Summary
Summary POLITICAL SCIENCE 212 NOTES
- Institution
- Stellenbosch University (SUN)
I made notes so you don't have too! With these notes, I got 75% plus.
[Show more]
Content preview
Lecture 1 – Introduction: What is political behaviour?Dalton (Chapter 2)
Why do we study political behaviour?
- Active debate on the vitality (state of being strong and active) of contemporary
democracy.
- New political challenges have emerged over time, in the established democracies.
- The democratic process is dependent on participation.
“people are the best judge of their own destiny”
- We want to understand and predict political behaviour.
- Democracy = “citizenship politics”, BUT do we understand the citizens to whom we
give so much responsibility?
- Recently – fall of communism move towards democracy.
- Success of democracy is measured by:
1. Public’s participation in political process.
2. Respect for citizen rights.
3. Responsiveness of political system to popular demands toward the political
system.
- “in a democracy the people get the kind of government they deserve – for better or
worse” – Adlai Stevenson (contested statement)
- Challenge:
o Public is not homogenous.
Different ideologies, opinions, interests and experiences.
o Understanding the decline in civic engagement.
- Study of behaviour = study of attitudes (attitudes inform behaviour)
- Measure support for/involvement in the political system.
How do we study the attitudes of citizens?
- Methodology:
o Surveys
o Questionnaires
o Representative
- Strengths of the Methodology
o Surveys = general questions
o Questionnaires = can ask questions on motivations and expectations
o Samples = can test the attitudes of different groups
1
, (Statistics provide a test/ yardstick for qualitative theory.)
Why comparative studies of public opinion?
- Do a comparison of Western countries.
- England, France, Germany and the USA.
- Similar systems and roles for citizens.
- Comparison makes it possible to determine what is more “universally” true.
- Determine impact of system and institutions (e.g. electoral system, party competition
and functioning of the state).
- Confirm or refute theory.
The changing nature of political behaviour.
- Premise: political behaviour is changing.
WHY?
- Industrialisation – unprecedented economic well-being.
- Restructuring of labour market.
- Urbanisation – diversifies occupations and interests and allows for geographic and
social mobility.
- Organisations = voluntary rather than communal and more spontaneous in
organisation.
- Greater access to education + better access to information = most sophisticated
public in history.
- Weaker social networks = more diversity in political opinion.
- New role for governments – more responsibility for social support / protection.
- Decline in “traditional” participation (elections).
o Increase in unconventional participation (protests, action groups, direct
participation).
- Politics of affluence.
o More focus on issues.
o New issues (environment, nuclear, equality, human rights, gender equality).
- Changes in party politics.
o Less stable.
o More fragmentation and more parties.
o Class less important – erodes social basis of voting.
o Education and information make it possible for more people to make
independent political decisions.
2
,- Better quality of life tends to make people more critical of government.
- Crisis in legitimacy – new values creates scepticism toward elite-controlled
hierarchical organisations (like political parties) (environment, nuclear, equality,
human rights, gender equality).
3
, Lecture 2 – What are attitudes?
Manheim (Chapter 2)
What is an attitude? (def.)
- It is a predisposition to respond to a particular stimulus in a particular manner.
o Attitudes intervene between a stimulus and a reaction/response.
o In the process of receiving a message, you interpret it.
Attitudes intervene between stimulus and response.
Functions of attitudes
“...only in the context of our existing storehouse of beliefs and values can any new
experience, any new information that we encounter while communicating with the world, take
on meaning. Only on the basis of our existing wants, needs, knowledge and expectations
4
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller FrencSA. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R100,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
70055 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now