Power, obedience,

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Power, obedience, the state

• Key concepts in political science

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Government (the State)

• A political order which has the ultimate
  authority to act on behalf of the community to
  make, enforce and adjudicate rules for the
  community.
• Refers both to the governing institutions and the
  individuals in office.

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Attributes of Government

• To be successful, a government must have
  sovereignty, authority and legitimacy. For
  stability, it must be perceived as just.
• These four factors determine the relationship
  between the state and the individual.

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Sovereignty

• The supreme governing power of a state. The
  ability of a state to exercise its authority over
  a territory, to actually carry out the functions
  of a state, particularly in providing security
  from external threat.

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Sovereignty, continued

• An ancient idea but only developed as a doctrine
  in the 16th century, relating to the absolute
  sovereignty of the monarch.
• By the 18th century, the idea of popular
  sovereignty developed that the ultimate
  governing authority rests with the people, who
  then delegate that authority to government.

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Power/Authority

• The capacity to influence or control the behavior
  of persons and institutions in order to meet an
  objective.
• Power involves getting someone to act in a way
  contrary to how he or she would otherwise act.
  In other words, altering the persons will or
  volition.

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Power/Authority

• Manifest power power in operation. Example
  weapons in use.
• Implicit or latent power the exercise of power
  is not obvious. Example stockpile of weapons.

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Types of Power Force

• Force physical means
• Violent (can be legal or illegal)
• Law enforcement military actions
• Bombings, assassinations, riots
• Nonviolent (also can be legal or illegal)
• Boycotts
• Demonstrations
• Sabotage
• Blockade

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Types of Power Persuasion

• Persuasion convincing a person to do something
  he or she might not otherwise do. Exercise of
  this power is out in the open. A major part of
  politics (especially in democracies).
• Sources gift for public speaking, election
  landslide, internalized moral values.
• Examples Federalist Papers (1787), Kings I
  have a dream speech, court decisions, appeals to
  patriotism.

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Types of Power Manipulation

• Manipulation also seeks to get a person to do
  something he or she would not otherwise do, but
  its exercise motivation are hidden. When
  manipulation is successful, the person affected
  does not even realize he or she has been
  influenced.
• Example managing release of data in public
  opinion polls.

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Types of Power Exchange

• Exchange using incentives to get a person to do
  something he or she might not otherwise do.
  Something is given in exchange.
• Examples
• A bribe
• Log-rolling in legislature
• Economic assistance
• Tax incentives tax breaks

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Legitimacy

• The acceptance of the exercise of political power
  as rightful authority. This acceptance is what
  gives the government authority. Legitimacy is
  the indispensable condition for effective
  government and the maintenance of political
  order.
• What are the sources of legitimacy?

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Sources of legitimacy

• Successful government policies
• Tradition, such as hereditary succession
• Accepted procedures (e.g., election outcomes the
  democratic bargain)
• Religious belief in the Divine Right of Kings or
  the Mandate of Heaven
• Passage of time

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Justice

• The sense of fairness in the distribution of
  rewards and burdens in society.
• Lack of this sense can destabilize a regime.
  Questions of justice trouble dictatorships.
• Key question is power exercised for the good of
  all, or only for the benefit of the rulers?

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Public interest vs. self interest

• This question was at the center of Aristotle's
  philosophy (330 B.C.).
• He argued that there are three kinds of
  government rule of one, rule of the few, rule of
  the many.
• Any of these might be just or unjust, depending
  on the motives of the rulers.

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Aristotles idea of justice

• Just Government interest of the whole
• Monarchy (kingship)
• Aristocracy (rule by the best)
• Polyarchy (rule by the people)
• Corrupt Government self interest
• Autocracy or tyranny
• Oligarchy
• Democracy (mob rule)

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Nation-state

• The primary political unit in modern times.
  Approximately 200 nation-states in the world
  today, many just since the breakup of the Soviet
  Union in 1990.
• Relatively new concept emerged formally only in
  the mid-17th century (1648 treaty of
  Westphalia).

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Nation-state

• Nation a people who share something language,
  religion, history, race, culture, political
  values - and have a sense of identity.
• State a government that is sovereign in a
  particular territory.

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Utopianism

• The idea of an ideal or perfect society.
• Often used by writers to criticize the status
  quo.
• Dates from ancient Greeks, especially Plato
  writing The Republic.
• Also evident in 17th century English writing and
  in some contemporary science fiction.

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Utopianism

• Idea influenced the American colonists, who saw
  the new world as a city on a hill, a shining
  beacon to the world.
• Also influenced other political systems, in
  particular the Marxist vision of a workers'
  paradise.
• Fascist dictators Hitler and Mussolini tried to
  appeal to utopian ideal of a "Golden Past as a
  basis for their legitimacy.

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Dystopias

• A nightmare distortion of a utopia.
• It happens when leaders impose perfection on
  imperfect human beings.
• To create a perfect society, those leaders must
  exercise totalitarian control over all aspects of
  human life. No freedom possible.

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Importance of stability

• Rejecting utopian ideals, other political writers
  have emphasized the importance of stability.
• They see the major threat to human existence as
  lawlessness disorder. Its better to have a
  strong ruler than no ruler at all.
• This idea captured in the writings of Confucius.

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Confucius

• He lived at a time (551-479 BCE) when imperial
  rule in China disintegrating. Very unstable
  dangerous period.
• Confucius advocated order and stability.
• He believed that was possible only by following
  the rites practices that reflected traditional
  morality.

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Confucianism

• Confucianism became extremely influential in
  China and Korea for more than 2,000 years.
• This emphasis on tradition, order and stability
  has transformed Confucianism into an ideology
  that supports the status quo and deference to
  authority.

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Teachings of Confucius

• His teachings are in The Analects.
• Key idea the Way, the search for Truth, which
  both individuals and the government must follow
  for the society to be good and order maintained.
• The Way is embodied in traditional rites
  respecting the wisdom of the past

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Teachings of Confucius

• Deference to authority important. The ruler is
  like the father, and the citizens like the
  children. That brings order.
• It is rare for a man whose character is such that
  he is good as a son obedient as a young man to
  have the inclination to transgress against his
  superiors it is unheard of for one to be
  inclined to start a rebellion.

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Teachings of Confucius

• Confucius generally supported the feudal system
  in China, where family obligations served as the
  basis for morality. He even counseled patience
  and acceptance of a terrible government. But
  that does not mean that the good man should give
  in to governments immorality.

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Teachings of Confucius

• Note his advice to rulers
• In guiding a state of a thousand chariots,
  approach your duties with reverence and be
  trustworthy in what you say, avoid excesses in
  expenditure and love your fellow men employ the
  labor of the common people only in the right
  seasons.

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Teachings of Confucius

• He advised rulers to lead by example
• Encourage the people to work hard by setting an
  example yourself Do not allow your efforts to
  slacken.
• If a man is correct in his own person, then there
  will be obedience without orders being given but
  if he is not correct in his own person, there
  will not be obedience even though orders are
  given.

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Teachings of Confucius

• In speaking about government, he said government
  should give the people enough food, enough arms
  and the common people will trust in you. When
  asked which of these was the most important, he
  said, Give up arms first, then give up food.
  Death has always been with us since the beginning
  of time. But when there is no trust, the common
  people have nothing to stand on.

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Teachings of Confucius

• He was also highly critical of selfishness self
  interest, for ruler ruled.
• If one is guided by profit in ones actions, one
  will incur much ill will.
• While the gentleman cherishes benign rule, the
  small man cherishes his native land. While the
  gentleman cherishes a respect for the law, the
  small man cherishes generous treatment.