Public Policy & Politics Introduction (18/9/2015)

Questions for Today 1. What the course is about...2. Explore the concepts of the State, Political Order, Civil Society, Constitutional Order and Political Culture Slide 2 Cartoon -- What motivates Homer? The way you deliver the message. To Recap (about this course)... There are not usually right answers, but there are clearly wrong answers. This module is not about imparting a body of knowledge, but about thinking how to aquire and apply relevant information to shape policy outcomes. Do not read across and assume that your home state is default Think generically about what is a state. "Wrong for more sophisticated reasons" -- partly because of lack of knowledge & you do not know what will happen when you implement something. You can be sophisticated and still wrong. To understand policy and the environment it works in, we need to think about the institutions through policy is articulated....Issue I: The State What is the State? - You could argue a state is a state because it is recognized as a state. However, Why do we have a State? - (Fredrick Bastiat asked this questions) Your main relationship with the state is paying taxes. The Role of the State -- Cartoon on Slide 3. Who Pays for it? How is power mediated and made accountable? How is it distributed/exercised. "Just Add America Troops" Cartoon. Who is the public and who does it conclude or represent? Visual Test of What is The State (Slide 4) Al Capone -- What does he represent in terms of the state? Protection record. We will buy into it when we believe its legit. Oil Well - Armenia. Egypt (army owns large part of economy) Asking the question of who owns the wealth and resources. Oligarchies/Kleptocracy (run by thieves) & Marx Term that I didn't hear...something along the lines of a welfare state (which is not surprising) House of Commons -- A welfare state is essentially dealing with 3 problems, need, dealing with proximity (because of fear of the poor people, docility keep the poor happy. Welfare states are just as important as states. Market in East London - How the states interact with markets. Markets economically and markets for ideas. Political parties are cartels. The market for ideas are constrained by institutions in that market. If I think of a great idea I need to get it put into the system. So he is trying to talk about how states use markets. Of course, states never control absolutely everything. Totalitarian states of Eastern Europe. Very deliberate in trying to control all the institutions of civil societies....as a way to ensure that they had no challenges.Through taxes states impact the population the most. The map...In part talking about empire, but also talking about trade. How do you integrate accountability internationally. What role does the public play through democracy. The things we all think are a part of the accepted order in doing things. But in practice there is no such things as an international society/public. Trying to get us to think about who is the public. How does the public impact trade negotiations (ie: WTO Seattle) it normally doesnt go to the people. Slide 5: Political Order When talking about political order we are thinking about these things above. A Polity: A government with a corresponding territory (historically might also imply orders of allegiance to non-state identities). The Islamic State. Has a transboarder appeal to our people. Historically it is important to keep in mind to think about Catholics in early modern Europe. Both solutions are similar to themselves, but they are resulting in killing each other. During the Cold War there were issues of who did you have your allegiance to? Communism? So what frames allegiance?