Political science
Final notes
Week 1
Lecture 1: introduction to political science
What is political science?
Political science describes political behavior,
political processes and political institutions.
So, they don’t only study political figures.
The study of the theory and practice of
government and politics, focusing on the
structure and dynamics of institutions, The central role of national governments can
political processes and political behavior be explained by their monopoly on power.
Government: the institutions and structures
Politics: the process by which people negotiate through which societies are governed.
and compete AND the process of making and
executing shared or collective decisions. Hobbes: Without a common power to keep
them all in awe, men are in a condition of
Politics is unavoidable as we are humans that war as every man against every man.
need to make collective decisions containing
Without a government we are in a
different opinions. Once this decision has
condition of chaos. They provide us
been reached it has to be implemented by
with safety and other collective goods.
public authority.
Perspective 1: the process of making and
executing collective decisions based on the Core concepts of political science
pursuit of the groups common interest
Power: the capacity to bring about intended
(compromise)
effects (influence).
Perspective 2: politics is a competitive Authority: the right to exert power
struggle for power and resources for peoples Legitimacy: the power of a government is
own interests above the common good. accepted by those subjected to its rules and by
the community.
Political systems: political systems is where
politics takes place. It is a place containing
Three dimensions of power
different actors.
The interactions and organizations through
which a society reaches and successfully
enforces collective decisions
Three types of authority (Weber)
,Traditional: how it is traditionally done Direct democracy: a system of government
(status quo) in which all members of the community take
Charismatic: authority based on a perceived part in making the decisions that effect the
extraordinary characteristic of an community. > doesn’t exist today
individual.
representative democracy: a system of
Legal rational: formalistic belief in the
government in which members of a
content of the law (legal) or natural law
community elect people to represent their
(rational).
interest and to make decisions effecting the
community.
political regimes Critique: ordinary voters are not capable to
make informed political decisions and
Democracy
picking people would become more important
A political system in which government is than electoral issues.
based on fair and open mandate from all
Illiberal democracy
qualified citizens of a state.
Illiberal democracy: no protection of minority
Features of democratic rule
rights and a lack of media freedom.
- Representative systems of government
Hybrid regimes
based on fair, secret and competitive
elections. Political systems that have some of the
- Well-defined, stable and predictable appearance of being actually democratic, but
political institutions and processes based institutions, laws, processes and policies are
on a distribution of powers and a system manipulated to keep rulers or elites in power.
of political checks and balances.
- A variety of institutionalized forms of - Elections are held but they are not free
and fair as power is used to determine the
political participation and representation,
outcome.
including multiple political parties with
- Pressure on the opposition is common.
different platforms
- Corruption is prominent
- Limits on the powers of government, and
protection of individual rights and - No independent judiciary
- Influenced media and harassment of
freedoms under the law, sustained by an
journalists.
independent judiciary.
- An active, effective and protected - Most are unstable due to inherent power
struggles.
opposition
- A diverse and independent media authoritarian regimes
establishment, subject to few political
controls and free to share a wide variety regimes based on submission to authority,
of options. characterized by ruling elites, limited
political pluralism, centralized political
liberal Democracy control, intolerance of opposition and human
The scope of democracy is limited by right abuses.
constitutional protection of individual - Strong leaders
rights, including freedom of assembly, - Centralized around political control
property, religion and speech. Free, fair and - No separation of politics and military
regular elections are based on a near
universal right to vote.
, - Weak political participation and
protection of civil rights
4 control mechanisms
- Military
- Coercion
- Patronage
- Media
Final notes
Week 1
Lecture 1: introduction to political science
What is political science?
Political science describes political behavior,
political processes and political institutions.
So, they don’t only study political figures.
The study of the theory and practice of
government and politics, focusing on the
structure and dynamics of institutions, The central role of national governments can
political processes and political behavior be explained by their monopoly on power.
Government: the institutions and structures
Politics: the process by which people negotiate through which societies are governed.
and compete AND the process of making and
executing shared or collective decisions. Hobbes: Without a common power to keep
them all in awe, men are in a condition of
Politics is unavoidable as we are humans that war as every man against every man.
need to make collective decisions containing
Without a government we are in a
different opinions. Once this decision has
condition of chaos. They provide us
been reached it has to be implemented by
with safety and other collective goods.
public authority.
Perspective 1: the process of making and
executing collective decisions based on the Core concepts of political science
pursuit of the groups common interest
Power: the capacity to bring about intended
(compromise)
effects (influence).
Perspective 2: politics is a competitive Authority: the right to exert power
struggle for power and resources for peoples Legitimacy: the power of a government is
own interests above the common good. accepted by those subjected to its rules and by
the community.
Political systems: political systems is where
politics takes place. It is a place containing
Three dimensions of power
different actors.
The interactions and organizations through
which a society reaches and successfully
enforces collective decisions
Three types of authority (Weber)
,Traditional: how it is traditionally done Direct democracy: a system of government
(status quo) in which all members of the community take
Charismatic: authority based on a perceived part in making the decisions that effect the
extraordinary characteristic of an community. > doesn’t exist today
individual.
representative democracy: a system of
Legal rational: formalistic belief in the
government in which members of a
content of the law (legal) or natural law
community elect people to represent their
(rational).
interest and to make decisions effecting the
community.
political regimes Critique: ordinary voters are not capable to
make informed political decisions and
Democracy
picking people would become more important
A political system in which government is than electoral issues.
based on fair and open mandate from all
Illiberal democracy
qualified citizens of a state.
Illiberal democracy: no protection of minority
Features of democratic rule
rights and a lack of media freedom.
- Representative systems of government
Hybrid regimes
based on fair, secret and competitive
elections. Political systems that have some of the
- Well-defined, stable and predictable appearance of being actually democratic, but
political institutions and processes based institutions, laws, processes and policies are
on a distribution of powers and a system manipulated to keep rulers or elites in power.
of political checks and balances.
- A variety of institutionalized forms of - Elections are held but they are not free
and fair as power is used to determine the
political participation and representation,
outcome.
including multiple political parties with
- Pressure on the opposition is common.
different platforms
- Corruption is prominent
- Limits on the powers of government, and
protection of individual rights and - No independent judiciary
- Influenced media and harassment of
freedoms under the law, sustained by an
journalists.
independent judiciary.
- An active, effective and protected - Most are unstable due to inherent power
struggles.
opposition
- A diverse and independent media authoritarian regimes
establishment, subject to few political
controls and free to share a wide variety regimes based on submission to authority,
of options. characterized by ruling elites, limited
political pluralism, centralized political
liberal Democracy control, intolerance of opposition and human
The scope of democracy is limited by right abuses.
constitutional protection of individual - Strong leaders
rights, including freedom of assembly, - Centralized around political control
property, religion and speech. Free, fair and - No separation of politics and military
regular elections are based on a near
universal right to vote.
, - Weak political participation and
protection of civil rights
4 control mechanisms
- Military
- Coercion
- Patronage
- Media
