summary :
The basic notion of politics is the process making decisions through interaction of people. In a region such as cooperation, academy, or religion, politics is a tool to take the political matters.
In politics, there are important concepts : power, authority, and violence. The power is ability to influence other people’s behavior. The authority is a power which has legitimacy.
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Max Webber (picture1)
1864. 4. 21, German - 1920. 6. 14
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Especially, Max webber propose three type of legitimate authority. That is Rational-legal authority, Traditional authority, and Charismatic authority. Rational-legal authority has formal rules such as constitution. and it is the type of most modern society. Traditional authority is a custom from long standing habits such as the hereditary succession of power. Charismatic authority is important for leader’s charisma such as religion leaders.
Violence is government’s power to force people to behave. So violence cause controversy with many questions about ‘justification’ of violence.
As we know, there are many types of government. According to the number of leaders or root of power, the types devide to Monarchy, Democracy, Totalitarianism, Oligarchy, Communist state, and Theocracy.
Political parties are alliance to take various interests. They try to retain political power. Basically, there are two type of parties : a two-party system(such as US), and a multi party system(such as Sweden). There is a law that an election system affects an system of political party. That is Duverger’s law.
Last, there are examples of voting patterns and inequality such as gender, race, and class.
picture1_copyright from : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMax_Weber.gif
Interesting points & Discussions :
> 한글로 : http://blog.naver.com/gnfpsem1234/220825244398
I thought what people earn through 'politics'. People come in politics because the politics includes member's benefits. According to this concept, when we elect people who decide nation's policy, political agenda which that candidates suggested determine who will win or lose. 'Social interest' is most important variable on political agenda. (reference : 일반논문 : 복지에 대한 사회적 관심과 복지예산과의 관계_박기묵
http://kiss.kstudy.com.libproxy.hanyang.ac.kr:8080/journal/thesis_name.asp?tname=kiss2002&key=3272256)
Discussion1.
“Why are young people less likely to vote than are elderly people? What are the consequences of this?”
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| Voter Turnout by Age : 2012 US Presidential Election (picture2) |
picture 2_copyright from : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AVoter_Turnout_by_Age_2012_US_Presidential_Election.png
I thought about this. To get the social interest, first, condition, which is worthy of getting interest, should be exist already. I don’t know if Korean younger people could have how many interests about politics. Since they were elementary school student, they went private educational academy to go to a college concentrating education only for entering college. Also, the processes for getting a job wait them. After getting a job with extensive efforts, they strive to adapt to that society. Look around. How many younger people who get the interest on congress and talk about that political topics could you see?
One of the reason why the older people’s voter turnout is high is years of experience, absolutely. the older people can know what they need because they have more experiences and composures than the younger people have. They also can know how they should act through the formal experiences in a society. And, the voter turnout follows this interest.
Order of priority on pledge which politician have to do, is up to things that nation, especially substantive voters, concern about with ‘interest.’ Therefore, the present policies more focus on the older people’s benefits than the younger’s. Because the older people relatively have more experiences and know their situation and position than them.
Someone would talk to me, but I don’t want to hear such as “Don’t grumble.”, “The older people strive to live, themselves.”, “At first, you had no social interest. Such you were a fool.”, “There are outstanding younger people having social interest, you were a lazy.”, or “Don’t attribute your disinterest to our responsibility.” If they did, I want to ask them “But you made this social structure which compel us to compete. so, is it not your fault at all?”
Discussion2.
“How could you get more young people to vote?”
Well, I have a question. Which child grows well under the two kind of parents?
a) “Don’t you know? What did you do to deserve this?” abusing and forcing
b) Arouse children’s interest and teach various methods
I don’t know. How could I know which child grows well? Just the child under the second parent will be more confident, independent, and responsible.
If you concern about Korean younger people’s indifference on politics and law voter turnout, make them have an interest on politics. Not just a brief interest, but a steady interest on the methods such as why we should have an interest, why we learn the politics, and how we could express our opinion formally and how we could refer that opinion to formal place should be taught from our childhood. Only then we can choose weather we will have interest on politics.
We want to disregard something unknown. If we knew basic process and had a concern about politics, only then we want to have interest on politics.
