Unit 01. Political organisation slideshare

UNIT 01
The Political Organisation of
the Society

INDEX  Introduction
1. The political organisation of society:
the state
 Definition
 Main Functions
2. Democratic and non-democratic states
 Democratic States
 Non Democratic States
3. The exercising of power: Democracy
 The Elections of Representatives
 Democratic Elections and Political Parties
 Separation of Powers
4. The State: between the globalisation
and the regionalisation
5. Treaties and supranational
organisations
6. Non-governmental asociations (NGO’s)
7. World cultural affairs
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Introduction
 Geopolitics studies the spatial organisation of society.
 The state has formed the basis of this organisation for
many years and continues to play a very important role,
but it has also suffered many changes.
4

…many changes.
5

 Traditionally, the state has political, economic and
cultural sovereignty. A sovereign state can be
democratic or non-democratic.
6

 The state cedes part of its
sovereignty to supranational
organisations (UN, EU) and
regional organisations
(autonomous communities,
town councils).
 Non-governmental
organisations also play an
increasingly important role in
international politics.
7

Differences between…
 Nation
 Country
 State
8

 Present day
international
relations are
characterised by
the dominant
influence of the
United States,
Islamism as a
political force in
conflict with the
west and the
growing
importance of
China in world
affairs.
9

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Developed countries
 Canada, the USA, Japan and the EU are examples of
more economically developed countries
(MEDCs) with capitalist systems.
11

Developing countries
 Developing countries have a cheap and plentiful
workforce, few environmental regulations and
strong governments.
12

Emerging countries
 Some are emerging economies, like BRICS:
 Brazil
Russia
 India
China
 South Africa
13

1
14
The political organisation
of society: the state

State
15
 The state is made up of
institutions that apply a
territory's laws and powers to
regulate the lives of people who
live there.
 The territory is the
geographical area under the
state's authority that is limited
by borders.
 Everyone in the state has the
same rights and obligations.
 The state's functions are:

a) Pass laws
16
 To establish laws through parliament..

b) Administer Justice
17

c) Maintain Order
18
 To maintain internal order through the police as
well as external security with the army.

d) Collect Taxes
19
 To collect taxes to pay for services and
infrastructure, and to manage the economy.

e) Administer
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 Administer infrastructure, such as roads, and
services, such as education.

2
21
Democratic and non-
democratic states

Democratic States
 There are different
democratic states:
 Constitutional
monarchies: the
monarch is the head of
state, but does not
govern.
 Parliamentary republics:
the elected president or
prime minister heads
the government.
22

Non-Democratic State
 In a non-democratic
state, one person or one
group has all the power and
governs according to their
own interests. Non-
democratic states can be:
 Absolute monarchies: the king
has all the power. He dictates
laws, governs and judges.
 Dictatorships: one person,
supported by a political party or
the army, has absolute power.
23

3
24
The exercising of power:
Democracy

The Election of Representatives
 In democratic states,
the citizens elect the
government.
 In a direct democracy,
citizens meet in assemblies or
hold referendums to make
decisions.
 In a representative
democracy citizens elect
representatives.
 These elected individuals
make up the
parliament.
25

Democracia Indirecta
26
Fuente:
http://www.javierllinares.es

Democracia Directa
27
Fuente:
http://filosofia.laguia2000.com

Democratic Elections and Political Parties
 Democratic elections
must be free, plural, apply
universal suffrage and be
periodical.
 In democracies, political
parties have different
views on how to govern.
 They present their
electoral manifesto and
their candidates for the
citizens to vote on.
28
Fuente:
http://i1.wp.com/www.getafevoz.es

Separation of Powers
 In democracies, there is
separation of powers:
No one institution has all
the power.
 Power is divided into:
 Legislative power (making
laws through parliament)
 Executive power
(government action)
 Judicial power (ensuring
laws are applied fairly and
correctly).
29

4
30
The state:
between globalisation
and regionalisation

State
 The state has exclusive power and sovereignty
over a territory.
 However, the traditional state has been
transformed because of economic globalisation
and new information technology.
 Despite globalisation, often regional areas gain
more control of their own affairs.
31

Region
 A region is a territory with a strong local
economy and a well-defined social and cultural
identity.
 Types of regions can vary. Examples are:
a) Nations without a state, like Quebec (Canada).
b) Consolidated and differentiated regions, such
as Bavaria (Germany).
c) Global cities, such as New York, Tokyo and
London.
32

 However, the state has
ultimate control:
 It coordinates the
regions and cities that
form the state.
 It ensures that
infrastructure, such as
roads and railways, are
built and maintained.
 The state also coordinates
the war on international
terrorism.
33
Fuente: http://globedia.com

5
34
Treaties and supranational
organisations

Common Problems
 States often work together
to resolve their common
problems.
 To do this:
 They sign treaties,
conventions and
international rights
declarations.
 They create
supranational or
international
organisations.
35
Fuente: http://www.webquest.es

 Treaties and
declarations cover
topics like disarmament
and climate change.
 International rights
declarations include
the Universal
Declaration of Human
Rights.
36
Fuente: http://media-1.web.britannica.com

United Nations
 Supranational organisations foster international
relations and cooperation. The largest and most
important is the United Nations (UN).
37

 Some of its objectives are:
 To maintain peace and international security.
 To encourage good relations between nations.
 To cooperate on international problems.
 To develop a respect for human rights.
38
Fuente: http://rokambol.com

06/10/2017 18:14DavidProfeSoc 39

6
40
Non-governmental
organisations (NGOs)

 Non-governmental
organisations
(NGOs) are entities
with humanitarian
and social aims.
 They are
independent of
governments, states
and political parties.
41
Fuente:
http://blogs.elpais.com/

 NGOs today have a lot of power and they put a lot of
pressure on governments and businesses.
42
Fuente:
http://www.brandchats.com

Kinds of NGOs
 There are many different
types of NGOs depending
on the cause they are
defending:
 Those that promote
humanitarian action, such
as the Red Cross.
 Those that promote human
rights, such as Amnesty
International.
 Those that try to protect the
natural world, such as the
World Wildlife Fund.
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7
44
World cultural affairs

 Culture is the collection of common customs,
knowledge and ways of living that a group of people
share and is also something that differentiates them
from other groups.
45
Fuente:
http://guia.rehoteles.com
http://gruposancristobalblog.files.wordpress.com

 The fundamental elements of a culture are language,
history, religion and political and social ideas.
 Food, dress and music are also elements that define a
culture.
46
Fuente:
http://www.chefjessicabright.com
http://www.vanduivenboden.net
http://www.laviajeraempedernida.com

Multiculturalism
 Cultural pluralism or multiculturalism defends
the coexistence of diverse cultures within a
community.
47
Fuente:
http://brabosh.files.wordpress.com/
http://pad2.whstatic.com

 Today, mass culture can
be found all over the world.
A main feature is the
homogenisation of
global consumer trends.
 Sometimes this process can
lead to certain local or
traditional cultures
becoming marginalised or
disappearing.
48
¿De dónde es esta estudiante?
Fuente:
http://mecanicaxserver.uis.edu.co/

Unit 01. Political organisation slideshare

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Unit 01. Political organisation slideshare