Chapter 14

the social insitution through which power is acquired & exercised by some people & groups

the formal organization that has the legal & political authority to regulate the relationships among members of a society & between the society & those outside its borders

the political entity that possesses a legitimate monopoly over the use of force within its territory to achieve its goals

the area of the sociology that examines the nature & consequences of power within or between societies, as well the social & political conflicts that lead to changes in the allocation of power

according to Max Weber, the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite oppostion from others

power that people accept as legitimate rather than coercive

power that is legitimized on the basis of long-standing custom

power legitimized on the basis of a leader's exceptional personal qualities

the process by which charismatic authority is succeeded by a bureaucracy controlled by a rationally established authority or by a combination of traditional & bureacratic authority

power legitimized by law or written rules & procedures (also referred to as bureacuratic authority)

a political system in which power resides in one person or family & is passed from generation to generation through lines of inheritance

a political system controlled by rulers who deny popular participation in government

a political system in which the state seeks to regulate all aspects of people's public & private lives

a political system in which the people hold the ruling power either directly or through elected representatives

an analysis of political systems that views power as widely dispersed throughout many competing intrest groups

political coalitions composed of individuals or groups that share a specific intrest that they wish to protect or advance with the help of the political system

organizations of special intrest groups that solicit contributions from donors & fund campaigns to help elect (or defeat) candidates based on their stances on specifc issues

a view of society that sees power in political systems as being concentrated in the hands of a small group of elites whereas the masses are relatively powerless

C. Wright Mill's term for the group made up of leaders at the top of business, the excutive branch of the federal government, & the military

an organization whose purpose is to gain & hold legitimate control of government

the process by which people learn political attitudes, values, & behavior

the mutual interdependence of the military establishment & private military contractors

a term used to describe a societal focus on military ideals & on aggressive preparedness for war

the calculated unlawful use of physical force or threats of violence against persons or property in order to intimidate or coerce a government, organization, or individual for the purpose of gaining some political, religious, economic, or social objective

organized, armed conflict between nations or distinct politicial faction