Post on 28-Jan-2016
description
Involves two separate elements It is a subject of study--comparing the nature of
politics and the political process across different political systems.
It is a method of study--how and why we make such comparisons.
Political decisions are social public
authoritative.They take place within a
political system.
The public sphere deals with collective decisions that extend beyond the individual and typically involve government action.
◦ Private sphere deals with actions that
do not bind anyone outside a group
(e.g., family, friends).
◦ Boundaries exist between the two. These boundaries can
change.
Politics is authoritative.◦ Authority: Formal power rests with individuals or groups
whose decisions are expected to be carried out and respected.
◦ Decisions are binding on the political system.
Politics refers to activities associated with the control of public decisions among a given people and within a given territory.
Politics involves the crafting of these decisions.
Governments: LimitedGovernments –
organizations of individuals who are legally empowered to make binding decisions on behalf of a particular community
Limited governments built on model of Night Watchman (nineteenth century in W. Europe)
Minarchists – Contemporay Advocates of
Watchman State argue that the state has no right to interfere
in free transactions between peoplethe state's sole responsibility as ensuring
that transactions between private individuals are free.
In general, the majority of minarchists use deontological arguments: they claim that a minimal state is good in and of itself
Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand is notable for its support of minarchism, believing that the taxes that fund government actions are essentially theft.
Governments: Expanded Welfare State Begins Otto Von Bismark
Germany in 1870’sImpetus from great
depressionBritain under the
Labor government USA – FDR
Roosevelt
Why Governments Expanded ?
Community- and nation-buildingHelp create a national political culture
Security and orderProtecting property and other rightsPromoting economic efficiency and
growthPublic goodsExternalities
Social justiceProtecting the weak
ISI: Third WorldGreat Depression – Stimulus Shantytowns in Latin
America: residents seek more livable conditions Reaction against
dependency on the industrialized world
Centered in Economic/Social Commission of the United Nations
Loss of luster with decline of Soviet Union
State of Nature & the Social Contract Hobbs
State of nature mercilessly inhospitableGovernment needed to be a Leviathan
RousseauMan is born freeGovernment source of inequality
LockeLess dire view of state of nature than HobbsPromoted limited government
Government as a problem??
Anarchists and libertarians
Destruction of the community
Violation of basic rights
Protect private gain of vested interests
Inirtia
Political Systems and StatesPolitical system
Has two properties:It has a set of interdependent parts.It has boundaries towards the environment with
which it interacts.Examples: ecosystems; social systems such
as a familyPolitical systems are a particular type of
social system - makes authoritative public decisionsElements within it are institutions of government,
political organizations
Political Systems: Characteristics
PropertiesSet of independent
partsBoundaries toward
environmentPolitical systems are
a particular type of social system - makes authoritative public decisions
Elements within it are institutions of government, political organizations
STATES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT AND
POWERFUL POLITICAL SYSTEMS IN THE MODERN
WORLD
The Diversity of StatesBig and small states
Vatican City - smallest legally independent entity in geographic size and population
Russia - largest landmass China and India - largest populations
Political implications of geographic and population size?Big countries not always most importantSmall ones can be: Cuba, Israel, Vatican City
Area and population do not determine a country’s political system.
Geographic location can have strategic implications.
Challenges within the Diversity of States
All face common challenges:Building communityFostering economic and social development
Advancing democracy and civil liberties
CHALLENGES OF COMMUNITY BUILDING
Correspondence between membership in state and nation is not always close
Line between ethnicity and nationality is fine but often important
Language: force for unity and division
Cumulative and cross-cutting cleavages
Georgian troops fire rockets at South Ossetian rebels near Tskinvali, the
South Ossetian capital.
CHALLENGES OF COMMUNITY BUILDING
Correspondence between membership in state and nation is not always close
Line between ethnicity and nationality is fine but often important
Language: force for unity and division
Cumulative and cross-cutting cleavages
Georgian troops fire rockets at South Ossetian rebels near Tskinvali, the
South Ossetian capital.
Nationality and Ethnicity There is a fine line between nations and ethnic groups. Ethnicity need not have any objective basis in genetics, culture,
or history. Ethnic differences can be a source of political conflict.
Former Soviet bloc Former Yugoslavia
In many developing countries, boundaries cut across ethnic lines. Former colonies: Britain withdrew from India and divided the
subcontinent into a northern Muslim area - Pakistan - and a southern Hindu area - India. Consequence: terrible civil conflict and “ethno-religious” cleansing
Nigeria Rwanda
Traits related to political significant “ethnicity” Physical differences, language, norms against intermarriage, religion,
and negative historical memories. Multiethnic countries
Religious Differences and Fundamentalism
States vary in their religious characteristics.Religion may be a basis of national identity for a
majority of the population: Israel, the Irish Republic, and Pakistan
Iran is a theocratic regime.Religious authorities governReligious law is part of the country’s legal code
Religion can be a rallying point for political movements.SpainTurkeyPoland
Fostering Economic Development
Two major forces transforming political systems and nations Process of economic development Political democratization
A political system cannot satisfy its citizens if it does not foster these social and economic development.
Living standards Globalization, democratization, and marketization HDI- Human Development Index
Structure of the labor force Agriculture Urbanization
WEALTH CREATIONAn important state
responsibility?Is there a relationship between economic development and
democracy?