Political Science 1020E Lecture 2: Politics and the State
30 Jan 2019
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Document Summary
Polisci 1020e lesson 2 politics and the state. The concept of sovereignty: supreme political authority unlimited by other power. Typology of states: scale of intervention how much the state is involved in peoples" lives. Provide security & protection (internal: protect from threats inside the country & external: protect from threats outside the country) Provide social safety net; assist people to achieve goals (ie: low-income housing, food stamps) Universal health care; state pensions; public education; unemployment benefits. Responsibility for well-being of others: role of people: Liberal democracies: elections free & fair; universal suffrage; high degree of freedom; rights protected. Illiberal democracies: elections not as fair; less protection for rights & liberties; state interference/control of media. Authoritarian regimes: absence of elections; rulers lack accountability; rights & freedoms aren"t protected. Nobody wins all the time; everyone has some influence. Competition still occurs but only where elite is uninterested. Thinks elites are not unified & complete against one another.
