1. Chapter 9—Government and Economy
Jon Witt

2. Power Ability to exercise one’s will over others (Weber)
Three basic sources of power in any political system:
Force Actual or threatened use of coercion to impose one’s will on others
Influence Exercise of power through a process of persuasion
Authority Institutionalized power recognized by the people over whom it is exercised
Power and Authority

3. Power and Authority Types of Authority
Weber developed useful classification system for authority
Traditional Authority Legitimate power conferred by custom and accepted practice
Rational-legal Authority Authority based on formally agreed-upon and accepted rules, principles, and procedures of conduct established to accomplish goals in the most efficient manner possible
Charismatic Authority Power made legitimate by a leader’s exceptional personal or emotional appeal to his or her followers
Power and Authority

4. Economic System Social institution through which goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed
Industrial Society Society that depends on mechanization to produce its goods and services
Economic Systems

5. Capitalism system based on private property with profit-seeking individuals, companies, and corporations competing in the marketplace
Smith The Wealth of Nations (1776)
Pursuit of profit
Competition in the market
Law of supply and demand Laissez-faire People compete freely with minimal government intervention
Monopoly Control of a market by a single business firm
Economic Systems

6. Socialism Economic system under which the means of production and distribution are collectively owned
Marx: The Communist Manifesto
Humans must produce
Production makes us uniquely human
We pour ourselves into our products
Economy determines society
Scarcity and distribution are obstacles to the good society
Economic Systems

7. The Mixed Economy Economic system that combines elements of both capitalism and socialism
Capitalist nations regulate economic relations to protect consumers
With severe economic downturn starting in late 2008, U.S. government took more active role
Government officials decided that some companies were “too big to fail”
Most people willing to accept actions to minimize negative impacts of economic downturn on their lives
Economic Systems

8. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture 2007

9. The Informal Economy Transfers of money, goods, or services that are not reported to the government
Dysfunctional for a country’s overall political and economic well-being
Also can be dysfunctional for workers
Economic Systems

10. Changing Economies The Changing Face of the Workforce
Sociologists and labor specialists foresee a workforce increasingly composed of women and racial and ethnic minorities
As of March 2009, labor force was 49.7% female, due in part to the fact that men have received 80% of recent layoffs
Number of Black, Latino, and Asian American workers increasing at faster rate than number of White workers
The workforce reflects the diversity of the population
Changing Economies

11. Deindustrialization Systematic, widespread withdrawal of investment in basic aspects of productivity
Can take form of corporate restructuring known as downsizing
Downsizing Reducing size of a company’s workforce
Changing Economies

12. Changing Economies Deindustrialization
U.S. firms have been outsourcing for generations
Offshoring Transfer of work to foreign contractors
Began with manufacturing jobs; then office and professional jobs
Social costs of deindustrialization and downsizing cannot be overemphasized
Changing Economies

13. Microfinancing Lending small sums of money to the poor so they can work their way out of poverty
Muhammad Yunus created in 1976
Estimated to reach 133 million people by 2009
Estimated 90% of recipients are women
Changing Economies

14. Types of Government Struggle for power and authority involves politics
Politics “Who gets what, when, and how” (Lasswell)
Political system Social institution founded on a recognized set of procedures for implementing and achieving society’s goals
Government represents an institutionalized form of authority
Types of Government

15. Monarchy Form of government headed by a single member of a royal family
Oligarchy Form of government in which a few individuals rule
Dictatorship Government in which one person has nearly total power to make and enforce laws
Totalitarianism Features complete government control and surveillance over all aspects of a society’s social and political life
Types of Government

16. Types of Government Democracy Literally, government by the people
Representative Democracy Form of government in which certain individuals are selected to speak for the people
Types of Government

17. Political Behavior in the United States
Voter Participation
April 2010, 33% of registered voters in the U.S. saw themselves as Democrats, 25% as Republicans, and 34% as independents ( Pollster.com 2010)
In 2008, U.S. voter turnout hit a 40-year high – the third straight presidential election with an increase in voter participation
Among 166 countries that held parliamentary elections, the use ranked 147th in 2006 and 109th in 2008
Political participation makes government accountable
Political Behavior in the United States

18. Political Behavior in the United States
Race and Gender in Politics
Marginalized groups lack political power
As of mid-2010, out of 100 U.S. senators: 17 were women; 1 was African American, 1 was Latino; 1 was Asian American; 1 was native Hawaiian, and 79 were White non-Hispanic men
Among 435 members of U.S. House of Representatives, 305 were White non-Hispanic men; 76 were women; 39 were African Americans (including 14 women); 28 were Latinos (including 6 Latinas); 8 were Asian Americans; and 1 was an American Indian
Political Behavior in the United States

19. Note: Includes national elections to the legislative body.
Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2010.

20. Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2009h:Table 12.

21. The Power Structure in the United States
Do “we the people” genuinely run the country through our elected representatives?
Or does a small elite behind the scenes control the government and the economic system?
The Power Structure in the United States

22. The Power Structure in the United States
Power Elite Models
Elite Model View of society as being ruled by a small group of individuals who share a common set of political and economic interests
Mills’ Model
Power Elite Small group of military, industrial, and governmental leaders who control the fate of the U.S.
Operates as self-conscious, cohesive unit
Critics: Mills failed to clarify when the elite opposes protests and when it tolerates them, making it difficult to test the model
The Power Structure in the United States

23. The Power Structure in the United States
Power Elite Models
Domhoff’s Model
Stresses roles played by elites of corporate community and leaders of policy formation organizations, and the social upper class
Members still largely White, male, and upper class
In politics, two coalitions have exercised influence: corporate-conservative, and liberal-labor
The Power Structure in the United States

24. The Power Structure in the United States
Pluralist Model View of society in which many competing groups within the community have access to government, so that no single group is dominant
Variety of groups play significant roles in decision making
Historically, pluralists have stressed ways in which large numbers of people can participate in or influence governmental decision making
The Power Structure in the United States

26. Source: Pew Research Center 2010c.

27. War Conflict between organizations that possess trained combat forces equipped with deadly weapons
Sociologists who take global view study how and why two or more nations become engaged in military conflict
Those who take nation-state view stress interaction of internal political, socioeconomic, and cultural forces
Those who take micro view focus on social impact of war on individuals and the groups to which they belong
War and Peace

28. Terrorism Use or threat of violence against random or symbolic targets in pursuit of political aims
Ends justify the means
Media essential aspect of contemporary terrorism
Since September 11, 2001, governments around the world renewed efforts to fight terrorism
War and Peace

29. Peace Absence of war, or a proactive effort to develop cooperative relations among nations
From 1945 to 2000, five times as many people died as a result of conflicts within nations than died in wars between nations
International trade may act as deterrent to armed conflict
Another means of fostering peace is the activity of NGOs
War and Peace

30. Source: National Counterterrorism Center 2010.