4. REVIEW
How could the issues in the Governing article tie into the
four distinctions made between states in Chapter 1?
1) Sociodemographics
2) Culture and History
3) Economy
4) Geography andTopography
8. Deal with various social and political issues:
Education
Taxation
Racial Tensions
How do we effectively deal with these issues?
9. What words, concepts, ideas, etc. come to mind
when you see the following words?
“politics”
“politicians”
“power”
10. Many definitions of politics:
Lasswell: “Who gets what, when and how”
“The resolution of conflict”
“The competition among individuals, groups, or states
pursuing their interests”
Characteristics of Politics:
Struggle for power
Emphasis on decision-making
Political scientists study power as it relates to the
political community
Political party, legislature, city, region, country
11.
12.
13. Power:
Ability to influence others or impose will on them
HowTo Know ifYou Have Power?
Get someone to do something they would not do
Prevent someone from doing something they would do
Influence how people think
14.
15.
16. POLITICS
Process or activity through
which power and resources
are gained and lost
GOVERNMENT
System or organization for
exercising authority over a
body of people
17.
18. Determine how we try to get the things we
want in politics
Peaceful, democratic elections
Violent revolutions
Who decides on the rules is important
Rule by the elite (Aristocracy)
Rule by the wealthy (Plutocracy)
Rule by royalty (Monarchy)
Rule by the people (Democracy)
19. Organizations where governmental power is
exercised
State constitutions define institutions of govt.
Legislative, Executive, Judicial Branches
Different arrangements in other countries:
Parliament
Ruler
Council
Goal: Prosperous political environment
20.
21. How do states vary?
Diversity leads to “Why?” questions
Why do states choose to either place or not
place certain taxes on their citizens?
Why do some states resist federal policies while
others embrace them?
23. Value in explaining differences
Qualitative Analysis
Historical or narrative accounts
Quantitative Analysis
Use of numbers, statistics, etc.
24. What is variance?
What are units of analysis?
28. Idea of variables
Change between cases
Theory Development
What is a theory?
HypothesisTesting
What is a hypothesis?
29. CORRELATION
Association between two
variables
Example:
Illegal Immigration
Border State
How might these be
correlated 0r associated
with one another?
CAUSATION
One variable causes another
Example:
Illegal Immigration
Border State
Do we have causation?
30.
31. What are concepts?
Examples: 1) Social Mobility, 2) Quality of Life
Features of Good Concepts:
#1: Clarity and Coherence
#2: Consistency
#3: Usefulness
32.
33. Absence or presence of a concept
How can we operationalize “social mobility”
and “quality of life?”
34.
35. Attitudes and beliefs broadly shared about the role
and responsibility of government.
Historical styles and traditions in states’ politics.
What people in a group or region:
Generally believe about government and politics
What they think government ought to do
How people should act toward it