism: Views humans as cooperative/social, rejects capitalism, and advocates an egalitarian society.

  • Historical Materialism: Explains social and political development through the organization of material production.

  • Communism: Replaces private property with communal ownership where all take according to need.

  • Leninism: Marxism variant advocating overthrowing capitalism by force via a disciplined party led by a revolutionary vanguard.

  • Democratic Socialism: Achieves egalitarian socialism through democratic means while maintaining political rights.

  • Anarchism: Replaces the state—viewed as the key source of oppression—with voluntary cooperation.

• Authoritarianism and Populism:

  • Fascism: Combines aggressive nationalism, belief in natural inequality, and opposition to liberal democracy and communism.

  • Nazism: Fascism version associated with Adolf Hitler, featuring anti-semitism, racism, extreme nationalism, imperialism, and the Holocaust (systematic extermination of 6 million European Jews during WW2).

  • Social Darwinism: Applies evolution theory to argue conflict enables evolution via "survival of the fittest".

  • Corporate State: Fascist Italy model where business and labor work to achieve state-established goals.

  • Neo-Fascism: Modern revival featuring ethnic nationalism, opposition to non-matching immigrants, and populist leaders.

  • Populism: Advocates putting power in the hands of the people rather than political elites.

Environmentalism, Feminism, and Critical Race Theory

• Environmental Ideologies:

  • Environmentalism: Seeking changes in human-nature relationships to protect the environment.

  • Anthropocentrism: Places human well-being at the center of political thought.

  • Ecocentric: Views nature as having intrinsic value beyond human use.

  • Reform Environmentalism: Focuses on better science, technology, and environmental management.

  • Free-Market Environmentalism: Uses private property rights and free markets for protection.

  • Deep Ecology: Rejects anthropocentrism, advocating environmental consciousness and unity with the Earth.

  • Ecosocialism: Blames capitalism for environmental destruction, advocating egalitarian eco-communities.

  • Ecofeminism: Views male dominance as the primary cause of environmental degradation.

  • Sustainability & Sustainable Development: Preserving ecosystems via renewable resource management and meeting present needs without compromising future generations.

• Feminism:

  • Feminism: Movements and ideas aiming for equality of all sexes and genders.

  • Equity: Providing equal access to desirable outcomes.

  • Patriarchy: System where power and women's lives are controlled by men.

  • Liberal Feminism: Advocates equal rights and equal opportunities in education and employment.

  • Socialist Feminism: Links women's oppression to both male dominance and the capitalist system.

  • Radical Feminism: Seeks liberation through transforming social institutions, values, and personal relationships.

  • Liberation: Unlocking human potential stifled by society.

• Critical Race Theory and Social Concepts:

  • Critical Race Theory: Study of relationships between race, racism, and power.

  • Microaggressions: Conscious or unconscious small acts of racism.

  • Redlining: Discriminatory practice directing Black home buyers away from certain areas and withholding financial services.

  • Material Determinism: Human behavior determined by economic, social, and natural circumstances.

  • Differential Racialization: Dominant society racializing different minority groups at different times for shifting labor needs.

  • Anti-Essentialism: Rejects race as a fixed, inherent characteristic.

  • Intersectionality: Overlapping of race, class, gender, and individual traits.

  • Social Constructs: Ideas created and accepted by society.

  • Tort Remedies: Civil law punishment for a wrongful act violating rights.