Politics and Government in Global Perspective

1
Chapter 14

• Politics and Government in Global Perspective

2
Chapter Outline

• Politics Power and Authority
• Political Systems in Global Perspective
• Perspectives on Power and Political Systems
• The U.S. Political System

3
Chapter Outline

• Government Bureaucracy
• The Military and Militarism
• Terrorism and War
• Politics and Government in the Future

4
Politics, Power and Authority

• Politics is the social institution through which
  power is acquired and exercised by some people
  and groups.
• Government is the formal organization that has
  the legal and political authority to regulate
  relationships among members of a society and
  between the society and those outside its
  borders.
• The state is the political entity that possesses
  a legitimate monopoly over the use of force
  within its territory to achieve its goals.

5
Political Sociology

• Political sociology examines the nature and
  consequences of power within or between
  societies, as well as the social and political
  conflicts that lead to changes in the allocation
  of power.
• Political sociology primarily focuses on the
  social circumstances of politics and explores how
  the political arena and its actors are
  intertwined with social institutions such as the
  economy, religion, education, and the media.

6
How Much Do You Know About the Media?

• True or False?
• Almost all movies in the United States are
  distributed by six large studios.

7
How Much Do You Know About the Media?

• True.
• Six major studiosColumbia, Paramount, 20th
  Century-Fox, MCA/Universal, Time Warner, and
  Disneydistribute not only the films they produce
  but also most of the films made by independent
  producers.

8
How Much Do You Know About the Media?

• True or False?
• Both major U.S. political parties have been
  accused of purchasing television commercials with
  money from questionable campaign contributions.

9
How Much Do You Know About the Media?

• True.
• Soft money contributions, which are made
  outside the limits imposed by federal election
  laws, have allegedly been used by both parties
  for campaign style ads, but leaders of the
  national political parties claimed that their own
  ads were about social issues, not candidates.

10
Power and Authority

• Power is the ability of persons or groups to
  achieve their goals despite opposition from
  others.
• Authority is power that people accept as
  legitimate rather than coercive.

11
Ideal Types of Authority

• Traditional
• Kings, Queens, Emperors, religious dignitaries
• Charismatic
• politicians, soldiers, entertainers
• Rationallegal
• elected officials

12
Question

• Traditional authority is based on
• a leader's exceptional personal qualities.
• written rules and regulations of law.
• documents such as the U.S. Constitution.
• long-standing custom.

13
Answer d

• Traditional authority is based on a long-standing
  custom.

14
Question

• Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
  Caesar Chavez, and Mother Teresa are examples of
• charismatic authority.
• traditional authority.
• rational-legal authority.
• nontraditional authority.

15
Answer a

• Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
  Caesar Chavez, and Mother Teresa are examples of
  charismatic authority.

16
Political Systems in Global Perspective

• Political institutions emerged when agrarian
  societies acquired surpluses and developed social
  inequality.
• When cities developed, the city-state became the
  center of political power.
• Nation-states emerged as countries acquired the
  ability to defend their borders.

17
Nation-states

• Approximately 190 nation-states currently exist
  throughout the world.
• Today, everyone is born, lives, and dies under
  the auspices of a nation-state
• Four types of political systems are found in
  nation-states monarchy, authoritarianism,
  totalitarianism, and democracy.

18
Webers Three Types of Authority
Type Example
Traditional Patrimony Patriarchy
Charismatic Napoleon César Chávez Mother Teresa
Rational-Legal Modern British ParliamentU.S. presidency
19
Types of Political Systems

• A monarchy is a political system in which power
  resides in one person or family and is passed
  from generation to generation through lines of
  inheritance.
• Authoritarianism - A political system controlled
  by rulers who deny popular participation in
  government. 

20
Types of Political Systems

• Totalitarianism - A political system in which the
  state seeks to regulate all aspects of people's
  public and private lives.
• Democracy - A political system in which the
  people hold the ruling power either directly or
  through elected representatives.

21
Functionalist Perspectives Pluralist Model

• The functions of government
• maintain law and order
• plan and direct society
• meet social needs
• handle international relations

22
Conflict Perspectives Elite Models

• Power in political systems is in the hands of a
  small group of elites and the masses are
  relatively powerless.
• Decisions are made by the elites, who agree on
  the basic values and goals of society.
• The needs and concerns of the masses are not
  often given full consideration by the elite.

23
Purpose of a Political Party

• Develop and articulate policy positions.
• Educate voters about issues and simplify the
  choices for them.
• Recruit candidates, help them win office, hold
  them responsible for implementing the partys
  positions.

24
Political Socialization

• Political socialization is the process by which
  people learn political attitudes, values, and
  behavior.

25
Voter Apathy

• 10 of the voting-age population participates at
  a level higher than voting.
• Over the past 40 years, less than half the
  voting-age population has voted in
  nonpresidential elections.
• In many other Western nations, the average
  turnout is 80 to 90 of all eligible voters.

26
Question

• Have you registered to vote?
• Yes
• No
• Not eligible

27
Question

• Did you vote in the last election?
• Yes
• No
• Not eligible

28
Why Eligible Voters Dont Vote

• Conservative argument
• People are satisfied with the status quo, are
  uninformed and lack an understanding of
  government processes.
• Liberal argument
• People feel alienated from politics due to
  corruption and influence peddling by special
  interests and large corporations.

29
Question

• _____ is the process by which people learn
  political attitudes, values, and behavior.
• Indoctrination
• Military training
• Resocialization
• Political socialization

30
Answer d

• Political socialization is the process by which
  people learn political attitudes, values, and
  behavior.

31
Question

• Generally speaking, do you usually think of
  yourself as a Republican, Democrat, Independent,
  or what?

32
GSS National Data
Income Low Middle High
Democrat 52.9 48.2 42.6
Independent 18.6 17.1 13.8
Republican 28.5 34.7 43.6
33
Voter Preferences in the 2004 Presidential
Election
Gender Republican Democrat
Men 55 44
Women 48 52
34
Voter Preferences in the 2004 Presidential
Election
Race/Ethnicity Republican Democrat
Whites 58 41
African Americans 11 88
Latinos/as 43 56
Asian Americans 41 58
35
Voter Preferences in the 2004 Presidential
Election
Age Republican Democrat
1829 45 54
3044 53 46
4559 51 48
60 and older 54 46
36
Voter Preferences in the 2004 Presidential
Election
Education Republican Democrat
Did not graduate from high school 49 50
High school graduate 52 47
Some college 54 46
College graduate 52 46
37
Voter Preferences in the 2004 Presidential
Election
Region Republican Democrat
Eastern U.S. 44 56
Midwest 51 49
Southern U.S. 57 43
Western U.S. 49 51
38
Voter Preferences in the 2004 Presidential
Election
Income Republican Democrat
Under 15,000 36 63
15,00029,999 42 57
30,00049,999 48 50
Over 50,000 56 43
39
Question

• How would you characterize your political views?
• Far left
• Liberal
• Middle-of-the-road
• Conservative
• Far right

40
Percentage of All Federal Civilian Jobs Held by
White Men, 2000
41
Example of the Iron Triangle of Power
42
The Military And Militarism

• Militarism is a societal focus on military ideals
  and an aggressive preparedness for war.

43
Explanations for Militarism

1. The economy.
2. The role of the nation and its inclination toward
   coercion in response to perceived threats.
3. Patriarchy and the relationship between
   militarism and masculinity.

44
Question

• The three-way arrangement in which a private
  interest group, a congressional committee, and a
  bureaucratic agency make the final decision on a
  political issue that is to be decided by that
  agency is known as
• political subversion.
• the iron law of oligarchy.
• the iron triangle of power.
• the power elite.

45
Answer c

• The three-way arrangement in which a private
  interest group, a congressional committee, and a
  bureaucratic agency make the final decision on a
  political issue that is to be decided by that
  agency is known as the iron triangle of power.

46
Terrorism

• Calculated, unlawful physical force or threats of
  violence against a government, organization, or
  individual to gain some political, religious,
  economic, or social objective.
• Political terrorism uses intimidation, coercion,
  threats of harm, and other violence that attempts
  to bring about a significant change in or
  overthrow an existing government.

47
Types of Political Terrorism

1. Revolutionary terrorism -violence against
   civilians carried out by enemies of the
   government who want to bring about change.
2. State-sponsored terrorism - when a government
   provides money, weapons, and training for
   terrorists who conduct their activities in other
   nations.
3. Repressive terrorism - conducted by a government
   against its citizens to protect existing
   political order.

48
War

• Organized, armed conflict between nations or
  distinct political factions.
• Declared wars between nations or parties.
• Undeclared wars civil and guerrilla wars, covert
  operations, and terrorism.
• War involves behavior intended to bring pain,
  injury, and/or psychological stress to people or
  to harm or destroy property.
• War is a form of collective violence.

49
War

• 589 wars have been fought by 142 countries since
  1500 and that approximately 142 million lives
  have been lost.
• World War I took the lives of approximately 8
  million combatants and 1 million civilians.
• In World War II, more than 50 million people lost
  their lives.

50
Quick Quiz
51

• 1. The formal organization that has the legal and
  political authority to regulate the relationships
  among members of a society and between the
  society and those outside its borders is
• government
• politics
• state
• political economy

52
Answer a

• The formal organization that has the legal and
  political authority to regulate the relationships
  among members of a society and between the
  society and those outside its borders is
  government.

53

• 2. A type of political system in which the people
  hold the ruling power either directly or through
  elected officials is
• authoritarianism
• democracy
• monarchy
• totalitarianism

54
Answer b

• A type of political system in which the people
  hold the ruling power either directly or through
  elected officials is a democracy.

55

• 3. The social institution through which power is
  acquired and exercised by some people and groups
  is
• government
• politics
• the state
• the political economy

56
Answer b

• The social institution through which power is
  acquired and exercised by some people and groups
  is politics.

57

• 4. The political entity that possesses a
  legitimate monopoly over the use of force within
  its territory to achieve its goals is
• government
• politics
• the state
• the political economy

58
Answer c

• The political entity that possesses a legitimate
  monopoly over the use of force within its
  territory to achieve its goals is the state.

59

• 5. Rational-Legal Authority has office-holders
  that are
• recognized for their heritage.
• recognized for their personality.
• recognized for their abilities.
• recognized because they were elected or appointed.

60
Answer d

• Rational-Legal Authority has office-holders that
  are recognized because they were elected or
  appointed.

61

• 6. All of the following are characteristics of
  the elite model except that
• decisions are made on behalf of the people by
  leaders who engage in bargaining, accommodation
  and compromise.
• consensus exists among the elite on the basic
  values and goals of society.
• Power is highly concentrated at the top of a
  pyramid-shaped social hierarchy.
• public policy reflects the values and preferences
  of the elite.

62
Answer a

• Rational-Legal Authority has office-holders that
  are recognized for their heritage.