Introduction to Politics: A Western Perspective

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Introduction to PoliticsA Western Perspective

• RONALD CHAN
• Savantas Political Academy
• Saturday, March 21, 2009

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Politics as the art of government

• Broad definition activities or social relations
  involving authority or power
• Classical definition the art of government and
  activities of the state
• Polis (Greek) city-state

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Politics as societal consensus (1)

• Conduct and management of the communitys affairs
  (vs. private concerns of the individual)
• Aristotle (384-322BC) only within a political
  community can human beings live the good life
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Politics as societal consensus (2)

• Conflict resolution
• Compromise
• Conciliation
• Negotiation
• Political solutions vs. military solutions
• No politics without diversity of humankind and
  scarcity of resources

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Politics as societal conflicts

• Structural inequalities and injustices associated
  with production, distribution and use of
  resources
• Karl Marx (1818-1883) political power as merely
  the organized power of one class for oppressing
  another
• Feminist Kate Millett (1970) politics as
  power-structured relationships, arrangements
  whereby one group of persons is controlled by
  another

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Constitution
Executive
Judiciary
Government
Legislative
Public Private
Political Parties
Civil Society
Individuals Families Market
Social Base
Attitudes Culture Values
A liberal democratic society
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Liberalism

• Meta-ideology in the West
• Commitment to the individual human beings are
  endowed with the faculty for reason and should
  enjoy the maximum possible freedom
• the right over the good
• Characterized by diversity and pluralism
• Linked with laissez-faire capitalism
• Contrast with Confucianism

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Democracy

• Rule by the demos (i.e. people-power)
• Connotation of mob rule well into 19th cent.
• Direct vs. representative democracy
• Seymour Lipset
• a political system with regular constitutional
  opportunities for changing the governing
  officials a social mechanism permitting the
  largest possible part of the population to
  influence major decisions by choosing among
  contenders for political offices

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Democratic ideals

• Political equality (of the people)
• Popular participation (by the people)
• Public interest (for the people)
• Representative as delegate vs. trustee
• Edmund Burke
• Your representative owes you, not his industry
  only, but his judgment and he betrays instead of
  serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.

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Democratic reality
Elite
Masses
Elite
Elite
Masses
Masses
Elite
Masses
Robert Dahl democracy as polyarchy
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Features of a liberal democracy

• Constitutional government
• Guaranteed civil rights and civil liberties
• Institutional fragmentation
• Free, fair, regular, competitive elections open
  to all adults
• Civil society
• Capitalism

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Government centerpiece of politics

• Mechanism / organization through which ordered
  rule is maintained
• Ability to make collective decisions and capacity
  to enforce them
• Provision of stability, economic and social
  well-being of citizens
• Early governments
• Sumer 5200 BC
• Ancient Egypt 3000 BC
• Yellow River Civilization 2000 BC

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Source of government power

• Social contract theory
• Unending civil war in state of nature
• Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) solitary, poor, nasty,
  brutish and short
• People willingly sacrifice a portion of personal
  freedom to create a sovereign body ensuring
  orderly and stable existence
• Obedience to the government as the only safeguard
  against chaos
• (Anarchism)

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Legitimacy from power to authority

• Max Weber 3 sources of legitimacy
• Charismatic authority
• Theocracy, plutocracy, dictatorship
• Traditional authority
• Monarchy
• Legal-rational authority
• Democracy (mandate)
• Larry Diamond reciprocal relations between
  legitimacy and performance

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Classifying governments
HIGH
Statist
Socialist
State Ownership
Laissez-Faire
Welfare State
HIGH
LOW
Welfare Benefits
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Political parties features

• Seek to exercise government power by winning
  elections to public offices
• Formal membership
• Broad issue focus (vs. single issue focus)
• Shared political preferences and general
  ideological identity

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Political parties functions

• Representation and integration
• Interest aggregation melding separate interests
  into general demands
• Political socialization and training grounds
• Mobilization of voters
• Organization of government
• Presidential vs. parliamentary systems
• Separation of powers

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Political parties party system

• One-party system
• Fused party-state apparatus
• Dominant-party system
• Japan, India, Mexico
• Two-party system
• Ruling party vs. opposition as govt. in waiting
• Two-plus party system
• Multiparty system
• Forming of electoral alliance or coalitions

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Civil society

• Arena of voluntary collective action around
  shared interests, purposes, values (vs.
  government, market, family)
• Independent from govt., political machines
• Charities, NGOs
• Community organizations, interest groups
• Religious groups
• Trade unions, professional associations
• Media
• Think tanks, civic organizations

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Civil society

• Make demands on government
• Check on govt. power, greater accountability
• Essential for government responsiveness
• Almond and Verba vital to democracy
• Enhance awareness, more informed citizenry
• Better voting choices
• Robert Putnam creation of social capital
• Build trust, reciprocity through social network
• Facilitate societal cohesion, moderation,
  tolerance, respect for opposing viewpoints

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Political culture

• Political culture
• Set of values, beliefs, attitudes within which a
  political system operates
• Political practices and rituals of a community
• Edmund Burke morality, custom, tradition as
  basis of political stability
• Progress in the context of continuity
• No displacement of long-standing institutions
  owing to abstract theorizing

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Weber culture underpins progress
Stability of political system
Political behavior
Political culture (transmitted to individuals by
political socialization)
(Contrast Hegel spiritual Marx economic)
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Political culture

• Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verbas The Civic
  Culture
• Parochial
• Subject
• Participant
• Each type alone unsatisfactory as cultural
  underpinnings for stability of a democracy

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Political culture

• Civic culture an optimum mix of subject and
  participant attitudes is best
• Citizens with knowledge of political process and
  sense of empowerment as political actors
• Recognition and legitimacy of elites
• Sensitivity to the peoples preferences
• The US and particularly the UK come close to this
  ideal