Sociology Final - Chapter 13

The formal organization that has the legal and political authority to regulate the relationships among members of a society, and between the society and those outside its borders is: A. government B. politics C. state D. politcal economy

Answer: A. Government

Which country has a constitutional monarchy? A. Canada B. Spain C. Kuwait D. Italy

Answer: B. Spain

A type of political system in which the people hold the ruling power either directly or through elected officials is: A. authoritarianism B. democracy C. monarchy D. totalitarianism

Answer: B. democracy

What is an economic system characterized by common ownership of all economic resources? A. capitalism B. socialism C. communism D. totalitarianism

Answer: C. Communism

Which country has an absolute monarchy? A. Canada B. Spain C. Kuwait D. Italy

Answer: C. Kuwait

What is an economic system characterized by public ownership of the means of production, the pursuit of collective goals, and centralized decision making? A. Capitalism B. Communism C. Socialism D. Totalitarianism

Answer: C. Socialism

Tangible objects that are either necessary or desired are: A. services B. labor C. goods D. databases

Answer: C. goods

What are the 4 characteristics of Capitalism

1. private ownership of the means of production 2. pursuit of personal profit 3. competition 4. lack of government intervention

city-state

a city whose power extended to adjacent areas-became the center of political power- became the center of political power

subcontracting

an agreement in which a corporation contracts with other firms to provide specialized components, products, or services to the larger corporation

democratic socialism

an economic and political system that combines private ownership of some of the means of production, government distribution of some essential goods and services, and free elections

oligopoly

an industry dominated by just a few companies

Special Interest groups

are political coalitions made up of individuals or groups that share a specific interest they wish to protect or advance with the help of the political system

Political Sociology

area of sociology that examines politics and the government (primarily focuses on social circumstances)

Political Party

an organization whose purpose is to gain and hold legitimate control of government -develops and articulates policy positions -educates voters about issues and simplifies the choices for them -recruits candidates who agree with those polices, helps those candidates win office, and holds the candidates responsible for implementing the party's policy positions

structural unemployment

arises because the skills demanded by employers do not match the skills of the unemployed or because the unemployed do no live where the jobs are located (leads to long-term unemployment for some former employees and higher rates of unemployment for the nation) we need unemployed people, for supply of labor for growth, if you make a new business who would you hire

Pluralist Model

assumes that people share a consensus and that a government serves important functions that no other institution can fulfill (power in political systems is widely dispersed throughout many competing interest groups) *Functionalist perspective* - Decisions are made on behalf of the people by leaders who engage in bargaining, accommodation, and compromise - Competition among leadership groups makes abuse of power by any one group difficult - Power is widely dispersed, and people can influence public policy by voting - Public policy reflects a balance among competing interest groups

Occupations

categories of jobs that involve similar activities at different work sites

representative democracy

citizens elect representatives to serve as bridges between themselves and the government

Absolute Monarchs

claim a hereditary right to rule (based on membership in a noble family) or a divine right to rule (a God-given right to rule that legitimizes the exercise of power)

Conglomerates

combinations of businesses in different commercial areas, all of which are owned by one holding company

Mixed economy

combines elements of a market economy with elements of a command economy

Convergence Theory

consists of both socialism and capitalism in every economy

primary labor market

consists of high-paying jobs with good benefits that have some degree of security and the possibility of further advancement

secondary labor market

consists of low-paying jobs with few benefits and very little job security or possibility for future advancement

marginal jobs

differ from the employment norms in the society in which they are located

Communism

economic system characterized by common ownership of all economic resources

Capitalism

economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production, from which personal profits can be derived through market competition and without government intervention (pure capitalistic= no gov intervention)

Socialism

economic system characterized by public ownership of the means of production, the pursuit of collective goals, and centralized decision making Advantage= relative equality Pure socialism doesn't exist

Transitional corporations

large corporations that are headquartered in one country but sell and produce goods and services in many countries

underground economy

made up of a wide variety of activities through which people make money that they don not report to the government, and in some cases, their endeavors may involve criminal behavior

interlocking corporate directorates

members of the board of directors of one corporation who also sit on the board(s) of other corporations

state

political entity that possesses a legitimate monopoly over the use of force within its territory to achieve its goals.

Authoritarianism

political system controlled by rules who deny popular participation in government Ex: Russia, China, Cuba

Monarchy

political system in which power resides in one person or family and is passed down from generation to generation through lines of inheritance Ex: Queen of England- figure head

Democracy

political system in which the people hold the ruling power either directly or through elected representatives

Totalitarianism

political system in which the state seeks to regulate all aspects of people's public and private lives Ex: North Korea

Disadvantages of capitalism

poverty, inequality

Economy

social institution that ensures the maintenance of society through the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

Benefits of capitalism

social mobility, innovation, creativity

too far socialism

stagnant

Welfare state

state in which there is extensive government action to provide support and services to the citizens

legitimate economy

taxes on income are paid by employers and employees, and individuals who hold jobs requiring a specialized license possess the appropriate credentials for their work

Power

the ability to get your way despite resistance

Racialized Patriarchy

the continual interplay of race and gender-reinforces traditional structures of power in contemporary societies

Government

the formal organization that has the legal and political authority to regulate the relationships among members of a society and between the society and those outside its border institution in which politics are used

political socialization

the process by which people learn political attitudes, values, and behavior

Politics

the social institution through which power is acquired and exercised by some people and groups

Iron Triangle of Power

three-way arrangement in which private interest group (usually a corporation), a congressional committee or subcommittee, and a bureaucratic agency make the final decision on a political issue that is to be decided by that agency

nation-state

unit of political organization that has recognizable national boundaries and whose citizens possess specific legal rights and obligations

Constitutional Monarchs

royalty serve as a symbolic rulers or heads of states while actual authority is held by elected officials in national parliaments

Military-industrial complex

(the iron triangle) is the mutual interdependence of the military establishment and private military contractors South= vote republican Northeast= democrat

politics

- political parties (dominated by 2 parties) - global corporate interests -global economy

Social Circumstances

explores how the political arena and and its actors are intertwined with social institutions such as economy, religion, education, and the media

Platform

formal statement of the party political positions on various social and economic issues

share monopoly

four or fewer companies supply 50% or more of a particular market

too far capitalism

greedy

professions

high-status, knowledge-based occupations (doctors, natural scientists, engineers, computer scientists, economists, professors, etc.) that have five major characteristics: - Abstract, specialized knowledge - Autonomy- can rely on their own judgment in selecting the relevant knowledge - Self-Regulation- have licensing, accreditation, and regulatory associations - Authority - Altruism- some degree of self-sacrifice whereby professionals go beyond their self-interest or personal comfort to so that they can help a patient of client

Preindustrial economies

hunting and gathering

collective bargaining

negotiations between employers and labor union leaders on behalf of workers

Limited Monarchs

not considered to be above the law

cyclical unemployment

occurs as a result of lower rates of production during recessions in the business cycle; a recession is a decline in an economy's total production that lasts at least six months

Routinization of Charisma

occurs when charismatic authority is succeeded by bureaucracy controlled by a rationally established authority or by a combination of traditional and bureaucratic authority

Political Action Committees (PACs)

organizations of special interest groups that solicit contributions of special interest groups that solicit contributions from donors and fund campaigns to help elect candidates based on their stances on specific issues

Corporations

organizations that have legal powers, such as the ability to enter into contracts and buy and sell property, separate from their individual owners

Contigent work

part-time work, temporary work, or subcontracted work that offers advantages to employers but that can't be detrimental to the welfare of workers (doctors, lawyers)

Unemployment rate

percentage of unemployed persons in the labor force actively seeking jobs

Power Elite Model

power in political systems is concentrated in the hands of a small group of elites, and the masses are relatively powerless (Conflict perspective- C. Wright Mills, masses are powerless, unorganized and ruled from above) - Decisions are made by small group of elite people - Consensus exists among the elite on the basic values and goals of society - Power is highly concentrated at the top of a pyramid-shaped social hierarchy - Public policy reflects the values and preferences of the elite - G. William Domhoff→ Ruling Class: the corporate rich, make up less than 1 percent of the U.S. population (signifies a relatively fixed group of privileged people who wield sufficient power to constrain political processes and serve underlying capitalist interest

Rational-legal authority

power legitimized by law or written rules and regulations; not the individual

Charismatic authority

power legitimized on the basis of a leader's exception personal qualities or the demonstration of extraordinary insight and accomplishment that inspire loyalty and obedience from followers; will not last because we all will die- it will shift to either traditional or rational-legal Ex: MLK, Hitler, Gandhi

Traditional authority

power that is legitimized on the basis of long-standing customs

Authority

power that people accept as legitimate rather than coercive

Dictatorships

powers are gained and held by a single individual

primary sector

production is the extraction of raw materials and natural resources from the environment

Secondary sector

production is the processing of raw materials (from the primary sector) into finished goods

Tertiary sector

production is the provision of services rather than goods

Pressure groups or lobbies

represent the single issue on which the focus

Direct participatory democracy

requires that citizens be able to meet together regularly to debate and decide the issues of the day

industrial economies

result from sweeping changes to the system of production and distribution of goods and services during industrialization

Military Juntas

result when military officers seize power from the government, as has happened in recent decades in Argentina, Chile, and Haiti