Which of the following concepts refers to a political system in which power resides in the hands of the people?

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journal article

The Political System Besieged by the State

Political Theory

Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug., 1981)

, pp. 303-325 (23 pages)

Published By: Sage Publications, Inc.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/191091

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Journal Information

Political Theory (PT), peer-reviewed and published bi-monthly, serves as the leading forum for the development and exchange of political ideas. Broad in scope and international in coverage, PT publishes articles on political theory from a wide range of philosophical, ideological and methodological perspectives. Articles address contemporary and historical political thought, normative and cultural theory, the history of ideas, and critical assessments of current work. The journal encourages essays that address pressing political and ethical issues or events.

Publisher Information

Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than 900 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. A growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company’s continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. www.sagepublishing.com

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Politics is the social structure and methods used to manage a government or state. Just as varying types of economic theories and systems exist, many varying political theories and systems exist as well.

The political system in use depends upon the nation‐state. A nation is a people with common customs, origin, history, or language. A state, on the other hand, is a political entity with legitimate claim to monopolize use of force through police, military, and so forth. The term nation‐state refers to a political entity with the legitimate claim to monopolize use of force over a people with common customs, origin, history, or language. Sociologists and political scientists prefer the term nation‐state to “country” because it is more precise.

While many different political structures have existed throughout history, three major forms exist in modern nation‐states: totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and democracy.

Totalitarianism is a political system that exercises near complete control over its citizens' lives and tolerates no opposition. Information is restricted or denied by complete control of mass media, close monitoring of citizens and visitors, and forbidding the gathering of groups for political purposes opposed to the state. Constant political propaganda, such as signs, posters, and media that focus the populace on the virtues of the government, characterizes these nation states. Obviously, some totalitarian governments maintain more extreme laws than others do. Totalitarian nation‐states include North Korea, Chile, many African and Middle Eastern nations, Vietnam, and others.

Authoritarianism 

Authoritarianism
is a political system less controlling than totalitarianism, but still denying citizens the right to participate in government. A dictatorship, in which the primary authority rests in one individual, represents one type of authoritarian government. Dictators rule China, Cuba, Ethiopia, Haiti, and many African nations. In these systems, strong militaries and political parties support the dictators. Another form of authoritarianism is a monarchy, in which the primary authority rests in a family and is passed down through generations. In the past, most monarchies exerted near absolute power—in Saudi Arabia the ruling family still does. Most remaining monarchies today, however, such as those in the Scandinavian nations, Great Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands, are constitutional monarchies where the royal families serve only as symbolic heads of state. Parliament or some form of democratic electoral process truly governs these nation states. Democracy is a political system where the government is ruled either directly by the people or through elected officials who represent them. Most democracies today rely upon a system of representatives to make decisions. The most common examples of democracies are the United States, Canada, Germany, and many other European nations.

Which of the following refers to a political system in which power resides in the hands of the people as a whole?

A democratic system of government is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodic free elections.

Which of the following most likely represents a political system in which power resides in a single family that rules from one generation to the next generation?

Monarchy. Monarchy is a political system in which power resides in a single family that rules from one generation to the next generation. The power the family enjoys is traditional authority, and many monarchs command respect because their subjects bestow this type of authority on them.

What are the 3 types of political systems?

There are three types of political systems that sociologists consider:.
Authoritarianism. ... .
Monarchy. ... .
Democracy..

Which of the following concepts refers to the formal organization that directs the political life?

Government is a formal organization that directs the political life of a society.