He asked, what is political about political action and what is the place of “the political” in the ongoing conduct of social life? In one of Max Weber’s last public lectures-“Politics as a Vocation” (1919)-he asked, what is the meaning of political action in the context of a whole way of life? (More accurately, he used the term Lebensführung: what is the meaning of political action in the context of a whole conduct of life, a theme we will return to in the next section). Understand how functionalists, critical sociologists, and symbolic interactionists view government and politics.Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power Identify and describe factors of political exception that affect contemporary political lifeġ7.4.The De-Centring of the State: Terrorism, War, Empire, and Political Exceptionalism Describe the dynamic of political demand and political supply in determining the democratic “will of the people”ġ7.3.Explain the significance of the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy.
Identify and describe the three types of authority.Define and differentiate between government, power, and authority.