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For the most part, political scientists 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.
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.
A dominant nation, for instance, will often use its clout to influence or
support other governments or to seize control of other nation states.
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 Tunisia in 2011, for example, a nonviolent popular uprising led to the president’s
resignation, ushered in the end of one-party rule, and paved the way for efforts at reform.
The success of the Tunisian uprising, broadcast worldwide via Twitter feeds and other
social media, was an inspiration to political activists in other countries as well (a spread of
demonstrations that the media called the “Arab Spring”).
Notice that, in this example, the users of power were the citizens rather than their
governments.
They found they had power because they were able to exercise their will over their own
leader. Thus, government power does not necessarily equate with absolute power.
For instance, a person who sees the flashing red and blue lights of a police
car in his rearview mirror usually pulls to the side of the road without
hesitation.
Such a driver most likely assumes that the police officer behind him serves
as a legitimate source of authority and has the right to pull him over.
As part of her official duties, the police officer then has the power to issue
a speeding ticket if the driver was driving too fast.
If the same officer, however, were to command the driver to follow her
home and mow her lawn, the driver would likely protest that the officer
does not have the authority to make such a request.
traditional authority,
From one country to another, the power held by these positions varies.
Although governments and regimes are constantly changing across the global landscape, it
is generally safe to say that most modern absolute monarchies are concentrated in the
Middle East and Africa.
The small, oil-rich nation of Oman, for instance, is an example of an absolute monarchy.
In this nation, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said has ruled since the 1970s.
Recently, living conditions and opportunities for Oman’s citizens have improved, but many
citizens who live under the reign of an absolute ruler must contend with oppressive or
unfair policies that are installed based on the unchecked whims or political agendas of that
leader.
Other political analysts assert that all democracies are really just “elected
oligarchies,” or systems in which citizens must vote for an individual who is
part of a pool of candidates who come from the society’s elite ruling class
(Winters 2011).
Some dictators also possess the personal appeal that Max Weber
identified with a charismatic leader.
Subjects of such a dictator may believe that the leader has special
ability or authority and may be willing to submit to his or her
authority.
Popular images of the late Kim Jong-Il, as well as his successor, Kim
Jong-Un, exemplify this type of charismatic dictatorship.
They may attempt to regulate how many children citizens bear, what
religious beliefs they hold, and so forth.
They may also demand that citizens publicly demonstrate their faith in the
regime by participating in public marches and demonstrations
First and foremost, citizens are free to organize political parties and hold
elections.
Leaders, once elected, must abide by the terms of the given nation’s
constitution and are limited in the powers they can exercise, as well as in
the length of the duration of their terms.
In a purely democratic society, all citizens would vote on all proposed legislation, and this
is not how laws are passed in the United States.
There is a practical reason for this: a pure democracy would be hard to implement.
Thus, the United States is a constitution-based federal republic in which citizens elect
representatives to make policy decisions on their behalf.
The term representative democracy, which is virtually synonymous with republic, can
also be used to describe a government in which citizens elect representatives to promote
policies that favor their interests.
In the United States, representatives are elected at local and state levels, and the votes of
the Electoral College determine who will hold the office of president. Each of the three
branches of the United States government—the executive, judicial, and legislative—
is held in check by the other branches.
Although many Americans take for granted the right of citizens to hold
free elections, it is a vital foundation of any democracy.
However, at the time the U.S. government was formed, African Americans
and women were denied voting privileges.
History details the struggles that each of these minority groups undertook
to secure rights that had been granted to their white male counterparts.
Nevertheless, their history (and the earlier history of the struggle for
American independence from British rule) has failed to inspire some
Americans to show up at the polls or even to register to vote
Rock the Vote, for example, targets and reaches out to America’s youngest potential
voters to educate and equip them to share their voice at the polls.
Native Vote is an organization that strives to inform American Indians about upcoming
elections and encourages their participation.
According to the Pew Research Center, the portion of minority race voters has been
increasing steadily over the past few decades (Lopez and Taylor 2009).
For years, African Americans who were brave enough to vote were
discouraged by discriminatory legislation, passed in many southern
states, which required poll taxes and literacy tests of prospective
voters.
Shortly before the Voting Rights Act was passed, the 1964 U.S.
Supreme Court case Reynolds v. Sims changed the nature of
elections.
Voting rates among lower-educated, lower-paid workers are less than for people with
higher socioeconomic status, fostering a system in which people with more power and
access to resources have the means to perpetuate their power.
Several explanations have been offered to account for this difference (Raymond 2010).
Workers in low-paying service jobs might find it harder to get to the polls because they
lack flexibility in their work hours and quality daycare to look after children while they
vote.
Because a larger share of racial and ethnic minorities is employed in such positions, social
class may be linked to race and ethnicity in influencing voting rates.
Attitudes play a role as well. Some people of low socioeconomic status or minority
race/ethnicity doubt their vote will count or voice will be heard because they have seen
no evidence of their political power in their communities. Many believe that what they
already have is all they can achieve.
Functionalists see active social change, such as the sit-in on Wall Street, as
undesirable because it forces change and, as a result, undesirable things
that might have to be compensated for.
Nearly all conflicts in the past and present, however, are spurred by
basic desires: the drive to protect or gain territory and wealth, and
the need to preserve liberty and autonomy.
Marx saw a historical pattern in which revolutionaries toppled elite power structures,
after which wealth and authority were more evenly dispersed among the population, and
the overall social order advances
In this pattern of change through conflict, people tend to gain greater personal freedom
and economic stability (1848).
Modern-day life is not without a multitude of political conflicts: discontents in Egypt
overthrow dictator Hosni Mubarak,
disenchanted American Tea Partiers call for government realignment,
and Occupy Wall Street protesters decry corporate greed.
Indeed, the study of any given conflict offers a window of insight into the social structure
of its surrounding culture, as well as insight into the larger human condition
The Seal of the President of the United States, along with the
office in general incites respect and reverence in many
Americans.