Chapter 2 Flashcards
conceptual framework and intersubjective
In order to describe politics, we thus need a set of concepts which is clearly defined and well understood. In other words, we want our concepts to be intersubjective (under-stood and used in the same way by different subjects) and general.
Theories
precisely formulated and well- supported statements about causal relationships among general political phenomena
Hypotheses
causal explanations that have not yet been proven. In other words, they are candidate theories that have not yet been adequately tested or confirmed.
data
we generally want it to explain not only the case(s) on which it was based but also other cases ( revolutions, wars, elections, etc.) that fall into the same set. Researchers in political science distinguish between studies based on large numbers (large n) and small numbers (small n) of cases or observations.
variables
are the features in which our cases differ—for example, “religious heritage: Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist” or “rank in the United Nations quality of life index,” or “income per capita.”
government
A political system is a particular type of social system that is involved in the making of authoritative public decisions. Central elements of a political system(whole collection of related, interacting institutions and agencies) are the institutions of government—such as legislatures, bureaucracies, and courts—that formulate and implement the collective goals of a society or of groups within it.
Inputs and outputs
a political system exists in both an international environment and a domes-tic environment. It is molded by these environments, and it tries to mold them. The system receives inputs from these environments. Its policymakers attempt to shape them through its outputs.
Inputs (process functions: Interest articulation. Interest Aggregation, Policy making, Policy Implementation and adjudication
Output: The outputs are the ways in which policy decisions affect the society, the economy, and the culture. They include various forms of extraction of resources in the form of taxes and the like, regulation of behavior, and distribution of benefits and services to various groups in the population.
nation-states
national identifications and sovereign political authority largely coincide—the state consists of individuals who share a common national identity. We have come to think of nation-states as the natural way to organize political systems, and often as an ideal.
structures and functions
parliaments, bureaucracies, administrative agencies, and courts.These structures perform functions, which in turn enable the government to formulate, implement, and enforce its policies. The policies reflect the goals; the agencies provide the means to achieve them.
Interest Articulation and Aggregation
-involves individuals and groups expressing their needs and demand .
-combines different demands into policy proposals backed by significant political resources.
policymaking and implementation
- is deciding which policy proposals become authoritative rules.
-is carrying out and en-forcing public policies;
Adjudication: is settling disputes about their application.
structural-functional approach
stresses two points. One is that in different countries, the same structure may perform different functions. A second is that while a particular institution, such as a legislature, may specialize in a particular function, such as policymaking, institutions often do not have a monopoly on any one function.
neither the analysis of structures, nor that of functions, is complete without the other.
systems functions
the three functions –socialization, recruitment, and communication— do not directly concern the making and implementation of public policy but are of fundamental importance to the political system.
political socialization
involves families, schools, communications media, churches, and all the various political structures that develop, reinforce, and transform the political culture, the attitudes of political significance in the society
political recruitment
refers to the selection of people for political activity and government offices. In a democracy, competitive elections play a major role in political recruitment. In authoritarian systems, recruitment may be dominated by a single party, as in China, or by unelected religious leaders, as in Iran.
political communication
refers to the flow of information through the society and the various structures that make up the political system. Gaining control over information is a key goal of most authoritarian rulers, as shown in the elaborate efforts of Chinese leaders to control content on the Internet.
policy performance
We call the outputs of a political system—its extractions, distributions, regulations, and symbolic acts—its policy performance
How do the main elements in the environment of a political system affect the way it performs?
The main elements in the environment act as inputs and outputs of the political system. For example, the texbook shows when the domestic economy is input into the political system of the U.S the political system outputs culture and society which is then put back into the political system to give the output of the domestic economy. If something were to happen to society, it would affect the domestic economy output of the political system. The same can be said for international environments as well. If the inputs from another country benefit the receiving country, then the receiving country’s political system will produce outputs that help the giving country.
Why is evaluation of politics in different political systems complex?
People value different things and put different emphases on what they value
Within a democracy, which structure would most likely perform the functions of interest articulation and interest aggregation?
political parties
How do we use theories to explain political events?
We use theories to make predictions about political events. If the theory has been tested and proven various times it becomes helpful in predicting future events. Theories are also used to make connections about the differences between multiple political systems. Their use comes in handy when understanding what occurs in an individual or multiple cases involving political events.
Why are we unable to compare political systems simply by describing the different structures we find in them ?
Similar structures found in various political systems have different functions. For example, both Britain and China have legislative powers but they perform them differently. Britain’s House of Commons discuss and elect on public policies while h National’s People’s Congress meet for a short period of time and approve of decisions already made by the communist party without considering the alternatives.
comparative politics
enhances ability to describe and understand, enables the testing of hypotheses, stimulates the formation of general theories.
