Political Science Overview

The process through which people create, maintain, and change the rules governing their lives.

Politics arises because people have different opinions, needs, and interests.

Politics involves resolving conflicts through cooperation and decision-making.

Scarcity of resources and diverse views contribute to the need for politics.

The word 'politics' is complex due to its multiple interpretations and associations.

Experts disagree on the definition of politics, with varying perspectives on power, government, and decision-making.

Politics is often associated with negative connotations like corruption, manipulation, and violence.

Politics involves making decisions and distributing resources.

The idea that a government's power is accepted as rightful and its commands are binding on its citizens.

The process of how power transitions into authority, where people view a government's rule as justified.

Legitimacy as a moral principle, focusing on why a government should be obeyed.

Legitimacy as a social phenomenon, looking at why people actually obey a government regardless of its justification.

Authority based on long-standing customs, traditions, and practices.

A classification of authority based on the source of legitimacy.

Authority derived from a leader's exceptional charisma and personal qualities.

Authority based on legal rules and procedures.

The ability of a government to be seen as legitimate and deserving of support by its citizens.

The idea that a government's legitimacy is based on its ability to provide good economic and social outcomes for its citizens.

A decline in citizens' engagement and interest in politics, leading to lower voter turnout and weakened political parties.

New political groups or movements that challenge traditional democratic structures and systems.

Political movements that emphasize a direct connection between leaders and the people, often expressing dissatisfaction with traditional politicians and institutions.

The potential challenges posed by populist movements to established democratic systems.

The complex relationship between democracy and legitimacy, with both positive and potentially negative aspects.

The potential decline in democracy's effectiveness in promoting legitimacy, due to factors like political disengagement and the rise of new political movements.

The New Right criticizes corporatism because it gives too much power to interest groups, leading to increased government intervention, economic stagnation, and unrealistic promises from politicians to win votes.

The Marxist view of democracy emphasizes the link between political power and economic power, arguing that power is held by those who own wealth and control resources.

Marxists believe that liberal democracies, while claiming political equality, are controlled by a ruling class that owns most of the wealth. This creates a conflict between political equality and social inequality.

Marxists criticize pluralist democracy by arguing that power is concentrated in the hands of a few, driven by the unequal distribution of economic resources, especially the control of production.

The New Right argues that democracy should primarily protect against arbitrary government rather than driving social change. They believe democracy can be harmful when taken to excess.

Both the New Right and Marxist perspectives view democracy as flawed, but they offer different reasons for these concerns.

Elitists, like Marxists, also believe power is concentrated in a small group, but they argue that this power is derived from various sources like education, wealth, and political connections.

The New Right believes that democracy should protect against arbitrary government, while Marxists believe that democracy is inherently influenced by economic power and social inequality.

The idea that the working class is misled by the ruling class's ideas, preventing them from recognizing their exploitation.

The dominant ideas of a society are those of the ruling class, as they control institutions like education and media.

Marx's own theories were considered scientific, providing a true understanding of society, unlike ideologies which he saw as misleading.

A system of thought that criticizes rival political systems, often seen as a form of social control.

Ideology is seen as dangerous due to its rigid, dogmatic nature and its lack of tolerance for opposing views.

The ability to control what people think and believe, often through propaganda and censorship.

A set of ideas and beliefs that guide political action, providing an explanation of the world and prescriptions for societal organization and political change.

A theory that suggests that ideological conflict had become irrelevant in Western politics due to the focus on economic growth and material welfare.

A political theory that argues liberal democracy has triumphed over all other ideologies, representing the ideal form of government.

The argument that ideologies are essential for providing meaning and direction to political actions.

The viewpoint that politics can exist without a rigid ideological framework, focusing on practical solutions and consensus-building.

A system of ideas that guides political movements or systems, providing a framework for understanding and changing the world.

They are political frameworks that provide a comprehensive worldview, including a diagnosis of society's problems and solutions to them.

The idea that ideologies are essential for providing meaning and direction to politics.