Andrea Salazar Leiden University
Politics- Leiden University
Semester 2
0
,Andrea Salazar Leiden University
Lecture 1- What is Politics 3
Lecture 2-Political Philosophy 10
Lecture 3- States 17
Lecture 4- Nations and Society 28
Lecture 5-Youth and Social Change 38
Lecture 6- Developing Countries 45
Lecture 7- Non Democratic regimes 58
Lecture 8- Democracy 69
Lecture 9- Political Violence 74
Lecture 10: Non-violent conflict Chenoweth 78
Lecture 11: Democracy in Transition 1: Global Challenges 8and 11 79
Lecture 12:Democracy in Transition II: Domestic Challenges populism 82
1
,Andrea Salazar Leiden University
Lecture 1- What is Politics
Politics
= struggle for power, ability to make decisions for larger groups O’Neill (pp. 6, 23):
= who gets what when and how (material) (Harold Lasswell, Who Gets What, When, and
How, 1936
= authoritative allocation of values for a society (material and non material)’ (David Easton,
A Framework for Political Analysis, 1965)
Politics is about ideas, the organization (institutions) morality (including legitimacy) of
pursuing power at the public level.
❖Ideas: ideologies, values (e.g. communism, fascism)
❖Organization: institutions (Parliament, military, gvm, parties)
❖ Morality: good and bad, acceptable and unacceptable (e.g. human rights); legitimacy
❖ Pursuing of power: at public level
Political power = ability to get others to do something that they would not otherwise do.
(Robert Dahl, Who Governs? Democracy and Power in an American City, 1961).Use of
force, not necessarily physical. Even in democracies, to make people behave; in this case, it is
legitimized, which means people agree and accept limitations and restrictions on personal
reason. Otherwise life would be shortand nasty(Hobbes).=>it is the right of the state to limit
our personal freedom,through consensus
Definitions of power and influence:
1) Power as ‘resource’ (capability): attribute, possession (material, immaterial*) →
conversión /application → outcome
2) Power as ‘outcome’ (relationship): About skills, strategies, and perceptions; The Putin
‘example’, the ‘power’ of small states
3) ‘Institutional’ power: to be able define the rules of international institutions / organizations
2
, Andrea Salazar Leiden University
4) The power (states, private business) to shape or determine individual and collective
political thinking and demands through influencing how people think and define their
interests (algorithms, AI)
*E.H. Carr: ‘power over opinion’ (The Twenty Years Crisis, 1919-1939: An Introduction to
the Study of International Relations, London, 1939)
Consent = democracy. Soft power: attraction, convincing, influence
Force = authoritarianism. Hard power: violence.
Legitimacy = consent among citizens that gvm has the right to govern. Not about popularity
or support of the gvm itself and its ideas, but support the gvm system in any case (even when
another party is in power). Makes governing much easier.
Political science = systematic study of politics, provides us with tools to generate knowledge
and understanding of politics, bringing order in political life. Includes the unpredictability of
human behavior.
Thinking theoretically about politics:
▪ Empirical theory: what does occur - describing and explaining political phenomena
▪ Normative theory: what ought to occur
▪ Prescriptive theory- what will occur?
‘Dramatic historical events often take scholars, politicians, and even participants by surprise’
(O’Neil, 3).
Political knowledge
= descriptive (what is, definitions and functions)
= explanatory (why is, cause and effect)
= prescriptive (human unpredictability, surprise)
Political philosophy: good/bad gvm (Aristotle), justice, equality, freedom.
‘investigation into the nature, causes and effects of good and bad government’
Comparative politics: compares political developments, beyond and above one country or
region.
3
Politics- Leiden University
Semester 2
0
,Andrea Salazar Leiden University
Lecture 1- What is Politics 3
Lecture 2-Political Philosophy 10
Lecture 3- States 17
Lecture 4- Nations and Society 28
Lecture 5-Youth and Social Change 38
Lecture 6- Developing Countries 45
Lecture 7- Non Democratic regimes 58
Lecture 8- Democracy 69
Lecture 9- Political Violence 74
Lecture 10: Non-violent conflict Chenoweth 78
Lecture 11: Democracy in Transition 1: Global Challenges 8and 11 79
Lecture 12:Democracy in Transition II: Domestic Challenges populism 82
1
,Andrea Salazar Leiden University
Lecture 1- What is Politics
Politics
= struggle for power, ability to make decisions for larger groups O’Neill (pp. 6, 23):
= who gets what when and how (material) (Harold Lasswell, Who Gets What, When, and
How, 1936
= authoritative allocation of values for a society (material and non material)’ (David Easton,
A Framework for Political Analysis, 1965)
Politics is about ideas, the organization (institutions) morality (including legitimacy) of
pursuing power at the public level.
❖Ideas: ideologies, values (e.g. communism, fascism)
❖Organization: institutions (Parliament, military, gvm, parties)
❖ Morality: good and bad, acceptable and unacceptable (e.g. human rights); legitimacy
❖ Pursuing of power: at public level
Political power = ability to get others to do something that they would not otherwise do.
(Robert Dahl, Who Governs? Democracy and Power in an American City, 1961).Use of
force, not necessarily physical. Even in democracies, to make people behave; in this case, it is
legitimized, which means people agree and accept limitations and restrictions on personal
reason. Otherwise life would be shortand nasty(Hobbes).=>it is the right of the state to limit
our personal freedom,through consensus
Definitions of power and influence:
1) Power as ‘resource’ (capability): attribute, possession (material, immaterial*) →
conversión /application → outcome
2) Power as ‘outcome’ (relationship): About skills, strategies, and perceptions; The Putin
‘example’, the ‘power’ of small states
3) ‘Institutional’ power: to be able define the rules of international institutions / organizations
2
, Andrea Salazar Leiden University
4) The power (states, private business) to shape or determine individual and collective
political thinking and demands through influencing how people think and define their
interests (algorithms, AI)
*E.H. Carr: ‘power over opinion’ (The Twenty Years Crisis, 1919-1939: An Introduction to
the Study of International Relations, London, 1939)
Consent = democracy. Soft power: attraction, convincing, influence
Force = authoritarianism. Hard power: violence.
Legitimacy = consent among citizens that gvm has the right to govern. Not about popularity
or support of the gvm itself and its ideas, but support the gvm system in any case (even when
another party is in power). Makes governing much easier.
Political science = systematic study of politics, provides us with tools to generate knowledge
and understanding of politics, bringing order in political life. Includes the unpredictability of
human behavior.
Thinking theoretically about politics:
▪ Empirical theory: what does occur - describing and explaining political phenomena
▪ Normative theory: what ought to occur
▪ Prescriptive theory- what will occur?
‘Dramatic historical events often take scholars, politicians, and even participants by surprise’
(O’Neil, 3).
Political knowledge
= descriptive (what is, definitions and functions)
= explanatory (why is, cause and effect)
= prescriptive (human unpredictability, surprise)
Political philosophy: good/bad gvm (Aristotle), justice, equality, freedom.
‘investigation into the nature, causes and effects of good and bad government’
Comparative politics: compares political developments, beyond and above one country or
region.
3
