No state without authority

Outline
Power and state
Democracy
Who rules?
Political and social change

Power..
Thomas Hobbes - Leviathan
Power: the ability of individuals or groups
to make their interests or concerns count
Authority: the governments legitimate use
of power
State exists when there is a political
apparatus of government ruling over a given
territory

and the State

State characteristics:
Sovereignty: government has authority over an
area with clear- cut border
Citizenship: a relationship between people
living in a certain territory and the state,
defined by a set of rights and duties (civil
rights, political rights, social rights)
? Stateless people UN
Nation/ Nationalism set of symbols and
beliefs providing the sense of being part of a
single political community. Nation and symbols
Europe/US

and the State

Local nationalism :Belgium, Canada
Citizenship rights:
Civil rights: freedom of movement, freedom of
speech, the right to own property (land Europe).
Right of equal justice before the law (International
Tribunal, American citizens)
Political rights: right to vote and to run for public
office
Social rights: right to enjoy a certain minimum
standard of economic welfare

Types of Authority (Weber)

Traditional authority power legitimized
through respect for long-established cultural
patterns.
Rational-legal authority power
legitimized by legally enacted rules and
regulations.
Charismatic authority power legitimized
through extraordinary personal abilities that
inspire devotion and obedience.

Monarchy and Democracy

Monarchy a single
family rules from
generation to
generation.
Communism: one party
rule

Democracy a type of
political system which
gives power to the
people as a whole.
More than one party
Most rich countries of
the world claim to be
democratic.

Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism

Authoritarianism denies

popular participation in
government.
The government is
indifferent to peoples
needs.
People have little
opportunity to voice their
opinion.

Totalitarianism a highly
centralized political system
that extensively regulates
peoples lives.
Such governments are total
concentrations of power.
They allow no organized
opposition.

State and Power

Welfare state: provides material benefits for
those who are unable to support themselves
Democracy: a political system in which the
people rule (how?)
Participatory democracy: decisions are made by
those affected by them (Switzerland)
Political representatives

Voting systems
Presidential elections:
US: elector college vote
Direct voting

Voting and social class

Who rules in democratic

societies?
Democratic elitism: it is impossible to have direct
voting for everything, so people need to have
representatives
At least two parties are needed in a democracy, so
people can have a choice
The elites rule hopefully they will take into
account peoples needs

Who rules?
Pluralist theories: although people have
little or no influence on political decision
making, the existence of interest groups
(with competing interests) balance the
process of decision taking
Power Elite: Mills: the country is ruled by
a closed circle of people, belonging to the
same clubs, from similar wealthy families,
sitting on government committees together

The role of military

US is by far the largest military superpower
US military budget in 2010 larger than China +
Russia+ France+ UK
Military spending: up 81% since 2001
Economic benefits? Problems?
The conjunction military- industrial can be
dangerous
In Latin American countries, militaries juntas
played an important role in destabilization of
several countries and imposing of military
dictatorships

Political and social movements

Social movements: collective attempts to further
a common interest or secure a common goal
through action
Theories:
Marx societies have unresolvable contradictions that
lead to social movements
He predicted that, at its highest level of development,
capitalism will collapse because of the contradictions
between the working class and the capitalists. He was
wrong

Social movements
Structural stain: in order to have a collective
action, there are several conditions that should
concur
Structural conduciveness : general conditions
promoting or inhibiting the formation of social
movements
Structural stain: tensions that produce conflicting
interests within societies
Generalized belief well defined grievances
Precipitating factors events or incidents that trigger
direct action

Social movements
Leadership
Operation of social control: how authorities manage the
conflict

Terrorism:
old style associated with nationalism (ETA,
IRA). They want to restructure a particular
country/ region
new style: they want to restructure the world

Social movements
Anti sweatshop movement
Feminist movement (voting)
Nation and nationalism
Ethnic groups versus nations