WHAT IS POLITICS? Political decisions are public and authoritative Often impacts social climate/atmosphere Impacts public & private sphere Authoritative – holds authority over people, often by coercion (force & monetary means)

Politics is….. Activities associated with the control of public decisions among a given people in a given territory where control is backed by coercive and authoritative means.

Governments & the State of Nature Government – organization of individuals who are legally empowered to make binding decisions on behalf of a particular community

State Types Night Watchman State – government provides basic law & order, defense and property protection, but little else (limited government, 19 th century) Police State – seen in authoritarian government, esp. communist & facist Welfare State – programs of social welfare, unemployment, insurance, pensions, etc. Regulatory State – similar to welfare state but with stricter regulations

State of Nature Condition if no government existed Thomas Hobbes – felt state of nature was chaos & conflict; government provided order & control Jean-Jacques Rosseau – felt state of nature was ideal; government corrupted society John Locke – in the middle; felt government was necessary for protection, etc. but favored a limited government

Why governments? Community & Nation Building – stability, peace, a common culture Security & Order – protect from internal & external attacks Protection – property and social & political rights Promote Economic Efficiency & Growth – public & private goods, limit market failures (monopolies & externalities) Social Justice – redistribute wealth & resources, protect the weak; often controversial

Problems of Government Critics – anarchists, libertarians Destruction of Community (economic or political reasons) Basic Rights Violations Economic Inefficiency – restrictions, governmental monopolies, etc. Private Gain – rent seekers are people who use political pursuit for private gain

Political Systems Political system must have – Set of interdependent parts – Boundaries towards outside environment

Political Systems Are… Set of institutions that formulate & implement the collective goals of society or of groups in society (legislative bodies, interest groups, courts, etc.) Shaped by Domestic and International Environment More successful with higher legitimacy A collection of related and interacting institutions and agencies

States A state is a political system that has sovereignty (right to govern) Political systems are referred to as “states”

Internal & External Sovereignty Internal Sovereignty – deals with matters of citizens External Sovereignty – deals with matter of other states

Nation - States Nation – State – national identification & legal authority coincide Approx. 200 independent states exist today Old states (pre WW2) were mostly European New states (post WW2) are mainly African and post-Soviet Union

Classification System 1 st world – capitalist democracy 2 nd world – communist (mainly Soviet) 3 rd world – remaining states that weren’t rich, western or communist 4 th world – lack of resources, appear doomed Terms are outdated Today we use….. – North States – rich, capitalist democracies – South States – developing states

Challenges for all States Building community Fostering economic, social & political development Securing a democracy and civil liberties

Building Community Nation – group of people with a common identity (language, history, race, culture) Most states are multi-national (can be culturally diverse or explosive with conflict) Ethnicity – similar in language, culture or physical traits Language – approx languages today – 8 world languages

Building Community (cont.) 8 world languages are: English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Portugese, French, German & Chinese Religion plays a role – Iran is a theocratic regime – Christianity is largest religion, Islam is fastest growing – Religious fundamentalism is on the rise (reject modern testaments/views)

Political Cleavages Political cleavage is when national, ethnic, linguistic & religious divisions effect policy Cumulative cleavages are when the same people oppose one another on many issues Cross cutting cleavages are when groups with a common interest on issue are on opposite sides of another issue Cumulative cleavages are more destructive

Fostering Development Political systems must have economic development to satisfy citizens Rich & poor countries differ in health, education, media and industry Many states have internal economic inequality Environment has suffered from industrialization, economic development & population growth

Measuring the Economy Gross National Product (GNP) – output per person that is a citizen of a nation, regardless of where they live (most common) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – output per person in a nation, regardless of where they are from Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) – measures price levels of nations; most accurate

Democracy, Human Rights & Civil Liberties Democracy – leaders are elected in free and fair elections; citizens have basic rights & freedoms Authoritarian – leaders are chosen by birth, military councils, parties, etc. (no citizen input) – Oligarchy is rule by the few; rights withheld from people – Totalitarian is withholding rights in a severe manner

Samuel Huntington Samuel Huntington’s “3 rd Wave of Democratization” – 1 st wave was after WW1 – 2 nd wave was after WW2 – 3 rd wave started in mid-1970’s – Democracy is fastest growing political system

Challenges to Building a Democracy Environmental issues Economic inequality Ethnic differences Religious differences