POLI 231 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Utopia, Feudalism, Spoils System
Document Summary
State: centrally considered with ruling, has credible threat of violence in back pocket. Threat of being beaten/shot by a cop, doesn"t happen often, but the threat is there. Many people disagree with weber"s idea of the state", imagine it as an utopia that doesn"t need violence. Medieval politics: did not have well-defined territories or monopoly on violence. As europe colonized, there was a spread of the idea of monopoly of legitimate use of force. Failed states: claim they have monopoly of violence/force, but can"t enforce their borders, ex. Large scale domination: most people must obey voluntarily most of the time. Patrimonial/customary: hereditary chain of power, the family that has always had control continues to rule from generation to generation. Charismatic: a leader who calls the people to follow them. Legalistic: follow according to rules/laws, as though not following one individual at all but only adhering to the law. Distinction between those who own administration and ownership with staff.