POLI 371 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Statutory Law, Causative, Confounding

• School: McGill University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLI 371
• Professor: Christa Scholtz

Document Summary

5 principles: society consists of many diverse social groups, each group has own characteristic set of values, beliefs & interests, a general agreement exists on the usefulness of formalized laws as a mechanism for dispute resolution, the legal system is value neutral (free of petty disputes or above level of general contentiousness that ma characterize relationships between groups, legal system is concerned with the best interests of society, conflict. 6 elements: society is made up of diverse social groups, each group holds to differing definitions of right & wrong, conflict between groups is both socially significant & unavoidable b/c groups compete for power & wealth, fundamental nature of group conflict centres on exercise of political power, law is a tool of power & furthers the interests of those powerful to make it, those in power are inevitably interested in maintaining their power against those who would usurp it.