All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is the key claim of elite theory about who holds power in society?
Answer: A small, privileged elite controls major institutions and decision-making. Argues power concentrates in few hands despite democratic appearances.
Flashcard 2: What is the definition of authority in sociology and political science?
Answer: Legitimate power recognized as rightful by those who are governed. Distinguishes authority from raw power by emphasizing acceptance.
Flashcard 3: What is the definition of power in the context of social institutions?
Answer: Capacity to influence others or control resources, even against resistance. Broader than authority; includes ability to act despite opposition.
Flashcard 4: What is the definition of legitimacy as applied to governments?
Answer: Public belief that a government and its actions are proper and justified. Essential for stable governance; citizens accept the system as valid.
Flashcard 5: What is coercive power in government and other power structures?
Answer: Power based on punishment or the threat of force. Relies on fear and negative consequences to ensure compliance.
Flashcard 6: What is utilitarian power in an organization or society?
Answer: Power based on material rewards such as money, jobs, or benefits. Motivates through tangible incentives and economic advantages.
Flashcard 7: What is normative power in social and political institutions?
Answer: Power based on shared norms, values, and social approval. Derives from moral authority and cultural consensus.
Flashcard 8: What is the key idea of pluralism as a theory of power distribution?
Answer: Power is spread across competing interest groups; no single elite dominates. Contrasts with elite theory by emphasizing multiple power centers.
Flashcard 9: What is the key claim of Marxist (conflict) theory about power and economy?
Answer: Economic class conflict drives inequality; owners control institutions. Views power through lens of bourgeoisie vs. proletariat struggle.
Flashcard 10: What is bureaucracy in the Weberian sense?
Answer: Formal organization with hierarchy, specialization, rules, and impersonality. Weber identified these features as defining modern organizations.
Flashcard 11: What is rational-legal authority in Max Weber’s typology?
Answer: Authority derived from laws, formal rules, and offices. Modern societies' dominant form; power comes from position, not person.
Flashcard 12: What is traditional authority in Max Weber’s typology?
Answer: Authority based on customs, long-standing practices, and inherited status. Common in monarchies and tribal societies; "we've always done it this way."
Flashcard 13: What is charismatic authority in Max Weber’s typology?
Answer: Authority based on perceived extraordinary traits of a leader. Often unstable; depends on personal magnetism rather than institutions.
Flashcard 14: What is the definition of a democracy as a form of government?
Answer: Political system in which power is derived from the people’s participation. Citizens choose leaders through voting and civic engagement.
Flashcard 15: What is the definition of an authoritarian government?
Answer: System with concentrated power and limited political freedoms. Restricts opposition but may allow some private freedoms.
Flashcard 16: What is the definition of a totalitarian government?
Answer: System seeking extensive control over public and private life. Goes beyond authoritarianism to control all aspects of society.
Flashcard 17: What is the definition of capitalism as an economic system?
Answer: Private ownership of production with market-based allocation of resources. Markets determine prices; profit motive drives economic activity.
Flashcard 18: What is the definition of socialism as an economic system?
Answer: Greater collective or state role in ownership and distribution of resources. Aims to reduce inequality through public control of key industries.
Flashcard 19: What is the definition of communism as a theoretical economic system?
Answer: Classless system with common ownership and distribution by need. Marx's ideal: "from each according to ability, to each according to need."
Flashcard 20: Identify the concept: unequal exchange of labor for wages generating profit for owners.
Answer: Surplus value. Marx's term for profit extracted from workers' unpaid labor time.
Flashcard 21: What is the definition of capitalism in economic sociology?
Answer: Private ownership of production with profit-driven markets. Individuals/corporations own businesses for profit.
Flashcard 22: Which social theory argues that society is shaped by class conflict over control of the means of production?
Answer: Marxist conflict theory. Marx saw history as struggle between bourgeoisie and proletariat.
Flashcard 23: Which term describes a system in which government is ruled by the people, typically through elected representatives?
Answer: Democracy. Citizens elect representatives to make decisions.
Flashcard 24: What is the definition of authority in sociology (as used on the MCAT)?
Answer: Legitimate power accepted as appropriate by those subject to it. Authority is power that people view as rightful.
Flashcard 25: What is the definition of bureaucracy in sociology?
Answer: Formal hierarchy with rules, specialization, and impersonality. Bureaucracies organize work through standardized procedures.
Flashcard 26: Which term describes a political system in which power is concentrated in a single ruler or small elite with limited political freedoms?
Answer: Authoritarianism. Authoritarian regimes restrict opposition and civil liberties.
Flashcard 27: What is the definition of power in sociology (as used on the MCAT)?
Answer: Ability to influence others and control resources despite resistance. Power exists even when others resist, unlike authority.
Flashcard 28: What is the definition of a market economy?
Answer: Prices and production are determined mainly by supply and demand. Market forces, not government, guide economic decisions.
Flashcard 29: What is the definition of an oligarchy?
Answer: Rule by a small group that holds concentrated power. Few individuals control political and economic power.
Flashcard 30: What is the definition of a theocracy?
Answer: Government in which religious leaders and religious law rule. Religious doctrine serves as the basis for governance.