Chapter 19 Power, Politics, And Authority Defining the State Power and Authority Theories of Power Government: Power and Politics in a Diverse Society The Military

The Institutions of the State Institutions comprise the state as the organized system of power and authority in society: Government Legal system Police Military

Types of Authority Weber postulated that there were three types of authority in society: Traditional Charismatic Rational-legal

Theories of Power The Pluralist Model - Interest Groups compete in a struggle for power. The Power Elite Model - power stems from the top down. The Autonomous State Model - power of the state feeds on itself. Feminist - men hold power in all institutions.

Political Participation The U.S. has one of the lowest voter turnouts among democratic nations. The higher a person’s social class, the higher the likelihood that she or he will vote. When Black Americans are approached directly by party representatives, the likelihood that they will vote increases substantially.

Political Participation Race, ethnicity, and gender influence political attitudes and behavior. Women are more likely than men to identify and vote as Democrats and to have liberal views. The gender gap is manifest in women’s views on peace keeping, gun control, and compassion issues.

Political Power: Who’s in Charge? The government in a democracy is supposed to be representative. The class, race, and gender composition of the ruling bodies in the U.S. indicate that this is not the case. Most of the members of Congress are White, well educated, men from upper-middle or upper-income backgrounds.

Political Power: Who’s in Charge? 1/3 of the people in Congress are lawyers. 1/3 are businesspeople and bankers. 50 of the 535 U.S. Congressmen have a net worth in excess of 2.4 million..

The Military The function of the military is to defend the nation against external (and sometimes internal) threats. Considered one of the most hierarchical social institutions. There is a strong connection between the military and corporate America, through the military-industrial complex.

Race and the Military Desegregation of the armed forces has promoted awareness among Black Americans of their right to equal opportunities. African Americans and Latinos are over- represented in lower ranking support positions. African Americans and Latinos earn more in the Military, but don’t share the earnings premium of white veterans.