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75 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What factors affect people's political socialisation?
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Friends
Education Media Peers Community |
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What are Lukes' three faces of power?
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Decision making
Managing the agenda Manipulating desire |
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What are the similarities between political parties in democratic systems?
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seek to gain mass support
national & local organisations annual conference central administration membership fees |
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What is a spin doctor?
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Someone who publicises favourable comments and actions of a politician
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What factors affect voting behaviour?
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Class - alignment
Gender - women vote less Ethnicity - more labour, link to class Age - more conservative |
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What is Partisan alignment?
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BUTLER AND STOKES
Class is most important influence, gives a sense of identity |
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Who's and what is the theory of Embourgeoisement?
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BUTLER AND ROSE
W/C adopting M/C attitudes and lifestyles as standards improve. Suggests boundaries are shifting. |
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What is partisan dealignment?
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SARLVIK AND CREWE
Decline in the percentage of electorate who held strong loyalty to a particular party |
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What is class dealignment?
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SARLVIK AND CREWE
Decline in W/C as becoming more M/C. Though no pure M/C as most belong to unions. |
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How do Himmelweit, Humphries and Jaeger see voting?
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The Consumer Model of Voting
Voting was more a rational choice (consumer purchase) than to do with socialisation |
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Who's theory is the consensus approach?
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Heath, Jowell and Curtice
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How does class determine the way you vote?
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Different classes want different things
Partisan alignment - Butler and Stokes |
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How does class no longer affect voting?
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Class dealignment
Class has changed Embourgeoisement Proletarianisation Homogenous Consumer model of voting |
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Why don't people vote?
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Voter apathy-engaged cycnicsm
type of election (local - no real power) lack of political awareness cycnical (media image) style over substance |
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How does the media influence politics?
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Political bias
Availability of info Reflect opinion Persuasion and conditioning "it's the sun wot won it" Politicians recognise the importance of media - hire spin doctors etc. |
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How does Rupert Murdoch affect the media?
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Controls great media empire and appoints editors.producers who support his views. This affects content and tone
Not value free.. |
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What is the Pluralist opinion of the media?
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That it isn't that powerful and relies on the public to watch/buy/read so reflects their opinion.
1st face of power |
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What is the hypodermic aproach of the media?
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Idea of Lazarsfeld - to cram info into the people
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What is Manuel Castells argument of the media's influence on politics?
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The electronic media has become the key source of political information so politicians must follow its logic - dumb down politics, language and focus on sleaze.
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What is the Marxist opinion of the media?
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Transmits ruling class ideology supporting the interests of the ruling class.
Miliband "opium of the masses" |
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How do postmodernists view the media?
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We are constantly bombarded with image and reality that it has become blurred and media images have become reality open to multiple interpretations.
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What factors allow us to make a rational choice in voting?
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Class, Gender, Ethnicity, Age
Education, Socialisation, Environment, Family |
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What evidence is there that the Sun reflects opinion?
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In 1997 they switched sides because labour was bound to win and they didn't want to lose readership.
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What methods are used in measuring voting behaviour?
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Questionnaires and Opinion pols.
Quantitative data, high response rate, reliable, representative. However, lacks validity as people lie! |
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What was Jo Moore quoted to have said on the 12th September to keep the image of the Labour Party?
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"A good day for bad news"
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What other forms of political participation are there?
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Pressure groups
NSM's Contacting an MP Political literature, theatre, film, music. |
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What percentage of the British population have some involvement with Pressure Groups or NSM's? What does this show?
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24% (compared to 2% party membership)
Still an interest in politics Interests are not being met |
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What are the two types of pressure group?
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Insider - sit in on official committees, regularly consulted with, keep a low profile.
Outsider - Do not have direct access to parliament, put the govnt. under pressure by using the mass media to generate public opinion. |
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What is 'Polyarchal democracy'?
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Theory of Dahl - pressure groups are part of a diffused power network who give minority groups an effective voice in the political process
A vehicle for social change |
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Why do Neo-Pluralists believe in 'deformed polyarchy'?
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Some pressure groups have more power than others and can exert influence over decision making
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What is significant about the media's focus on politics?
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It's usually only short term, for example voting intentions, scandal etc.
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What is 'telegenic'?
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The ability for a politician to display charisma and promote a successful party due to the visualisation of television focusing on politician's appearances.
Eg. Blair's charismatic appearance compared to John Major's non energetic and dull approach to TV coverage in 1997 |
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How does Diani describe the characteristics of NSM's?
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An informal network of interactions between activist groups
Sense of collective identity Sense of conflict with mainstream politics eg. reclaim the streets |
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What's the difference between defensive and offensive NSM's?
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Defensive - defend rights and environment
Offensive - extend the rights of certain groups, human rights, animal welfare who are denied identity by the state |
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What methods are used by NSM's?
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demonstrations
sit ins publicity stunts obstructure violence |
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Assess the view that political participation is in decline?
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Lower turnouts in elections
HOWEVER politics more accessible through media increase in political pressure groups |
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Why does school appear to not be working as a political education programme?
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Low turnout of 18 - 24 year olds
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What is power?
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WEBER
The ability to make someone do something even if it is against their will |
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What are the three types of authority that Weber identifies?
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Charismatic
Traditional Rational Legal |
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How does Weber define the state?
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The state is a human community that claims the monopoly of legitimate use of force within a given territory
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Where do Elite Theorists and Marxists see power comes from?
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Power from the top
In the hands of a small group 2nd & 3rd faces of power |
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Where do Pluralists believe power comes from?
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Power from the people
The state is an 'honest broker; acting as a referee between competing interests 1st face of power |
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What is a representative democracy?
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People get to vote and choose an elected representative
Opinions expressed through pressure groups and NSM's Everyone has an opportunity State acts as an 'honest broker' |
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What are the functions of the state?
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Control economic policy and it's success
Controls the provision of services and commodities for the public. Eg. OFSTED ensure a qualitable service of education |
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What do Abercrombie and Warde believe about the state?
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That it is made up of a combination of major social institutions to organise British society.
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What is Robert Dahls theory of 'who governs'?
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That no evidence exists of one group dominating decisions and power is dispersed between different groups
(pluralist) |
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What are the criticisms of Pluralism and their view of the state?
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They ignore some aspects of power - focus on the 1st face
Contradictory evidence Little evidence of the distribution of wealth Unrepresented interests eg. unemployed which means unequal power |
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What are the differences between Classic Pluralism and Elite Pluralism?
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Elite pluralism..
does not accept that all members of society have equal power does not concentrate exclusively on 1st face of power they see that elites are the main participants in decision making |
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What is social conflict?
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The clash between powers where individuals use it to exploit control
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What is the hidden curriculum?
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A concept that transmits and underpins certain values and beliefs
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Who believes that sociology should "aspire to the status of science"?
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Durkheim
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What was the turnout in the 1997 election?
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70%
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What is hyperplpuralism?
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A New Right idea that there are too many pressure groups in existence vying for political influence so they only look for what they can specifically benefit from and not a reason for political participation
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How do elite theorists attempt to explain the nature and distribution of power?
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Power is in the hands of a small social and economic elite.
This elite dominates decision making through the 2nd and 3rd faces of power |
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Where did Elite theory originate from?
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Italy
Pareto and Mosca |
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Whose and what is the 'Lions and Foxes' theory of power?
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Machiavelli
Lions - rule through force Foxes - rule through legal Both groups assume the masses are stupid and should be controlled |
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Who developed the power elite theory?
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C. Wright Mills
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How does Mosca support Machiavelli's elite theory of lions and foxes?
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That elite rule is natural as they are different from the masses as they possess special characteristics and skills
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How do Marxist theories of power help us to understand the nature and distribution of power?
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They reject pluralism and suggest a ruling elite exists dominating power.
The ruling class is based on economic power or the 'ownership of the means of production' |
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How do Marxists view society?
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From the bottom up, concentrating on the exploitation of the proletariat
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Why do Marxists believe there will be a revolution?
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Because of the conflict between the exploited working class and the exploiters
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Why hasn't there been a revolution in Britain?
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Marx never set a time frame
Ruling class give off little bits of power eg. vote, wage rise Not yet reached a crisis Hegemony teaches a belief in capitalism for our best interests Ideological state apparatus socialise into normms of capitalism |
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What has the exploitation of the working class led to?
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The concentration of wealth in the hands of the minority
Wealthiest 10% own 56% of total wealth |
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What is Miliband's view of power in the state?
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That the capitalist class controls posts in government and industry and use the state to ensure lasting supremacy
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Who believes that it is the role of the state which maintains capitalism?
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Poulantzas
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What does Gramsci argue?
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Argues against economic determinism
Capitalist class maintains leadership through repressive ideology. State uses political and civil society (ideology and force) to secure hegemony |
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How does Neo-Marxism differ from Marxism?
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It argues that the state seeks to avoid conflict and does so through the creation of power blocs.
eg. groups working together, industry and civil service The working class despite being aware of inequality, feel powerless so accept capitalism |
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How can Marxism be criticised?
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Fails to explain why there hasn't been a revolution
Exaggerates the importance of economic power Fails to consider other sources of power |
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How can state centred theories be criticised?
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Such approaches exaggerate state power
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What do Marxists believe the nuclear family to do?
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Undermine community and class consciousness (Laslet)
Maintains the position of the bourgeoisie |
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What are the three main theories of power and the state?
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Pluralist
Elitist Marxist |
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What is the basis of power and political authority in modern society?
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The nation state
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Why has the modern nation state developed?
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Industrialisation and the rise of capitalism
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What is the role of political parties?
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To represent the interests of the people
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Who suggested the fragmented elite model of power?
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Budge
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