Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Soc S161 (Hale) Chapter 13
Politics and the Economy
17
Sociology
Undergraduate 1
05/02/2010

Additional Sociology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Politics
Definition
a social institution in which power is acquired and exercised by people and groups
Term
Government
Definition
a formal organization with the legal and political authority to regulate relationships among members of a society as well as those who reside outside its national borders
Term
State
Definition
a political entity that has legitimate control or monopoly of the use of force in order to achieve its goals
Term
Power
Definition
ability of individuals and groups to achieve their goals and despite opposition
Term
Authority
Definition
a type of power that is deemed legitimate as opposed to coercive
Term
Traditional Authority
Definition
legitimate power based on long-standing custom
Term
Charismatic Authority
Definition
legitimate power based on a leader’s personal qualities, insight, and accomplishments that inspire loyalty and obedience among his/her followers.
Term
Rational-Legal Authority
Definition
power that is legitimized via law or written rules and regulations
Term
Monarchy
Definition
a political system in which power is derived from one person or family and then transmitted from one generation to the next
Term
Authoritarianism
Definition
political systems in which the rulers deny popular participation in the government
Term
Totalitarianism
Definition
a political system in which the state seeks to regulate all aspects of people’s lives
Term
Democracy
Definition
a political system in which people have power to rule directly or through elected representatives
Term
Representative democracy
Definition
democracy in which citizens elect representative to serve as a link between themselves and the government.
Term
Functionalist Perspective
Definition
assumes that people share a consensus on principal concerns such as freedom and protection from harm, and that the government serves important functions no other institutions can fulfill
Term
Pluralist Model
Definition
an analysis of political systems that views power as widely dispersed throughout many competing interest groups
Term
Conflict Perspective
Definition
Acknowledges that the government serves important purposes in society but insists that it exists to serve the interests of the wealthy or politically powerful elites who utilize the government so that they can impose their will on others who are less powerful or the masses
Term
Elite Model
Definition
power within political systems is concentrated in the hands of a small group of elites and the masses are relatively powerless.
Supporting users have an ad free experience!