SAP - Political Authority Lesson

Political Authority Lesson

The idea of sovereignty, power, and authority in a country, is a category that enables us to make comparisons among the six core countries we study. As mentioned in earlier units, power is not individualized; rather it is territorially organized into countries that control what happens within their borders. German scholar Max Weber defined state as the organization that maintains a monopoly of violence over a territory. The state defines who can and cannot use weapons and force, and it sets the rules as to how violence is used. States often sponsor armies, navies, and/or air forces that legitimately use power and sometimes violence, but individual citizens are very restricted in their use of force. Countries also include institutions (bureaucracies, legislatures, judicial systems, and political parties, etc.) that help make the country stable and long-lasting, helping it turn political ideas into policy. Countries exercise sovereignty by their ability to carry out actions or policies within their borders independently from interference either from the inside or outside. In order to compare countries, we group them into three categories, advanced democracies, communist and post-communist countries, and less developed and newly industrializing countries.

 

Quick Glance

In this lesson, we will take a close look at political power. We will define the term, examine its elements, and learn about several theories that help determine who gets to use political power. Power is the ability to influence and direct the behavior of other people and guide the course and outcome of events. Authority means that an individual or group has the right to use power by making decisions, giving orders, and demanding obedience. Legitimacy refers to citizens' belief that their leaders have the right to exercise power and authority; it is the acceptance of the government by the governed. Sovereignty is the highest exercise of political power; it is supreme and ultimate authority that cannot be overruled by a higher power. To learn more about these categories, read the etext sections: Defining Advanced Democracies, Communism Equality and the Nature of Human Relations, and Freedom and Equality in the Newly Industrializing and Less-Developed Countries.

 

Explore: Supranational Governments, Integration, and Devolution

Within a country, the central form of government remains, but all political systems exist within an environment that is affected by other governments. If you think about globalization and how countries interact with each other in terms of economic, social, environmental, and cultural activities, it is easy to understand that these factors cause countries to integrate, by pooling their sovereignty and surrendering some individual powers in order to gain political, economic, or societal benefits. This poses important challenges to a country's national sovereignty, because it is relinquishing power upward to a central supranational system that oversees countries and has sovereign powers over the member states themselves. In contrast, devolution is a process by which political power is devolved, or sent downward to lower levels of government. Such is the case in Great Britain, which still has a unitary government, but has turned over powers of taxation, education, and economic planning in both Scotland and Wales. The devolved power in Scotland and Wales has put equality at the forefront of each region's agenda. Northern Ireland also experienced devolution, and given its own parliament, however, violence shut down its power for more than 5 years. To learn more about supranational governments and devolution, read the section in your etext that covers States and Sovereignty: Challenges and Opportunities.

It is now time to watch the Sovereignty Authority and Power video. Take notes as you watch the video and reach out to your instructor with any questions. 

 

Challenge Activity

Please complete the following Less Developed Countries Activity. 

 

Takeaway & Sendoff

Devolution, Integration, or Supranational?

Which one is it? Read the statement and drag it to the correct term.

 

Final Lesson Review

 

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