Political Organization of Societies & Democracy: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on Aug 16, 2024 in Social sciences

UNIT 8. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF SOCIETIES (8.1)

8.1.1. The State

The state is a group of institutions created to organize the life and activity of people living in the same territory.

The same power governs the population of this state under the same laws.

8.1.2. The Territory

Every state has a territory to rule. The territory is usually well defined by borders that distinguish one state from others.

Beyond territorial borders, the state cannot adopt decisions and cannot impose its force.

If these rules aren’t respected, conflicts will appear between states.

8.1.3. The Population

People who live in the territory of a state are subjected to the power and the laws of this state.

8.1.4. The Power

The state has the power to rule. The state has different functions to execute this power:

A) The state promotes laws that regulate the relationships of the population in the state.

B) The state takes care of the compliance of the laws through the judicial power.

C) The state is responsible for the interior order in the territory and the exterior security. For this reason, we have the police and the army.

D) The state has exclusive competence in foreign policy, that is to say, the relation with other states.

E) The state collects taxes.

F) The state controls the economy by laws that regulate business and the labor market.

G) The state administers public services, for example, education and health.

8.2. The Democracy

8.2.0. Introduction

In the past, it was often considered that power corresponded to a single person.

This person obtained it through inheritance or other means.

In the 19th century, some countries decided to elect governors.

At that time, only those people who paid taxes could participate.

In modern democratic states, citizens over 18 years old elect the governors because all people have the right to decide the future of the state.

8.2.1. Elements of a Democratic State

The Elections

An election:

• Must be free for citizens to be candidates and to develop the electoral campaign.
• Must be plural, so voters must have different options.
• Is made by universal suffrage. This means that it must involve all citizens as voters over 18 without any discrimination for sex or economic reasons.
• Must be periodic.

Political Parties

In a democracy, people have freedom of opinion, and there is generally no agreement on how to govern.

For this reason, people create political parties.

Political parties are the way for citizens to participate in the political life of a territory.

Political parties present their programs, their candidates, and objectives to citizens.

Citizens, with their vote, elect one of the political options.

According to the votes, each political party has several parliamentarians who will defend the positions of his/her party in the Parliament.

The Division of Powers

In democratic regimes, there is a separation of powers. The reason is to avoid that one institution captures all the power.

The division of power is separated into three: the parliament, the government, and the justice system.

8.3. Democratic and Non-Democratic States

8.3.1. Different Types of Democratic States

The democratic states present different modalities and characteristics:

Monarchy

• Some democratic states are parliamentary monarchies.
• The highest authority is the King, but the sovereignty is from the citizens.
• The king reigns, but he doesn’t govern and he must swear fidelity to the constitution.
• His charge is for life and it is hereditary.
• In Europe, countries like the United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain are examples of constitutional and parliamentary monarchies.

Republics

• Other democratic countries are parliamentary republics.
• In these states, the function of head of state is made by the President of the republic, elected by people.
• The government of the state remains in the hands of the first minister or the president of the republic.
• In Europe, countries like France, Italy, and Australia are examples of parliamentary republics.

Liberal States

• A liberal state doesn’t try to interfere in the economy of companies or in social relationships.
• This state considers that the economy must work according to proper rules and according to the law market; in other words, the offer and demand law should regulate prices and working conditions.
• This will create wealth and employment for everyone.

Social States

• A social state defends the need for intervention in some economic and social aspects.
• To accomplish this, the government sets instruments like pensions, unemployment benefits, base salaries, public health, and compulsory education.
• The reason for these instruments is to achieve the biggest equality between all citizens.

Centralized and Decentralized States

Centralized States

• When decisions that affect the regions or territories that integrate the State are decided only by the central government.
• This is the case of countries like France and Poland.

Decentralized States

• When decisions that affect the regions or territories that integrate the state are decided by the central government but also by local governments.
• Germany and Spain, in some aspects, are decentralized.

8.3.2. Undemocratic States

Democracy has been a long and difficult task and represented many political and social conflicts.

In the past, the power in some countries was exercised by a single person or a privileged group. Nowadays, this also happens in some countries.

This person or group decided according to their interests. We find two different types:

• Absolute Monarchy
• Dictatorship

Absolute Monarchy

• It is when the king concentrates all the power or chooses directly people who exercise these functions on behalf of him.
• These monarchs claim that they act on behalf of God.
• Saudi Arabia and Oman in Asia are examples of absolute monarchy.

Dictatorship

• It is a regime in which a person rules with absolute power. This person rules with the support of a political party, an ethnic group, or the army.
• Dictatorships are frequent in Africa and Asia.

8.4. Between Globalization and Regionalism

The state can exercise power and sovereignty.

Although States have given part of their power to supranational institutions to solve problems that exceed their ambit of action.

The factors that have influenced the transformation of the traditional State were the following:

8.4.1. The State and Globalization

A) Globalization of the economy. Capital flows move from one country to another; this means there are global finances around the world.

B) Information highways allow people to obtain information in real-time, so there are no limits in distance or time.

8.4.2. The State and Regionalization

As the World is every day more global, particular areas and regions are also very important.

In our global world, particular areas or regions of the world must be respected.

We understand as a particular area or region a place where there is a different social and cultural personality.

An example of this situation is the Spanish State, which is organized territorially in autonomous communities.

The objective is to respect the different cultural aspects of its regions.

8.4.3. The Function of the State Today

Nowadays, states share their competences with other organizations (EU), but some functions are still exclusive:

A) Coordination of the regions in the territory to share wealth and responsibilities around all the states.

B) The State also guarantees the compliance of the laws and the rights for all the population.

C) States guarantee the creation and maintenance of basic infrastructures, connecting different parts of the territory and connecting with other countries.

D) States coordinate the fight against global terrorism.

8.5. Treaties, Declarations and Supranational Organizations

8.5.1. Relationships Among States

States develop relations together because they are affected by the same problems. It’s only possible to solve them with a coordinated action. States take different actions to accomplish common objectives:

8.5.2. Treaties, Conventions and International Declarations of Rights

There are a lot of treaties and international agreements signed by the states about weapon control, non-nuclear weapons, climatic change, etc.

There is also an international declaration of rights.

Among the universal declarations of rights; the most important are:

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• The Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
• The Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

8.5.3. Supranational Organizations

After the Second World War, supranational organizations were created to solve problems caused by the multiplication of international relationships. There are worldwide organizations, for example, the organizations of the United Nations or the World Trade Organization.

There are continental or regional organizations, like the European Union and the Arab League.

These organizations make an important task for economic development, health promotion, education, and peace.

8.5.4. The Organization of United Nations (ONU)

The Organization of the United Nations (ONU) is the biggest and the most important of the supranational organizations. It was created in 1945 by 51 states, and nowadays, almost all of the world states are part of it.

United Nations objectives are established on the foundational letter:

1. Maintaining peace and international security.
2. Developing friendly relationships among nations, based on the right of equality and the free determination of countries.
3. Cooperating to solve international economic, social, cultural, and human problems.
4. Promoting respect for human rights.

8.5.5. Organizations Depending on the United Nations

To develop concrete objectives, the United Nations created other organizations or agencies.

Two of the best agencies are:

• UNICEF (International Funds of the United Nations for the Childhood)
• UNESCO (Organization of the United Nations for Education, Science and Culture)

8.6. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s)

8.6.1. What are the NGOs?

We call NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) a private entity that doesn’t depend on the government and that, in principle, is independent of states and political parties.

Often societies or companies integrate the NGOs, although it can also be an association formed by citizens that have a motivation to act together.

The NGOs can be formed by millions of people, that make economic contributions or they collect funds.

NGOs have become so important that they act in problematic places, but they also act as a group of pressure against governments and companies.

8.6.2. NGOs as International Networks

Many NGOs have become powerful organizations specialized in concrete areas:

• The Red Cross, Intermon-Oxfam or Metges Sense Fronteres work in humanitarian actions, wars, natural disasters, or famines.
• Other NGOs promote human rights and denounce the places where human rights are not respected.
• Amnesty International is one of these organizations.
• There are also NGOs that protect animals and nature, and they denounce the destruction of the environment.
• Greenpeace and WWF (World Wild Fund) are the most well-known.

8.6.3. The Growth of the NGOs

NGOs are becoming important in places where the states don’t want to participate or they cannot participate.

A) They solve urgent problems in humanitarian actions.

B) They take into consideration people’s integral development (health, culture, technology) and especially where the countries don’t have the economic and social mechanisms to offer it to the population.

C) They make the population aware of the causes that people must defend.

D) They ask for responsibilities to governments and companies.

8.7. Cultural Areas of the World

8.7.1. The Culture and the Cultural Differences

We call culture the group of traditions, knowledge, and lifestyle of a group of people that is different from other groups.

The language, the history, social or political ideas, and the religion are fundamental elements of people’s culture. Other aspects like alimentation, clothes, music, etc., are also part of every culture.

Sometimes different cultural groups coexist in the same territory.

Cultural differences, that is to say, the cultural diversity is not caused by the physical characteristics of people. Cultural differences are caused by education, way of life, or way of thinking.

All cultures have the right to develop their culture with freedom and dignity.

Knowing and respecting other cultures is a basic step for coexistence in our world.

8.7.2. Mass Culture and Consumption

Although there are many different cultures that are more or less ancient or important, in the present day, we find the fast imposition of mass culture.

• Mass culture progressively arrives in all areas of the world.
• The most important characteristic is the generalization of the same consumption patterns.
• The consequence is that every time more people around the world behave in the same way. People have similar attitudes, lifestyles, or values, so local characteristics are sometimes abandoned.
• Communication, mass media, and global companies are helping this evolution.
• Traveling is also another help for globalization, and every day is easier to move around the world. World tourism is also a source for the appearance of products from other areas of the world and the change of these new products for the local ones.
• This process originates tension and contradiction in relation to local culture and tradition.
• Sometimes the pressure of new ideas, products, or customs provokes the disappearance of old traditions.
• This is something negative for any culture. Respect for traditions is really important if we want to understand how we are.
• Perhaps the solution is integrating new cultural concepts without imposition.
• Positive aspects of mass culture can also contribute to traditional culture.
• Coexistence and tolerance is the future in our global society.