Concepts are a general idea about something commonly delivered as a single word or a phrase such as ‘Power’ ‘Freedom’ and ‘Revolution’. Whereas, theories are an explanation of observed data which is conveyed as reliable. As it is difficult to give one singular, finite and definitive definition to both terms, the definitions offered above are the perspective through which the two will be looked at in this essay. Concepts and theories influence political analysis through marginalising important aspects to be considered within them, stretching definitions to allow concepts to reach beyond their limits and by displaying biases through underlying assumptions. Nonetheless, this is not problematic as they allow us to think critically and widen …show more content…
As reality is in fact quite complex these concepts allow us to shrink reality which reduces complexity making it easier for us to analyse that which is being observed. This betters our understanding of politics through allowing us to simplify the political world. This is done through creating categories which make politics seem simpler to engage with and understand which shows us that concepts are in fact not problematic but helpful when analysing.
However, this is not the case as when looking further it becomes clear that are a result of simplifying there are certain implications. This is evident in Weber’s concept of the “ideal type” which states that concepts are created by putting forward the central feature of the phenomenon. This in turn marginalises other features that play a part. It becomes problematic as politics is complicated and intricate in its nature and requires every aspect to be explored. Concepts simply ignore the parts of the political world which make politics ‘political’. Ultimately leading us to fail to investigate and explore that which defines the political world. Wedeen explores this further when analysing ‘Democracy’ in the minimalist sense which constrains ourselves to simply a state level definition. Nevertheless, when looking at ‘Democracy’ further in the interpretive way it is found in places like Yemen in the Arab world
The idea represents how democracy has always been considered to be an inferior system in which one tosses aside without giving much thought. No one has raised democracy or corrected its wrongs as it was forced to grow on its own similar to a child with no parents. While many seemed ignorant of its possibilities, democracy was still able to grow and find its own source of power and strength. While it is the responsibility of the legislators to educate and correct democracy, the legislators will often attempt to destroy the idea of its
Through the readings and the discussions I learned to see political representation as a fluid and flexible concept, which is contingent on its political reality and the interest of its actors. There is never one concept but many with different foci, aspects, and interrelations. Especially, the relation of descriptive and substantive representation seems to be much discussed in political theory. I hope for the rest of this course that I will learn more about the key concepts of political theory, particularly, about their application and
Max Weber was a German sociologist, economist and a political leader who influenced the field of economics and sociology with his research and theories. He is considered as one of the founders of sociology along with Karl Marx and Émile Durkheim. He was also the founder of German Democratic Party. His works continue to inspire many economists and sociologists until this day.
Political theories are based on the classic thinkers such as Thucydides and Plato and more modern thinkers such as, Wendy Brown or Seyla Benahabib, and they “focus on such philosophers engaged political problems that are relevant today.” Political theories engage in political issues and it self reflects about political life. They have at least three or less, specialties of historical periods such as ancient “(the Golden Age of Greece and Rome); and modern from (Machiavelli
Democracy may be a word familiar to most, but it is a concept still misunderstood and misused in a time when totalitarian regimes and military dictatorships alike have attempted to claim popular support by pinning democratic labels upon themselves. Yet the power of the democratic idea has also evoked some of history's most profound and moving expressions of human will and intellect: from Pericles in ancient Athens to Vaclav Havel in the modern Czech Republic, from Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence
James Cairns and Alan Sears use two key frameworks as contrasting lenses on the current state of democratic theory and practice. The use of these frameworks is designed to help readers become more cognizant of where they stand on certain questions regarding democracy, as well as reflecting on why they might hold these views. In addition, their frames are used to help reflect upon the fact what counts as a democracy is defined otherwise, depending upon the perspective from which you approach the question.
“Rather, there are all shades of democracy, ranging from purely façade democracies, such as the now-demised Fujimori regime in Peru, to formal to procedural democracies, where you have relatively free and competitive elections and the institutional forms of democratic governance, but where other important aspects—e.g., a free press, respect for human rights, strong and effective legislative and judicial institutions.” - Interesting
Democracy: a government by the people, in which citizens rule either directly or through elected representatives - the latter description more relevant to today’s societies. Quite evidently, democracy is not perfect; like any other political system, it is subject to a plethora of flaws. For instance, it is no secret that voters tend to make illogical decisions – not out of sheer malice, but as a result of being wrongly informed. Politicians also make erroneous choices, whether they do so because they are dishonest or simply out of touch with the true will of their constituents. Further, anyone who has studied the government of a parliamentary democracy knows gerrymandering can have a powerful say in determining elections. Despite these and
The author has been able to fulfill the target of the book, which is to test and answer the questions raised by critics through the provision of evidence of the reason no democracy exists at the present. The author presents the arguments in a chronological way that gives a better understanding of the past, today, and prospective future of democracy. The root of the present democracy is stated in the book and lays the basis of the other arguments in the book. Dahl argues that there are conditions that any state should attain in order for it to be considered as a democratic
Democracy is often referred to as the rule of the many, but Aristotle called this definition incomplete. In his book “Politics”, he explained that in a city if the majorities are aristocrats and if they have political authority, then it is an aristocracy not a democracy. He therefore defined democracy as when “free people have authority and Oligarchy as when the wealthy have it” (1290b). Plato viewed Democracy as a flawed system with too much inefficiency that would make any implementation of a true democracy not worth it. While Aristotle viewed democracy as a system that could work if it is limited to certain restrictions and if it is the regime that best fits the culture of the people to be governed. In this essay it will be argued that Plato’s view on democracy as a flawed system is more prevalent or more compelling if the current political arena around the world is observed.
According to the advocates of this approach, political theory can be only understood when the historical factors like the age, place and the situation in which it is evolved are taken into consideration. As the
Nowadays, there are countless structures of government in the world, some of which are just on paper, others are functioning, but between all the forms of government structures, the best of all, which has been verified and trusted for eras, is democracy just as Ronald Reagan said; ‘it is the most deeply honourable form of government ever
one essential conviction, expressed in the word democracy itself: that power should be in the hands of the people. Although democracy today has been slightly inefficient in this idea, with the wealthy, elite class challenging this right, “it nevertheless claims for itself a fundamental validity that no other kind of society shares….” To completely understand the structure of democracy, one must return to the roots of the practice itself, and examine the origins in ancient Greece, the expansion in the Roman Empire, and how these practices combined make what we recognize as today’s democratic government.
1. Describe and discuss theoretical models of political legitimacy, for instance Max Weber’s ”ideal types”.
Dahls version of polyarchy and Freedom Houses electoral democracy are examples of ‘thin’ definitions where both define democracy by political freedoms only, mostly related to elections and votes. (Democracy Index, 25, 26), Freedom houses’ non electoral definition of democracy (Democracy Index 2012:5) is “thick” as it adds to it a range of political liberties and includes public freedoms.(Democracy Index 2012:5)