Introduction to Sociology

Module 15: Government and Politics

 Why It Matters: Government and Politics

• Governments are formal means by which power and authority are practiced
• Power and authority differ
• Different forms of government exert power and authority differently
• Type of government affects individual rights
• Applying functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism helps us understand
differing systems of government
• Understanding the political process in the U.S. allows us to be more informed and involved
Florida Voter Referendum
• On November 6, 2018, Florida
residents voted to restore voting rights
to people convicted of most felonies
after they had completed their sentences
• The Florida governor and legislature
blocked the referendum’s
implementation.
• Many in Florida felt that their
referendum clearly indicated the
people’s choice, and their power had
been taken
• Who has the right to make decisions?
Who has the power? In 2018, Florida voters made a decision regarding the voting rights of people convicted of a
felony. The referendum took a direct measure of the people’s will, rather than navigating
through representative process. However, passing a referendum and enacting the laws to carry it
out are two different processes, which Floridians came to understand when the state
government attached further obligations and restrictions to voting rights.
Power vs. Authority

• Government: political institution w/ formal means of gaining & exercising power, authority
• Power: Ability to control or direct others
• Authority: Influence based on perceived legitimacy

• Power is necessary, but not sufficient for authority

• Control= Power + Authority
Types of Authority

• Authority is accepted power

• What is Power?
• Max Weber: Power is the ability to exert one’s will over
others

Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was one of the most powerful

and destructive dictators in modern history. He is pictured
here with fascist Benito Mussolini of Italy. (Photo
courtesy of U.S. National Archives and Records
Administration)
Types of Authority, cont.

• Types of Power- Max Weber

• Traditional
• Legitimized by custom, historic personalities as leaders
• Example: Patriarchy, patrimonialism, royal families
• Charismatic
• Based on personal qualities, dynamic personality
• Examples: Napoleon, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X
• Legal-Rational
• Authority resides in office, consists of bureaucratic officials
• Examples: U.S. congress, presidency, modern British Parliament
Forms of Government

• Purpose of government: uphold the social contract

• Anarchy= absence of government
Figure 1. Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein used fear and
• Monarchy intimidation to keep citizens in check. (Photo courtesy of Brian
• Single ruler Hillegas/flickr)
• Absolute monarchy
• Constitutional monarchy
• Oligarchy
• Power is held by elite few
• Is the United States an Oligarchy?

Figure 2. Queen Noor of Jordan, a constitutional monarchy. (Photo courtesy of

Skoll World Forum/flickr)
Forms of Government, cont.

• Dictatorship
• Power is held by select individual(s)
• Totalitarian dictatorship
• Oppressive control
• Democracy
• Each person has equal voice
• Representative democracy (essentially, a Republic):
elected officials represent individual interests
Dictator Kim Jong-Il of North Korea was a
charismatic leader of an absolute dictatorship.
His followers responded emotionally to the
death of their leader in 2011. (Photo courtesy of
babeltrave/flickr)
Discuss: Types of Authority

• Describe the three types of authority, and give original examples for
each.
Politics in the United States

• Politics:
• Interaction between citizens & their government
• Key to understanding social norms & values
• Suffrage (Voting)
• Voter participation is key
• Race, ethnicity, social class can determine power, access to voting
Politics in the United States, cont.

• The Judicial System

• Local, State, Federal courts
• Determine constitutionality of laws passed by congress
• Court decisions can reflect popular opinion change
• Marriage Equality
• Business rights concerning Affordable Care Act
• Voter ID requirements: do they hinder participation?
Voting Rights

• Landmarks in voting rights

• 1870: 15th amendment: African American men
• 1920: 19th amendment: Women
• 1960: “One Person, One Vote:” Re-drew district lines
• 1965: Voting Rights Act: Literacy tests outlawed
• 2013: repeal of portions of VRA- steps backward
• Requires voter ID
• Allows interest groups to finance campaigns
Practice Question 1

In this form of government, members do not necessarily achieve their statuses based on ties to
noble ancestry. Rather, they may ascend to positions of power because of military might,
economic power, or similar circumstances.

a. An oligarchy
b. A monarchy
c. A dictatorship
d. A democracy
Practice Question 1 Answer

In this form of government, members do not necessarily achieve their statuses based on ties to
noble ancestry. Rather, they may ascend to positions of power because of military might,
economic power, or similar circumstances.

a. An oligarchy
b. A monarchy
c. A dictatorship
d. A democracy
Practice Question 2

__________ were not allowed to vote at all until after the Civil War, and __________ gained
the right to vote along with other women only with the ratification of the Nineteenth
Amendment in 1920.

a. White southerners; white northerners

b. White northerners; white southerners
c. Black men; black women
d. Black women; black men
Practice Question 2 Answer

__________ were not allowed to vote at all until after the Civil War, and __________ gained
the right to vote along with other women only with the ratification of the Nineteenth
Amendment in 1920.

a. White southerners; white northerners

b. White northerners; white southerners
c. Black men; black women
d. Black women; black men
Practice Question 3

Unfortunately, in June 2013 the Supreme Court repealed several important aspects of the 1965
Voting Rights Act, ruling that

a. contemporary voter identification laws are trying to solve a

problem that hasn’t existed in over a century
b. all people’s votes should be counted equally
c. southern states no longer need the stricter scrutiny that was once
required to prohibit racial discrimination in voting practices in
the South
d. all voters must be property owners
Practice Question 3 Answer

Unfortunately, in June 2013 the Supreme Court repealed several important aspects of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, ruling
that

a. contemporary voter identification laws are trying to solve a problem that hasn’t
existed in over a century
b. all people’s votes should be counted equally
c. southern states no longer need the stricter scrutiny that was once required to
prohibit racial discrimination in voting practices in the South
d. all voters must be property owners

Explanation of answer:
In June 2013, the Supreme court repealed several important aspects of the Voting Rights Act, ruling that southern states no
longer need the stricter scrutiny that was once required to prohibit racial discrimination in voting practices in the South.
Discuss: U.S. Voter Participation

• Describe two social factors that impact voter participation in the United
States. Additionally, how is voting impacted by race, class, and gender
issues?
Theoretical Perspectives

• Functionalism
• Gov’t serves 4 main purposes: plan & direct society, meet social needs, maintain law & order, manage
international relations
• Conflict Theory
• Social inequalities, power differentials
• Symbolic Interactionism
• Based on face-to-face interactions of interest groups
Functionalism

• All aspects of society serve a purpose

• Government enforces norms, regulates conflict
• Dysfunction is undesirable: active social change is undesirable
Conflict Theory

• Marx: social structure as the cause of social problems

• Power inequalities
• Conflict is the only way to change power inequalities
• C. Wright Mills
• “Power Elite” control society w/ policies designed to keep their wealth
• G. William Domhoff
• Elite subculture w/ exclusive clubs, schools, vacation spots
• Social distance based on:
• Social, geographic, educational, political, & economic patterns of behavior
Conflict Theory- Today
• Government shutdowns
• 2019: Budget, border security issues
• Protest movements
• Black Lives Matter, Women’s Marches,
Occupy Wall Street, etc.
• Conflict as functional?
• Does “might make right?”

The United States possesses advanced military

technology(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Symbolic Interactionism

• Max Weber & George H. Mead

• Politics result from interaction of people & small groups over
time
• Symbols, figures, emblems represent power & authority
• Micro-theorists
• Face-to-face interactions: backroom meetings, lobbyists
• Interest groups The Boston Tea Party (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons)
• The Tea Party

Apply it: What symbols from the image of the tea

party has the modern Tea Party repurposed?
Practice Question 4

According to __________, the government has four main purposes: planning and directing
society, meeting social needs, maintaining law and order, and managing international relations.
According to this theory, all aspects of society serve a purpose.

a. functional theorists
b. social conflict theorists
c. symbolic interactionists
d. Social psychology theorists
Practice Question 4 Answer

According to __________, the government has four main purposes: planning and directing society,
meeting social needs, maintaining law and order, and managing international relations. According to
this theory, all aspects of society serve a purpose.

a. functional theorists
b. social conflict theorists
c. symbolic interactionists
d. Social psychology theorists

Explanation of answer:
Functionalist views of government and politics as a mechanism to enforce norms and regulate conflict;
they seek consensus and order in society.
Practice Question 5

According to __________, the struggles between and within groups have historically been
spurred by the drive to protect or gain territory and wealth, and the need to preserve liberty and
autonomy.

a. functional theorists
b. social conflict theorists
c. symbolic interactionists
d. Social psychology theorists
Practice Question 5 Answer

According to __________, the struggles between and within groups have historically been spurred
by the drive to protect or gain territory and wealth, and the need to preserve liberty and autonomy.

a. functional theorists
b. social conflict theorists
c. symbolic interactionists
d. Social psychology theorists

Explanation of answer:
Conflict theory focuses on the social inequalities and power difference within a group, analyzing
society through this lens.
Practice Question 6

__________ focus attention on figures, emblems, or individuals that represent government,

power and authority. They are most interested in the interaction between small groups who
make decisions, or in the case of some recent congressional committees, demonstrate the
inability to make any decisions at all.

a. functional theorists
b. social conflict theorists
c. symbolic interactionists
d. Social psychology theorists
Practice Question 6 Answer

__________ focus attention on figures, emblems, or individuals that represent government, power and
authority. They are most interested in the interaction between small groups who make decisions, or in the
case of some recent congressional committees, demonstrate the inability to make any decisions at all.

a. functional theorists
b. social conflict theorists
c. symbolic interactionists
d. Social psychology theorists

Explanation of answer:
Symbolic interactionism, as it pertains to government, focuses its attention on figures, emblems, or
individuals that represent power and authority.
Minimum Wage
In 2017,
• 542,000 workers
earned min wage
• 1.3 million workers
earned below min
wage
• 2.3% of all hourly
workers earned at or
below min wage
• Typically under age 25
• Less education
Minimum Wage, cont.

• Impact of changing minimum wage

• Intent: Raise minimum wage to make livable wage
• Women, minorities disproportionately earn min wage
• Balance individual worker gain w/
• Higher prices at food, retail establishments
• Worker layoffs/ job reduction by employers paying min wage
• Policy affects multiple facets of society
• What is the best wage balance for workers and society?
Activity: Voting Attitudes

• Create a short interview guide concerning voter participation and

attitudes towards voting. Each student should interview three people
using the interview guide and discuss their findings with the class.
Quick Review

• Why do we analyze types of power and authority?

• Why do we explore political processes in the United States and abroad?
• How do the political process and voting work in the U.S.?
• What is the difference between having power and having authority?
• How does government influence society, and vice versa?
• How do different theoretical perspectives view government and politics?