1. Citizens, Society, & the State
(Cleavages, Civil Society, Media Roles, Political Participation)

3. Social Cleavages
Political cleavages are those national, ethnic, linguistic, and religious divisions that exist in a society. These differences often have profound impacts on politics.
Cross-Cutting
Occurs when people are torn between different identities
Tends to result in more moderate conflict
Complementary (Coincide)
Factors tend to pull people in one direction
Tends to lead to more conflict and violence

4. BASES OF SOCIAL CLEAVAGES
Social Class (Great Britain, less developed countries, India)
Ethnic Cleavages- could be religious or language. *Most divisive and explosive.* (Yugoslavia, Liberia, Rwanda, and Angola)
Religious Cleavages (Northern Ireland)
Regional Cleavages- involves competition for jobs, money, and development projects. (Nigeria)
Race
Gender

5. Social Movements Examples include US Civil Rights Movement
Social Participants from most to least active:
Zealots
Run-of-the-mill participants
Misers
Opportunists

6. Comparing Citizen/State Relationships

7. Attitudes and Beliefs of Citizens
Do citizens trust their government?
Do they believe that the government cares about what they think?
Do citizens feel that government affects their lives in significant ways?
What is political efficacy?
A citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political events

8. Citizenship
Designation as official member of the society the state confers often on its permanent population
Birth right?
Dual Citizenship
Naturalization
Process by which a noncitizen becomes a citizen

9. Political Socialization
How do citizens learn about politics in their country?
Do electronic and print media shape their learning?
Does the government put forth effort to politically educate their citizens?
If so, how much of their effort might you call “propaganda”?
How do children learn about politics?

10. There are three different patterns that describe the citizens’ role in the political process:
Participants
Involved as actual or potential participants
They are informed and make policy demands
Subjects
Passively obey the government and rarely vote
Parochials
Hardly aware of government

11. Types of Participation
Conventional Participation
Voting, contacting the government, being a member of a political party or interest group
Activities the political elite approve of
In a non-democratic state, many of these activities might be repressed
Unconventional Participation
Activities the political elite do not approve of
Might be violent or disturb the status quo
Strikes, boycotts, marches, protests, violence, and terrorism
Nonparticipation

13. Voting Behavior
Do citizens in the country participate in regular elections?
If so, are the elections truly competitive?
If not, what is the purpose of the elections?
What citizens are eligible to vote, and how many actually vote?
Do politicians pay attention to elections, and do elections affect policymaking?

14. Level of Transparency
A transparent government is one that operates openly by keeping citizens informed about government operations and political issues and by responding to citizens’ questions and advice.
This does not have to be limited to democracies, but low levels of transparency are often found in authoritarian governments, and corruption also tends to be lower in countries where government activities are relatively transparent.

15. Factors that influence political beliefs and behaviors
Consider the important cleavages in the country:
Do they make a difference in citizens’ political beliefs and behaviors?
Examples:
Does the lower class vote for one political party or another?
Are women’s beliefs and behaviors different from those of men?
Are younger people as likely to vote as older people are?
Do people in rural areas participate in government?

17. Civil Society and Democratic Society
Civil society is defined as organized life outside the state. They are not, necessarily political organizations but, rather, a “diverse fabric of organizations” created by people of similar interests.
Although groups in civil society are not political, they are an essential part of free societies because people can promote, defend, and articulate what is important to them.

18. Civil society gives substance to politics and checks the power of the state.
Some see civil society as a precursor to democracy.
Many argue that civil life is diminishing because people are becoming more anonymous and detached in society.
A global civil society is emerging where citizens have similar concerns as those of other nations and can join together to reinforce individual efforts.
DISCUSSION: What is meant by the statement, “people are becoming more anonymous and detached in US society?”
1. Do you agree with the above statement?
2. What are some of the factors that cause society to become more anonymous and detached?

19. What are some examples of civil society?

20. Linkage Institutions Media Political Parties Elections Interest Groups
Advocacy groups or economic groups

21. PLURALIST INTEREST GROUPS
Multiple groups may represent a single societal interest.
Group membership is voluntary and limited.
Groups often have a loose or decentralized organizational structure.
There is clear separation between interest groups and the government.
Groups are not formally linked to the political process
US Model

22. Advantages
Disadvantages
Competition between groups force them to come up with strong policy ideas
Inefficiency can result from competition, hyper-pluralism
Money’s influence

23. DEMOCRATIC CORPORATIST INTEREST GROUP SYSTEMS
More organized in their representation of interests. They often, regularly work with the government and are stronger than pluralist interest groups.
Membership in the peak association is often compulsory and nearly universal.
Peak associations are centrally organized and direct the actions of their members.
Groups are often systematically involved in making and implementing public policy.
UK model to a degree, although lessening

24. State Corporatism State brings and even creates interest groups
When business, labor, and the government work closely in policymaking
This limits the influence of smaller groups
Groups have little autonomy
Secondary to the state in policy making
Mexico under PRI rule

25. State-Controlled System
State creates and controls group
No autonomy
Common in authoritarian regimes
Arm of the state
Groups exist to facilitate government control of society
Can still be a linkage institution for its agents create support for government policy, AKA Transmission Belt