Political conflict and consensus

Distinguish three basic types of political conflicts:

Conflicts of interests. Conflicts such prevail in economically developed countries. Struggle round the sizes of taxes, social security volume etc.

Conflicts of values are characteristic for the developing states with an unstable political system; they demand more efforts on settlement, as the compromise concerning such values, as "freedom", "equality", "tolerance" if at all it is possible.

Identification conflicts: are characteristic for societies, in which there is an identification the subject of to certain group (ethnic, religious, language), instead of with a society (state) as a whole; this type of the conflict arises in the conditions of contrast of races, ethnic or language contrast.

Depending on level of participants the political conflict can be: interstate (subjects - the states and their coalitions), state (subjects - power branches, political parties etc.), regional (subjects - regional political forces), local.

Examples:

Russian Federation and West over Syria:

As you may know, chemical weapon strikes have been made against the Syrian people, and the regime is the frame! The West now support the rebels against the regime, with the Russians are threatening to go in after the west if we go against the government.

 

Labour Party and the Trade Unions:

This won't mean much to the rest of the world, but the Labourparty in the UK have now turned against the trade unions. Ed Miliband has recently made efforts to distance the party from its oldest political ally. This has split the party right down the middle, and left many supporters "partyless"

 

Britain and the European Union:

This may not be a pressing conflict, but is a subtle issue that is only to become more important nearing 2017. This has completely split the world politically. As some governments around the world the see Britain's position in the EU as a great benefit to itself, and it's trading partners. It has even split the UK itself completely evenly, as some see the exit as a solution to Britain's immigrant problem, but others see the free trade zone in Europe as a too great an asset.

 

Consensus is a group decision-making process that seeks the consent of all participants. Consensus may be defined professionally as an acceptable resolution, one that can be supported, even if not the "favourite" of each individual. Consensus is, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its origin in the Latin word cōnsēnsus (agreement), which is from cōnsentiō meaning literally feel together. It is used to describe both the decision and the process of reaching a decision. Consensus decision-making is thus concerned with the process of deliberating and finalizing a decision, and the social and political effects of using this process.

Examples: In Canada, the territorial governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut also operate on a consensus model, unlike the oppositional political party structure that prevails elsewhere in Canada.

3. State and Identity (case study)

Exam Card # 9

On discipline "Political science”

Ideologies.

Ideology: comprehensive worldview from which goals and actions are derived. Distinguish political ideologies, religious ideologies, economic ideologies, etc.

Every regime has some ideology that attempts to justify its existence. Different ideologies assign different amounts of power to those who control the state and

give average citizens different amounts of power via the ability to participate in the political process.

Examples:

Neo-liberalism embodies free trade, privatization, deregulation and laissez-faire economic policies.

Bolshevism was primarily workers that wanted to establish a dictatorship of the proletariat, the working class.

Marxism is socialism with the goal of a classless society. Principles include the class struggle, a labor theory of value and a proletariat dictatorship.

Leninism focused on a proletariat dictatorship based on Lenin’s theories of government.

Communism promotes collective ownership of property with one political party controlling social and economic policy.

Stalinism is an authoritarian ideology with one person having all the power. In Stalinism, political and ideological dissidents are strongly suppressed.

Maoism emphasizes the revolutionary power of the peasants and was the interpretation of Marxist and Lenin theories by Mao Zedong.