Political Science
College 1; Introduction to Political Science
Hoofdstuk 1, 5 & 6
Political science
Political behavior
Political processes
Political institutions
Politics:
The process by which people negotiate and compete (er is een
struggle van power en resources onder de burgers en politici)
The process of making and executing shared or collective decisions (deze moeten dan gevolgd
worden en wide understand worden)
Governments play a central role in political systems! “Without a common power to keep them all in
awe,” men are “in a condition of war, as of every man against every man.” (Hobbes)
Collective goods: Safety (Hobbes), dykes, roads, clean air, etc.
Core concepts of political Science
Power: The capacity to bring about intended effects (force can be used)
Authority: the right to exert power
Legitimacy: power and authority of a government are accepted by those subjects to its
rules and by the community (other governments). The extend of the power acceptance.
Three dimensions of power:
1. Who prevails over political outcomes?
o Who wins the elections (winners vs. losers); influence over outcomes and behavior of
anything in politics.
In practice: Voting behaviour, parliamentary debates, rule of law: judiciary.
2. Who controls what preferences are expressed?
o Control over the issues / policy alternatives discussed during the decision-making
process. (Agenda-setting powers.)
o Control over the expression of preferences
In practice: Government, Initiatives by parliament and citizens, Issues with high
salience for society, State-owned media restricting the airtime of opposition leaders.
3. Who shapes preferences?
o Control over the formation of citizen preferences
o Social cleavages, political ideology, political communication & media
In practice: Public debates and open deliberation processes, Propaganda through
state-owned media
Three types of authority (Max Weber)
1. Traditional: sanctity of tradition
2. Charismatic: perceived extraordinary characteristics of an individual
3. Legal-rational: formalistic belief in the content of the law (legal) or natural law (rationality).
College 1; Introduction to Political Science
Hoofdstuk 1, 5 & 6
Political science
Political behavior
Political processes
Political institutions
Politics:
The process by which people negotiate and compete (er is een
struggle van power en resources onder de burgers en politici)
The process of making and executing shared or collective decisions (deze moeten dan gevolgd
worden en wide understand worden)
Governments play a central role in political systems! “Without a common power to keep them all in
awe,” men are “in a condition of war, as of every man against every man.” (Hobbes)
Collective goods: Safety (Hobbes), dykes, roads, clean air, etc.
Core concepts of political Science
Power: The capacity to bring about intended effects (force can be used)
Authority: the right to exert power
Legitimacy: power and authority of a government are accepted by those subjects to its
rules and by the community (other governments). The extend of the power acceptance.
Three dimensions of power:
1. Who prevails over political outcomes?
o Who wins the elections (winners vs. losers); influence over outcomes and behavior of
anything in politics.
In practice: Voting behaviour, parliamentary debates, rule of law: judiciary.
2. Who controls what preferences are expressed?
o Control over the issues / policy alternatives discussed during the decision-making
process. (Agenda-setting powers.)
o Control over the expression of preferences
In practice: Government, Initiatives by parliament and citizens, Issues with high
salience for society, State-owned media restricting the airtime of opposition leaders.
3. Who shapes preferences?
o Control over the formation of citizen preferences
o Social cleavages, political ideology, political communication & media
In practice: Public debates and open deliberation processes, Propaganda through
state-owned media
Three types of authority (Max Weber)
1. Traditional: sanctity of tradition
2. Charismatic: perceived extraordinary characteristics of an individual
3. Legal-rational: formalistic belief in the content of the law (legal) or natural law (rationality).
