1. Government and the Economy
Sociology in Modules
Government and the Economy

2. Government and Economy16
Module 47: Government, Power, and Authority
Module 48: Political Behavior and Power in the United States
Module 49: Economic Systems
Module 50: Changing Economies

3. A Look Ahead How does the power elite maintain its power?
Is war necessary in settling international disputes?
How have the trends toward deindustrialization and the outsourcing of service jobs affected our economy?

4. Module 47
Power and Authority
Political system: social institution responsible for implementing and achieving society’s goals
Interacts closely with economic system: social institution thorough which goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed
Politics: “who gets what, when, and how” (Lasswell)

5. Power Power: ability to exercise one’s will over others (Weber)
Module 47
Power
Power: ability to exercise one’s will over others (Weber)
Sources of power in political systems
Force: actual or threatened use of coercion to impose one’s political dissidents
Influence: exercise of power through process of persuasion
Authority: institutionalized power recognized by the people over whom it is exercised

6. Types of Authority Three ideal types of authority (Weber)
Module 47
Types of Authority
Three ideal types of authority (Weber)
Traditional authority: legitimate power conferred by custom and accepted practice
Rational-legal authority: power made legitimate by law
Charismatic authority: power made legitimate by leader’s exceptional personal or emotional appeal to his or her followers
Charismatic leaders often become well known by breaking with established institutions

7. Figure 47-1: Filtering Information: Political Content
Module 47
Figure 47-1: Filtering Information: Political Content

8. Module 47
Types of Government
Monarchy: Form of government headed by a single member of a royal family
Oligarchy: Form of government in which a few individuals rule

9. Types of Government Dictatorship and Totalitarianism
Module 47
Types of Government
Dictatorship and Totalitarianism
Dictatorship: Government in which one person has nearly total power to make and enforce laws
Totalitarianism: Involves virtually complete government control and surveillance over all aspects of a society’s social and political life

10. Types of Government Democracy Government by the people
Module 47
Types of Government
Democracy
Government by the people
Representative democracy: Elected members of legislatures make laws
U.S. is representative democracy, but critics question how representative it really is

11. Legal definition typically requires formal declaration of hostilities
Module 47
War and Peace
War: Conflict between organizations that possess trained combat forces equipped with deadly weapons
Legal definition typically requires formal declaration of hostilities 11

12. Module 47
War
Global view studies how and why nations become engaged in military conflict
Nation-state view stresses interaction of internal political, socioeconomic, and cultural forces
Microview focuses on social impact of war on individuals and their groups 12

13. Nations cannot maintain security through threatening violence
Module 47
Peace
Peace: Absence of war and proactive effort to develop cooperative relations among nations
Global Peace Index: U.S. ranked 97 on list of 121 nations
Since 1990s, 90% of armed conflicts occurred within states
Nations cannot maintain security through threatening violence 13

14. Figure 47-2: U.S. Public Opinion on the Necessity of War, 1971-2007
Module 47
Figure 47-2: U.S. Public Opinion on the Necessity of War,

15. Figure 47-3: Global Peace Index
Module 47
Figure 47-3: Global Peace Index

16. Module 47
Terrorism
Terrorism: Use or threat of violence against random or symbolic targets in pursuit of political aims
The end justifies the means
Essential aspect of contemporary terrorism involves use of media
Terrorism and terrorist movements symbolic enactments of masculinity 16

17. Module 47
Terrorism
Since September 11, 2001, governments around the world renewed efforts to fight terrorism
Worldwide, immigration and processing of refugees slowed 17

18. Political Behavior in the United States
Module 48
Political Behavior in the United States
Participation and Apathy
In U.S., only small minority of citizens, often from higher social classes, participate in political organizations on local or national level
By 2008 election voter turnout was only 62% of eligible voters
Political participation makes government accountable to voters

19. Research Today Why Don’t More Young People Vote?
Module 48
Research Today
Why Don’t More Young People Vote?
If you do not vote, what accounts for your apathy?
Do you think voter apathy is a serious social problem? What might be done to increase voter participation in your age group and community?

20. Race and Gender in Politics
Module 48
Race and Gender in Politics
In U.S., political strength is lacking in marginalized groups, such as women and racial and ethnic minorities
Progress toward inclusion of minority groups in government has been slow
Female politicians enjoying more electoral success but evidence that media cover them differently

21. Figure 48-1: Voter Turnout Worldwide
Module 48
Figure 48-1: Voter Turnout Worldwide

22. Figure 48-2: Women in National Legislatures, Selected Countries, 2008
Module 48
Figure 48-2: Women in National Legislatures, Selected Countries, 2008

23. Module 48
Power Elite Models
Elite model: society ruled by small group of individuals who share common set of political and economic interests
Mills’ Model
Power elite: Small ruling elite of military, industrial, and governmental leaders
Power rests in the hands of few
Global power elite being researched

24. Power Elite Models Domhoff’s Model
Module 48
Power Elite Models
Domhoff’s Model
Stresses roles played by elites of corporate community and leaders of policy-formation organizations
In electoral arena, two coalitions:
Corporate-conservative
Liberal-labor

25. Module 48
Power Elite Models
Pluralist model: Competing groups within the community have access to government, so no single group can dominate
Variety of groups play significant roles in decisions
Fails to address potential power of elites to keep matters out of government debate

26. Figure 48-3: Power Elite Models
Module 48
Figure 48-3: Power Elite Models

27. Module 49
Economic Systems
Industrial society: Society that depends on mechanization to produce its goods and services
Capitalism
Socialism 27

28. Module 49
Capitalism
Capitalism: Economic system in which means of production are held largely in private hands
Main incentive for economic activity is accumulation of profits
Laissez-faire: Businesses compete with minimal government intervention
Monopoly: Exists when a single firm controls the market 28

29. Module 49
Socialism
Socialism: Means of production and distribution owned collectively rather than privately owned
Communism: Economic system under which all property is communally owned and no social distinctions are made on the basis of people’s ability to produce 29

30. Module 49
The Informal Economy
Informal economy: Transfer of money, goods, or services is not reported to the government
Difficult to measure
In developing nations, informal economy represents 40% to 60% of total economic activity 30

31. Sociology in the Global Community
Module 49
Sociology in the Global Community
Working Women in Nepal
In your own family, is “women’s work” taken for granted? Have you ever tried to figure out what it would cost your family to pay for all the unpaid work women do?
Why is recognizing women’s work important? How might life change if the true economic value of women’s work were recognized? 31

32. Table 49-1: Characteristics of the Three Major Economic Systems
Module 49
Table 49-1: Characteristics of the Three Major Economic Systems 32

33. Case Study: Capitalism in China
Module 49
Case Study: Capitalism in China
China stands on the brink of becoming world’s largest economy
Chinese more interested in acquiring latest consumer goods
Communist Party officials’ decision to open China’s economy to capitalism reduced once omnipotent institution’s influence 33

34. Module 49
The Road to Capitalism
The Communist party assumed control of China in 1949, outlawing profit-making
By 1960s, China’s economy dominated by state-controlled enterprises
In 1980s government eased restrictions on private enterprise
By mid-1990s party officials began to give businesses to private entrepreneurs 34

35. The Chinese Economy Today
Module 49
The Chinese Economy Today
Growing free-market economy brought significant inequality to Chinese workers
Chinese capitalists now have to compete with multinational corporations
By 2009, the Chinese were buying more automobiles than people in the U.S. 35

36. Chinese Workers in the New Economy
Module 49
Chinese Workers in the New Economy
Loosening state control led to rise in job mobility, increased opportunity, and prosperity for family-owned businesses
Struggles include a lag between urban and rural salaries and worker safety
Many middle-aged urban workers lost jobs to rural migrants seeking higher wages
With growth of a middle class, many Chinese seek same opportunities as Western workers 36

37. Figure 49-1: World’s Largest Economies, 2008
Module 49
Figure 49-1: World’s Largest Economies, 2008 37

38. Module 50
Microfinancing
Microfinancing: lending small sums of money to poor so they can work their way out of poverty
Developed by Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh
Works well in countries with severe economic devastation
Estimated microfinancing reaching over 75 million people in 100 countries in 2009
Estimated that 90% of recipients are women 38

39. The Changing Face of the Workforce
Module 50
The Changing Face of the Workforce
U.S. workforce is constantly changing
Sociologists and labor specialists foresee workforce increasingly composed of women and racial and ethnic minorities
54% of new workers expected to be women from 1984 to 2014
More diverse workforce means relationships between workers more likely to cross gender, racial, and ethnic lines 39

40. Module 50
Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization: systematic, widespread withdrawal of investment in basic aspects of productivity
Can take the form of corporate restructuring
Downsizing: reductions in a company’s workforce as part of deindustrialization
Social costs cannot be overemphasized 40

41. Research Today Affirmative Action
Module 50
Research Today
Affirmative Action
Is affirmative action part of the admissions policy at the college or university you attend? Do you think the policy has helped?
Might affirmative action exclude some qualified White applicants? 41

42. Module 50
Campaign Financing
The price tag for all presidential and congressional candidates in 2008 was over $5 billion
57% of voters favor limits on campaign spending, but 38% believe a candidate should not be limited in what she or he spends

43. Campaign Financing Understanding the Issue
Module 50
Campaign Financing
Understanding the Issue
Federal Campaign Act of 1974 placed restrictions on donations made to specific candidates for national office
Loopholes allowed soft money contributions to political parties, leadership committees, and political action committees

44. Campaign Financing Understanding the Issue
Module 50
Campaign Financing
Understanding the Issue
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act passed in 2004
Limited soft money
Only applies to candidate who accepts federal campaign financing
New innovations in spending will emerge along with new cries for reform

45. Campaign Financing Applying Sociology
Module 50
Campaign Financing
Applying Sociology
Functionalists: political contributions keep public involved in democratic process
Conflict theorists: process allows donors to influence government policymakers in ways that tend to preserve their own wealth.
Interactionists: point out symbolic significance of public perception that big money drives elections in U.S.

46. Campaign Financing Initiating Policy
Module 50
Campaign Financing
Initiating Policy
Rise of online campaign financing may represent new challenge
Traditional reform groups continue to call for tighter limits on contributions
Supreme Court decision in allowed businesses, labor unions, and other groups to spend their own money on campaign materials