Citizens, Society,and the State
AP COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT
Social Cleavages
Religion, ethnic groups, race, social and economic classes allinteract with the political system and have a tremendous impact onpolicy making
These divisions are refereed to as social cleavages
Social Cleavages
Bases of social cleavages
There are a variety of questions that we have to ask when trying todetermine what these social cleavages result from. Those questions are:
What mix of social classes ethnic and racial groups, religions, and languages doesa country have?
How deep are these cleavages and to what degree do they separate peoplefrom one another?
Which of these cleavages appear to have the most significant impact on thepolitical system?
One must also attempt to understand how cleavages impact politicalinstitutions as well. One would do so by trying to answer the followingquestions:
How are cleavages expressed in the political system?
Do political elites usually come from one group or another?
Do these cleavages block some groups from fully participating in government?
Types of Cleavages
Social class
Ethnic cleavages
These are generally the most divisive and explosive social cleavagesaround the world
These are based upon different cultural identities, including religion andlanguage.
Religious cleavages
Regional cleavages
Coinciding and cross-cutting cleavages
These exist when every cleavage lings up. These can be explosive
Cross-cutting cleavages allow for a variety of groups to have issues witheach other
Comparing Citizen/StateRelationships
Attitudes and beliefs of citizens
One important measure of connections between citizens and theirgovernment is political efficacy
Political efficacy is a citizen’s capacity to understand and influence politicalevents
Political Socialization
A person’s political beliefs depend on what they know about and howthey interact with their government
Deep
Middle
Superficial
Cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism is an ideology in which all human ethnic groupsbelong to a community based on a shared morality.
Comparing Citizen/StateRelationships
Types of political participation
In authoritarian governments, citizens are limited to subject activities.These activities rely on obedience
These include obeying laws, following military orders and pay taxes
Democratic regimes depend on voting, political meetings, campaignactivities and clubs/parties
Voting Behavior
Factors the influence political beliefs and behaviors
Level of transparency
Transparency exists when a government operates openly by keepingcitizens informed about government operations and political issues
Models
The Importance of political change
The world has shifted from a competition between multiple superpowers to being dominated by the United States
This has changed the way in which countries interact with each other
The integration of political and economic systems
This looks at the relationship between political systems and certaineconomic systems
We will be able to look at how the people are affected by economicchanges and how the petition the government for help
Political participation
Political participation is generally channeled through the use ofpolitical parties and interest groups
Interest groups generally focus on very few ideals and focus on anarrow spectrum of the population
Political parties try to unite interest groups in order to control thegovernment
Political culture
Political participation is shaped by a country’s political culture
Political culture encompasses how the people view the political elite,how countries develop throughout history, the religion that peoplefollow, and the type of government the country has
All of these factors impact the way that people participate within theirgovernment
Pluralist Theory (group politics)-
The pluralist theory states that groups with shared interests influencepublic policy by pressing their concerns through organized efforts
(i.e. NRA, NOW, UAW)
Elite Class Theory-
The elite class theory states that the elite, upper class of individuals pullthe strings of government
This is the belief that wealth, is the basis of all power. At the center of this isthe belief that big business rules all
Interest group theories
Hyperpluralism-
The hyperpluralism theory states that many groups, not just elite ones,are so strong that the government is unable to act
This is furthered by the belief that when these groups lose the legislativebattle, they continue to force their position by using the court system.Legislators are then so busy fighting legal battles, it is believed that legislativepower is greatly diminished
Interest group theories