Chapter 20 Politics and Political Institutions

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Chapter 20Politics and Political Institutions

• Key Terms

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• power The ability to control the behavior of
  others, even against their will.
• authority Power whose exercise is governed by
  the norms and statuses of organizations.

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• political institution A set of norms and
  statuses pertaining to the exercise of power and
  authority.
• stateThe set of political institutions operating
  in a particular society.

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• legitimacy The ability of a society to engender
  and maintain the belief that the existing
  political institutions are the most appropriate
  for that society. 
• traditional authorityAuthority that is
  hereditary and is legitimated by traditional
  values, particularly peoples idea of the
  sacred. 

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• charismatic authority Authority that comes to an
  individual through a personal calling, often
  claimed to be inspired by supernatural powers,
  and is legitimated by peoples belief that the
  leader does indeed have God-given powers.

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• legal authorityAuthority that is legitimated by
  peoples belief in the supremacy of the law
  obedience is owed not to a person but to a set of
  impersonal principles.

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• NationalismThe belief of a people that they have
  the right and the duty to constitute themselves
  as a nation-state. 
• nation-state The largest territory within which
  a societys political institutions can operate
  without having to face challenges to their
  sovereignty.

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• CitizenshipThe status of membership in a
  nation-state. 
• demagogue A leader who uses personal charisma
  and political symbols to manipulate public
  opinion.

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• political party An organization of people who
  join together to gain legitimate control of state
  authority.
• oligarchy Rule by a few people who stay in
  office indefinitely rather than for limited
  terms. 

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• totalitarian regime A regime that accepts no
  limits to its power and seeks to exert its rule
  at all levels of society.
• democracy A political system in which all
  citizens have the right to participate in public
  decision making.

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• power elite model A theory stating that
  political decisions are controlled by an elite
  group of rich and powerful individuals even in
  societies with democratic political
  institutions.
• pluralist model A theory stating that no single
  group controls political decisions instead, a
  plurality of interest groups influences those
  decisions through a process of coalition building
  and bargaining.

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• interest group An organization that attempts to
  influence elected and appointed officials
  regarding a secific issue or set of issues. 
• lobbying The process whereby interest groups
  seek to persuade legislators to vote in their
  favor on particular bills.