Political
Economy
Chapter
17 and 18: Sociology, Schaefer, 1995-2008.
Power and Property
Property:
- A social relationship vs. a
thing
- Rights, privileges, and responsibilities
- Ownership and power
Ownership:
- Private
- Public (state)
- Communal
Communal Ownership:
- Communism (primitive vs. advanced).
Private Ownership:
- Capitalism
- Personal profit (accumulation)
- Free
market==> Competition.
- Private interests lead
to public good
- Or, private affluence==>public
squalor?
- Productive capacity--high.
- Capitalism
in modern societies: They
Rule
- Entrepreneurial==>Corporate
(Monopolies/Oligopolies): 500 Businesses responsible for 75% of the
GNP.
- Ownership: dispersed,
yet concentrated.
- Separation of owner
from manager
- Interlocking
directorates
- Advertising vs competition:
USA spends more than rest of the world; over $ 100 billion/year==>
expand markets, create needs: Anomie.
- Paper entrepreneurialism:
buying and selling of wealth vs. products.
- Illicit activities
- Multinational
Corporations (see also: wikipedia)
Public (state) Ownership:
- Socialism
- Social needs
- Central
planning
- Private affluence==>inequality
- Productive capacity--problematic,
distribution--more efficient
- Authoritarian, Totalitarian,
Democratic
Convergence:
- Post-industrial/post-modern
reality.
- Harrington and Levinson: The Perils
of a Dual Economy
Division of Labor and
the Structure of Occupations.
- Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
occupations. The Structure
of the US Labor Force
- Specialization (organic
solidarity), efficient, 1850-323 occupations, today over 20,000.
- Alienation
- Professionalization
- Occupation requiring
extensive, systematic knowledge and training. High pay, prestige.
- Skill=knowledge vs technique
- Autonomy
- Association and internal
regulation
- Controlled admission--certification
- Code of ethics
G.B. Shaw: Professions as a
conspiracy
Control and Organization
of Property ==>Power.
See also: Theoretical
Models in Political Sociology by Ted
Goertzel (professor in the Sociology Department at Rutgers University) for
a thorough review of classic theories that are still relevant today.
- Power is a capacity: Latent force
- Force is manifest power
- Institutionalized Power is Authority
- Authority rests in the State
The State vs. Government==> Political
Order (social organization of power)
- Legitimate force
- Force: authority (legitimate)
- Coercion: illegitimate power
- Influence--persuasion
Authority:
Position (Status) within the Social Structure
- Traditional
- Charismatic (dynamic) (routinization)
(impact of mass media)
- Legal Rational-- (Rationalization)
- Position vs person
- Stable
- Rules and regulations.
The Role of the State
Functions of the State:
- Hobbs-social
contract, preservation of order.
- Norms-law
- Arbitration of disputes
- Planning and direction
- Affairs with other states
- Also, care and protection, economic,.....
Conflict:
- Tool of the dominant class
(a bit simplistic); but- the role of the state in establishing and maintaining
the status quo.
- Rousseau:
(on the social
contract)-"You need me for I am rich and you are poor. Let's make
a contract. You get the privilege and honor of serving me, as long as you
give me what you have for the trouble I take in ruling you."
- Critical relationship between
the State and the Economic System: Circulation
of Elites
- Work
and revolution
Forms of the State:
- Authoritarian
- Totalitarian
- Democratic (representative
vs. pure)
- Advanced Economy--stability
- Restraint on
Power
- No significant
divisions
- Possibility
of dissent
- Access to Information
- Diffusion of
Power
Political Processes
- Political Socialization
- Party System: 2 party/majority
rule vs multi-party and proportional representation
- Participation: apathy and efficacy
- Women and Politics==> role
ambiguity
The Distribution of
Power and Control
- Interest groups/lobbying/PACs
(pressure groups)
- Conflict: benefit to affluent.
- See also: Theoretical
Models in Political Sociology by Ted
Goertzel (professor in the Sociology Department at Rutgers University)
for a thorough review of classic theories that are still relevant today.
Power
Elite and Ruling Class Models
C. Wright Mills:
- Power
Elite (an alternative view)
- Relatively independent groups:
Political, Corporate, and Military.
- They
Rule.
Interest
group leaders, legislators, P.O. leaders
Unorganized,
exploited masses
Domhoff: Ruling
Class (pdf)
(Ruling
Class local copy)
- 1% of population, owners of
income producing property
- 13% of income
- 30% of wealth
- Not conspiracy, individuals,
networks, interlocking boards, schools, recreation, etc.
- Act in own interest, influence
political processes, etc.
- Dahl (below)
- Failed to trace how local
elites are networked to others at the national level
- Domhoff demonstrates integrated
network of local elites that seemingly constitute national control group
- Research
on Power
Pluralism
- Veto Groups: Interest groups that
have the ability to prevent the exercise of power by others, keep debate open.
- Union, Professions, Social movements,
etc.
- Political leaders forced to work
with these groups
- From
oligarchy to pluralism (excerpt from Who Governs?
Democracy and Power in an American City (1961) on questa.com)
- New Haven--Few "Decision
Makers"
- But--community power-diffuse,
variety of interests and participation in decision making based on specific
concerns.
Conclusions:
- Question whether many issues ever
reach the arena of public debate.
- Local and national elites set
the agenda, determine the "playing rules," and referee the game.
- Outcome always benefits their
interests.
- Overall--power is unequally distributed.
- The Internet: Cyberactivism and
the power of immediate access.
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