1. Intro
Governance of a country or area
- The debate among individual or parties having or hoping to achieve
How to learn? The theories, systems, institutions, the impact
Goal: Achieve a well-organized, harmonious society where
- Resources are distributed fairly
- Citizens live freely and safely
By using
- Rules
- Laws
- Systems
- Basic Political Concepts: Start by learning the fundamental concepts such as democracy, authoritarianism, socialism, capitalism, nationalism, and liberalism.
- Political Theories and Philosophers: Understand the theories proposed by key political philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Locke, Marx, and others.
- Political Systems and Governments: Study different forms of government (democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, etc.) and political systems (parliamentary, presidential, etc.).
- International Relations: Learn about how nations interact, international organizations, diplomacy, and global political issues.
- Political Economy: Explore the relationship between politics and economics, including how government policy affects economic behavior and vice versa.
- Public Policy and Administration: Understand how policies are formulated, implemented, and the role of public administration in governance.
- Comparative Politics: Study the political systems of different countries to understand the diversity and commonalities in governance.
- Political Sociology: Delve into how politics interacts with societal structures, including issues of power, class, and social inequality.
- Contemporary Political Issues: Engage with current political debates and issues to apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios.
- Practical Engagement: Participate in political discussions, debates, and maybe engage in local political processes or activism.
Keep in mind
- Critical thinking and analysis
- Understanding power dynamics
- Interwined with ethical consideration
- Historical context, cultural sensitivity
2. Basic Political Concept
Democracy, power vested in the people
- Free and fair elections
- Rule of law
- Separation of powers
- Protection of fundamental human rights
Authoritarianism: 威权主义, concentration of power in a single leader or a small group
Socialism: response to the Industrial Revolution and capitalist exploitation
- Community owned production, distribution
- State plays a significant role in managing the economy
Capitalism: private ownership
- Free markets
- Competition
- Limited government intervention
Nationalism: ideology centered on the advancement of a nation’s culture and interests
- Played significant role in modern history for China
Liberalism: based on liberty, consent of the governed, equality before the law
Communism: seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization, based on common ownership, differs from socialism in more radical approach
Conservatism: promotes retaining traditional social institution.
- Property right
- Continuity of social institutions
Fascism: far-right form of government
- Dictatorial power
- Forcible suppression of opposition
- Strong regimentation of society and the economy
Anarchism: 无政府主义，abolition of the state and the organization
3. Key Philosopher and Theory
Plato
- The Republic 理想国，not modern republic
- Justice is achieved when everyone performs the role they are naturally suited for
Aristotle
- Politics
- Emphasized the role of polis cultivating virtuous citizens. Advocated for a mixed government balancing monarchy, aristocracy, democracy
Niccolo Machiavelli
- The Prince
- Pragmatic approach to power, rulers must be shrewd and sometimes ruthless
Thomas Hobbes
- Leviathan
- Believed humans in natural state are selfish and prone to violence, a strong and centralized authority to maintain order
John Locke
- Two Treatises of Government
- Advocated for natural rights, social contract, government’s role as a protector
- Influential in American Constitution
Jean Jacques Rousseau
- The Social Contract
- The legitimate political authority comes from a social contract agreed upon by all citizens
John Stuart Mill
- On Liberty
- Known for advocacy of utilitarianism and individual freedom. State should only interfere with individual actions to prevent harm to others
4. Systems and Governments
4.1. Forms of Government
Democracy: power is vested in the people, who rule directly or through freely representatives
- Key Feature: free and fair elections
Dictatorship: single leader or group holds absolute power, obtained and maintained through force
- Centralized control
- Limited political freedoms
- Suppression of dissent
Monarchy: power held by a king, queen or emperor, in modern monarchy, often ceremonial
- Monarch is a ceremonial figurehead, with actual governance conducted by elected officials
Theocracy: priests or religious leaders control the government
- Laws and policies are typically based on religious doctrine and texts
Oligarchy: a government in which a small group of people control the state
- Concentration of power in a small elite, often wealth-based
4.2. Political System
Presidential system
- USA
- Clear separation of powers between executive and legislative branches.
Parliamentary system
- UK
- Executive is derived from the legislative branch
Semi-Presidential System
- France
- Combine presidential and parliamentary systems
- A president (head of state), significant power but share executive responsibilities with prime minister
- A prime minister (head of government)
Federal and Unitary system
- Federal: power is divided between central government and regional entities: US, Germany
- Unitary: Most or all governance is centralized in the national governance: China, France
4.3. Nation State Country
Nation: a cultural entity. A large group of people share a common identity
State: a political entity. A defined territory, a permanent population
- Characterized by sovereignty
Country: interchangeable with “state”
4.4. Sovereignty
Acquisition:
- Self-determination
- Decolonizaiton
- Dissolution of states
- International recognition
Legitimacy:
- Internal: from the consent of the governed
- External: international recognition
5. International Relation
Relation
- Bilateral
- Multilateral
- Power dynamics
Organization
- UN: foster international cooperation
- WTO: deal with global rules of trade between nations
- IMF: global financial stability and economic development
Diplomacy
- Embassies and diplomats: represent a country in another nation
- While it’s a common misconception, embassy grounds are not considered the territory of the represented state
- Negotiation and Treaties: negotiate agreements and treaties
- Crisis management
- Public diplomacy
Trends
- New power: China and India
- Non-state actor: NGO, multinational corporation
- Cybersecurity
6. Public Policy
Formulation
- Identify issues
- Policy analysis
- Stakeholder involvement
- Drafting policy proposals
- Legislative process
Role of Bureaucracy
- Agencies: handling day to day tasks of governance
- Policy expertise: for effective policy implementation
- Continuity
Challenges:
- Political influence: influence policy formulation and administration
- Complexity of issue: requiring comprehensive and adaptive policy
- Resource constraint
- Public accountability: require transparency and ethical conduct
7. Comparative Politics
Understand the diversity and similarities in how countries are governed
Purpose:
- Understand why and how different countries have diverse political system
- Identifying patterns: develop theories explain political behavior
Methods:
- Case study
- Comparative method
- Quantitative analysis
Area: government structure, political institutions, public policy
Theory
- Modernization Theory
- Increased education, urbanization, wealth lead to greater demands of democracy
- Dependency Theory
- Developing country is constrained by their dependence on the developed countries
- Institutionalism
- Institution provide the framework within political actors operate, influencing behavior and stability
- Clash of Civilizations
- Post-cold war conflict would be driven not by ideological or economic, but cultural and religious identities
- Resource Curse
- Countries with abundance of natural resource tend to have less economic growth, less democracy and worse development outcome.