Sociology Chapter 17:Government and Politics

Absolute Monarchy

A system of government in which the head of state is a hereditary position and the king or queen has almost complete power.

Power Elite

a small group of wealthy and influential people at the top of society who hold the power and resources

anarchy

absence of organized government, does not facilitate a desirable living environment for society, but it is much harder for individuals to agree upon the particulars of how a population should be governed.

Totalitarian Dictatorship

an extremely oppressive form of dictatorship in which most aspects of citizens' lives are controlled by the leader.

Constitutional Monarchy

A King or Queen is the official head of state but power is limited by a constitution.

Dictatorship

A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority.

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people.

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen. A monarch claims the rights to the title by way of hereditary succession or as a result of some sort of divine appointment or calling.

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them.

Politics

Method of maintaining, managing, and gaining control of government (who gets what, when, and how)

charismatic authority

They are drawn to the leader's personal qualities. The appeal of a charismatic leader can be extraordinary, and can inspire followers to make unusual sacrifices or to persevere in the midst of great hardship and persecution. Charismatic leaders usually emerge in times of crisis and offer innovative or radical solutions. They may even offer a vision of a new world order.

Patrimonialism

Traditional domination that is facilitated by an administration and military that are purely personal instruments of the master. In this form of authority, all officials are personal favorites appointed by the ruler. These officials have no rights, and their privileges can be increased or withdrawn based on the caprices of the leader. Traditional authority can be intertwined with race, class, and gender. In most societies, for instance, men are more likely to be privileged than women and thus are more likely to hold roles of authority

Dominant Nation

Will often use its clout to influence or support other governments or to seize control of other nations. Efforts by the U.S. government to wield power in other countries have included joining with other nations to form the Allied forces during World War II, entering Iraq in 2002 to topple Saddam Hussein's regime, and imposing sanctions on the government of North Korea in the hopes of constraining its development of nuclear weapons.

representive democracy

form of government where citizens elect representatives to run the government for them

Influence from technology

has made such forms of nonviolent reform easier to implement. Today, protesters can use cell phones and the Internet to disseminate information and plans to masses of protesters in a rapid and efficient manner. In the Arab Spring uprisings, for example, Twitter feeds and other social media helped protesters coordinate their movements, share ideas, and bolster morale, as well as gain global support for their causes. Social media was also important in getting accurate accounts of the demonstrations out to the world, in contrast to many earlier situations in which government control of the media censored news reports.

Power

is the ability to exercise one's will over others. Affects more than personal relationships; it shapes larger dynamics like social groups, professional organizations, and government.

traditional authority

legitimate power conferred by custom and accepted practice. Its legitimacy exists because it has been accepted for a long time. Britain's Queen Elizabeth, for instance, occupies a position that she inherited based on the traditional rules of succession for the monarchy. People adhere to traditional authority because they are invested in the past and feel obligated to perpetuate it. In this type of authority, a ruler typically has no real force to carry out his will or maintain his position but depends primarily on a group's respect.

rational-legal authority

power legitimized by legally enacted rules and regulations. power is vested in a particular rationale, system, or ideology and not necessarily in the person who implements the specifics of that doctrine. A nation that follows a constitution applies this type of authority.

Sociologists study governmental power by

s focus on studying how power is distributed in different types of political systems. They would observe, for example, that the United States' political system is divided into three distinct branches (legislative, executive, and judicial), and they would explore how public opinion affects political parties, elections, and the political process in general. Tend to be more interested in the influences of governmental power on society and in how social conflicts arise from the distribution of power. Sociologists also examine how the use of power affects local, state, national, and global agendas, which in turn affect people differently based on status, class, and socioeconomic standing.

Authority

the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. Refer to accepted to power-power that people agree to follow. People listen to authority figures because they feel that these individuals are worthy of respect

Endeavors

to gain power and influence do no necessarily lead to violence, exploitation, or abuse. Leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi, for example, commanded powerful movements that effected positive change without military force. Both men organized nonviolent protests to combat corruption and injustice and succeeded in inspiring major reform.