Political Institutions his chapter focuses on political institutions. It particularly highlights | the types of political structures or organizations as well as the concepts of authority and legitimacy. The main objective of this chapter is to help students understand the different facets of politics, the persistence of political riented politics in certain societies. . dynasties and personalit At the end of the chapter, students will be able to 1. explain the concepts of politics, power, and authority; 2. define legitimacy and differentiate the types of authority; 3. distinguish the types of political structures or organizations and institutions that have existed over time; and _ cite concrete examples related to the political concepts tackled. Form a group of six members. Have each member identify @ perso” whom they recognize as a figure of authority. Discuss the reasons WHY they chose these persons, and what characteristics make them authori figures. Present the results of your discussion in class. aeCharismatic Authority harismatic authority is based on the presumed special and extraordinary dual. People with charisma e loyalty and obedience from and “heroes”. Charisma is or qualities possessed by ac ind uve often Very popular, highly persuasive, and inspit ocher people. They are also often seen as “born leader generally considered a gift or an innate quality unique to a person, but there are also instances when it can be manufactured through the use of propaganda. Historical figures who exemplified charismatic authority include revolutionary Cuban leaders Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Tse Tung, US President John F. Kennedy, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay. ‘Mao Tse-Tung cab t Thatcher Ramon Magsaysay John F. Kennedy However, charismatic authority is the most unstable type of authority as leaders, y eventually “lose” their ch a Death or an illness may also diminish the level of charisma of a certain authority views ing them change. figure,Legat-Rational Lega-rtional authority ithe most typical type of authority in modern soctetigg | poser and authority a Tegal-raional eontest are legend by a clearly denne Coro eriten rules and lows, Lenders can rightfully wield authority if they one shoir positions according to established procedures such as elections oF thrown appointment Heads of government sch as presidents and prime ministers pogg® Icensrationsl nuthorty: Reonomteally-devetoped socketien aro most Likely to fest undergone the processes of rationalization and bureauctatization and adie closely to the legal-rational concept of authority, Among the three types a legal-rational system has the highest degree of stabil Te most of authority, “ideal or pure types.” In practice, the type af authorit ese different types. society or state may be a mix of th structures emerge 'yPes of societies 6 ch aedunde anes underwent transformations Tee ) : Were basically dominated by personal and S . Unit + Cultural, § ment | F Social, and Poitical Development ee —_ familial ties as these were comprised of families and clans. In short, the leaders were not simply political leaders or those who made decisions for the society. The leaders exercised their authority to settle disputes among the people. They also decided on. economic matters like the peace cb jods, and se Uistribution of food, the selection of crops, determining harvest pe ‘ing territory. In a nutshell, the leader was seen as the head of the community who ensured peace and security within society. He was seen as a patriarch or a patron and peuple depended on him for many things. POLITICAL DYNASTIES are believed to have always existed even in advanced democratic states. A “dynasty” refers to a succession from rulers from the same line of descent. Thus, relatives who stay in power—specifically, members of one family who continuously hold elective political positions—are considered members of a political dynasty. Meanwhile, political clientelism (or clientelistic politics) is defined by Susan Stokes as “giving material goods in return for electoral support.” The relationship involves two parties: the patron (politician) and the client (voter). These two political trends continue to be a challenge to the Philippine political and leadership system. The onset of the Industrial Revolution brought about significant changes in the economic, social, and political life of societies. Most significant of these changes was the rise of the modern nation-state. The terms “nation” and “state” are often used interchangeably in everyday life. However, the distinctions between these two have to be recognized. A nation consists of a distinct population of people bound together by a common culture, history, and tradition who are typically concentrated within a specific geographic region. The state, on the other hand, is a political unit that has sovereignty—the legitimate and ultimate authority of the state—over an area of territory and the people within it In an attempt to clarify the distinction between the nation and the state, it has been. pointed out that the nation has two aspects—a cultural community and a political community. However, not all nations are recognized as states. Likewise, a state is not equivalent to a single nation and may in fact be composed of several nations. For example, Taiwan asserted its independence from China and established its own government. However, many states have not recognized ‘Taiwan's status as an independent state and some consider it as a province of Chma, Another example are the Kurdish people who compose a nation but are found in different states in the Middle Hast such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Thus, a state is a political unit that encompasses several communities, has a bureaucracy, and has leaders that possess legitimate power. In Chapter 7+ Poltica! Insitutionsmes have more responsibilities sic a8 the manntenance of law and order, ecu chal contygy Weratization state territory, engaging in international relations, and preserving ec Wobor observed that the processes of rationalization and bureai happened in Western European societies were a con Pe of Industriatingn ‘The expansion of economic activities led to the rationalization of economic funeq oY maleic which sn tum paved the way forthe growth of bureaucracy, pt The te rans “rule by officials.” For Weber, the bureaucracy is character by “rationality, rule-governed behavior, and impersonal behavior.” ved equ Another significant process that happened in Western Europe was Politicay Nberalization, This refers to the emergence of liberal-demecratic regi “ae characterized bY'a representative form of. democracy where politic cal office is gainey Lhrough formal, competitive elections in many Western societies. Thus, inetinanes Such as political parties emerged. Principles such as political equality and elecinet chotce also developed. This led to the emergence of an impersonal and legally. banct type of leadership and this soon became the norm in many European societies, However, not all societies around the world went thro: experienced in the West. For example, in the Philippines, political institutions patterned after the American model di about the type of liberal democracy existing in the United St this is largely due to a variety of factors, including the typ “isis in societies, Political culture refers to the pattern of orientation to political objects such as parties, government, and constitution, expreNed in Dettels, symbols, and vataes-Peopte generally acquire values and altit ides about politics and political institutions through the process of political socialization. Since societies have varied characteristics, the effects of certain processes and how institutions work may als Gitier. For example, the features of an ideal type of bureaucracy conceptualized by Weber were not necessarily observed in all societies. Since the bureaucracy was essumed to be # rational institution, the exercise of authority within the bureaucracy was expected to be impersonal. However, impersonality in the exercise of authority 4s something that is not present in all bureaucracies, Even in politics, the persistenc® of clientelism, which was typical in tribes and chiefdoms, indicates that the tie between # “patron” (or one who gives benefits) and a “elient” (the recipient of the benefits) have not ceased Wo exist in some societies. Clienteliatic behavior has als? been observed even in the conduct of democratic elections, For example, in some areas in the Philippines, voters still tend to choose candidates whom they hav? Personal Ues with, particularly those who have served as their benefactors, and hav? Provided them various forms of assistance such as paying for thelr medical expense providing thei jobs, and giving scholarships to thoir children. _ PT it ugh the sanie processes the attempt to establish lid not necessarily bring fates. Scholars agree that eof political culture thata (2) Politics refers to the activity through which people make, preserve, and , (2 Power refers to the ability to act toward amend the general rules under which they live and involves the dynamics of conflict resolution, cooperation, and the exercise of power. achieving a desired outcome, Authority, meanwhile, is the manifestation or exercise of power. People who have authority have the right to exercise power. The bases of legitimacy of rule vary in different types of societies. ‘The three types of authority are traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational authority. § fore (fey, ge ‘Traditional duthority is based on long-established customs and traditions. sed on the presumed special and extraordinary Charismatieauthority is bat possessed by an individual that enable him or characteristics or qualities her to lead and inspire people. A fs - Legal-rational authority {6 based on a clearly defined set of written rules and laws. Different political and Jeadership structures and institutions developed in various societies over time. In some societies, features of political structures that existed in tribes and chiefdoms porsist, thus, certain phenomena such as political dynasties and political clientelism exist,