POLS 211 Lecture : POLS 211 - Lecture Notes - Winter 2012.docx
Document Summary
Topic 1: introduction to the canadian political process. Power = ability to influence what happens. Politics = the activity by which rival claims are settled by public authorities (p. 4) Are all relationships political: defining the political. Stephen brooks: if politics is viewed as being everywhere we lose the ability to see the boundary that separates the public and private realms (p. 4-5) Jill vickers: public/private boundaries are sexist and the state has supported the domination of one group by another with this language. Coercion threat of, or use of force. Influence convincing someone to your own point of view. Authority right to issue a command, and to expect to be obeyed: constitution. Institutions that wield public: executive, legislative, parliament, etc. State has monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force in the enforcement of its order (max weber) Government = part of the state we respond to it as we perceive it. Legitimacy of state hangs on consent of the governed.
