Political Science 112

• with Prof. Garcea
•  
• Sorry for any typos, and all the best with studying!

the importance of politics

• everywhere, in all facets of our life
• is very very important

• relationships are politics

• order, disorder, prosperity, poverty, taxes & economies, relationships and powers, identity, security/conflict resolution (of countries and individuals) or lack thereof
• rights
• duties
  • voting, census forms, obeying laws, paying taxes, serving your country (eg military), going to school

• political discourse affects who one is as a person

• basic duty to volunteer, to be proud and exemplary citizens
• socialization of new citizens (immigrants, etc.)
  • importance of choosing the "right people", citizenship orientation, etc.

politics and conflict

• conflict is not always destructive (engaging, working things out, leading to something better)

• different values
• different interests
• struggle for power
  • struggle can be civilised, respectful, or it can be uncivilised, violent

• legitimacy of government
• more at stake (religion, fundamental rights, values)
• strong dislikes

• importance of politics
• politics and conflicts
• key concepts
• what is the common good & public interest
• what is political science
• 2 major types of political analysis
• sub-fields in the study of politics and governance
• why study politics and governance?
•  

• it is an activity related to making and implementing policies and decisions to deal with what are generally considered to be public problems
• it is the strategic behavoir of individuals and groups within the polity related to efforts either to acquire gov'tal power or to influence gov'tal power
  • it is the "drama" related to acquiring, influencing and utilizing governmental power
• given that the scope of what falls within the scope of the "governmental" and "governance" has been increasing over time, so too has the scope of the political and politics

• rational persuasion - using true information to encourage people to act in a ccordance iwth their own interests or values
• irrational persuation - using untrue or unfounded information and fearmongering to encourage people to act in a accordance with someone else's values and objectives (possibly even against their own)
•  

• coercion - fear or threats of harmful consequences
• inducement - using rewards or bribes
• manipulation - getting people to act in ways which the powerful would prefer, through misleading information or other techniques

• face 1 power to act on your political/policy agenda
• face 2 power to stop others from acting on their political/policy agenda
• face 3 power to shape the political agenda
•  

• power is distributed mostly equally among many groups; no particualr entity is dominant

• view that power (in all communities) is concentrated in a small number of hands, particularly the elites

• refers to issues that are considred important and given priority in political deliberations
• an important dimention of governance and politics
• governance is essentially about the development and implementation of political/policy agendas

• those who are in positions of political authority have been authorized in some legitimate way to make decisions (on behalf of the political community)
•  
• charismatic authority - based on extraordinary or supernatural quailties of the leader
• traditional authority - based on customs that establish the right of certain persons to rule
• legal-rational authority - right to rule based on legal rules and procedures rather than personal qualities of the rulers or unwritten customary principles or practices

• public good vs. private good
• public interest vs. govnermental interest

• basic civic eduaction
• constructive/positive activism
• education for career purposes

Terrorism

• ( quote by Daniel de Freese - symbionese liberation front - 1974 kidnapping "i am the product of your tyranny", quote from Tamil suicide bomber )
• how can someone justify killing 10/100/1000 unarmed civilians?
  • is there anything you don't value this much? family, culture, religion
  • if God wanted you to?
• 2792 people died in the WTC bombings; more than the # of people that died in a whole century in N. Ireland
  • modern terrorism is capable of major attacks; media coverage puts it right in our faces
    • however, terrorism has existed for thousands of years
• the word terrorism originated during the French revolution - reign of terror by Robbespierre (instilling fear)
  • used to describe governments that attacked their own people
  • then became affiliated with anarchist bomb-throwers
  • marxist-leninist groups in 70's
  • now associated with religious groups
  • only the motives and the technologies have changed
    • more capable tech
• types of terrorists
  • government or military terrorists
    • attacking their own people (Chile under pinochet, iraq under Saddam, iran's Shah, etc.)
    • ruthless governments have been some of the worst terrorists in history
  • nihilists
    • those who seek to destroy but don't have any particular objectives
    • believe the whole of society should be brought down
      • red army, Aum Sinrikyo (sarin gas in Tokyo subway)
    • humanity is corrupt and bad and should be destroyed+started over
  • perverse or deranged individuals
    • murderers or assassins (the Unibomber, timothy mcveigh)
  • political terrorists
    • have specific political objectives who believe cannot be obtained by normal means, or any other means than terrorism
    • ( Tamil Tigers, squamish five in Canada (bombings, bank robberies; bringing on the revolution, protests weren't enough - Ann Hansen, no misgivings about actions) )
    • objective isn't to harm or destroy victims; it's a sideshow; the audience->government reaction leads to acheieving the terrorists' goal (noble and just in their minds)
      • public reaction+pressure should convince government to give in to terrorists' demands
      • not strong enough to take on the authority by themselves
      • not terrorists because they enjoy it; terrorists out of desperation (no other option)
        • fighting for things they believe deeply in, and believe just
        • can't directly attack without getting annihilated
        • hoping to wear enemies down
    • sometimes do directly attack the government (El Salvador in 1980's - killing judges to warn other judges not to make judgements against them -- not for the sake of dead judges, but to convince the ones who are still alive!)
    • idea was to show we (terrorists) can harm you badly; if you don't give us (or tell the gov't to give us) what we want, you'll get more of the same
      • targets themselves don't really matter - the rest of us (people) matter
        • at some point, if the terrorists keep attacking, citizens get mad at the gov't
          • if people start to lose faith in the gov't, they get even more afraid (gov't can't protect us anymore!)
        • don't want to win us over; just want to wear us down and frighten us
          • ( 100s of billions have been spent on counterterrorism because of a dozen guys with boxcutters )
          • the whole 9/11 operation cost about 500,000 dollars - most spent on pilot training and transportation
            • and the whole planet is terrified
          • ( George Habash (palestine): "to kill a Jew far from the battlefield has more effect than killing a hundred in battle" - terrifying a whole civilian population )
          • anything that strikes (threaten or destroy) at what people value are more effective
            • security, order, normality
        • technologies improving
          • plastic explosives, cell phone-detonators, internet communications
          •  
        • power of terrorist derives from 2 things:
          • will and determination - highly moved by ideology, nationalism, religion - major risk taker
            • prepared to die
            • deterrance won't work
              • fanatical belief in value of their cause
          • tactical advantage - fights battles of own choosing on own time (like guerrila warfare) - sometimes obscure targets
            • impossible to predict or prevent - society can't protect them all
            • terrorist chooses time, place, and method
            • doesn't need a particular target, so no way to prevent other than a police state
              • goal is to create fear = wide selection of targets
            • ( will attack whatever gov't is not protecting at the time = whatever targets we want to protect, others will be available )
              • impossible to defend against
            • violence itself doesn't matter - if we become convinced this is just the beginning of more violence
        • what to terrorists want?
          • independent states, an end to oppression
            • every terrorist claims to be fighting terrible despots (and believes it)
              • ( if not for terrorism, the palestinian cause would have been forgotten )
        • terrorism sometimes works, although not quickly
        •  
    • Al-Queda - bin Laden
      • son of rich oil magnate
      • joined and led mujahadeen movement to drive soviets out of Afghanistan
        • after soviets left, some formed Taliban, some fought elsewhere; bin Laden formed training camps
          • jihad
      • after the war with the soviets, formed a shadowy organization, declared a jihad against the USA
        • attacks in politically sensitive locations
      • ran training camps for terrorists (considerable curriculum)
      • after 9/11 - US forces entered afghanistan, destroyed training camps, bin Laden escaped (mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan?)
      • ( unemployment rate of 80% (!) in Afghanistan )
      • people with no hope are fertile ground for terrorist recruitment
      • goals of jihadists (al-Queda):
        • want US troops removed from Saudi Arabia (= holy land of Islam)
        • creation of an independent Palestinian state (Muslim lands given back to Muslims in Palestine)
        • removal of all foreign forces from Iraq and Afghanistan
        • promotion of a particular interpretation of Islam and the establishment of leaders in the Muslim world who are committed to it (struggle between extremists and moderates)
        • ( all Muslims are considered fundamentalists - scriptures are considered literal words of God )
          • want power within the muslim world - outside world is just watching a struggle within Islam
            • bin Laden may be more angry at leaders who aren't standing up to the USA
      • in 2005 - UN condemns terrorism in any form
        • doesn't have to do with motivations ; is about not harming civilians
        • if you have a military uniform on, you are a valid target
        • doesn't matter what you're fighting for, or how good the cause is; there is no justification for killing innocent civilians
        • in conclusion: the UN can pass all the resolutions they want
        • the War on Terror can never be won
          • terrorism itself cannot be defeated
          • it isn't anything new (1000s of years)
          • it's too easy, we can't protect everything,
            • thousands of potential targets, they choose the time&place, willing to die
          • eliminating bin Laden will not eliminate terrorism
          • terrorism is the action of angry people who believe deeply in what they're doing (and often have noble causes)
            • believe their noble end justifies the most indiscriminate, violent means

Nation states, globalization and nationlization

• Lecture outline:
  • 1 State
    • land
    • people
    • government
    • jurisdiction
    • sovereignty
  • 2 Failed state
  • 3 Citizenship
  • 4 Nation
  • 5 The nation state
  • 6 Nationalism
    • types of nationalism
      • a. ethnic nationalism
      • b. civic nationalism
    • evaluating nationalism
  • 7 Globalization
    • is globalization eroding the power and sovereignty of the nation-state?
    • is globalization overhyped?
    • is globalization a new phenomenon?
    • are countries equally connected to global markets?
    • is a global mono-culture emerging?

Politics and the economy

• relationship between politics and the economy
  • you can do some analysis of both independently, but both are very highly interconnected
  • politics drives economics and economics drives politics
    • both influence policy together
  • political rationality tends to be about 2 things:
    • getting elected (electoral success, etc.)
    • political harmony and unity and security of the country
  • economic rationality has several levels as well
    • at one level, what's good or bad for the gov't's budget (budgetary concerns)
    • concerned about the economy itself (what kinds of policies do we need to ensure that the economy thrives and doesn't fall apart)

American/Canadian Energy Trade

• Daniel ??? - deputy principle officer of American consulate in Calgary (supports
  • serves needs of US citizens visiting the region
  • provides US visa services to Canadians
  • Dan studies economic development in the region
  •  
  • enormous anount of market contact between States and here
  • relationship bewtenn US and Canada is probably largest relationship in world
  • 1.5 billion $/day in bilateral trade
  • 300000 people cross border every day
  • close partners in a variety of things - humanitarian projects, Afghanistan, defense projects, many things
  • "diplomats are like dentists - nobody knows about them unless there's problems"
    • working to continue the good news
  •  
  • economic partnership - largest and most comprehensive in the world (in all history)
    • Canada is a larger economic partner than all the EU combined
    • NAFTA "embraces" 4.4 million people in all 3 countries
      • removing trade barriers
      • two-way trade has increased (2.5 times? more)
    • Security partnership (2005) addresses challenges
  • 45% of Ag. products in Canada from Saskatchewan
  • US takes 58% of all the food exports in Canada
  •  
  • US & Can have the largest energy trade in the world
  • Can provides 17% of US oil imports and 18% of US nat. gas.
  • operate an integrated energy grid -
    • provide each others' energy imports
  •  
  • US is largest foreign investor ($241 billion - 61% of the total foreign direct investment in Canada)
    • primarily in energy and finance sectors
    • Canada is the 6th (4th?) largest foreign investor in the US ($246 billion)
      • finance & insurance, manufacturing
  •  
  • 86% of all Canadian exports go to US
  •  
  • Alberta's top 5 exports
    • minerals and fuel exports (71%)
    • next is 3% or so
  •  
  • Saska
    • mineral fuels & oils 35%
    • fertilizers
    • cereals
    • etc.
  •  
  • will see increase in % of minral resources being exported
    • because of market forces
      • will also see rise in importance of alternative fuels & power supplies
        • nuclear, biofuels, etc.
  • over 32% of all the world's trade takes place under NAFTA
  •  
  • the work people do on these trade areas is laying the groundwork for other people
    • the people who build the goods to export
    • do the work to make trade not only good but also useful
  •  
  • US considers the relationship very important
    •  
  • high likelyhood that free trade zones would be developed
    • the goal is yes
  •  
  • the plan is to have NAFTA as a home base and have linkages
    • depends a lot on local politics
    • the policy of having free trade zones expanded depends on the politics
  •  
  • people have friendships; governements have interests (based on their own good)
    • gov'ts make policies based on their specific interests
    • interest of the US in Columbia is inwardly directed towards security, antiterrorism
    • free trade is a benefit for Columbians as well
      • promoting legal industries
    •  
    • idea with free trade in NA is an inexpensive way to help an economy prosper (almost a free aid package)
    •  
  • are trade and security opponents?
    • (can't see anyone getting elected in US wanting to reduce security!)
    • economic security is security too
      • energy security - having a tank of gas, having continued electricity
        • Canada is seen as a safe, close friendly supplier (not "someone else")
          • direct pipeline
          • strong trust
          • (American policymakers love Canada)
        • Canada is the example of an energy exporter that everyone wants to be
    • Canada satisfies both of those interests
  •  
  • NAFTA is very controversial in Mexico (particularly farther from the US border)
  •  
  • with the proportion of Canada's exports going to the US, it becomes vulnerable to "shocks" from political shifts in the US
    • the gov't doesn't really run the Canadian economy; Canadians run it
    • unless market forces can cushion the blow of a change, change won't happen
    • for a producer, makes more sense to sell now to US than
    • a lot of countries would really like to be in Canada's place beside the world's largest importer
  •  
  • Canadian dollar rising - not good for an export-based economy
  •  

The Democratic Ideal

• 1 Democracy
  • arguments in favor
  • arguments against
• 2 the Many versions of Democracy
  • direct democracy
  • representative democracy
  • liberal democracy
  • deliberative democracy
  • recall initiatives
  • citizens juries
• 3 Federal system & democracy
• 4 globalization and democracy

• form of governance in which the coreprinciple is rule by some form of majority of the people
• ( not all democratic systems have the same rules concerning the form and size of the majority )
• precise size and nature of the majority may be qualified as:
  • majority of total population
  • of persons of eligible voters (voting age, etc.)
  • majority of the persons who vote
  • majority of the persons who live within certain boundaries (local elections, referenda & plebiscites)
    • ( when we think of democracy we think of "all the people in the country voting", but generally boundaries exist - provincial, local, etc. A lot of different electoral systems based on different boundaries. Decisions may have spillover effects on larger regions outside the boundaries of the electing group (hog barns right next door!) Democracy in a local context doesn't necessarily reflect the majority of everyone affected, so you have decide/vote on a larger (eg regional) level. Also - free rider situations. Sometimes need to change the boundaries if there's too many externalities, spillovers, or free rider issue - decide in a larger context, larger single community. Never really get over one group almost lording it over a larger group? )
  • ( often a majority of the minority that voted or was eligible to vote )
• ( not-voting is a statement in itself! )
• ( as long as everyone has the choice to vote, then even if they dont the process is democratic )
• rule by the people is one of the most popular political ideals in contemporary societies
  • however it is one that is not understood as well as it should be
    • for ex - few people understand that having local majorities vote and decide on certain issues; some issues may have implications beyond the local boundaries
• ( having a minority decide on a majority is not democratic )
• ( voter turnout in local elections can be as low as 20%, or as high as 50% )
• ( voter turnout at national/provincial level -- 2/3 to 4/5 of the population )
•  
• ( Democracy is a messy thing - majority rule will never solve all problems. Generally a given minority will feel the impact of a decision more than others - who gets to make the decision? Almost every decision making process becomes this - who is the minority, who is the majority, who's nominally impacted and who's severely impacted? )
•  
• Arguments in favor:
  • Democracy == common good?
  • those who promote the 'dmocratic' ideal argue that it is the best way to acheive the common good?
  • they suggest the following:
    • by involvign the majority of the population in governing, the interests, preferences and values of different parts of the population are more likeyl to be reflected in policy decisions
    • by only involving one or a few individuals in governing the interests, preferences and values of many will not be relfected in policy decisions
    • question:
      • are there other arguments farour of democracit governance?
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• Arguments against:
  • Critics of democracy often question whether ordinary citizens have either of the following to make intelligent decisions:
    • a) the time
    • b) the knowledge
  • if they do not have the time or knowldege what is the value of making room for them to participate?
  • it takes too long to make important decisions
  • it is highly unpredictable
  • question:
    • what are some other potential criticisms regarding the way that our democratic system works?
    •  
  • ( all these arguments are used to support more limiting forms of participation in governement - you're compromising decision-making, the time, etc. with this democratic process. Used to favour more restrictive, authoritarian gov'ts. )
  •  
• Garcea on democracy:
  • ( is it possible that rule by majority can be oppressive? Oppressive against whom? A minority, even themselves? Do we really understand what maximizes our freedom, the benifits to ourselves? Do we really know how free we are? What is serving our interests? Don't always have the knowledge of what's good for them nor the time to properly become involved in the democractic process. The more people involved, also delays decisions. )
  •  
  • ( we have preferences, but are they knowledgeable and informed preferences? Do we relate to politics any differently than we relate to attractive people -- we have a positive or negative reaction to someone without any idea of whether or not they're nice or good people. Do the majority of normal people actually get involved in decision-making? Or does it just add legitimacy to the process without really adding benefit and responsibility to the people - - or could it actually make things worse? )
•  
• ( plebiscite = general expression of preference that people would like; referendum is binding, becomes law. )
•  
• ( would you rather have direct democracy or an elected council? )
• ( council - elected, well-informed representatives -- needs to communicate and be accountable, and is held accountable by regular elections )
•  
• Many versions of democracy:
  • direct democracy
    • (in the western world) developed in Athens, Greek city-state about 500BC. Lasted for about 250 years. Meant that anyone considered to be a citizen of Athens could talk and listen and then cast a vote -- was possible because you could stick all the citizens inside an amphitheatre. Here, needed to move towards plebiscites and referendums to give everyone the chance to participate.
    • Ideal of direct democracy hasn't died; however is very difficult to apply given large constituencies
  •  
  • Representative democracy
    • form of dem. in which citizens elect representatives to the legislature to make decisions on their behalf
    • leg. - a body of elected officials who are responsible for the formal approval of legilstaion
    • ( legislative, judicial, executive )
    • ( some leglislatures also have appointed officials - like the Cdn. senate. )
  •  
  • Liberal democracy
    • the version of democracy that developed in modern Westere socieites and many countries in other parts of the world
    • liberal demomcracy is one which combines
      • a) the principles of democratic governance on choices of representaitaes and participation by the citizesn of the polity in public policy-making
      • b) the principles of liberalism regarding protection of the rights of individuals and minority groups and the limits of the state's authority
    • ( fundamental principles of liberalism - human rights (democratic rights, all the human rights) )
    •  
    • ( democracy in Mexico - one-party state for many years. This party had a lot of control, didn't necessarily respect all human rights, and (like canada?) didn't support all the rights of aboriginal groups )
  •  
  • "Recall"
    • ( do you believe that after you've elected people for a certain term, you should be able to start a petition to recall them and force an election? )
    • petition thresholds -
      • usually a percentage of voters who voted in the previous election
        • ( eg in BC, the petition must be signed by at least the same number of boters as the # of votes the member received in the last election, plus one.
      • usually also a time limit between the official start of the recall and the time when the petition must be submitted
    • high costs - recall in california (leading to Ahnold's elction) cost between $53 and $66 million dollars
    • ( lookup - Paul Reitzma )
  •  
  • Deliberative democracy
    • is a political system in which decisions are made based on discussion by citizens rather than by elected representatives alone
    • it brings citizens into the decision-making process through "discussions" andnot just "voting"
    • ( is it enough to call it a democracy if you just elect them every 4 or 5 years, and leave them to do whatever? increasing movements to consult citizens on decisions )
    • ( pontius pilate approach to government - "hey look, we let the people decide here, it's not our fault!" )
    • ( increasing protests and action by citizens -> gov't says, you want it, you got it! (Public consultations, focus groups, etc.) Do you participate in the deliberations, or have you just given a forum to the quacks&crazypeople? )
  •  
  • Citzens' Juries
    • groups of randomly selected persons that deliberate about and make recommendatinos concerning particular issues
    • an example are the citzens juries/forums for considering a new elctoral system for British Columbia.
      • see box 4-4, page 91
      • put together a report on electoral system (like a Royal Commission, but more community-based
  •  
  • Federal System
    • ( a federal system would bring a greater degree of democracy to a greater # of people -> when you have a large group of people, you divide them up into provinces or states = dividing authority between a national parliament and a sub-group/regional parliament, which allows democracy to be applied on a regional level. This way, you don't have large groups in one area imposing their values on the other regional groups, and everyone is afforded some degree of democratic freedom. But you still have a majority and a minority in each regional unit... One of the major aspects of a good democracy is respect for the human rights and needs of the minority. On one hand, with a federal system you're giving power to a minority group, but with that, smaller minority groups within that group will have limited freedom -- eg, anglophones in quebec )
  •  
  • Globalizaiton and ecmocarcy
    • globalizaiton is sometimes seen as a threat to democracy because there are two factors which may contribute to instability in demmocratic systems:
      • a) it tends to increase the extent to which countries are affected by events that are beyond their direct control so they cannot maintain stability
      • b) it tends to incease the extent to which countres are affected by the policies of external regional and global institutions;
      • c) it tends to foster multiple identities and potential tensions between those identities
    • ( others argue that globalization may be good for democracy. The democratic ideal is so strong that when glob. starts to open up borders, the force of democracy will infuse opening countries, and countries will feel pressure to operate in democratic ways. )
    •  
    •  
    • ( concerning the deaths of -- always thought there should be a reporting bureau that identifies issues concerning communities in Canada to the same degree that we analyze communities in other (esp. developing) countries. We are somewhat oblivious to our own condition, but we point out issues in other places easily. Cdn. journalism -> mostly boosterism - only the good. )

Political ideology

• ideology
  • a set of ideas that are logically interconnected regarding the way that one should govern, or the way that social relations should be conducted
    • a set of ideas about gov'ts and social relations
    • gov't, society, economy, human nature
  • each ideaolgy provides a different persepctive that is used to understand and evalutate how the world actually works
    • both how it does work "a lens", and "a prescription" for how it should work.
  • ideological conflict has been at the centre of political life for the past 2 centureis
  • intellectuals, politicians, journalists and political activists often have a particular ideological perspective
  •  
  • the term ideology has both positive and negative connotations
    • the term has positive connotations when used in reference to ideologies to which they subscribe and negative connotations ofr ideologies to which they do not subscribe ( almost a schizophrenic relationship )
    • for others the term only has negative connotations
      • ( people will tell you they're not ideological - that would be some crazy religion! Others may not necessarily know what their ideology is, but they are proud of having an ideology (eg, left-wing or libertarian or etc.) )
  • ( we don't always subscribe to all parts of an ideology, producing our own ideological composite )
  • ( what do you believe in about how the world works, and how it should work? )
  • ( the modern youth generation - openminded, tolerant, liberal -- the "it's all good" generation )
    • ( the "Canadian blend" of capitalism and socialism )
• Types of ideologies:
  • Liberalism:
    • this is an ideology that emphasizes the desirability of a high level of individual freedom, based on the belief ti the inherent dignity and worth of each individual
    • individuals are assumed to be capable of using reason and taking rational actions in pursuit of their interests
    • liberalism also values the "rule of law"
      • the idea that we should be subjet to known, predictable and impartial rules of conduct, rather than to the arbitrary orders of particualr individuals
      • both the rulers and the ruled are subject to the law.
    • types:
      • classical liberalism = emphasizes the desirability of a) limited government, b) the free marketplace (laissez-faire economic capitalism), c) rule of law
        • l-f econoic system - a system in which privately owned businesses, workers, and consumers freely interact in the marketplace without gov't interference
        • the role of gov't is limited to such activities as maintaining order and enforcing contracts
      • reform liberalism - a version of liberalism
        • the gov't sometimes has to intervene in society and the economy
          • ( prevent the people with the biggest stick or the market dominators from taking advantage of everyone, and making sure the distribution of the wealth is just )
        • ( eg. Christmas carol -- scrooge is classical, timmy's family is reform. The ghosts are ...the state? )
  • Conservatism
    • values order, stability, respect for authority and tradition, based on view that humans are inherently imperfect with a limited capacity to reason
    • types:
      • reactionary conservative
        • conservative who favors a return to the values and institutions of the past
          • ( want to go back to the golden years, the good ol' systems; resist any major change )
      • progressive conservative
        • c. who respects the past, but focuses on what is appropriate for the present and future
          • ( Canadian PC movement - believed in welfare state, wanted to not be seen as dinos. )
    •  
    • ( notion that state and society have to be led by people who have a better understanding of the public good or the national interest. C. more likely to make the argument that not everyone is fit to govern; some are more perfect or less perfect than others. Also, there are some valuable traditions that need to be respected. We shouldn't be anxious to change things, because it's not all good. What's good is the traditional good stuff - trad. values, trad. institutions, trad. economic systems. )
    • ( conservatives call liberals "conservatives in a hurry" - have similar goals of security and order, but liberals want to go too fast and can destabilize things in the process. )
    •  
  • Socialism
    • is an ideological perspecive based on the following views
      • that human beings are basically social in nature and
      • that the capitalist system undermines the cooperative and community-oriented nature of humanity
    • socialism advocates the establishment of an egalitarian social, political and economic system
      • ( may mean compensating people who have difficulties succeeding in society )
      • ( moves away from "you earn what you worked for", towards being a little more just )
    • ( there is a common society - we feel a mutual responsiblity to each other - we have to look out for and help each other )
    •  
    • ( we have difficulty thinking in aggregate terms, but... )
    • ( imagine living in a community with 6 people, 3 are well fit and of fairly equal status. The other 3 have personal limitations of some way. Only the first 3 can access food and resources - do they have a responsiblity towards the other 3, or should they just let them die off? )
    • ( cases of limited resources - fishers, etc. )
    • ( freeloader problem -> issues when people really can contribute but are choosing not too and just taking advantage of the others )
    •  
    • Democratic socialism:
      • ( in some cases socialism and communism didn't have a true democratic form. China, USSR, claim(ed) to be democratic - it's a particular type of democracy - where "the people have collectively made a decision that they only want one party". That decision was made during the revolution, but of course. Plus, within the party people are democratically elected at local/regional/national levels. )
      • this is a version of socialism that argues socialism should be achieved by democratic rather than revolutionary means, and that a socialist society should be democratic
      • rather than complete state ownership of the means of production, democratic sociliaists propose various methods to achieve democratic control of the economy
        • these include
          • public ownership of some key industries
          • encouragement for cooperative enterprises
          • requirements that workers have a voice in business decisions
          • increased gov't regulation and planning of the economy
      • ( some claimed the CCF in Sask was a demo.soci. gov't. )
      • ( Chile, Duonde (?) non-demo. soci. )
  •  
  • Marxism and Communism
    • Marxism
      • the ideology/theory articulated by Marx that provided the basis for commuism
        • a criticism of laissez-faire capitalism
        • crit. of the expolitation of the "proletariat" (working poor) by the "bourgeiosise" (industrial and commercial barons)
          • ( workers being exploited by the employers )
        • basic elements of this ideology is that the means and modes of production as well as the products should be publicly owned
    • Communism
      • a system in which private property has been replaced by collective or communal ownership and in which everyone would be free to take from society whta they need
        • ( from each in order of their ability, to each in order of their need )
    • Leninism
      • the version of Marixm that includes the belief that the capitalist system can only be overthrown through a force by means of a tightly disciplined party controlled by an ideologically oriented leadership
      • ( for a while, you could have the dictatorship of the proletariat )
      • ( some workers representing the needs of everyone )
      • ( had to establish some state apparatus, both to finish the revolution and move the new system in the right direction - trying to distinguish from anarchism )
  •  
  • Anarchism = absence of state
    • ideology that views the state as the key source of oppression and seeks to replace the state with a system based in voluntary cooperation
      • advocates "government without governments"
      • fundamental belief that members of commnities can arrive at logical and rational policy decisions without the existence or interveention of any of the conventional governtmental instutiutions
      • they believe in unfettered deliberative democracy - rational people thinking talking and acting on policy issues in a rational & highly democratic way
    • ( you could all sit down on a desert island, participate in direct democracy, and life is good... but see, Lord of the Flies -- not able to construct the ideal anarchist community by a long shot; "resorted to the same kind of gov't their countries had been using" )
  •  
  • Libertarianism = very limited state
    • this is an ideology that has a tinge or streak of anarchism in the ideology
    • however, unlike anarchism, does not go as far as to advocate the absense of governance.
    • instead it advocates very limited gov't both the economic and social spheres of a community
    • ( eg., protecting from outside harm )
    • ( American libertarianism - don't touch my gun and don't touch my money!! )
  •  
  • Fascism
    • an ideology that combines an aggressive form of nationalsm with a strong belief in the naturalness of inequality and opposition to both liberal democracy and communism
      • ( you're just bees in the beehive, you're disposible and dispensible, just put here to serve the state. )
    • Nazism
      • a version of facism associated with adolf Hitler, emphasizing racial conflict and superiority of the "Aryan race"
      • ( going back, saying they had a divine and historic right to rule )
    • Neo-fascism
      • a revival of fascism in contemporary times
      • Neo-Nazism and other extremist groups
        • more extreme than neo-fascist parties are various neo-Nazi groups in Germany that have terrorized members ofminority groups and imigrants
        •  
    • corporatism - an economic system associated with fascist Italy in which business and labor are closely tied to the state and directed to goals established by the state
    • ( picked winners and said, you are the company that will produce this; state rather than market decided who the players were )
    • ( modern examples of tripartisan corporatism - labour, business and state cooperating and planning together (Germany and Japan in some cases) )
  •  
  • Left and right ends of political spectrum
    • left - the general ideological position associated with
      • supporting some forms of communal or public-ownership (not just private ownership)
      • advocating greater social and economic equality
      • and liberation from traditional values, institutions, and processes
    • right - the general ideological position associated with defending
      • the free-market system
      • property rights, and
      • traditional moral values
    • ( see diagram! )
  •  
  • ( Russia and China - not exactly true communisms - don't have collective decision-making; somewhat bastardized form of communism. )
•  

Social Movements

• Lecture outline
  • what are social movemnts
  • importance of sm.'s
  • social movemnts vs. interest groups & parties
  • examples of social movements
  • methods used by some social movements
  • ...
•  
• What are Social Movements?
  • a sm. mobilizes large numbers ofpoeple to pursue an aim that those who are involved fervently believe will advance the common good.
  • social movements have been prominent political entities since the beginning of the democratic age in the late 1700s.
    • political reform, rights for the poor, women's rights, the environment
  • activity of movements generally takes place outside the democratic political channels of electinos, political parties and pressure groups
    • engage in everything from lobbying within the halls of power, to throwing rocks AT the halls of power
  • ( a mobilization of a group of people that have a sharedn notion about the nature of teh problems and the nature of the solutions (not necessarily in agreement about the causes or exact solutions, but agree that there is a problem and that a solution needs to be found <- that's what provides motivation and cohesion to a movement. Is there a problem? Do you want to help solve it? (Agree; but there may be differences in interpretations of both the issue and solutions - ie, radical "vs." liberal feminism. )
  •  
  • are important because
    • are large-scale collective efforts to bring about or resist changes that will affect the lives of many
    • transcend interest groups and political parties; constitute a distinct form of political organization
    • social movements tend to be more loosely organized (than centrally-directed political parties/interest groups)
    • tend to be global movements; transcend national boundaries and ethnic boundaries
  •  
  • examples:
    • anti-slavery and labor movements of 19th-century
    • feminist movement
    • anti-globalization movement focuses on specific elements of globalization, esp. international finance and its effects on the world economy
      • led the movement to target meetings of the WTO and other forums promoting increased economic integration- G8 summits, IMF and World Bank, and EU summits
    • animal-rights movement
  •  
  • Methods used by some social movements
    • social moments mobilize people to think and act in various ways to achieve social and political change
    • includes conventional political action such as lobbying and voting, as well as in some instances more radical political action such as massive political protest and even civil disobedience (breaking the law: disrupting meetings, blowing things up, the works.)

Poor countries, politics, and economic development

• Lecture Outline:
  • the development gap
  • economic develoment
  • human dev.ment index
  • modernization theory
  • dependency th.y
  • the washington consensus
  • SAP & IFI
  • import substitiution industrialization
  • export-led industrialization (ELI)
  • development assistance and trading relationship
  • economic discrimination
  • trade pacts
  • consolidated democracies
  • third world politics and political institutions
  • personalistic leaders
  • coup d'etat and democratic transition
  • forms of political intervention in developing countries
•  
• ( The gaps between the developed and dev.ing world tend to be a function of structural factors; financial factors related to resources; related to development (indust.ial, techn.ogical, etc. dev.ment) in history; affected by local resources; related to systems in place (global systems, trade systems) already in place. While you can do little about amount of resources, you can do much more about the systems in place in terms of trade and systems in the world today. )
• ( What needs to be done to deal with the dev. gap and the dev. issues in the world today? The problem: lack of political will. Each country has certain political will that prevent them from doing something about more balanced development in the world. )
• ( Lack of political will is not just about politicians not wanting to do the right thing, but the people within the country (us) not wanting to change their lifestyles (or give something up ) to allow more balanced living and equal development around the world. )
•  
• Economic development:
  • refers to a process for the creation of a more diversified, technologically sophisticated and sustainable economy as a means of achieving the following:
    • a) meeting the basic needs of all of the people
    • b) providing them with the means to live fulfilling lives
•  
• Human development index
  • an annual index for most countries, calculated by the United Nations Development Programme
  • it is based on indicators such as literacy and education, life expectancy and per capita GDP.
  • USA and Canada are 7th and 8th. The ones above them tend to be some European countries (esp. Scandanavian countries.)
  • ( see Pg404: table 18-2 HDIndex )
•  
• Modernization theory
  • consists of 2 major arguments
    • traditional values, practices and institutions of thirdworld countries are the basic cause of underdevelopment.
    • the development of poor countries depends on changing their cultural outlook, social structure, economic organization, and political system based on the model of the advanced Western societies
    • ( the institutions that WE've developed have long routes into history; we've had the resources at the needed times to do things right; currently undeveloped countries have neither the resources nor the time to accomplish these improvements quickly, particularly given their current difficult-to-overcome state. )
•  
• Dependency Thoery
  • is a development model that views underdevelopent as a result of unequal power relations between the centre (dominant capitalist countries) and the periphery (poor, dependent countries)
    • ( the problems in the unde.oped countries were caused by the systems implemented by the dev.ped countries - to overcome these issues, you need to change global governance systems and global economic systems. )
    • ( "Upper-" and "lower-class" distinction in the actual world; they'd like us to change global systems and global resource exploitation systems, otherwise their lives depend on what we (dev.ped countries) dictate to them. )
    • ( NB.- Doesn't just apply to development countries vis-a-vis undeveloped countries; could be used to describe Canada-US relations )
•  
• the Washington Consensus
  • is a series of policies put together by the international Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank that encourage developing countries to generate more revenue for debt repayment by:
    • a) cutting gov't expenditures to balance their budgets
    • b) selling off gov't-owned enterprises (privatization)
    • c) fully opening their countries to foreign goods and investments
  • ( during the last 25years, the IMF/World Bank have become incredibly dictatorial - if you want us to provide you with loans, you have to do business differently; if you don't, we're going to cut the life support and you're going to sink. Eg. Argentina - if you don't improve your financial systems, your political systems, forget it. Went from being a leading economy (up until 1960s) to become one of the biggest basket cases in the dev.ped world. )
  • ( the IMF/World Bank started to impose fairly draconian measures to encourage various countries to do better both in terms of governance and economic management. At the same time, dev.ped countries started to realize the problems with this strategy and have begun to promote forgiving loans instead of forcing impoverished countries to pay them back. )
  • ( Excessive loans and collecting them - causes problems both internally and externally, causes resentment against dev.ped countries. Put them in a situation of perpetual exploitation. )
•  
• Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP) - a program administred by international financial institutions, which offer loans at very favorable interest rates to gov'ts facing problems paying t
•  
• IFI -...?
•  
• Import Substitution Industrialization
  • is an economic development model that involves creating an industrial sector by placing tariffs on imported industiral products.
  • placing such tarifffs on imported industiral products is designed to help the domestic firms to compete with foreign companies.
•  
• Export-led Industrialization
  • a model of economic development that features a capitalist system in which gov't and the biggest businesses work together very closely to develop export industries
    • gov't influences investments, provides incentives for exports, and can decide which firms get to export products and which do not.
      • ( sometimes by establishing certain standards, or by convincing other gov'ts or companies to purchase from a particular exporting firm. )
  • Asian Model - the economic model of export-led industiralization associated with a number of Asian countries (eg. Japan)
    • ( so successful, that other developed countries began to regret the dependency on Japan and decreed that they - to continue trade - would have to produce locally (eg within the USA and Canada). There was a time when people worried a lot about who owns companies (Sask notwithstanding :-) The world has moved into a new era where it doesn't matter who owns the industry (as long as our people are making some money and we're getting taxes. Increasingly, you're getting companies that are either more multinational or companies that may have their base somewhere else but Canadians have a considerable amount invested in them. The success of that company is very important (even though they're not a canadian company). )
  •  
• Official Development Assistance - aid to the poorer countries given by the gov'ts of the richer countries
  • less developed countries often need considerable help from the richer countries if they are to supply the basic needs of their populations
    • and to compete in global markets (successfully).
•  
• Economic discrimination
  • as seen from the global South, the little aid provided by the North is only part of the issue
  • more serious is the reluctance of the rich countries to fully open their markets to the thrid world and to accept fair global trading rules.
•  
• Trade Pacts
  • trade agreements involving both rich and poor countries
  • a substantial majority of the world's countries are now members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and int. organization ...?
•  
• Consolidated Democracies - countries with democratic gov'ts that are stable and well-accepted by both ordinary citizens and politcal elites, and which face little danger of being overthrown.
  • ( high degree of legitimacy )
  • ( is that the case in developing countries? )
•  
• 3rd World politics and pol. institutions
  • diverge form politics in consolidated democracies like Canada in 3 important ways
    • 1. liberal democracies have been rare in the Third World
    • 2. Third World countries have weak gov't institutions
      • ( electoral systems, social systems, etc. )
    • 3. Violence plays a much bigger part in 3rd world politics than in developed, consolidated democracies today.
    • ( the Canadian conceit - "if we were in the same situation, we'd behave just as we would here in Canada." Not so. For the gov'ts in these countries, playing the game the way they do is the only way to prevent chaos and destruction. )
• Personalistic Leaders
  • quite common in dev.ping countries are personalistic leaders.
  • Strong per.istic leaders have historically dominanted politics in many poor countries.
  • a personalistic leader is a political leaderw hos claim to rule is based on some presumed inherent qualities of the person himself (or far less commonly herself).
    • also implies that the gov't ...?
•  
• Coup d'Ã�tat
  • forcible seizure of power by the armed forces or occasionally the polics
    • ( in some cases, the military can be asked to enforce peace under the gov't; over time, military leaders will resent the gov't's leadership and take control )
    • ( very uncommon for a military coup to result in a more democratic gov't )
• Democratic Transition
  • a process of change involving abandoning authoritrain gov't for democratic rule
•  
• 3 forms of political intervention in dev.ping countries
  • humanitarian intervention in failed states
  • democracy strengthening and promotion
  • politically conditioned aid
    • ( pol. conditions are being imposed for countries wishing to receive it. )

residential schools settlement

• 9 courts came together
• appointed 2 judges to oversee the court
• appointed the Truth and Reconciliation commission
• 3 potential commissioners, to be selected from 350 individual
• principals:
  • voluntariness - the TRC can not compel individuals to tell their sotry, nor can the TRC subpoena documents (the gov't and churches hold massive archives of documents related to residential schools)
• the mandate stipulates:
  • the participation of high-level gov't and church officials in the national events and if requested, in community events
  • that...
•  
• aspects of the mandate / period of operation:
  • 1st 3 months
    • budget preparations
    • commissioner appointemnts
    • essential organizational matters
  • 2 years
    • research and report on historic findings and develop recommendations
    • all 7 National Events completed in this time
  • 5 years
    • community reconciliation events and statement-taking completed
    • closing ceremonies
    • research and documentation center established within this time frame
      • museum / research center in Manitoba
• at any time, survivors will be permitted to file a personal statement in the archive
• also, community events, sharing experiences and truth-telling in traditional forms; rebuilding of family and community, community initiatives
• study
  • effects on families
  • cultural effects
  • specific effects on women and men
  •  
  • research opportunities
• concern for people's feelings
  • some may not want to tell their story;
  • may want to avoid having to tell / relive it more than once
  • others may indeed want a public forum to tell their experiences
• budget is: $58 million
• healthcare support is provided (psychological / counselling support)
• aboriginal healing foundation
  • providing support to survivors
  • - see book published
  • separate from TRC but provided extra funding by same court settlement
•  
• commissioners: completely independent from gov't, churches or FN groups
•  
• all TRCs say:
  • wish we had more money, more time, and a way to monitor how our recommendations are being received and implemented
    • with a report (mandated to be) published halfway through the 5-year mandate, may work out well for the last issue
•  
• community impacts:
  • commission activities may open wounds for people who are not perpared or who are unsupported
  • communities and indivudlas may not be ready to participate in Commission activiites
  • individuals and communities may believe that the Commission will guarantee a changed relationship
• first TRC in a G8 country
  • many will be watching
  • first to deal with human rights violations of children (told by adults)
  • fairly unique in terms of TRC history (as far as timeline and methodology)
  • lots of opportunity for community to work with the TRC
  • intent to preserve this part of our history, so that people will understand the many things that happened
    • difficult to talk about it; also difficult to listen
  • large age-range among former students (as young as 20, up to 100)
•  
• foundation for reconciliation must be truth - far too many half-truths, myths, etc.
  • important to really know and nail down the truth
  • cathartic effect of sharing the truth
•  
• TRCs are like spring ice
  • you can't pick it up by yourself; needs many hands to do so. And if one person tries to claim it for themselves, it breaks. Must be a shared, cooperative effort

International Politics and Governance

• Lecture outline:
  • realism vs. liberal internationalism
  • types of international relations
  • United Nations
  • ...and more
•  
• International politics and governance
  •  
  • Questions:
    • 1 is the world in a state of anarchy?
      • or is there some form(s) of international governance?
      • :: rather than an official global gov't (ie UN), more a system of checks and balances between nations
    •  
    • 2 how sovereign or at least semi-sovereign are states?
      • :: with greater self-sufficiency comes greater autonomy; money and resources; military power
        • ( Cuba is an interesting counterexample )
          • ( 2 eras: Cold War (quite dependent on Soviet protection) and post-Cold War )
          • ( USA can't seem to find the right "economic tool" (nor military action) to interfere with Cuba's sovereignty )
            • ( Cuba managed to find a fine balance between communism, socialism and capitalism (It's not quite as repressive as people here think) )
            • ( As the USSR's power has declined, Cuba has become less threatening )
            • ( Why, now, doesn't the US just let them be? )
    •  
    • 3 is it possible to have sovereign states and international governance?
      • ie, the world operates either as a federation or a confederation
        • ( it's not only "rogue states" that haven't fully bought-in to the global governance framework - the USA is not, as far as UN cooperation goes, not a great global citizen. )
        • : in a federation, one group can't dictate to other groups their position; fully equal cooperation ...?
        • : in a confederation, each group accords power to a central body that makes decisions (but existence is wholly dependent on member groups/states)
          • ( ie, UN is in a very precarious position - if member states stop showing up or paying their cheques, it's toast. It's only as strong as it's members allow it to be. )
    • 4 what is International Governance
      • "the process whereby a number of different actors compete and cooperate in sharing the task of providing a certain degree of order and predictability to international relations."
      • :: international groups of many kinds:
        • trade pacts between nations, trade organizations (ie, WTO)
        • relgious groups (ie, the Vatican);
        • the World Bank and IMF
        • human-rights, environmental, and other advocacy groups (ie, Amnesty Intl., Greenpeace, etc.)
        • benevolent organizations (MSF-DWB, etc.)
        • multinational corporations;
        • labour organizations, unions
        • organized crime and black markets
•  

• Realism vs. Liberal Internationalism

  • the 2 major and sometimes conflicting theories of international relations
  • fundamental difference between them is their views on:
    • who the key actors in the global gov.nance system are
    • the possibility of international governance (ie, possible vs. impossible)
    • the form of international goverance (ie, virtually non-existent or quite substantial)
    •  
    • liberal internationalists are more idealist (sometimes referred to entirely as idealists instead of liberalist; has a bit of a distinction)
    •  
    • - See table20-1 major differences between realism and liberal-internationalism
      • realism sez:
        • states are the key actors (rather than states, IGOs, INGOs, groups and individuals.)
        • are unitary actors, power seeking, and moved by national interest
          • ( singular national interest, instead of shared and distributed, unique interests within the nation )
        • ( (viewed as a shark: a single self-contained entity that goes around - moved by it's own interest - seeking power and eliminating competition) )
        • sees the international system as anarchic (as opposed to interdependent as viewed by liberal-internationalists)
        • sees peace as attainable through strength, deterrence and a balance of power (rather than law / international accords)
        • international overnance is weak, provided by hegemons (rather than strong and quickly spreading)
        • ( Machiavelli=realist, Polyanna=liberal )
  •  
  • Realism
    • believes: because the international system consists of sovereign or semi-sovereign states, it is highly anarchic (and will continue to be so forever!)
    • a legitimate and effective form of internaitonal gov.nance is unlikely to emerge
    •  
    • 3 key arguments
      • peace depends on deterrence
        • (threat of force to discourage states from attacking each other)
      • what matters most is not international good, but the national interest
        • one of the most important national interests is security
        • national interest: the goals that a state pursues to maximize what is percieved to be inits best interest withn the context of the international/global system
      • the possibility of international governance is limited because of the importance of state sovereignty. (people value it -a lot-)
        • Thus it is difficult to establish supranational gov.ing authorities that are a) legitimate and b) adequately powerful to govern
    • ( before we had countries we had: city-states and empires. )
    • ( the world has gone from fragmentation to empire - continually swinging from local to global and back again. We're moving towards a global system again, like empires of old - but those were created through force )
    •  
    • ( people don't want the state to affect their lives, until state intervention would help or protect them, when they suddenly want major state intervention. In the same way, countries don't want to sacrifice any sovereignty to an international institution unless / until they would benefit from it )
  •  
  • Liberalism:
    • liberal-internationalism: the view that increased cultural and social connections as well as economic interdependence are leading to the emergence of a global civil society which values cooperation, the rule of law, and peace, and that international governance is spreading
    • believe that not just states, but also NGOs and other groups have an international effect
    • Concepts:
      • international society
      • collective security
      • postmodern state
      • ( see book to check these (!) )
  •  
• 3 types of international systems
  • unipolar: one country dominates the rest
  • bipolar: two centres of power in the world (during the cold war, for example), often with many allies or satellite states
  • multipolar: power is distributed between competing and powerful nations to ensure that none of them emerge as a superpower
    • smaller powers do not play a significant role
  •  
  • ( has conflict around the world increased or decreased since the end of the world war?? )
  •  
  • ( will we ever have a unipolar system? We've come close with some of the major empires - regional hegemonies, not complete global dominance. Since Cold War, the bipolar world has declined; the fear was always that one side would triumph and lord it over the other side. The US has been unable to capitalize on their singular position and they do exercise considerable power, but regional groups and other nations counterbalance their power. )
  • ( Meanwhile, China rises as an even more significant (and much more autonomous) counter-power to the US than the EU. China has decided to behave in particular ways in relation to economics, international relations - strategic decisions made not out of weakness but out of power. (Many of these choices are fairly beneficial to surrounding nations; not invading Taiwan or (recently) other neighbours, for example! But they also have contributed little to peacekeeping efforts, etc. )

Governance (Ch. 9)

• Lecture outline
  • democracy
  • non-democratic systems
  • absolute monarchies
  • dictatorships
    • personal d.
    • party d.
    • military d.
    • theocratic d.
  • other aspects of authoritarian gov'ts
  • bringing about the democratic transition
  • constrained democracy
  • democratic consolidation
  • two types of democracy
    • thin democracy
    • delegative democracy
  • the failure to consolidate democracy
  • discussion questions
•  
• Democracy
  • democratic gov't
    • de. exists in varous forms and to varying degrees in most countries
    • this includes countries that historically have not been very democratic, but in recent years they have moved toward greater degrees of democratization
  • dem. consolation
    • this exists when a country's commitment to democracy is so strong that the likelihood of democracy persisting is quite high
  • third wave of democracy
    • the broad move to democratic gov't that began in 1974 and still continues
    • this is a concept dev.ped by Samuel P. Huntington to describe the global trend that has seen more than 60 countries experience democratic transitions since 1974
    • 5 factors that have contributed to 3rd wave dem.zation are
      • loss of legitimacy of authoritarian regimes
      • economic change - there is a correlation between wealth and democracy
      • regional contingency factor (Snowball effect) - also known as demonstrational effects, happens when success of democracy in one country causes other countries to democratize
      • external factors - efforts to spread democracy mostly from European institutions and the USA
    •  
    • ( first and second waves: )
      • ( 1 initial movement against monarchies and towards representative gov'ts )
      • ( 2 establishment of dem. systems in countries before the end of the colonization period (particularly countries wi th a modicum of democracy) )
      •  
    • ( why promote democracy? )
      • ( 1 democracy promotes peace )
      • ( 2 democracy creates wealth (by creating stability) )
      • ( lots of people interested in a stable world and a world of equality and justice )
•  
• Non-democratic systems
  • totalitarian states
  • absolute monarchies ( "monarchical dictatorships" )
  • personal dictatorships
  • party dictatorships
  • military dictatorships
  • theocratic dictatorships
•  
  • Totalitarian states
    • ( what is the difference between totalitarianism and authoritarianism? Authoritarian systems focus on controlling the political system, to some extent controlling the economic system, but there is a certain amount of freedom in the social and other spheres. Totalitarian systems exert control in basically every aspect of life. )
    •  
    • totalitarianism: total control (over political system, economic system, religion, laws, media, citizens - esp. social sphere, etc.)
      • ( 1984 - constant surveillance, no privacy )
  •  
  • Absolute monarchies
    • historically, a majority of people have been ruled by monarchs.
    • some contemporary monarchies, like the British, Dutch and Spanish, are constitutional monarchies
      • in such, the monarch is subject to law, like everyone else, and has very limited or no powers
    • in absolute monarchies, political activity commonly found in democracies is severely constrained
      • political parties are often prohibited, and there are no elections since govt positions are filled by royal appointment
      • if there is a representative assembly it is more likely to be a council of nobles appointed by the monarch or by the nobles themselves than an elected body that is representative of the majority of the population
        • ( eg. the Magna Carta, original british code to share the monarch's power, originally gave more power to the nobles - the common people did not get a say for a very long time. )
  •  
  • Personal dictatorship
    • an undemocratic gov't dominated by a single individual. Sadaam Hussein's Iraq was a classic example of this kind of system
    • they are less easy to find at the start of the 21st century than ieven 2 or 3 decades ago
    • they are distingisehd by being dominated by a single leader who rules farm omre according to personal preferences than by following a law
  •  
  • Party dictatorship
    • an undemocratic political system that is controlled by one party
    • the most famiiar examples are found in communist political systems
    • theyare different in that political life is controlled by a single party rather than a lone individual
    • in most cases, only one party has the legal right to exist, or if others to exist, only one party is legally able to exercise power.
    • ( single-party dominance )
  •  
  • Military dictatorship
    • ( usually in the form of military "juntas" - primarily happen in Latin America where the military becomes dissatisfied with the civilian gov't. )
    • an undemocratic gov't run by the military
    • this systems are established in the wake of a military sezure of power, usually called a coup d'etat
    • unlike other dictatorships, however, military governments often leave power of the their own volition
  •  
  • Theocratic dictatorship
    • this is an undemocratic state run by religious elites
    • the best contemporary example is Iran
    • a theocratic dictatorship is run by religous elites (theocracy is gov't in the name of God or by priests)
    • basing it's governing philosophy on a radical reading of the Koran, the Taliban was infamous for eliminating virtually all rights for women
    • both Iraninan and Taliban regimes emerged when a preceding secular authoritarian state was overthrown
  •  
  • Other aspects of authoritarian Governments
    • the different kinds of non-democratic governments share 2 characteristics:
      • 1 what constitutes the common good is restricted to a few people
      • 2 generally, authoritarian governments are more likely to use coercian as a normal governing instrument.
  •  
  • Brining about democratic transition
    • there are 2 approaches
      • 1 top down: one approach stresses the role of elites working from the top down
      • 2 bottom up: the other stresses the role of the citizens working from the bottom up.
      • transitional election:
        • an election that marks the official eginning of a democratic regime
  •  
  • Constrained Democracy
    • this s a democratic system featuring free and competitive elections that coexist with a very thin and constrained degree of democracy
    • ( eg, USSR or China - democratic processes that are very limited or have little (or no) influence )
  • (   )
  • ( Partial/imperfect democracies )
    • ( Thin Democracy )
      • ( countries where the democratic transition salled before taking full effect constitute one class of imperfect democracy )
    • ( Delegative democracies )
      • ( has effective and fair democratic elections )
      • ( do not have an serious control over their preseident or prime minister between elections )
        • ( a very heavy concentration of power in the democratic elite or executive )
  • (   )
  • ( Failure to consolidate democracy )
    • ( gov'ts do not always seek to extend or perfect democracy )
      • ( they may be unwilling to go beyond a limited form of democracy ei )
      • ( or they may have the political will, but not the actual power or means because there's so much conflict within society (tribalism, contentious issues, etc.) )
• (   )

Discussions

• Democratic peace theory
  • 1 what does democratic peace theory say about the relationship between democracy and peace?
  • 2 to what extent do you agree with the points of "democratic peace" thoery?
  • 3 which of the following factors do you believe are the most important for achieving and maintaining peace in countries and in the world
    • democratic governance
    • economic and social justice
    • political cultures
    • political leadership
  • 4 what is the relationship between democracy, prosperity and peace?
  • 5 does democracy lead to prosperity and peace, or does prosperity and peace lead to democracy
  • 6 how has president Bush used "democratic peace" to justify the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan?
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• "The Growing Significance of NGOs"
  • 1 what are the different types of NGOs and INGOs?
  • 2 What is the difference in the pattern of internal wars in the Third World during the Cold War and post-Cold War period?
  • 3 what is the nature of military and non-military interventionist efforts by outsiders in contemporary efforts to restore peace in war-torn societies?
  • 4 what is state-building? Why is it a controversial goal?
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• "Warm and getting Warmer"
  • controversy surrounding Kyoto protocol, as well as whether or not we are having a climate crisis and whether something should be done about it
    • 1 is the globe warming up?
    • 2 what's causing it? Is it our consumption habits? Or is it a cyclical thing that's happened before?
    • 3 what do we need to do about it?
  • Or:
    • 1 what is the global warming problem
    • what causes it
    • what are the shortterm and long-term consequences of global warming
    • who bears responsibility for creating and solving the problem - developing or developed countries?
      • ( just cause you were first to the tree and ate all the fruit, how can you say that other people can't come too? )
    • what led to the K p
    • what are the major provisions of the protlcl?
    • which provisions are the most controversial, why?
    • why does the US have a unique place in the global warming and K p process?
    • what are the major U.S. objections to the protocol?
    • why can the protocl not be successful without American participation?
  •  
  • Issues
    • timeframe is too short to meet targets
    • not enough evidence to support assumptions
    • "devastating impact" on certain economic sectors
      • car industries
      • oil and gas (/fossil fuel) industry
    • military-industrial complex, any manufacturing sector
  •  
  • Canadian (Harper) gov't
    • prefers a local, domestic strategy that doesn't "limit sovereignty"
    • one with less impact on certain canadian industries?
  •  
  • Kyoto protocol:
    • "climate change is global problem which demands a global solution because emissions from one country can impact the climate in all other countries"
    • controversial because of disagreement over
      • extent
      • causes
      • propsed solutions to deal with theproblem
    • global warming was primaril caused by developed northern countries who industrialized in the 1800s
    • developing nations feel that the problem must be addresed first by thec ountries whose wealth and global dominance was ensured through the burning of fossil fuels for over 100 years
    • there is a significant debate over what role the developed countries have in helping developing countries make this transition
  • Incentives to developing nations:
    • debt relief
    • carbon-credit deals
    • priveleged access to markets
    • improved technology
  •  
  • ( Soviet Union countries, India, etc. - little to no environmental focus, no regulations for environmental concerns )
  •  
  • Kyoto - seeks to reduce greenhouse emissions to below 1990s levels
    • two categories of countries:
      • Annex 1 - are developed countries considered to be the largest contributors, bound by the agreement
      • Non-Annex 1 - developing countries (including India and China) not actually bound to the treaty targets (though signatories)
  • American objections
    • 1 obligation on America was the world's biggest contributor of greenhouse gases was too great
    • application of Kyoto based upon 1990s marks made it uneven
      • eg, Russia, right after the fall of the Soviet Union, was actually producing less emissions
    • 2 second, exception of developng nations - India and china are growing economically and their emissions are rising; any agreement which does not require their involvement is fundamentally flawed
  •  
  • Questions:
    • international cooperation, or is a matter of surviving at all costs in the jungle?
    • what about the hegemons, the dominant powers?
    •  
  •  
  • "mindlessness versus mindfulness.
  • the challenges that are out there
  • the importance of doing the right thing."
    • - Prof. Garcea
  •  
•  
• "Let them drink oil"
  • looks at the transnational issue of resource scarcity in the new century
  • questions:
    • what is the actual potential problem that scarce resources can have?
    • how might this be a bigger problem in the future?
    • what are the major problems of international competition for water and oil?
    • how do india and china contribute to this problem?
    • why does the possision of a scarce resource give great leverage to a country?
  •  
  • Middle East - water scarcity, oil demands
    • not just historic conflicts; water is a definite issue.
    • some countries have oil, but not water; some have water, but not oil
    • there is a growing shortage of readily available and accesible amounts of both.
    • control of essential waterways has caused conflicts for decades
  • Geopolitics.
  • ( Icebergs to the rescue! Towing them to the Middle East? Who knew! (not actually being applied) )
•  
• AIDS: "Worse than the bubonic plague"
  • "disease knows no frontiers"
  • AIDS is not the only health concern of an international nature - many believe that the next Spanish flu, or an Avian Flu epidemic, even a greater SARS will occur
  • the questino is simply when and how will the international community react, and will it be too late?
    • ...for many it already is.
  •  
  • AIDS...
    • has been described as the worst health crisis since the Bubonic plague ravaged Europe in the middleAges
    • if left unchecked, life expectancy in some countries may reach below 30 years within the decade
    • despite the gravity of the situation, the int'l community continues to do little
    • one of the major problems is the cost of treatment can be 10-15000 dollars a year
    • one result has been the lowering of drug costs by multinational pharmaceutical companies who were not allowing cheap medicines into poor countries
      • some progess, but still prohibitive costs.
    •  
    • in some cases spread in conjunction with extreme violence in some African conflicts
    • millions of deaths and infections.
    •  
    • how did it get here?
      • ignorance and denial
      • taboos on discussion of the pandemic
      • civil wars (including rape of civilians)
      • debt and poverty
      • expense of treatment
      • relative powerlessness of women
    •  
    • why is it hard to deal with the problem?
      • lack of understanding and appreciation of the problem
        • (esp. among Western countries)
      • lack of personalization of the problem
        • largely isolated to Africa
      • low prioritization of the problem
        • local problems given higher priority
      •  
      • ( eg, we didn't care much about terrorism until it hit home. A real danger, because it makes us vulnerable. A good idea to deal with the problems before they become domestic and widespread. )