Political Concepts PDF

Section I : Political Concepts Introduction Indian political thinkers, we study the views of Kautilya on State,...

Section I : Political Concepts Introduction Indian political thinkers, we study the views of Kautilya on State, Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of Swaraj or Dr. Babasaheb    Ambedkar’s views on Social Justice. We can also study the western thinkers to understand the views of Aristotle on Citizenship, or Locke’s theories on Rights, Mill on Liberty, Marx’s views about Communism, or John Rawls contribution to the theory of Justice. It is on the basis of the writings of such thinkers and We talk of our family, society, region, others who have made significant country etc. All of these are institutions, contribution that we can understand such some are social institutions others are concepts like liberty, equality, justice, political institutions. Political science deals democracy, etc. Political concepts involves mainly with political institutions. The analytical study of ideas that have been political institutions are associated with the central to political thought. government. They would include the In this section, we plan to study some Parliament, the Ministry, Judiciary, etc. As important political concepts. These are a citizen of a country we have certain concepts of liberty, rights, equality and rights and duties towards the country. justice. There are also other concepts like These are specified by the constitutions and nation, nationalism, etc. the various laws that are made by the The three chapters of this section are government. We are expected to follow as follows: these rules. Even foreigners have to follow rules of the country in which they live. Chapter I : The State: This chapter discusses the concepts of nation, nationalism, Some questions like: ‘Why should I state and government. It tries to understand obey the state?’, or, ‘What should be the the linkages between them. limits of individual liberty?’, or, ‘where can I seek justice?’, are questions that we Chapter II : Liberty and Rights: face as citizens of any country. Various This chapter looks at the two concepts of thinkers have tried to answer these and Liberty and Rights. These deal with the other questions. They have tried to status of the individual in the society. understand the role of the individual and Chapter III : Equality and Justice: the State (government). These political This chapter focuses on Equality and thinkers have come out with various ideas Justice. These concepts are concerned with that have helped us to understand the role the social order. of the individual in the society and the All of these concepts are also discussed State better. For example, when we study in the context of India. 1  1. The State You have studied Civics and Political Do you know ? Science in School. The focus of Civics was on the citizen. The focus of Political We use the term ‘country’ to Science was on the State, the Government, describe states like India, Pakistan, the Administration etc. In this chapter, we China, etc. Sometimes we use the will introduce you to some of the basic term ‘nation’ or ‘state’ to describe concepts of Political Science: Nation, these countries. While all the terms Nationalism, State and Government. appear to convey the same meaning, Read the statements given below: technically there is a difference in (i) One of my friend is a Punjabi and each of these terms. The term the other a Manipuri. ‘nation’ has a sense of oneness that (ii) Two of my classmates are is psychological and born out of Iranians. commonness of culture, ethnicity, race, religion, language, history, etc. (iii) We sing India’s National Anthem A ‘nation’ becomes a ‘state’ when every day. I am proud of our National it has the following characteristics: Anthem. sovereignty; independent government, (iv) I have to collect my Birth specific territory and population. But Certificate from the Government Office in routine discussions we usually use today. the term ‘nation’ instead of the term Each of this sentence deals with State to describe an independent something. The first sentence tells about country with a sovereign government. the identity of the person. The identity However, in Political Science we use can be a Punjabi, Tamil, Maharashtrian, the term ‘State’ to describe an Telegu, etc. This is a regional identity. independent sovereign country. The second sentence talks about the country that you belong to. You can be an Iranian, Sri Lankan, American, etc. Nation This is the ‘nationality’ that you have. What is a nation? A nation is a The sentence about the national anthem people who identify socially, culturally, relates to the concept of the State. When politically and want to establish a separate we say I am proud of our National identity for themselves. There is a sense Anthem it is a feeling of ‘Nationalism’. of oneness that is psychological and born Finally, the Birth Certificate deals with out of commonness of culture, ethnicity, the role of the ‘Government’. All these religion, language, history, etc. They may are concepts that we will study in this or may not be located in a specific chapter. geographic territory. 2  political level. Do you know ? Nationalism The word ‘Nation’ originates from the Latin word Nasci, meaning ‘to be India wanted to be independent from born’. Therefore, it is believed that the the British colonial rule. It was a fight people belonging to a nation have ethnic for the right of self-determination. India’s and cultural linkages. fight for its independence was an expression of India’s nationalism. Ernest Barker defines a nation as Nationalism is a sense of political ‘A nation is a body of men, inhabiting a identity. It is a love for one’s nation. The definite territory, who normally are people become sentimentally attached to drawn from different races, but possess the homeland. They gain a sense of common stock of thoughts and feelings identity and self-esteem by this acquired and transmitted during the identification and are motivated to help course of common history…a common their homeland. The expression of such religious belief… use a common sentiments can be seen at different times: language….’ Cheering for a national cricket team, standing up during the National Anthem What are the features of a nation? or support to the armed forces during a (i) Population: A Nation must have a war. Nationalism is a force which holds population. The population has some the people to a sense of political loyalty similarities. These similarities may be to the country. language, race and religion or there may be common cultural or historical experiences. There is a sense of ethnic, historical and cultural oneness that goes in the perception of identifying oneself as a nation. (ii) Feeling of community: The similarities of demography and culture must translate into a psychological feeling of a community. Nationalism This is the emotional dimension. This is a matter of perception held by the There are some features of people of that community. Nationalism: (iii) Desire to be politically separate: (i) Nationalism has been a force that People living in a particular has been both, a builder and a geographic area having common destroyer. It has been described as socio-cultural, religious or linguistic progressive and aggressive commonality can lead to a feeling of nationalism. Progressive nationalism being a nation. Such a feeling is a can help a society to come together product of the urge for self- and promote development. Aggressive determination. This can lead to a nationalism can create differences demand for self-governance at a amongst people. 3 (ii) Nationalism discourages imperialism (ii) Conservative nationalism: This or colonialism. The resistance to any form of nationalism is inward looking. It form of occupation of a region is looks at the nation as a closely linked one of the features of nationalism. society. It gives a lot of importance to National liberation struggles or patriotism. freedom struggles across the world (iii) Expansionist nationalism: This are a product of nationalism. It thus is an aggressive form of nationalism. In encourages self-determination. this form, countries start to become (iii) Nationalism can promote diversity. aggressive and create empires for ‘national You see a large amount of diversity glory’. Colonialism is a product of this in India based on religion, ethnicity, aggressive nationalism. language, regions, etc. But we still (iv) Anticolonial nationalism: This talk of Indian nationalism. The refers to national liberation struggles or idea of ‘unity in diversity’ is the freedom struggles. Countries like India core of Indian nationalism. experienced this form of nationalism Discuss in the Classroom during the days of the freedom struggle. Read the sections titled: ‘Bharat State Mata’ and ‘The Variety and Unity of The Preamble of the Indian India’, in Jawaharlal Nehru, ‘The Discovery of India’. Constitution uses the words, ‘Sovereign Democratic Republic’. Here the word Discuss the concept of Indian nationalism on the basis of Nehru’s sovereignty means the independent writings on India in these two sections. authority of the country. It signifies that the country is not dependent on any other When we look at nationalism from a country for taking decisions. It is political perspective, we can see different independent to take its own decisions, forms of nationalism: formulate laws and govern. When people (i) Liberal nationalism: The origins of a nation want to become a sovereign of liberal nationalism are in the French country, it means they are demanding the Revolution. It is also seen in President right to self-determination. Freedom Woodrow Wilson’s ‘Fourteen Points’. It struggle is an expression of the right to links the idea of a nation to sovereignty. self-determination. It accepts that every nation has the right It is this urge for political self- to freedom and self-determination. determination that leads a nation in the direction of statehood. When does a Do you know ? nation become a state? A State must have the following characteristics to qualify for The Fourteen Points speech of statehood: sovereignty; independent President Woodrow Wilson was an government, territory and population. outline of his vision for a stable, long- lasting peace in Europe, the America A State is a political community. Its and the rest of the world following the presence is felt in almost all human First World War. activity. Activities like education, social 4  Some definitions of the State Aristotle: The state is a union of families and villages and having for its ends a perfect and self-sufficing life by which we mean a happy and honourable life. Jean Bodin: A state is an association of families and their possession governed by supreme power and by reason. Woodrow Wilson: State is a people organised for law within a definite territory. Harold Laski: A territorial society divided into government and subjects claiming within its allotted physical area, a supremacy over all other institutions. Aristotle Jean Bodin Woodrow Wilson Harold Laski (384 BCE-322 BCE) (1530-1596) (1856-1924) (1893-1950) An ancient Greek A French Jurist and An American statesman and a British political Philosopher Philosopher academic who served theorist as the 28th American President. welfare, defence, law and order, all are independent. For example, when India done by the State. Even personal matters was a British colony, there was a like registration of birth, getting a PAN Government of India. But it was not card or an Aadhaar card, registration of a sovereign independent government. marriage, etc. the State has a role to play. Therefore prior to independence India The State grants rights, provides justice, was not a State. ensures equality and guarantees liberty. Institutions of the State are ‘Public’ The State has the following elements: institutions. These Public institutions (i) Sovereignty: Sometimes this term is include various organs of the used interchangeably with the term government like the Executive, independence. But sovereignty is a Legislature, Judiciary, Bureaucracy, legal term while independence is a etc. Public institutions are responsible political term. It means that the for making policies, laws, taking country is legally sovereign with its decisions and implementing them. We own independent constitution. For have to make a distinction between example, India became politically these Public institutions and Private independent in 1947 but it became institutions. Private institutions belong a sovereign State in 1950 after the to the civil society. These include constitution came into effect. private businesses, clubs, etc. It is the (ii) Government: Every sovereign state public institutions that have legitimacy must have a government. The to act on behalf of the State. government must be sovereign and 5  Do you know ? Do you know ? All citizens are members of the Case of Palestine: The Palestine State. The decisions are taken in Liberation Organisation (PLO) has public interest by the government of been granted recognition as the the State. This authority to take legitimate representative of the decisions is called legitimacy. The Palestinian people. The PLO has also State has the legitimacy to take identified Gaza and West Bank as decisions in the interest of the people. the territory of the State of Palestine. However, Palestine does not have a sovereign government. Its territory is (iii) Territory: It refers to the geographic under the jurisdiction of the Israelis. boundaries of a state. A state must This is why Palestine is a nation and have a specific territory. The areas not a state. However, Palestine has of the State within which the State been a ‘Non-member Observer' State has the authority to govern is called of the UN since 2012 and more than jurisdiction. Jurisdiction is the legal a 100 members of the UN have given power that the State has to take recognition to Palestine as a State. decisions. Do this : Prepare a comparative What is meant by ‘territory’? chart showing the similarities and Territory has three aspects differences in the features of a Nation (i) The actual land within the and a State. national boundaries. (ii) The territorial waters along the coastline. This is State and Government 12 nautical miles (22.2 km or We normally use the terms State and 13.8 miles) along the coast line. Government without understanding the (iii) The air space above its territory difference between them. They are (there is no international law on the different concepts. State as we have seen height of this air space.) above, is a political organisation created for the satisfaction of the common needs (iv) Population: A State cannot exist of the people. A government is an agent without people. This population can of the State through which the will of the have any amount of diversity in State is formulated, expressed and realised. terms of language, religion, culture, Government is the main wing of the state. ethnicity, etc. Thus, a ‘State’ can Its main nature is administrative. Law comprise of many ‘nations’. For and order, welfare, etc. are some of the example, the Soviet Union had people main functions of the State. These of many nationalities like Russians, functions are preformed through the Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, government. A government has three Ukrainians, etc. Similarly, the United parts: The Executive, Legislature and Kingdom consists of England, Judiciary. You will learn about the concept Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. of Government in Section II of this book. 6  Some differences between State and Government State Government State is an abstract concept. Government is a concrete reality. State is more extensive than a government. Government is a part of the State It includes all public institutions and all members of the society as citizens. A State is permanent in nature. A Government exists for a specific time period. Systems of government can be changed. Governments come and go. The State is an impersonal authority. It is The government has an ideological politically neutral. agenda. It wants to implement policies to achieve that agenda. The State is a sovereign entity. The source of the authority of the Government is the State. Government is the means through which the authority of the State is exercised. We studied the concepts of nation, Rights, Equality and Justice. These are nationalism, state and government in this concepts that deal directly with the role chapter. In the next two chapters we will of the State. study some other concepts like Liberty, Please see the following websites for further information: The Discovery of India Jawaharlal Nehru The Discovery of India (Delhi : Oxford University Press, 1985 ) Chapter: 'Bharat Mata' Page: 59 Chapter: The Variety and Unity of India Page: 61 https://archive.org/stream/TheDiscoveryOfIndia-Eng-JawaharlalNehru/discovery-of-india_djvu.txt 7  Exercise 1. (A) Choose the correct alternative and 2. State whether the following statements complete the following statements. are true or false with reasons. 1. The term Nation is derived from the 1. Progressive Nationalism can create Latin word. differences amongst people. (Nasci, Natio, Natalis, Nauto) 2. Sovereignty means State has the 2. The origin of Liberal Nationalism is freedom to take its own decision. in the Revolution. 3. Palestine is a State. (American, Russian, French, British) 4. Expansionist Nationalism is a type (B) Identify the incorrect pair in every of Aggressive Nationalism. set, correct it and rewrite. 3. Express your opinion of the following. (a) Aristotle - German Thinker India is a State. (b) Jean Bodin - French Thinker 4. Answer the following questions. (c) Woodrow Wilson - American Thinker 1. What are the features of Nation? (d) Harold Laski - British Thinker 2. What is Nationalism? Explain its (C) State the appropriate concept for types. the given statement. 5. Answer the following question in detail 1. Force which holds the people to a with reference to the given points. sense of political loyalty to the Explain the following elements of the country - State. 2. The area of the State within which (a) Sovereignty (b) Government it has the authority to govern - (c) Population (d) Territory Activity : Identify the States with smallest territory and largest territory on the world map. 8