POLS 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Elitism, Social Contract, Natural And Legal Rights
21 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
New right theorists argue that the effect of competition between interest groups tends to be an overextension of the role of the state: reduce government spending. New right state will not allocate resources based upon needs. Pluralism, elitism, neo-pluralism, marxism shares the power distribution in each. Pluralism: groups, equal power among interest groups, state is neutral and give platforms, competing groups. Elitism: groups of elites, elite has more power, government do as elite says. Neo-pluralism: government has own interests, group competition. Marxism: capitalist vs. workers, collective, capitalist has more power, government listens to capitalist. Social contract theory an attempt to explain the origins of government: thomas hobbes, john locke, jean-jacques rousseau, john rawls. Hobbes humans are naturally evil and greedy, and a state without a government is self- destructing, and it is there to secure order. Locke humans are naturally characterized by reason and are good by nature, the state should protect natural rights.
