State vs. Government & Feminist Perspectives

The State vs. The Government

• The state is a permanent framework, while the government is temporary leadership.
• The state includes institutions beyond the government like the judiciary, military, and bureaucracy.
• Unlike governments, the state persists over time despite changes in political leaders.
• Ideally, the state serves all citizens and ensures stability and security.
• The state applies laws and policies universally under its authority.
• The state encompasses all institutions that exercise power and authority.
• The government operates within the state and exercises authority on its behalf.
• Governments are elected and replaced through democratic processes, unlike the state.
• Governments are inherently political, often driven by party agendas.
• Governments create and implement laws and policies, but they do not define the state itself.

Feminist Perspectives on the State

• Feminists argue the state is not neutral, but reinforces male dominance historically.
• The patriarchal state prioritizes male interests and marginalizes women.
• Liberal feminists state the state can be reformed through progressive legal and political reforms, such as equal pay legislation.
• The goal with this perspective is to eliminate gender inequality working within the system.
• Radical feminists argue the state inherently oppressive.
• Reforming the state is insufficient as male dominance is deeply embedded in all aspects and a radical restructuring is the only answer.
• Institutional arguments suggest the state is a tool for men to protect power, where structuralist arguments state the state is embedded in patriarchal values.

New Right (Conservative) Perspective on the State

• The New Right views the state as a threat to individual liberty and economic efficiency.
• It views the state as too large, seeking ever-expanding control.
• State intervention, taxation, and welfare programs reduce responsibility and create dependency.
• High taxes fund welfare programs that discourage self-reliance, characterizing the state as parasitic
• Public expects more services like healthcare and education.
• Politicians promise more to win votes.
• Government agencies and civil servants benefit from bigger government, also a bureaucratic self interest.
• The solution involves reducing government spending, privatizing services, and promoting free market capitalism.

Types of States Based on Role and Function

• Minimal State: Enforces law, order, property rights, and national defence with minimal interference.
• Developmental State: Actively promotes economic growth with investment into industry and infrastructure.
• Social Democratic State: Promotes social equality, alongside justice and welfare through policies like healthcare and education, balancing capitalism.
• Collectivized State: The state controls the entire economy, its industries, and distribution of resources.
• Totalitarian State: The state controls everything like the economy, media, education, etc.

Theories of the State

• Pluralist Theory: a neutral entity that balances competing interests in society.
• Capitalist State Theory: primarily serves elite economic interests.
• Leviathan Theory: an overbearing institution that should be limited.
• Patriarchal State Theory: perpetuates male dominance.

Government as Institutions and Processes

• Refers to the formal structures and organizations that exercise authority over a society.
• Operates at national, state/provincial, and local levels.
• Governments operational implementation of laws and policies.
• Refers to the mechanisms and processes through which decisions are made and implemented.
• Policy formulation is an important part of decision making.
• Governance is more than just law enforcement: ensuring compliance and settling disputes.
• Interest groups and the media are involved in policy and transparency.
• Power is distributed among different groups.
• Elitist approach states a small group holds most of the power.
• Policy is shaped by administrative institution.

Political System Defined

• Political system includes the mechanisms of government, state institutions, and relations with society.
• Some key aspects include distribution of power, interaction between government and the population, and function of state institutions
• A regime refers to a system of rules determining the structure and exercise of power, acquiring, maintaining and transferring power.
• Regimes are classified by who rules and how compliance is achieved.
• Power can be either a centralized authoritative or fragmented democratic.

Categories of Regimes and Features

• Full Democracy: Features include opposition tolerance, with widespread participation, and high media freedom.
• Asian Regimes: Hybrid model blending Confucian ethics, strong state with respect for strong government.
• Hybrid Regimes: Manipulated elections result in restricted parties, controlled ruling and justified limits to democracy.
• Authoritarian Regimes: Power in a leader or elite group limits freedom and dissent, justified by heavy security.
• Military Regimes: Military controls the government.

Questions on Democracy

• Historically restricted to specific classes like landowners.
• Defines the population of all citizens with political rights.
• It can mean direct governance or by representative participation.
• Liberal perspective has democracy focused on elections, but radical pushes all aspects of society.

Models of Democracy

• Classical Democracy: direct democracy with active participation.
• Protective Democracy: protect citizens from the government overreach.
• Liberal Democracy: competition, electoral choice, clear distinction with civil society
• These all have regular elections, political pluralism, rule of law, separation of powers, and civil liberties.

Democracy, Power and Elites

• Despite democracy by the people, power is always controlled by a select group.
• Democratic organizations become controlled by elites.
• Modern governments rely on bureaucracies.
• A small group of business, military and political leaders dominate with power.
• Political parties act more like competitive businesses.
• Integrates workers and business.
• Based on customs and heritage.
• Rooted in constitutional laws and institutions.
• Power is only legitimate if its based on public consent.

Representation and Legitimacy

• Voting grants this, signaling acceptance, along with ability to remove by election.
• Representation by which official acts.
• There are theories of how it should work: The 4 models of representation
• Trustee Model: Representatives use their own judgement for decisions instead of public opinion.
• Delegate Model: Representatives act as messengers of electorates direct will.
• Mandate Model: Follows party policy.
• Resemblance Model: Reflects social diversity.

Election Functions

• Elections are a way to recruit politicians and selecting for leadership.
• Deciding who will govern and provides information about policies.
• The electoral system determines how votes and government happens.
• The majoritarian system selects 1 in a single member district.
• Proportional system party lists are made and allocated based on percentages.

Theories of Voting Behaviour

• Long term political loyalty of party.
• Voting based on divisions and social background.
• Voters make calculated decisions and the best interest.
• Voting is influenced my media and government.

Political Parties Definition

• Political parties exercise government power by winning elections.
• They have formal membership, address a broad range of issues with shared ideology.
• They are classified by organization, ideology and type.
• Some operate in their own frameworks and change systemically.
• They are also a bridge in the link of communication between citizens and the government, with balance.
• They help maintain power, stability and organisation.

Party Systems Types

• One party system has one dominating ruling party and opposes any opposing factions.
• In a two party system two major parties and compete and alternate in rule.
• A multiparty system involves many complex competing for power and coalition.
• Dominant wins consistenly over a long period.

Crisis of Parties

• Memberships are declining with populist structures being challenged.
• There is constant domination with elitists which leads them to be overpowered by grass root members.

Theories of Media

• The four main models include that of pluralist who push the open market, the dominant ideals.
• A media values system by editors and journalists.
• There are more commercial pressures on newspapers.
• News is all available at the touch of you finger tips and the press helps hold people to account.

Internet Effects

• Communication is more accessible.
• Participation is more expensive.
• Fake news spreads.
• The media should scrutinize more, but it is not.
• Media ownership can take over.
• It influences and frames more effectively.

interest Groups

• Interest groups are defined based on structure and the purposes, their organisation and what they represent from unions to associations.
• They don’t contrast elections and their movements must follow a similar structure.
• These groups are categorised and followed rules for each of the groups, there is one that is solely based off a certain section and also for public interest.
• There are also the outsiders of these groups that do not have that much support from policymakers.

Social Movements

• These are groups that have loose organisations in political activism.
• There is no one dominant person but a group.
• The aim is to make sure things change for what is best, economically, and in support.
• To encourage more public speaking digitally.

Arms of Government

• Three arms are implemented to ensure law is followed and to separate the power.
• The Executives is in charge of political and bureaucratic and types of systems and what affects their power depends on their system.
• Also, their leader ship to carry out all tasks set for them.
• Also, the second chamber roles add more for revisions.

Why Have Regulations Declined

• There is no influence to them from media.
• A constitution with more power.
• There are certain ways of classifying it.
• It provides a framework with governance.
• The judiciary now has more power and responsibility.
• To always hold people to account.

Judicial independence

• They shouldnt be challenged to be politically influenced, with certain pressure.
• Judges interpret the laws affecting them.

Global Politics

• Governments much balance the power they have to ensure equal power for everyone and to make it much better overall.
• Each level needs to make the goal to coordinate.

Federalism has 2 levels of government, with features:

• Institutions connect the regions to have shared power.
• Types of federalism focus on negotiations, with government administrative as they implement.
• Also, the devolutions that are used must be followed correctly and always ensure that they coordinate well.

Regional Politics

• These are more organized and help the government.
• They focus on economic, security so they may develop better.

Multilevel Governance

• Has many challenges that are faced but power is always a major struggle.
• They should always provide the equality more wealthy can not take or get more opportunities than other.

policy and The Bureaucracy

• They define what is needed and how to do that, which leads to different study approaches.
• These are the key stages of making all the policies that affect each person, that is the goals.

Key Aspects

• Setting the goals.
• Governments recognize it with action.
• All about translating policies.
• Make the quality of everything much better.
• Laing describes this as the bureaucracy is key to all these factors.
• Ensure there is not capture with those and ensure it all is transparent.