Modern Political Systems

Chapter One

Origins

Tribe → kingdom→ state→ ?

The State (Nation‑State)

Characteristics Population: largest-China; smallest-San Marino Territory: largest-Russia; smallest-San Marino Government Sovereignty: supreme & absolute power to govern

within the territory 1945: 51 states 2007: 194 (infoplease.com)

Newest: Montenegro

Montenegro

San Marino

The Future

“Universal,"? "tribalism,"? both? Global Paradox, John Naisbitt "The more universal we become, the more

tribal we act."

Universalism

Language:

English is the universal language. 60% of world's radio broadcasts 70% of world's mail is addressed 80% of world's computer data 85% of world's international telephone

conversations 100% of international airline flights

Travel/Tourism

World's largest industry 1 of every 9 workers in world is in

travel/tourism.

Soccer Jeans

Levi's: $5 billion in annual sales American Pop Culture

40% of US movie revenue from abroad 90% of DVDs

Tribalism

Mother Tongue (native language) English virtually outlawed in Quebec “American” words outlawed in France Up to 10,000 languages spoken in world today

Ethnicity Old Soviet Union now 15 states Self‑Rule Even US? South Carolina?

"The nation‑state is dead."

Forms of Government

Classification based on the number who may participate

Dictatorship Has always been the most common form of

government Power to govern is held by one person or a small

group All dictators are authoritarian: absolute authority to

govern Some dictators are totalitarian: total control over

human affairs World’s worst dictators Dictatorship: the people serve the government.

Democracies

Representative democracy The people elect others to represent & make

decisions for them Direct democracy: people make policy

themselves. Ancient Greece Early America Small towns The future?

Basic Concepts of Democracy

Worth of each person

Society serves the interests of all individuals Ex: Americans with Disabilities Act

Equality of all persons

Of opportunity Not restricted by race, sex, religion, etc.

Before the law ex: Jones v. Clinton

Majority rule & Minority rights

Majority is usually right, but not always Majority must be restrained by minority

Necessity of compromise

Two sides to all issues; blending of ideas Ex:

“Don’t ask—don’t tell”

Individual freedom

Limited, not absolute "The right to swing my fist ends where the

other man's nose begins.“ (Oliver Wendell Holmes)

Major Economic Systems

Capitalism

Based on private ownership, individual initiative, profit, & competition

Free enterprise, private enterprise Basic nature: private property is used to

produce profit Laissez‑faire: government should "let alone"

society and the economy Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations

Socialism

Economic collectivism Prevalent in Scandinavia after WWII Public (government) ownership of nation's

important resources: major industries, banks, airlines, healthcare, mines, oil, RR's

Emphasis on welfare Pro: virtually every person guaranteed job, income

(“cradle-to-grave”) Con: discourages hard work, enterprise

Communism

Karl Marx born 1848, died 1883 Communist Manifesto,

Das Kapital

Communist theory

Theory of history Story of human history is that of "class struggle"

between oppressor & oppressed bourgeois & proletariat Land owners & workers

Eventual result: revolt of the masses

Labor theory of value

“Surplus value” resulted from “surplus labor”: the difference between what it costs to keep workers alive and what they can produce

Marx: the value of good or service ought to equal the amount of labor that produced it

Nature of the state

The state (government) & church were used by the bourgeois to keep proletariat in bondage

Dictatorship of the proletariat

Workers would need dictator to lead them to a classless society

Marx predicted a revolution would begin in one of three countries England Germany United States

Instead—Russia, 1917

Reality

Marx did not foresee the rise of the middle class through public education organized labor unions

Communism failed because of lack of individual initiative & incentive

Communism today

Few systems still exist: China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Laos