Ch. 15 Politics
Terms
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- Politics
-
Power relations wherever they exist
Power
Authority
Coercion
The gov’t holds a monopoly on legitimate force or violence
Revolution - Power-
- the ability to get your way even over the resistance of others
- Authority-
- legitimate power
- Coercion-
- illegitimate power
- Revolution-
- armed resistance w/ the intent to overthrow a gov’t
- Traditional authority
-
know who is next in line
you know who is going to be next. - Rational-legal authority
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people know how next will be selected.
don't know who will be selected next, but we know how. - Charismatic authority
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no rules of succession
there is no standard procedure that follows. - True
-
Authority types can overlap.
t/f - Routinization of charisma
- transition of authority from a charismatic leader to either a traditional or rational-legal authority.
- Monarchies
-
Small societies in beginning⬦ grew larger, cities evolved
City-states- - City-states-
- independent city whose power radiates outward, bringing the adjacent area under its rule
- Democracies
-
Each U.S. colony was small and independent
Colonies united
power to the people
Representative democracy
Citizenship was a new idea - Democracy
- power to the people
- Representative democracy
- the voters elect reps to make decisions for us.
- Dictatorship-
-
power is seized by an individual and he dictates his will onto the people
it was taken by someone, and they tell people what to do.
e.g. sadam - Oligarchy-
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power is held by a small group of individuals
rule all the people - Totalitarianism-
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almost total control of a people by the gov’t
form of dictatorship
e.g. sadam and hitler
gov't tells you what you can wear and what you watch on TV. -
Dictatorship
Oligarchy
Totalitarianism - What are the 3 types of dictatorships and oligarcharies?
- US political system
-
Political parties and elections
Democrats- assoc. w/ working class
Republicans- assoc. w/ wealthier class
Those elected may cross party lines when voting for legislation
Both support fundamentals of U.S. political philosophy - Democrats-
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assoc. w/ working class
aka liberals - Republicans-
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assoc. w/ wealthier class
aka conservatives - Democratic Systems in Europe
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U.S. elections= majority wins
Europe= proportional representation (seats in legislature divided according to the proportion of votes each political party receives)
Encourages minority parties
Noncentrist parties- represent marginal ideas
Coalition gov’t must form - Noncentrist parties-
-
represent marginal ideas
big groups that have ideas that are different or way out their
most form coalitions - Europe=
- proportional representation (seats in legislature divided according to the proportion of votes each political party receives)
- majority wins
- In US elections, how do we determine who wins?
- Voting patterns
-
Voting increases w/ age
Non Hispanic whites most likely vote
Voting increases w/ educ. and income
The more people feel they have a stake in the political system, the more likely they are to vote
Voter apathy- indifference - Voter apathy-
-
indifference
feel like vote doesn't count - Special interest groups- =
- people who think alike on an issue and can be mobilized for political action
- Lobbyists-
- paid to influence legislation on behalf of their clients
- Political action committees (PACs)-
- solicit and spend funds for the purpose of influencing legislation
- Money
- ______ buys votes
- Functionalist Perspective
- When functioning well the state is a balanced system that protects its citizens from one another and from the gov’t
- Pluralism-
-
diffusion of power among many interest groups
prevents one group from getting too much power. - Checks and balances-
-
separation of powers among 3 branches
legislative
judicial
executive - Conflict perspective
-
Decisions made by power elite, ruling class
What matters is problems of businesses and wealthy business owners - War
-
Armed conflict between nations or politically distinct groups
not universal
common
expensive
U.S. top seller of weapons
Dehumanization - To show power, pride, bring democracy.
- Why war?
- Revenge
- Social causes for war?
- U.S.
- Who in the world is the top seller of weapons?
- Dehumanization and war
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soldiers view enemy as a thing or target.
people as objects -
Beliefs that some things are sacred
Practices, rituals that center around sacred things
A moral community (church) resulting from a group’s beliefs and practices - What are the three elements of religion, as defined by Durkheim?
- Beliefs
- ________ that some things are sacred.
- moral
- A _______ community (church) resulting from a group’s beliefs and practices
- Functional theory of religion
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Religion is universal b/c it meets basic needs
Functions of religion
Answers questions about ultimate meaning and afterlife
Emotional comfort
Social solidarity
Provides guidelines for everyday life
Social control- norms and criminal law
Adaptation
Support for gov’t
Supports social change
Dysfunctions of religion
War and terrorism can be based on religion
Justification for persecution - Social solidarity
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unites believers
their feeling of belonging
shape values w/people. - Dysfunctions of religion
-
War and terrorism can be based on religion
Justification for persecution -
Symbolic interactionist perspective
religion -
Religious symbols
Rituals
Beliefs- values, cosmology
Religious experience- born again
Community- bond w/ one another - Religious symbols
- cross, rosary, lotus flower, temples, budda, cow, cresent moon and a star.
- Rituals
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a ceremony or practices that evokes a sense of "ahh" of the sacred.
e.g. weddings and baptisms - cosmology
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Looking at the big picture
ideas that provide a unified picture of the world. - Conflict perspective on religion
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Religion supports the status quo and maintains social inequalities
Opium of the people
Reflection of social inequalities
Legitimation of social inequalities - Opium of the people
- people are addicted to their religion some people turn to drugs to solve their problems and some people turn to religion to solve their problems. It's addictive.
- reflection
-
the same things found in religion and can be found in the community.
e.g. gender & equality -
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Confucianism - What are the world's major religions?
- Judaism
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Abraham
monotheism
torah- the book they use - Christianity
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developed from Judaism
new testament
Jesus
apostales
largest religion in the world - Islam
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2nd largest religion in the world
Alla
Muhammad - a profit who spread the word
Koran - the book
5 pillars of faith - fasting, pilgramage to mecca - Hinduism
-
reincarnation
polytheism
Brahma
India
Nirvana- spiritual perfection; don't need to be reincarnated anymore. - Buddhism
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Asian countries
Enlightened one
Meditation - Confucianism
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chinese culture
goal is to maintain jen- sympathy and concern for others. - theocracy
- gov't is basing its ruling on religion
- 48
- In the US, what percentage of the population is protestant?
- 25
- In the US, what percentage of the pop is catholic?
- 3
- In the US, what percentage of the pop is jewish?
- 11
- In the US, what percentage of the pop is christian non-specific?
- 7
- In the US, what percentage of the pop has no religion?
- Cults
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New religion w/ few followers
Teachings/practices put it at odds w/ the dominant culture
All religions began as cults
Start w/ a charismatic leader
Requires tight membership of followers
Provides sense of belonging
Represent a break from the past, challenge the social order - sect
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Second step towards becoming popular religion
Larger than cult, but still not in sync w/ mainstream society
Emphasize personal salvation, evangelism -
Cults
Sect
Church
Ecclesia - What are the 4 types of religious groups?
- Church
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Formal religion, bureaucratized group
Written prayers, formal sermons - Ecclesia
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State religion, gov’t sponsored
gov't and religion are working together to shape society. - Religion in the U.S
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70% belong to church/synagogue
Membership varies by location
Church-like groups associated w/ higher incomes- Episcopalians, Jews
Sect-like groups associated w/ lower incomes- Baptists, Evangelicals
Race/ethnicity segregation
Church membership increases w/ age
94% report believe in God, 43% attend weekly