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The Process of Decision Making
Because people are interdependent they must live in groups.
Regardless of size, each group if it is to be effective and to survive must establish certain fundamentals and see that they are acted upon:
Each one of these group fundamentals involves the use of decision making and power.When humans make decisions about important issues, they tend to base their decisions on what they believe to be "realistic", or "makes sense", or is "reasonable". These words are descriptors defining what that person considers to be legitimate.
Legitimate Sovereignty
What is considered legitimate is directly related to the values, beliefs and ideas of the world view of the individuals within the group.
Assumptions about the basic nature of humanity is one of the most important considerations in determining legitimate social relationships:
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Theoretical Viewpoints on the Allocation of Sovereignty
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Europeans were faced with religious change as a result of the reformation, economic change which led to the growth of a more powerful middle class, all of which began to suggest to many that political change was also needed.
The debate often became violent and led to civil war in Britain and France.
Some saw change as a bad thing indicating the need for more centralization of power.
Others believed it was a good because it would lead to a better society some time in the future.
Philosophers began to offer new paradigms for dealing with the organization and control of society:
Hobbes
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Competing Claims for Recognition and Power
Every society has to allocate to the right to make decisions for society.
Many groups within society will claim for various reasons that they are best
suited to make decisions for society.
Claims Based on Power
These claims are often supported by the power of:
Ideologies include:
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The Role of Ideology in Decision Making
Ideologies influence how conflicts are resolved because they:
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People often classify ideologies using a political spectrum in which:
The Conservative's Claim to Power
The legitimacy of the conservatives' claim to power is based upon the idea that society ought to conserve those things that have been tested and accepted over time as being the legitimate and significant ways of maintaining a civilized society.
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Conservative Ideology:
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The Liberal's Claim to Power
The legitimacy of the liberal's claim to power is based on the idea that each individual is best qualified to make judgments and decisions about the direction of her or his life.
Liberal Ideology:
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Socialist's Claim to Power
The legitimacy of the socialist's claim to power is based on the idea that the existing economic system and the accompanying society and political system was unjust, inequitable, and resulted in unnecessary suffering for many while the few had more than they needed.
Socialist Ideology:
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Socialists differ on how to achieve the objective of social equality.
Utopian socialists believe that:
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Maintaining Stable Government in Pluralistic Societies
Societies are made up of competing interest groups each with a power base (resources, numbers, organization) and each desiring decisions that will satisfy their needs/wants.
It is serious problem to maintain a stable government in the face of the many and deep divisions within society.
Decision Making within a Democracy
Individuals living in a democratic society must:
Governments suffer their greatest handicap when they must govern without consent or when the legitimacy of the regime is questioned.
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Elections are an important part of the legitimization process:
A political party is a group organized to achieve and exercise power within a political system.
Often political parties begin as a pressure group which over time attracts more support and a wider appeal and then evolves into a political party.
Successful mass based parties unite thousands of people directly and indirectly by finding policies which appeal to the majority of the people.
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The Behaviour of Political Parties
Political parties have as their central purpose gaining and maintaining power.
Political parties have three important functions to perform in the electoral process:
There are many different groups within society who wish for one reason or another to have an influence on the kind and direction of decisions Parliament and the Legislatures make.
Each of these groups attempts to use their sources of power in ways which influence the decision making process.
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There are many different ways in which special interests groups can go about
influencing decision making
.
To some extent pressure groups may be limited only by their creativity in finding sources of power:
Individuals or groups often try to gain or maintain control over the sources of power so that they will have the ability to use their power to further:
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Issues of Sovereignty in Canada
The Treaty Rights of Indian People
The term, Treaty Rights, refers to the rights and benefits granted to Indian Peoples.
Between 1870 and 1906, six treaties were signed between the Indian Bands on the prairies and the British Crown through the agency of the Canadian government.
Treaty rights and benefits include the rights to:
Mohawk Claims to Sovereignty
The first Europeans in Canada signed peace and friendship treaties with the Six Nations Confederacy of which the Mohawks were part.
According to these treaties, the Europeans and the members of the Six Nations Confederacy would continue to live according to their own laws and cultures.
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In 1876, the federal government passed the Indian Act in which Band Councils were recognized by the Government of Canada as the only legitimate representatives of Aboriginal communities.
As a result, the members of the Six Nations Confederacy were:
In the spring of 1990, the Mohawks of Kanesetake blocked the road leading to a disputed area of land. The Mohawks believed the land belonged to them. The nearby town of Oka claimed it owned the land, and planned to extend its golf course onto the land.
On July 11, 1990, the Quebec Provincial Police stormed the blockade so that work on the golf course could begin. However, the police failed in their bid and one officer was killed.
They have found that the only way they can get a hearing from Canadian society has been to organize themselves as interests groups and systematically become involved in politics.
In 1846, Saskatchewan Indian bands formed a governing body called the Union of Saskatchewan Indians. In 1959, this body was reorganized and called the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians. In 1986, it became the FSIN.
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The Human Rights of Women
In Canada, from the 19th century to the present, many women have organized to end what they interpret as social inequality.
While not all women agree on all issues and have sharp divisions over tactics, there are some assumptions that are common to most feminist perspectives. These include the belief that:
These challenges have significantly contributed to many policies such as those that provide for:
| Table of Contents: Grade Ten Unit Three |