- •Московский государственный институт международных отношений (Университет)
- •Москва росспэн 2001
- •Редакционный совет:
- •Text 2: different views of politics
- •Ciifiry
- •Conflict
- •Anti-politics
- •General will
- •Text 4: concepts, models and theories
- •In effect
- •Interrelationships
- •Invalid
- •Absolutism
- •Totalitarianism
- •Liberal democracy
- •Liberal democracy
- •1Л. 14. Translate the text into English система правления
- •1» Assume forms
- •Text 2. Regimes of the modern world
- •Communism
- •Theocracy
- •I. Lord Advocate, to challenge
- •Communism
- •Text 3: полиархия
- •Text 4: classical typologies
- •Vocabulary:
- •Text 1: what is political ideology?
- •Text 2: liberalism and conservatism
- •Text 3: патерналистский консерватизм
- •Text 4: the end of ideology?
- •Democracy Text 1: Conceptions of democracy
- •Text 1: conceptions of democracy
- •Text 2: Democracy in practice: rival views
- •In (under) such circumstances
- •Text 2: democracy in practice: rival views
- •Developmental democracy
- •Protective democracy,
- •Text 3: демократия
- •Text 4: defining democracy
- •In many ways
- •The changing balance of the global economy.
- •In this respect
- •Text 2: towards world government
- •Ex. 6. Paraphrase the underlined parts, using the topical vocabulary
- •Text 4: understanding global politics
- •V.X. 17. Comment on:
- •Text 1: political socialisation
- •Политическая культура
- •Text 2: legitimacy and political stability
- •Text 3: почему происходят (to occur) революции?
- •Text 4: legitimation crises
- •Text 1: theories of representation
- •Text 2: electoral systems
- •I simple plurality system
- •I consult the text to do exer-
- •Text 3: функции выборов
- •Text 1: party politics
- •It cannot but take account of sth
- •Text 2: party systems
- •V.X. 8. Translate the sentences into English, using the topical vocabulary
- •Text 3: функции партий
- •Text 4: the decline of parties?
- •Incline sb to sth
- •View of sth
- •I dismiss the idea
- •Text 1: theories of decision-making
- •Education and manipulation of public opinion
- •Text 2: system performance
- •Shaping public opinion
- •Text 3: стадии в процессе политики
- •Text 4: democracy performance
- •9. The End of Empire?
- •Intergovern-mentalism
- •Internationa 1 law
- •Incrementalism
- •Intraparty democracy
- •Contents
- •Издательство «Российская политическая энциклопедия» (росспэн)
- •129256, Москва, ул. В.Пика, д. 4, корп. 2. Тел, 181-01-71 (дирекция); Тел./факс 181-34-57 (отдел реализации)
Text 3: функции выборов
Так как существуют многие виды и различные системы выборов, всегда трудно делать обобщения (generalisation) о роли и функциях выборов. Однако, продвижение (promotion) демократизации всегда ассоциируется с введением либерально-демократических выборных систем, характерными чертами которых являются всеобщее избирательное право (universal, suffrage), тайное голосование (the secret ballot) и состязательность (competitiveness/electoral competition).
Традиционно выборы рассматриваются как механизм, с помощью которого политиков призывают к ответу, и они вынуждены предлагать политические меры, учитывающие общественное мнение- Эта точка зрения «снизу-вверх» (the bottom-up) отражает такие функции выборов как: отбор политиков, представительство, осуществление правления, влияние на политику и т.п.
С другой стороны, радикальный взгляд на выборы рассматривает их как средство, с помощью которого правительства и политические элиты могут осуществлять контроль над своим населением, делая их более послушными (quiescent) и управляемыми. Эта точка зрения «сверху-вниз» (the top-down) отмечает такие функции выборов как: установление легитимности, формирование общественного мнения и укрепление элит.
В реальной жизни, однако, выборы, как и все каналы политической коммуникации, являются «улицей с двусторонним движением», которая предоставляет правящим и управляемым, элите и массам возможность оказывать влияние друг на друга.
Ex. 15. Translate the text into Russian
TEXT 4: VOTING BEHAVIOUR. THEORIES OF VOTING:
Party-identification model
The earliest theory of voting behaviour, the party-identification model, is based on the sense of psychological attachment that people have to parties. Electors are seen as people who identify with a party, in the sense of being long-term supporters who regard the party as 'their' party. Voting is therefore a manifestation of partisanship, not a product of calculation influenced by factors such as policies, personalities, campaigning and media coverage. This model places heavy stress on early political socialisation, seeing the family as the principal means through which political loyalties are forged. These are then, in most cases reinforced by group membership and later social experiences.
In this model, attitudes towards policies and leaders, as well as perceptions about group and personal interests tend to be developed on the basis of party identification. Events are thus interpreted to fit with pre-existing loyalties and attachments. This partisan alignment tends to create stability and continuity, especially in terms of habitual patterns of voting behaviour, often sustained over a lifetime.
Sociological model
The sociological model links voting behaviour to group membership, suggesting that electors tend to adopt a voting pattern that reflects the economic and social position of the group to which (hey belong. Rather than developing a psychological attachment to a party on the basis of family influence, this mode] highlights the importance of a social alignment, reflecting the various divisions and tensions within society. The most significant of these divisions are
• Majoritarian
systems are usually defended on the grounds that
they offer the
electorate a clear choice of potential governments,
invest
winning parties with a policy mandate, and help to
promote
strong and stable government. In contrast, proportional
systems
are defended on the grounds that they usually
give
government _____ .
Not uncommonly, party systems have been seen to reflect the class system, with the middle classes providing the electoral base for right-wing parties, and the working classes providing the electoral base for left-wing parties.
Rational-choice model
Rational-choice models of voting shift attention onto the individual and away from socialisation and the behaviour of social groups. In this view, voting is seen as a rational act, in the sense that individual electors are believed to decide their party preferences on the basis of their own interests.
Dominant-ideology model
Radical theories of voting tend to highlight the degree to which individual choices are shaped by a process of ideological manipulation and control. In some respects, such theories resemble the sociological model in that voting is seen to reflect a person's position in a social hierarchy. Where these theories differ from the sociological model, however, is in emphasising that how groups and individuals interpret their position depends on how it has been presented to them through education, by the government, and, above all, by the mass media. As the impact of class on voting declines, party competition and political debate are increasingly influenced by the media.
In contrast to the earlier view that the mass media merely reinforce pre-existing preferences, this suggests that the media are able to distort the flow of political communications, both by setting the agenda for debate and structuring preferences and sympathies, The consequence of this is that, if voters' attitudes conform to thl tenets of a dominant ideology, parties will not be able to afford develop policies that fall outside that ideology. In this way, far fronl challenging the existing distribution of power and resources in society, the electoral process tends to uphold it. The weakness of t dominant-ideology model is that, by overstating the process of soc conditioning, it takes individual calculation and personal autonom out of the picture altogether. t
i
Ex. 16. What do you think?
-
What is representation? How can one person 'represent' anothe
-
How can representation be achieved in practice?
-
What do elections do? What are their functions?
-
How do electoral systems differ? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
-
What do election results mean?
-
Why do people vote as they do? How can electoral behaviour be explained?
Ex. 17. Complete each paragraph
SUMMARY
• Representation is a relationship in which an individual or group stands for, or acts on behalf of, a larger body of people. This may be achieved through , through
. through .
• In modern politics, representation is invariably linked with elections. Elections may not be a sufficient condition for political representation, but are certainly a necessary condition. For elections to serve representative purposes, however, they must be , and conducted on the basis of
• Elections have a variety of functions. On the one hand, they have 'bottom-up' functions, such as
„__^__„ . On the other hand, radical
theorists emphasise their 'top-down' functions, which include
• Electoral systems are often classified as either majoritarian systems or proportional systems. In majoritarian systems, _____ ____. In proportional systems,
Ex. 18. Comment on
'If elections changed anything they'd abolish it'. The title of the book by Ken Livingstone (1987)
'Class is the basis of British party politics; all else is
embellishment and detail'. Peter Pulzer (1967)
Like all channels of political communication, elections are a
'two-way street' that provides the government and the people,
the elite and the masses, with the opportunity to influence one
another.
UNIT 8 Parties and party systems
Text 1: Party politics PRE-READING activity:
Ex. 19. Questions for discussion
-
Is representation merely a substitute for democracy?
-
What conditions best promote representative government?
-
Are elections more significant in calling politicians to account, or in ensuring the survival of a regime?
-
Is there inevitably a trade-off between electoral fairness and strong and stable government?
-
How successful are elections in defining the public interest?
-
To what extent is voting behaviour a rational and issue-based activity?
♦ Learn the topical vocabulary and word combinations VOCABULARY:
-
to diffuse v - распространять, рассеивать, разбрасывать; diffusion n — распространение, рассеивание; diffuse a - разбросанный, рассеянный, многословный; diffusive а - распространяющийся, рассеивающийся.
-
to integrate v — составлять целое, соединять; integrity п — полнота, целостность; честность, прямота; integrative а — объединенный.
-
to denote v — означать, показывать, указывать на ч-л (of sth.); denotation n - обозначение, знак, значение, denotative а - указывающий на (of), означающий.
-
to rely v — полагаться (на — on), доверять, reliance п — доверие, уверенность (on, upon, in); phr - to have (to feel) reliance upon - питать доверие к кому-либо, reliability n — надежность, достоверность; reliable а — надежный, вызывающий доверие.
-
to recruit v - вербовать, принимать на работу, набирать (в армию, флот), пополнять свои ряды; recruitment п — набор (сотрудников, новобранцев), пополнение рядов; recruit п -новобранец, новый член (общества, клуба).
(>. to convince v — убедить, уверить (в ч-л — of); conviction n -убеждение; phr - to carry conviction — убеждать, быть убедительным; convinced (of) - убежденный, convincible a -поддающийся убеждению; convincing a — убедительный.
7 to reduce v — уменьшать, сокращать, ослаблять; phr — to reduce to silence — заставить замолчать; to reduce to order — привести в порядок; reduction n - уменьшение, сокращение, снижение; phr - reduction of arms (armaments) - сокращение вооружений; redundance - излишек.
8. to content v - удовлетворять; phr — to content oneself with — довольствоваться чем-либо; content n — довольство, чувство удовлетворения; phr — to one's heart's content — к своему полному удовольствию; content а — довольный (with), contented а — довольный.
by
means of sth.
franchise
quasi
prevalence
of such parties above all
to
draw support (from)
to
encompass sth
to
render sth. redundant
WORDS AND WORD COMBINATIONS
посредством чего-либо право участвовать в выборах как будто, якобы, почти преобладание (господство) таких партий прежде всего получать поддержку содержать в себе, включать упразднить, сделать ненужным/лишним
-
Work in pairs: Do you think the following statements are true or false?
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A party is a group of people that is organised for the purpose of winning elections by electoral means.
-
Parties typically adopt a one issue focus, addressing one particular problem.
-
Parties are united by a general ideological identity.
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A cadre party denotes trained and professional members.
-
A mass party places heavier stress on ideology.
-
Representative parties attempt to reflect rather than shape, public opinion.
-
'Rational choice' model of political behaviour is based on t 'catch-all' strategy.
-
Parties of integration wish to mobilise, educate and inspire tha masses.
-
Constitutional parties recognise that they can be voted out power as easily as they can be voted in.
-
Revolutionary parties aim at overthrowing governments by constitutional means.
-
The left-wing parties are characterised by a commitment to change.
-
The right-wing parties generally uphold the existing social order.
-
Discuss/check your considerations with the rest of the class.
SCAN reading: look through the text to find answers to the true/false statements