Sociology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Charismatic Authority, Representative Democracy, Totalitarianism
Chapter 17-Politics and government
Politics: social institution that distriutes poer, sets soiet’s goals, akes deisios
Government: a formal organization that directs the political life of a society
POWER AND AUTHORITY
Power: Defined by Max Weber as the ability to achieve desired ends despite resistance from
others. Every government tries to legitimate itself in the eyes of its citizens
Authority: power that people perceive as legitimate rather than coercive
Traditional Authority: power legitimized by respect for long established cultural patterns (pre
industrial society used tradition to transform power to authority, patriarch
Rational-Legal Authority: Power legitimized by legally enacted rules and regulations
(bureaucracy). Poer legitiized through the operatio of laful go’t. Weer: ureaura
dominates in rational thinking, modern societies.
Charismatic authority: Power legitimized by extraordinary personal abilities that inspire
devotion and obedience, depends on individual personality.
Routinization of charisma: combination of tradition and bureaucracy to keep goal alive.
POLITICS IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Monarchy: A political system in which a single family rules from generation to generation,
Legitimized by tradition.
Absolute Monarchy: power based on divine right of kings, have absolute control over people.
Constitutional Monarchy: symbolic head of state; elected officials govern, power limited law.
Democracy: A political system that gives power to the people as a whole
Representative democracy: leaders compete for office in elections
Tradition-based monarchy gives way to rational-legal authority
Canada is not truly democratic because: economic equality, lacks public accountability
Authoritarianism: a political system that denies the people participation in government. Uses
force in response to dissent or opposition.
Totalitarianism: a highly centralized political system that extensivel regulates people’s lies.
These got’s reate a atosphere of isolatio ad fear.
Multinational corporations: new political order, they shape events in the world
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Politics: social institution that distri(cid:271)utes po(cid:449)er, sets so(cid:272)iet(cid:455)"s goals, (cid:373)akes de(cid:272)isio(cid:374)s. Government: a formal organization that directs the political life of a society. Power: defined by max weber as the ability to achieve desired ends despite resistance from others. Every government tries to legitimate itself in the eyes of its citizens. Authority: power that people perceive as legitimate rather than coercive. Traditional authority: power legitimized by respect for long established cultural patterns (pre industrial society used tradition to transform power to authority, patriarch. Rational-legal authority: power legitimized by legally enacted rules and regulations (bureaucracy). Po(cid:449)er legiti(cid:373)ized through the operatio(cid:374) of la(cid:449)ful go(cid:448)"t. We(cid:271)er: (cid:271)ureau(cid:272)ra(cid:272)(cid:455) dominates in rational thinking, modern societies. Charismatic authority: power legitimized by extraordinary personal abilities that inspire devotion and obedience, depends on individual personality. Routinization of charisma: combination of tradition and bureaucracy to keep goal alive. Monarchy: a political system in which a single family rules from generation to generation,
