POLITICAL

SYSTEMS
 PLAN
1. Politics
2. Government
3. State
4. Sovereignty
5. Power
6. Authority
7. Political system
Politics
Politics is Governing:
(organising and regulating life
of state institutions and
society)
 Politics: Detailed
Competition of political parties (name them)
Competition of interest groups (name them) and
seeking influence in decision-making
Civil society (what is it?):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6_YVsuyUEM
Decision-making at state or municipal levels
Decision-making at international level
Politics is how people (elected or not-elected) make,
keep and change rules for people
Politics Detailed

Politics as a power game: the ability to achieve a desired

outcome, through any means.
Politics as art of government: the exercise of control
within society through the making and enforcement of
collective decisions.
Politics as collective decisions: ‘the art of the possible’
(compromise and consensus)
For Aristotle, politics is the ‘master science’: activity
through which human beings attempt to improve their
lives and create the Good Society.

In sum: Politics - organisation of state and society

Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679):
„Human life in the state of nature is
nasty, brutish and short.”

Why do we need state and

government?
 THAT‘S WHY
1.Protects life
2.Keeps order
3.Defends property
4.Enforces contracts
5.Provides social security
State
Political scientists focus on politics of the State
(Government in a broad sense).
Governmental policies affect our lives (‘we indeed are
interested in politics‘). What‘s your political concern?
Politics determine how wealth and power are distributed in
the society – it affect us.
Government is the mechanism through which citizens
collectively make and implement public choices (e.g. taxes,
spending, regulation)
 DEFINING THE STATE
People (citizens)
 Institutions
 Territory
 Sovereignty (what is it?)
 Sovereignty = supreme authority in
territory
Westphalian system in 1648 (principle in
international law: each state has
sovereignty over its territory)
Internal sovereignty– the relationship
between authority and people
External sovereignty – the relationship
between a state and other states
Next class – September 26
 SOURCES OF STATE
POWER TO GOVERN
1. Legal authority (rule-based)
2. Legitimacy (accepted)
3. Tradition (e.g. inherited kingdom,
democracy)
4. Charisma (re-elected politicians)
5. Force (army, police)
POLITICAL POWER and
AUTHORITY
Power is an ability to affect another by
(perceived) force (law-breakers are fined)

Authority (Government) is legitimate when

accepted by people power and illegitimate
when unaccepted
 POLITICAL SYSTEM

Political system – institutions

formulating and implementing
governing
Political system: structure
and functions
 WHAT DOES POLITICAL SYSTEM DO?
(FUNCTIONS)

1.Political socialization (introduce

politicians to rules and each other)
2.Political recruitment (selection of
politicians)
3.Political communication (plans, activities
and results to the public)
 Political system - political processes and
institutions through which demands and
decisions are made
(what do you want from your government?)

Political institutions do:

• Election of leaders
• Functions of the executive and legislature;
• Organisation of political representation
(through political parties)
 Next class – Forms of State

1.forms of government,
2.forms of state arrangement,
3.forms of regime.

Key concepts: republic, monarchy, autocracy,

democracy, polyarchy, unitary state,
federalism, consociationalism.