THE STATE Definition-the State is the institutional arrangement of civil laws and regulations. In Canada, laws and reg s. enforceable by agents of the federal, provincial and municipal governments
CANADIAN STATE The Canadian government- given the authority by its citizens. 1. Parliament in Ottawa (federal) 2. Queen s Park Ontario (provincial) 3. City Hall Toronto (municipal)
FUNCTIONALIST ON THE STATE The political realm is one institution regulating society Politics and economics are distinct in holding society together Symbiosis not power maintains the system The State is a fair and neutral arbitrator between upper, middle and lower class.
STATE IS A REGULATOR Laws and regulations are carved out of political policies or acceptable standards for the common good. See Hanna Arendt, The Human Condition 1958
MARXISTS ON THE STATE Marxists suggest that there is a direct link between politics and economy 1. K. Marx was a political economist 2. Adam Smith was an economist 3. For Marx, the ideas of any epoch are the ideas of the ruling class (ideology)
MARXIST ON THE STATE: Karl Marx-power is directly linked to social class interests. Feudalism= aristocracy over peasantry Capitalism= bourgeoisie over proletariat
CLASS, STATUS AND PARTY II. Max Weber=power, status and interaction Power -the ability to achieve desired ends despite resistance from others.
POWER Power must be distinguished from authority. Power is the ability to carry out one s will despite resistance regardless of the basis on which this probability rests.
AUTHORITY Authority is legitimated power. Its strength lies in the institution. Authority -complimentary properties of domination and submission.
FORMS OF AUTHORITY- Ideal types there have been three major forms authority: 1. Charismatic, 2. Traditional, 3. Rational legal.
CHARISMATIC AUTHORITY a. Charismatic authority- is defined as power legitimated by.. Extraordinary personal abilities that inspire devotion and obedience. Ie. Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Martin Luther
TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY- Traditional Authority-power legitimated by respect for long-established cultural patterns. i.e Roman Catholic Church, middle ages Full of customs, traditions, ritualistic practices.
TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY -ritual, repetitive behaviour, it is bond by numerous social norms as opposed to formalized rules and laws
TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY DECLINES Traditional authority declines as pre-industrial societies give way to industrialized social forms.
Traditional authority can remain in rational legal systems I.e parental domination over children, male domination of women.
RATIONAL LEGAL AUTHORITY 1. Modern authority is legitimated through rational laws and regulations. 2. Modern authority is carried out through bureaucratic means. 3. Modern power imprisons man like an iron cage
IRON CAGE OF BUREAUCRACY CAPITALISM- once a system of moralistic entreprenuers such as Ben Franklin, SUBSTANTIVE RATIONALITY-requires though by HUMAN individuals FORMAL RATIONALITY -impersonal, rigid, unfeeling WE ARE NOW IMPRISONED BY BUREAUCRACY ONE HOPE FOR WEBER is The Charismatic re-birth of new GODS
1980 S THE CANADIAN STATE and Neoliberalism
1980S=THE EROSION OF THE COMMONS Individualism over collectivism Canada supported a bureaucratic State Dismantled in favour of business interests SEE Mel Hurtig, The Betrayal of Canada
THE STATE AND POLITICAL ECONOMY The STATE IS: a class based institution giving its interest to the class with economic power. Political trends can only be understood in terms of broader changes in the economic sphere.
CHANGES TO POLITICAL ECONOMY In the 1980s as social supports gained following WW2 began to decline. 1. POST WAR BABY BOOM 2. 1960s Keynesian 3. 1980s Neo-liberal 4. 2000 GLOBALIZATION
THE CANADIAN STATE STATISM- historically the driving force in Canada: I.e Canadian Pacific Railway built mainly by government (1880 s) THE STATE- has lost collective power since the 1980s THE AGE OF NEO-LIBERALISM AND THE NEW RIGHT
HISTORY :CANADIAN STATE The Canadian State has always been interventionist, elitist and collectivistic. History: 1. Began with 19 th Conservative Party 2. Liberals were historically the Free Traders 3. Conservatives only later in favour- Mulroney 1980s
NEW DEAL AND POST WAR HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, WELFARE all part of New Deal, later entrenched during THE GOLDEN AGE OF CAPITALISM-KEYNESIANISM
1980S=PRIVATIZATION Commodification of the commons. Many Crown Corporations were sold to the capitalistic marketplace. SEE: The Big Sellout
SOCIAL SAFETY NET. The period between 1946 and 1971 is often called the golden age of capitalism. During Keynesian period what is commonly referred to as the Welfare State expanded rapidly. 1946-1978..
THE CANADIAN STATE The Canadian State took the role of provider and protector of Canadian collective Individual well being and security within a Universal Frame Universality.. The Welfare State & the Social Wage.
WAGES THE SOCIAL WAGE NOT HAND-OUTS The social wage is part of the surplus value produced by the workers, Provision of social necessities such as health care, education, unemployment insurance, old age pensions.
REASONS FOR WELFARE STATE 1. The expansion and consolidation of the EASTERN BLOCK-COLD WAR.. 2. Soldiers survived Nazi on-slaught 3. Soilders become workers in peacetime domestic capitalist world 4. Pressure on governments to help them following their defense of their countries
REASONS FOR WELFARE STATE 5. Rapid Growth of post-war economies -An accord with workers+-concessions 6. A belief that the State could be a mediator in class struggle-
5. A rise in unionism-from 24.2 to 33.7 in ten years 6. 1960 s gave workers greater power, sustained low unemployment, shorter work weeks, sick pay, disability benefits.
NEO-LIBERALISM- BIG BUSINESS AGENDA, 1. A came into existence in the 1980s.New Right--- 2. Neo-liberalism =-the market is the central determinant of social values. 3. The individual not the collective is the core unit of society
MCQUIAG 1992 NEO-LIBERALISM MEANS: 1. Strong opposition to government intervention 2. The massive transfer of wealth and power to the corporate sector.
NEO-LIBERALISM AND THE SOCIAL WAGE For the average Canadian the social wage is in decline: a. Low income: in 2001 Canada spent 11% of GDP on helping those in financial need-down from 14.3 in 1992 b. Health care spending-fell from 7.3% of GDP in 1992 to 7% in 2001 c. Education reduce from 7.7 in 1992 to 5.9% in 2001..
STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENTS a. TNC-transnational corporate freedom-abolished FIRA b. Employer demand increased productivity c. Disciplinary action upon workers increased d. Lower wages to deal with global capital
POLICIES THE NEW CANADIAN STATE a.free Trade-global trading blocs, international treaties b.privatization-selling of gov t corps-ie. Hydro c.deregulation-rules and reg s to protect citizens and laws restraining capital removed
NEW CANADIAN STATE d. Shift of Gov t support to private charities-food banks e. Tax reforms-to benefit the rich and corporationsf. Attacks on labour unions-rights decline, minimum wage decline, worker health and safety is weakened
NEO LIBERAL CANADIAN STATE g. Decline in civil rights and democracyrepressive state increases-access to information about gov t declines h. Decline in the size and scope of the State-prison systems in its place
i. Increasing integration with the United States j.transformation of powers of federalism to provinces which then advance their own neo-liberal agendas..
TYPES OF CITIZENSHIP 1. Political citizenship: the right to run for office and vote. Civil citizenship: the right to freedom of speech, religion, and justice.
Social citizenship: the right to a minimum level of economic security. Universal citizenship: the right of marginal groups to full citizenship and the rights of humanity as a whole.
SUMMARY The State is a key institution in modern societies Functionalists, conflict theorists and symbolic interactionist differ on their views of the importance of the State Current issue NEO-LIBERALISM means the loss of Statism=globalization