Polity Daily Class Notes 01 PDF

1 DAILY CLASS NOTES Polity Lecture - 01 Introduction and Lexicon  2 Introduction and Lexicon 9 pillars of polity: Difference Be...

1 DAILY CLASS NOTES Polity Lecture - 01 Introduction and Lexicon  2 Introduction and Lexicon 9 pillars of polity: Difference Between Polity and Politics: ❖ Polity: It is the organizational structure of the government of a state. ❖ Politics: It means the art of running the government, or it is (countable) a methodology and activities associated with running a government, an organization, or a movement. What is the Constitution? ❖ The Constitution means to constitute something. ❖ The Constitution can be a set of rules and regulations for an organization. ❖ The Constitution is meant to ensure a rule-based system.  3 ❖ The Constitution is a document that was established to ensure coordination among various institutions. ❖ It sets various rules and orders that help run a nation smoothly. For Example: India and the USA have written constitutions, whereas Britain has an unwritten constitution. Is the Constitution a living document? ❖ A constitution happens to be a living document because it evolves with the evolution of society and the state. Evolution of the Constitution: ❖ It evolved from the idea of a social contract, which is based on the consent system. ❖ This concept of the social contract was first initiated by Hobbes and then by Locke. ❖ These writings of Locke and Hobbes are the basis of the modern constitution. What is a state? ❖ The Constitution establishes the state. ❖ A state is a political organization consisting of population, territory, government, and sovereignty. ❖ It may be a form of human association distinguished from other social groups. Nation: ❖ It is a group of people with similar cultural affiliations. ❖ It is also called an ‘imagined community’. ❖ The state is a political entity, while the nation is a cultural entity. ❖ Example: Greater Nagalim, Gorkhland, etc. are nations, but they do not have sovereignty, so they are not states.  4 Birth of Nation-State: ❖ In 15th- and 16th-century Europe, there were wars going on between countries to unite themselves, depending on the culture. ❖ Different countries wanted to establish their cultural supremacy. Example: Britain, Spain, etc. ❖ The idea of a nation-state took birth after the Treaty of Westphalia (1648). It gave birth to modern European nations like the United Kingdom of Britain, France, etc. ❖ Under this treaty, all the countries of Europe decided to make a nation-state that fulfills all the characteristics of a state and is united on the basis of a homogenous culture. ❖ Hence, we can say that in a nation-state, the cultural boundaries overlap the state boundaries. State-Nation: ❖ Because of the huge diversity, countries like India can be termed state nations. For example, India is one state and many nations. ❖ It is based on the idea of heterogeneity, which means various cultures exist within one single state. The idea of a state-nation is born due to the multicultural existence of people. ❖ One nation, one culture idea is narrow and non-desirable due to multiculturalism. ❖ During colonial rule, the British accused India of not being a nation due to its cultural diversity. Differences between a nation-state and a state-nation ❖ Nation-state = Cultural territory overlapping political territory, for example, France. ❖ A state nation = A political territory, and a cultural territory is different.  5 What is multiculturalism? ❖ Multiculturalism is the view that cultures, races, and ethnicities, particularly those of minorities. groups deserve special acknowledgment of their differences within a dominant political culture. ❖ It means various cultures are acknowledged in one political space. ❖ It means that various identities and cultures are acknowledged in a political space. ❖ In other words, it portrays the existence of different cultures in one place. Types of Multiculturalism: ❖ The idea of Melting Pot (in the USA) A new culture emerged from mixing several different cultures. ❖ Idea of Salad Bowl (in India) Every culture has its own identity and oneness. ❖ Melting Pot: It means that people from various cultures come together, assimilate, and form a new culture. People here are always identified by the new identity they have formed. It is the sum total of the new identity formed out of the mixing of entirely different identities. Further, this new identity cannot be reversed. The old identities disappear, and new identities are formed. For Example: In the U.S.A. Salad Bowl: ❖ Under this theory, people of different identities integrate and form new identities, but they also continue their old identities individually. ❖ It is just like a salad, in which the ingredients have a separate identity, and by mixing these ingredients, they create a unified, single identity. ❖ For Example: India and Canada 