We will begin by defining the two key terms we will use in this class: government and politics.
- What is a Government?
Terms:
- government.
- institutions.
- state.
- legislature.
- executive.
- judiciary.
- constitution.
- authority.
- coercion.
- consent.
- community.
- civil society.
- legal system.
- military.
- police.
- Types of Government.
Terms:
- natural form of governments.
- perverted form of government.
- corruption.
- monarchy.
- autocracy.
- tyranny.
- aristocracy.
- oligarchy,
- polity.
- democracy,
- direct democracy.
- indirect democracy.
- authoritarianism.
- What is Politics?
Terms:
- power.
- politics.
- power relations.
- resources.
- status.
- the distribution of material goods.
- individuals.
- groups.
- influence.
- political parties.
- interest groups.
- the media.
- social media
- political consultants.
- What is Political Culture?
Terms:
- attitudes.
- beliefs.
- sentiments.
- discourses.
- symbolic practices.
- individualism.
- moralistic
- traditionalism.
Lectures - optional
- What is power?
- Why do you have to take this class?
- No Really . . . why do you have to take this class?
- Aristotle and His Classification of Government.
- Max Weber: Power and Authority.
- The First Virginia Charter 1606.
- Territorial History of the USA: Every Month for 400 Years.
- Stephen Austin's contract to bring settlers to Texas, 1825.
- Territorial Development of Texas.