POLI 357 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Unemployment Benefits, World Trade Organization, False Consciousness
24 Oct 2016
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Poli 357 structural theories of policy-making . Structural factors shape the agenda, structure decision-(cid:373)akers(cid:859) choices, constrain implementation and ensure that the interests of the most powerful (or the system) determine the outputs and outcomes of the political system (john, 1998: 92) Similar to institutionalism and the focus on how institutions shape policy- making, but much broader. Structure: recurrent, patterned arrangements that shape, influence, and limit the choices and opportunities available to individuals. Agency: the capacity for individuals to act and choose freely. Historic-geographic the make-up of where you live. Economic the degree to which your society is wealthy or not. Social (attitudes and behaviors) predominance of religious belief. Technological the degree to which you have embraced or developed new technologies. Institutional the party structure of your country. Four main elements to marxist theory of policy-making: division of society into classes i(cid:374)di(cid:448)idual(cid:859)s (cid:272)lass deter(cid:373)i(cid:374)ed (cid:271)(cid:455) their relationship to means of production. If you are a producer, you are the upper-class.
