Citizens, Society, & the State

(Cleavages, Civil Society, Media Roles, Political Participation)

Social Cleavages• Political cleavages are those national, ethnic,

linguistic, and religious divisions that exist in a society. These differences often have profound impacts on politics.

• Cross-Cutting – Occurs when people are torn between different

identities– Tends to result in more moderate conflict

• Complementary (Coincide)– Factors tend to pull people in one direction– Tends to lead to more conflict and violence

BASES OF SOCIAL CLEAVAGES

1. Social Class (Great Britain, less developed countries, India)

2. Ethnic Cleavages- could be religious or language. *Most divisive and explosive.* (Yugoslavia, Liberia, Rwanda, and Angola)

3. Religious Cleavages (Northern Ireland)4. Regional Cleavages- involves competition for jobs,

money, and development projects. (Nigeria)5. Race6. Gender

Social Movements

• Examples include US Civil Rights Movement• Social Participants from most to least active:– Zealots– Run-of-the-mill participants– Misers– Opportunists

Comparing Citizen/State Relationships

Attitudes and Beliefs of Citizens

• Do citizens trust their government?• Do they believe that the government cares

about what they think?• Do citizens feel that government affects their

lives in significant ways?• What is political efficacy?– A citizen’s capacity to understand and influence

political events

Citizenship

• Designation as official member of the society the state confers often on its permanent population– Birth right?– Dual Citizenship– Naturalization• Process by which a noncitizen becomes a citizen

Political Socialization

• How do citizens learn about politics in their country?

• Do electronic and print media shape their learning?

• Does the government put forth effort to politically educate their citizens?

• If so, how much of their effort might you call “propaganda”?

• How do children learn about politics?

There are three different patterns that describe the citizens’ role in the

political process:• Participants– Involved as actual or potential participants– They are informed and make policy demands

• Subjects– Passively obey the government and rarely vote

• Parochials– Hardly aware of government

Types of Participation• Conventional Participation– Voting, contacting the government, being a member of a

political party or interest group– Activities the political elite approve of– In a non-democratic state, many of these activities might

be repressed• Unconventional Participation– Activities the political elite do not approve of– Might be violent or disturb the status quo– Strikes, boycotts, marches, protests, violence, and

terrorism• Nonparticipation

Voting Behavior

• Do citizens in the country participate in regular elections?

• If so, are the elections truly competitive?• If not, what is the purpose of the elections?• What citizens are eligible to vote, and how

many actually vote?• Do politicians pay attention to elections, and

do elections affect policymaking?

Level of Transparency

• A transparent government is one that operates openly by keeping citizens informed about government operations and political issues and by responding to citizens’ questions and advice.

• This does not have to be limited to democracies, but low levels of transparency are often found in authoritarian governments, and corruption also tends to be lower in countries where government activities are relatively transparent.

Factors that influence politicalbeliefs and behaviors

• Consider the important cleavages in the country:• Do they make a difference in citizens’ political

beliefs and behaviors?– Examples: – Does the lower class vote for one political party or

another? – Are women’s beliefs and behaviors different from

those of men? – Are younger people as likely to vote as older people

are? – Do people in rural areas participate in government?

Civil Society and Democratic Society

• Civil society is defined as organized life outside the state. They are not, necessarily political organizations but, rather, a “diverse fabric of organizations” created by people of similar interests.

• Although groups in civil society are not political, they are an essential part of free societies because people can promote, defend, and articulate what is important to them.

• Civil society gives substance to politics and checks the power of the state.

• Some see civil society as a precursor to democracy.• Many argue that civil life is diminishing because people are

becoming more anonymous and detached in society.• A global civil society is emerging where citizens have similar

concerns as those of other nations and can join together to reinforce individual efforts.

• DISCUSSION: What is meant by the statement, “people are becoming more anonymous and detached in US society?”

1. Do you agree with the above statement?2. What are some of the factors that cause society to become

more anonymous and detached?

What are some examples of civil society?

Linkage Institutions

• Media• Political Parties• Elections• Interest Groups– Advocacy groups or economic groups

PLURALIST INTEREST GROUPS• Multiple groups may represent a single societal

interest.• Group membership is voluntary and limited.• Groups often have a loose or decentralized

organizational structure.• There is clear separation between interest groups and

the government.• Groups are not formally linked to the political process• US Model

Advantages• Competition between

groups force them to come up with strong policy ideas

Disadvantages• Inefficiency can result from

competition, hyper-pluralism

• Money’s influence

DEMOCRATIC CORPORATIST INTEREST GROUP SYSTEMS

• More organized in their representation of interests. They often, regularly work with the government and are stronger than pluralist interest groups.–Membership in the peak association is often

compulsory and nearly universal.– Peak associations are centrally organized and direct

the actions of their members.– Groups are often systematically involved in making

and implementing public policy.– UK model to a degree, although lessening

State Corporatism

• State brings and even creates interest groups • When business, labor, and the government

work closely in policymaking• This limits the influence of smaller groups • Groups have little autonomy• Secondary to the state in policy making• Mexico under PRI rule

State-Controlled System

• State creates and controls group• No autonomy• Common in authoritarian regimes• Arm of the state• Groups exist to facilitate government control of

society• Can still be a linkage institution for its agents

create support for government policy, AKA Transmission Belt