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Sovereignty Authority Power

States organize power into territories and exercise sovereignty through institutions like governments. Democracies base their authority on the will of the people, while authoritarian regimes concentrate power without public input. The document contrasts democratic, authoritarian, and military regimes, noting that democracies are typically indirect with elected representatives, while totalitarian states seek total control and use force lacking traditional legitimacy.

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maria sabir
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42 views9 pages

Sovereignty Authority Power

States organize power into territories and exercise sovereignty through institutions like governments. Democracies base their authority on the will of the people, while authoritarian regimes concentrate power without public input. The document contrasts democratic, authoritarian, and military regimes, noting that democracies are typically indirect with elected representatives, while totalitarian states seek total control and use force lacking traditional legitimacy.

Uploaded by

maria sabir
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Sovereignty, Authority

& Power
What is a ‘state’?
States, Nations & Regimes
Democracies, Authoritarian Regimes &
Military Regimes
 Power is territorially organized into states
 Max Weber (German scholar) defined state as:
◦ The organization that maintains a monopoly of violence over a territory
◦ The state determines who can and cannot use weapons of force, and it set
rules to how violence is used
◦ States sponsor armies, navies, and/or air forces
 But citizens are often limited in their use of force
 Institutions:
◦ Stable, long-lasting organizations that help turn political ideas into policy
◦ Common institutions: bureaucracies, legislatures, judicial systems & political
parties
◦ Institutions help keep a state long-lasting; leaders change, but institutions
don’t
 States exercise sovereignty: ability to carry out actions or policies
w/in their borders independently from interference from inside or
outside forces
◦ A state unable to exercise sovereignty lacks autonomy
◦ States with less autonomy are sometimes exploited by larger, stronger,
more stable states
◦ The states referred to are typically industrializing countries and exist in the
southern hemisphere

Introduction
States, Nations, Regimes
 Democracy is type of regime that bases its authority on
the will of the people
 Indirect
◦ Elected officials representing the people
 Direct
◦ Individuals have immediate say over many decisions that the gov’t
makes
 Most democracies are indirect (due to large populations)
 Three major branches (typically)
◦ Executive, legislative, judicial
◦ Some are Parliamentary:
 Citizens vote for legislative representatives; representatives vote for
select leaders of the executive branch
◦ Some are Presidential:
 Citizens vote for legislative AND executive branch leaders
 Two branches function w/ separation of powers
 Democracies vary in the degree to which they regulate
economy, but businesses, corporations and/or companies
generally operate independently from gov’t

Democracies
Parliamentary Presidential
 Parliamentary sovereignty governs  Roles of head of state and head of
decision-making gov’t are given to same person-
 In theory: legislature makes the laws, President
controls finances, appoints and dismisses
prime minister and debates public issues
 President is directly elected by the
 Reality: strong party discipline, cabinet people and serves as Chief
initiates policy (Tony Blair criticism) executive
 Majority party in legislature typically  Checks & balances between
votes for bills proposed by leadership legislative, executive & judicial
 No separation of powers exist (Prime  As a result:
Minister and Cabinet are members of the ◦ Power is diffused
same majority party)
◦ Policy-making is slowed down
 Separation in the executive branch: Head
of Gov’t and Head of state  Each branch MUST have an
◦ Queen is head of state (symoblizes power) independent base of authority
◦ Prime Minister is head of gov’t (every day recognized and respected by
task of running gov’t politicians & the public
◦ Nigeria and Mexico have presidential
system, but branches are not truly
independent of one another

Democratic Types
Presidential: Parliamentary:
Decisions made by political elites w/out much
input from citizens
◦ These regimes may be ruled by single dictator,
monarch, small group of aristocrats, or single
political party
◦ Economy is tightly controlled by ruling elite
Regime Types:
◦ Communism as altered by V. Lenin
◦ Corporatism
 Gov’t officials interact w/ business & labor leaders
before policy is set
◦ Patron-client systems
 Reciprocal favors and services provided to supporters

Authoritarian Regimes
Totalitarianism Military Regimes
 If people accept authority of  Prevalent in Latin America,
authoritative leaders, then Africa & parts of Asia
gov’t is legitimate  States w/ instability are ripe
 Totalitarianism has negative for military intervention
connotations- used to describe  Rule usually begins w/ a coup
often detested and/or d’ etat (forced takeover)
corrupt regimes  Coup may or may not have
 Totalitarian gov’t seek to widespread support
control all facets of peoples’  Military leaders often restrict
lives- economy, politics and civil rights, liberties and keep
social political parties from forming
 Totalitarian gov’ts use  A specific ideology is usually
force/violence as a techniqe lacking
for destroying any obstacles to ◦ Leaders often lack charisma and
their governance lack traditional source of authority

Totalitarianism & Military Regimes


 Power is territorially organized into states
 States exercise sovereignty
 Institutions help keep a state stable and functionary
 Democracy is based on will of the people
 Most democracies are indirect
 Two types of prevailing democracies: Parliament &
Presidential
 Authoritarian and Totalitarian regimes are not one in
the same
 Totalitarian regimes use force to compensate for lack
of legitimacy
 Military regimes lack legitimacy and found in states
with instability and/or internal violence

Lecture Highlights/Key Points

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