Poli 313

Unit: 2
Forms of authority
• Traditional
• Charismatic
• Juridical (often ‘democratic)
• Contract
• Authority and obligation?
• Citizenship and obligation?
• Degree of consent? (disagreement amongst theorists)
• Democracy and the occasional need for alternative repertoires
• Why do I obey the law?
• Limits to the right to and scope of protest?
Power: consider the implications for politics
as practice, including deocracy
• Four faces:
• A gets B to do something they would not normally do
• A gets B to not do something they wanted to do
• A gets B to act or not act, but let’s B believe it is their choice
• All the above applies to A, B and others, also inadvertently
 Questions for discussion, based on the above
• Group one:
• What is democracy and what is the relationship between power and democracy?
• Group two:
• Evaluate the modes of political action allowed and not allowed in democratic regimes.
Is there such a thing as an optimal democratic regime? Substantiate your answer.
• Group three
• Is democracy the best form of government? Explain your answer while using relevant
examples of your choice.
Some conclusions?
• Add your own here.