Politics, Work and the Economy

Chapter OutlinePoliticsWork and the Economy

Polling Question Have you registered to vote?

a. Yesb. Noc. Not eligible

Polling Question Did you vote in the last election?

a. Yesb. Noc. Not eligible

PowerPower is the ability to control others, even

against their will.Having more power than others gives you the

ability to get more valued things sooner.Having less power than others means you get

fewer valued things later. Authority: is the use of legitimate power and

force is unnecessary

The StateState: institutions responsible for

formulating and carrying out a country’s laws and public policies

Civil Society: private sphere of social lifePolitical parties: compete for control of

government electionsLobbies: advise politicians about members’

interests

The State, cont.Mass media: keep an eye on the statePublic opinion: expressed in pollsSocial movements: collective attempts to

exercise power by stepping outside the rules of electoral politics and engaging in petition-writing campaigns

Democracies: where citizens in civil society exercised high degree of control over the state

Institutions of Stateand Civil Society

Functionalist View of PoliticsDemocracies promote social stability by

providing all citizens with efficient means of achieving their goals

Pluralism: theory that power is widely dispersed and no group is disproportionately influential and decisions are reached through negotiations

Conflict Critique of FunctionalismElite theory: in reality, small groups

(“elites”) occupy the command posts of democratic society’s most influential institutions make the important decisions that profoundly affect all members of society

Intensity of political influence increases as one ascends class hierarchy

Polling Question The people running this country don't really

care what happens to you.a. Strongly agreeb. Agree somewhatc. Unsured. Disagree somewhate. Strongly disagree

Liberal vs. ConservativeLiberal: “left wingers” who favor extensive

government involvement in the economy and a strong “social safety net” of health and welfare benefits to help the less fortunate members of society

Conservative: “right wingers” who favor a small role in government in the economy and a small welfare state

WarWar is a non-electoral means of achieving

political goalsMost often countries go to war with

themselves for state control, not with other countries2004-2007 U.S.-Iraq war killed 170,000 people1998-2004 civil war in Democratic Republic of

the Congo numbered in the millions

Global Trends in Violent CrimesINSERT FIGURE 12.2 HERE (PG. 288)

War, cont.Factors that determine the risk of war:

Economic inequality: poor countries more likely to experience war

Government instability: countries neither democratic or autocratic are highest risk

Terrorism American law defines terrorism as

“premeditated, politically motivated violence against noncombatant targets including unarmed or off-duty military personnel by subnational groups or clandestine agents”

Broader definition examines how one side may call terror a legitimate resistance to occupation or oppression

Polling Question Terrorism is more likely to take place in the

wealthy nations.a. Strongly agreeb. Agree somewhatc. Unsured. Disagree somewhate. Strongly disagree

Work and the EconomyThe economy is the institution that organizes the

production, distribution, and exchange of goods and services.

The primary sector includes farming, fishing, logging, and mining.

In the secondary sector, raw materials are turned into finished goods; manufacturing takes place.

In the tertiary sector, services are bought and sold.

Three Sectors of the EconomyEach sector of economy rose to dominance

for different period in historyAgricultural Revolution: use of the plow

substantially increased productivityIndustrial Revolution: manufacturing, trade

and commerce developed marketsPostindustrial Revolution: service jobs have

become dominant

ProductivityThe amount of goods or services produced

for every hour worked.

MarketsSocial relations that regulate the exchange of

goods and services.In a market, the prices of goods and services

are established by how plentiful they are (supply) and how much they are wanted (demand).

Division of LaborThe division of labor refers to the

specialization of work tasks.The more specialized the work tasks in a

society, the greater the division of labor.

The Quality of WorkBad jobs don’t pay much and require the

performance of routine tasks under close supervision.

Good jobs offer secure employment, opportunities for promotion, health insurance, and other fringe benefits.

Deskilling ThesisThe process by which work tasks are broken

into simple routines requiring little training. Usually accompanied by the use of machinery

to replace labor and increased management control over workers.

Critique of Deskilling ThesisDeskilling underestimates the continuing

importance of skilled laborTechnological innovations kill off entire job

categories but they create entire new industries with many good jobs

Twenty Jobs with Largest Expected GrowthINSERT TABLE 12.2 HERE (PG. 293)

Primary Labor MarketComposed disproportionately of highly skilled

or well educated white males. They are employed in large corporations that

enjoy high levels of capital investment. Employment is relatively secure, earnings are

high and fringe benefits are generous.

Secondary Labor MarketContains disproportionately large number of

women and members of racial minorities.Employees tend to be unskilled and lack

higher education.Employment is insecure, earnings are low

and fringe benefits are meager.

From the Primary to the Secondary Labor Market

Free MarketsIn a free market, labor supply and demand

regulate wage levels and other benefits. If supply is high and demand is low, wages fall.If demand is high and supply is low, wages rise.

Regulated MarketsThe primary labor market is a more regulated

market.Wage levels and benefits are established not

just by the forces of supply and demand but also by the power of workers and professionals.

Capitalism: Two Features1. Private ownership of property.

• Individuals and corporations own the means of producing goods and services and are free to buy and sell property.

2. Competition in the pursuit of profit. • Producers compete to offer consumers goods

and services at the lowest price.

Communism: Two Features1. Public ownership of property.2. Government planning.

• Five-year state plans establish production quotas, prices, and other aspects of economic activity.

Democratic Socialism: Two Features 1. Public ownership of certain basic industries.

• Most property is privately owned, and competition in the pursuit of profit is the main motive for business activity, just as in capitalist societies.

2. Government intervention in the market.

Three Types of Economic SystemsINSERT CONCEPT SUMMARY 12.1 HERE

(PG. 297)

CorporationsLegal entities that can enter into contracts

and own property. They are taxed at a lower rate than

individuals and owners are normally not liable for the corporation’s debt or any harm it may cause the public.

Exercise disproportionate economic and political influence by forming oligopolies, conglomerates, and interlocking directorates.

ConglomeratesConglomerates are large corporations that

operate in several industries at the same time.

GlobalizationAmerican-owned multinational corporations

have benefited from globalization insofar as moving some of their operations to low-wage countries has improved profitability

Well-paying manufacturing jobs have become less numerous in the U.S., displaced by outsourcing

1. Power is:a. governed in its use by norms and the

statuses of the social organizations that wield it

b. regarded by subjects as valid and justifiedc. the ability to control others, even against

their willd. all of these choices

Answer: c Power is the ability to control others,

even against their will.

2. A civil society is composed of:a. legislative, executive, and judiciary

branches plus the bureaucratic institutions of the state

b. autocratic, authoritarian, and democratic institutions of the state

c. political parties, lobbies, the mass media, public opinion, and social movements

d. all of these choices

Answer: c A civil society is composed of: political

parties, lobbies, the mass media, public opinion, and social movements.

3. Which of the following theories holds that small groups occupying the command posts of America’s most influential institutions make the important decisions that affect all members of society?

a. elite theoryb. state-centered theoryc. power resource theoryd. pluralist theory

Answer: aElite theory holds that small groups

occupying the command posts of America’s most influential institutions make the important decisions that affect all members of society.

4. Which of the following theories holds that power is widely dispersed in society and that, as a result, no single group enjoys disproportionate influence in the political process?

a. elite theoryb. state-centered theoryc. power resource theoryd. pluralist theorye. democratic theory

Answer: dPluralist theory holds that power is widely

dispersed in society and that, as a result, no single group enjoys disproportionate influence in the political process?

5. Which of the following types of governments places a country at the highest risk of societal or civil war?

a. democratic governmentb. autocratic governmentc. intermediate types of government (partly

democratic, partly autocratic)d. totalitarian government

Answer: c Intermediate types of government

(partly democratic, partly autocratic) places a country at the highest risk of societal or civil war.

6. The economy is the institution that organizes the:

a. production of goods and servicesb. distribution of goods and servicesc. exchange of goods and servicesd. all of these choices

Answer: dThe economy is the institution that

organizes the production, distribution and exchange of goods and services.

7. Braverman's deskilling thesis involves which of the following elements?

a. reliance on part-time laborb. the breakdown of complex tasks into simple

routinesc. the replacement of human labor with

machines wherever possibled. the breakdown of complex tasks into simple

routines, and the replacement of human labor with machines wherever possible

Answer: d Braverman's deskilling thesis involves the

breakdown of complex tasks into simple routines, and the replacement of human labor with machines wherever possible.

8. In the secondary labor market, workers tend to be:

a. highly skilled or well-educatedb. male and whitec. employed in industries with high levels of

capital investmentd. none of these choices

Answer: dIn the secondary labor market, workers don’t

tend to be: highly skilled or well-educated, male and white or employed in industries with high levels of capital investment.

9. Which of the following economic systems is characterized by public ownership of certain basic industries and vigorous intervention in the market on the part of government to redistribute income?

a. capitalismb. democratic socialismc. corporatismd. communism

Answer: b.Democratic socialism is characterized by

public ownership of certain basic industries and vigorous intervention in the market on the part of government to redistribute income?

10. Which of the following economic systems is characterized by public ownership of property and government planning?

a. capitalismb. communismc. corporatismd. democratic socialisme. none of these choices

Answer: bCommunism is characterized by public

ownership of property and government planning.

11. Which of the following are strategies corporations use to exercise economic and political influence?

a. the formation of oligopoliesb. the formation of conglomeratesc. the establishment of interlocking

directoratesd. all of these choices

Answer: d The following are strategies corporations

use to exercise economic and political influence: the formation of oligopolies, the formation of conglomerates and the establishment of interlocking directorates.