Power, obedience, & the state

1. Power, obedience, & the state Key concepts in political science

2. Government (the State) • A political order which has the ultimate authority to act on behalf of the community; to make, enforce and adjudicate rules for the community. • Refers both to the governing institutions and the individuals in office.

3. Attributes of Government • To be successful, a government must have sovereignty, authority and legitimacy. For stability, it must be perceived as just. • These four factors determine the relationship between the state and the individual.

4. Sovereignty • The supreme governing power of a state. The ability of a state to exercise its authority over a territory, to actually carry out the functions of a state, particularly in providing security from external threat.

5. Sovereignty, continued • An ancient idea but only developed as a doctrine in the 16th century, relating to the absolute sovereignty of the monarch. • By the 18th century, the idea of popular sovereignty developed – that the ultimate governing authority rests with the people, who then delegate that authority to government.

6. Power/Authority • The capacity to influence or control the behavior of persons and institutions in order to meet an objective. • Power involves getting someone to act in a way contrary to how he or she would otherwise act. In other words, altering the person’s will or volition.

7. Power/Authority • Manifest power: power in operation. Example: weapons in use. • Implicit or latent power: the exercise of power is not obvious. Example: stockpile of weapons.

8. Types of Power: Force • Force: physical means • Violent (can be legal or illegal) • Law enforcement & military actions • Bombings, assassinations, riots • Nonviolent (also can be legal or illegal) • Boycotts • Demonstrations • Sabotage • Blockade

9. Types of Power: Persuasion • Persuasion: convincing a person to do something he or she might not otherwise do. Exercise of this power is out in the open. A major part of politics (especially in democracies). • Sources: gift for public speaking, election landslide, internalized moral values. • Examples: Federalist Papers (1787), King’s “I have a dream” speech, court decisions, appeals to patriotism.

10. Types of Power: Manipulation • Manipulation also seeks to get a person to do something he or she would not otherwise do, but its exercise & motivation are hidden. When manipulation is successful, the person affected does not even realize he or she has been influenced. • Example: managing release of data in public opinion polls.

11. Types of Power: Exchange • Exchange: using incentives to get a person to do something he or she might not otherwise do. Something is given in exchange. • Examples: • A bribe • Log-rolling in legislature • Economic assistance • Tax incentives & tax breaks

12. Legitimacy • The acceptance of the exercise of political power as rightful authority. This acceptance is what gives the government authority. Legitimacy is the indispensable condition for effective government and the maintenance of political order. • What are the sources of legitimacy?

13. Sources of legitimacy • Successful government policies • Tradition, such as hereditary succession • Accepted procedures (e.g., election outcomes; the democratic bargain) • Religious belief in the Divine Right of Kings or the Mandate of Heaven • Passage of time

14. Justice • The sense of fairness in the distribution of rewards and burdens in society. • Lack of this sense can destabilize a regime. Questions of justice trouble dictatorships. • Key question: is power exercised for the good of all, or only for the benefit of the rulers?

15. Public interest vs. self interest • This question was at the center of Aristotle's philosophy (330 B.C.). • He argued that there are three kinds of government: rule of one, rule of the few, rule of the many. • Any of these might be just or unjust, depending on the motives of the rulers.

16. Aristotle’s idea of justice Just Government [interest of the whole] • Monarchy (kingship) • Aristocracy (rule by the best) • Polyarchy (rule by the people) Corrupt Government [self interest] • Autocracy or tyranny • Oligarchy • Democracy (mob rule)

17. Nation-state • The primary political unit in modern times. Approximately 200 nation-states in the world today, many just since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990. • Relatively new concept: emerged formally only in the mid-17th century (1648: treaty of Westphalia).

18. Nation-state • Nation: a people who share something – language, religion, history, race, culture, political values - and have a sense of identity. • State: a government that is sovereign in a particular territory.

19. Utopianism • The idea of an ideal or perfect society. • Often used by writers to criticize the status quo. • Dates from ancient Greeks, especially Plato writing The Republic. • Also evident in 17th century English writing and in some contemporary science fiction.

20. Utopianism • Idea influenced the American colonists, who saw the new world as “a city on a hill,” a shining beacon to the world. • Also influenced other political systems, in particular the Marxist vision of a workers' paradise. • Fascist dictators Hitler and Mussolini tried to appeal to utopian ideal of a "Golden Past“ as a basis for their legitimacy.

21. Dystopias • A nightmare distortion of a utopia. • It happens when leaders “impose” perfection on imperfect human beings. • To create a perfect society, those leaders must exercise totalitarian control over all aspects of human life. No freedom possible.

22. Importance of stability • Rejecting utopian ideals, other political writers have emphasized the importance of stability. They see the major threat to human existence as lawlessness & disorder. It’s better to have a strong ruler than no ruler at all. • This idea captured in the writings of Confucius.

23. Confucius • He lived at a time (551-479 BCE) when imperial rule in China disintegrating. Very unstable & dangerous period. • Confucius advocated order and stability. • He believed that was possible only by following the rites & practices that reflected traditional morality.

24. Confucianism • Confucianism became extremely influential in China and Korea for more than 2,000 years. • This emphasis on tradition, order and stability has transformed Confucianism into an ideology that supports the status quo and deference to authority.

25. Teachings of Confucius • His teachings are in The Analects. • Key idea: the Way, the search for Truth, which both individuals and the government must follow for the society to be good and order maintained. • The Way is embodied in traditional rites & respecting the wisdom of the past

26. Teachings of Confucius • Deference to authority important. The ruler is like the father, and the citizens like the children. That brings order. • It is rare for a man whose character is such that he is good as a son & obedient as a young man to have the inclination to transgress against his superiors; it is unheard of for one … to be inclined to start a rebellion.

27. Teachings of Confucius • Confucius generally supported the feudal system in China, where family obligations served as the basis for morality. He even counseled patience and acceptance of a terrible government. But that does not mean that the good man should give in to government’s immorality.

28. Teachings of Confucius • Note his advice to rulers: • In guiding a state of a thousand chariots, approach your duties with reverence and be trustworthy in what you say, avoid excesses in expenditure and love your fellow men; employ the labor of the common people only in the right seasons.

29. Teachings of Confucius • He advised rulers to lead by example: • Encourage the people to work hard by setting an example yourself… Do not allow your efforts to slacken. • If a man is correct in his own person, then there will be obedience without orders being given; but if he is not correct in his own person, there will not be obedience even though orders are given.

30. Teachings of Confucius • In speaking about government, he said government should give the people enough food, enough arms and the common people will trust in you. When asked which of these was the most important, he said, Give up arms first, then give up food. Death has always been with us since the beginning of time. But when there is no trust, the common people have nothing to stand on.

31. Teachings of Confucius • He was also highly critical of selfishness & self interest, for ruler & ruled. • If one is guided by profit in one’s actions, one will incur much ill will. • While the gentleman cherishes benign rule, the small man cherishes his native land. While the gentleman cherishes a respect for the law, the small man cherishes generous treatment.