Three levels of political culture

Three levels of political culture*

System Pride in a nation

National identity

Legitimacy of government

Process Principles of government

Role of citizens

People’s basic political beliefs

Policy Role of government

Government policy priorities

3. State and Citizens (case study)

 

Examcard #10

Communism

A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.

 

Confederation. Federation

A confederation is a union of political units for common action in relation to other units.

Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. Confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues (such as defense, foreign affairs, or a common currency), with the central government being required to provide support for all members.

In confederation power is equally shared among the members. Examples: Belgium, Canada, EU, and Switzerland.

 

A federation is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions under a central (federal) government.

Federalism is a system in which state’s power is legally and constitutionally divided among more than one level of government.

The power is shared from the central government to the local government of state-members.

Examples: Australia, Russian Federation, USA, and Germany.

 

Federations and confederations are multi-ethnic and cover a large area of territory.

 

Examcard #11

 

Liberalism

It is a political or social philosophy on ideas of liberty and equality, freedom of the individual, parliamentary systems of government, nonviolent modification of political, social, or economic institutions to provide unrestricted development in all spheres of human life, and governmental guarantees of individual rights and civil liberties.

 

How is power shared? Unitary state

In federalism the power to govern is shared between national and provincial/state governments. Example is the USA or Russian federation.

In absolute monarchy king or queen has absolute, unrestricted political power over the state and its people. Absolute monarchies are often hereditary. Examples: UAE, Saudi Arabia

In constitutional monarchy the monarch’s authority is legally bound or restricted by a constitution. Examples are United Kingdom and Japan.

 

A unitary state is a state governed as one single unit in which the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions (subnational units) exercise only powers that their central government chooses to delegate. The great majority of states in the world have a unitary system of government. KeyexampleisKazakhstan.

 

Examcard #12

 

Fascism

It is a political doctrine, ideology or regime which encourages militarism and nationalism, organizing the country along hierarchical authoritarian lines.