POL114H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Harold Lasswell, Prison Notebooks, Antonio Gramsci
21 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Monday – May 7th, 2018
Week 1 – Lecture 1 – No Chapter
Global Politics
What is Politics?
Politics can be explained in two forms:
1-Precise definition → Harold Lasswell → the study of who gets what, when, and how.
2-Intiuitive understanding → the study of power, where power is the ability to affect change in
order to get what you want.
Power as Domination (power-over):
-Robert Dahl → A has power over B to the extent that A can get B to do something he would not
otherwise do.
-The ability to compel others to do your will.
-Coercion → threat or use of force.
-Giving or withholding material incentives such as money and food.
-Power is relative, and zero sum, which means that if someone has more of that power, the other
will have less.
Other Conceptions of Power:
A) Empowerment (power to):
-Ability and capacity to produce change and transform self and others.
-Positive sum (not zero sum).
B) Authority (vs. power):
-Derives from legitimacy, expertise, and social standing.
-Generally prevents coercion.
C) Power as Prerogative:
-The powerful party has the ability to make the rules that others follow, as well as break them.
For example: government officials in Arab countries.
-These powerful parties face fewer consequences than others when breaking the rules.
Soft Power:
-Joseph Nye → The ability to obtain preferred outcomes through attraction.
Document Summary
Week 1 lecture 1 no chapter. 1-precise definition harold lasswell the study of who gets what, when, and how. 2-intiuitive understanding the study of power, where power is the ability to affect change in order to get what you want. Robert dahl a has power over b to the extent that a can get b to do something he would not otherwise do. The ability to compel others to do your will. Giving or withholding material incentives such as money and food. Power is relative, and zero sum, which means that if someone has more of that power, the other will have less. Other conceptions of power: empowerment (power to): Ability and capacity to produce change and transform self and others. Positive sum (not zero sum): authority (vs. power): The powerful party has the ability to make the rules that others follow, as well as break them. These powerful parties face fewer consequences than others when breaking the rules.
