PO111 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Free Rider Problem, Traditional Authority, Charismatic Authority
Document Summary
Key terms (some of the terms were covered in the lectures others are in the textbook) : politics is the activity related to influencing, making, or implementing collective decisions for a political community. Power: the ability to achieve an objective by influencing the behavior of others, to get them to do what they would not have otherwise done. Authority: the right to exercise power that is accepted by those being governed as legit. Legitimacy: is the acceptance by the members of a political community that those in positions of authority have the right to govern. Free rider problem: a problem with voluntary collective action that results because an individual can enjoy the benefits of group action without contributing. Traditional authority: authority based on customs that establish the right of certain persons to rule. Charismatic authority: authority based on the personal qualities of the leader, perception that leader has extraordinary qualities or super-natural qualities.
