PO101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Arab Spring, Civil Society, Idle No More
4 Oct 2020
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Document Summary
Slides on what we learned so far. A lot going on in political systems (moving parts) hard to get a handle of what"s going on. Government may consciously work around or through democratic ideals to get into power. Top-down view of politics: politics emerges out of social interactions taking place within framework of state. Analysis centre on machinery of government (cabinet, bureaucracy, legislature) Assumes a distinction between public and private life. State centered view would miss how society is reacting. Do political views and attitudes of public in democracies differ from non-democracies. Anyone outside of formal authority that is engaged in political processes: religious organizations. Is in the social sphere, distinct from the state and the market, including wide range of social organizations through which people pursue common interest. Can include formal organizations (labour unions, professional associations, etc) and informal organizations (spontaneous loosely structured networks and social movements) Political parties are not considered civil society.
