Social Movements: Understanding the Power of Collective Action - Prof. J. Decker, Study notes of Political Science

Download Social Movements: Understanding the Power of Collective Action - Prof. J. Decker and more Study notes Political Science in PDF only on Docsity! http://pro.corbis.com/images/U1981563B-18.jpg?size=67 &uid=%7B51533967-FF82-4B25-ASDC- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mpimages/vehme. jpg 29F79E622593%7D Social Movements Social Movements • Social movements are loosely organized collections of people and groups who act over time, outside established institutions, to promote or resist social change. Major Movements in America • Environmental • Gay and Lesbian • Religious Fundamental • Anti-Globalization • Anti-Iraq War • Immigrants Rights Social Movements in Majoritarian Democracy • Encourage outsiders to participate • Overcome political inequality • Create a new majority • Overcome gridlock Encourage Outsiders to Participate • This step is crucial, if the minority group is to afraid; or is convinced nothing will change outsiders will not participate • Voting rights movements were entirely the work of outsiders Overcoming Gridlock • Another obstacle that must be overcome by a successful social movement is political gridlock and the nature of our fractured government itself Gains from Social Movement in U.S. • Women’s right to vote • Equal citizenship rights for African Americans • Social Security • Collective bargaining • Environmental protection Factors that encourage the creation of Social Movements • The existence of social distress • Availability of resources for mobilization • A supportive environment • A sense of efficacy among participants • A spark to set off the flames Factors that encourage the creation of Social Movements • A supportive environment • The time must be right • A degree of support and tolerance on the part of society and leaders in society must exist for the movement to be able to exist • Movements may have existed previously but rarely are successful unless the public temperament is right Factors that encourage the creation of Social Movements • Sense of efficacy among participants • “I can make a difference” • Political efficacy- The sense that an individual can affect what government does Factors that encourage the creation of Social Movements • A spark to set off the flames • A catalyst or dramatic event to set the movement into motion • This is the point where social distress changes into social action Tactics of Social Movements • Peaceful demonstration • Million Man March http ://projectminimalism.info/background%20info/_40336521_us_protests300.jpg Tactics of Social Movements ¢ Protests http//www.maxsilvestri.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/protests.jpg Tactics of Social Movements • Civil disobedience Americans are constitutionally allowed to engage in civil disobedience but you may get arrested http://www.gjf.org/files/news19_CivilDisobedience.jpg Successes of Movements • Success hinges on three key things: • (1) The proximity of the movement’s goals to American values • (2) The movement’s capacity to win public attention and support • (3) The movement’s ability to affect the political fortunes of elected leaders Low Impact Social Movements • Poor peoples movement • Equal Rights Amendment Repressed Social Movements • The smashing of labor union strikes by the National Guard during the 19th century Quote of the Day "There are no ‘white’ or ‘coloured’ signs on the foxholes or graveyards of battle." John F. Kennedy’s Message to Congress 19th June 1963. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/civil%20rights%20quotes.htmhttp://whitehouser.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/jfk_mlk.jpg Campaigns and Elections NOTHING can stano INTHE WAY OF THE POWER OF MILJONS OF VOICES | CALLING FOR CHANGE.” ~ BARACK OBANA 2008 | Suffrage The right to vote • White Males • African American Males • Women • 18 and over Suffrage Timeline • 1870- The 15th Amendment mandated that the right to vote be neither denied nor abridged on the basis of race, color or previous condition of servitude. This superseded state laws that had directly prohibited black voting. Suffrage Timeline • Qualifications- All male U.S. citizens are now eligible to vote (conditions apply) • Black suffrage was for the most part eliminated in the South by the 1900s • Done by: Poll Taxes, white primaries, gerrymandering, literacy tests, and “vouchers of good character” Suffrage Timeline • 1920 – The Nineteenth Amendment establishes that the right to vote cannot be denied on account of sex • Qualifications: Men and women can vote • However African Americans and minorities are still effectively barred from voting Suffrage Timeline • 1971- Voting age lowered to 18 years of age • Twenty-sixth Amendment Election Cycles • Presidential Elections are every 4 years • Congressional Elections are every 2 years • (Called midterm elections) Election Structures • Who is responsible for organizing elections? • State and local government • State law determines how elections are administered, district boundaries, candidate qualifications, and voter qualifications Primary Elections • What happens if no one gets 50% + 1 in the primary election? • A runoff election is held between the top two vote getters. Primary Runoff • Republican Primary – Candidate A  20% – Candidate B  12% – Candidate C  18% – Candidate D  15% – Candidate E  35% • In this scenario the top two vote getters Candidate “A” and Candidate “E” would have a runoff election • Whoever wins the majority advances to the general election General Election (November) • Governor’s Race: November 2010 • (R) Rick Perry  55% • (D) Bill White  42% • (L) Kathie Glass  02% • (G) Deb Shafto  00% ~19,500 votes • Perry Wins The Ballot • Historically in the 19th century political parties printed its own ballots putting only the names of their candidates on the ballot • This forced a straight-ticket vote • Now ballots are generated by the states and one can vote for the candidates of several different parties in one election Split vs. Straight ticket • Split-ticket voting- the practice of casting ballots for the candidates of at least two different political parties in the same election • Straight-ticket voting- the practice of casting ballots for candidates of only one party • “Voting for the republican” or “democrat” The Coattail effect • The result of voters’ casting their ballot for president or governor and “automatically” voting for the remainder of the party’s ticket The Electoral College • In all but two states (Maine and Nebraska) all of the state’s electoral votes go to the winning party’s candidate • ELECTORAL MAP OF 2008 Electoral College • Can you win the popular vote and still loose the election? • Ask Al Gore Electoral College • Can you loose the popular vote and still win the election? • John Quincy Adams 1824 • Rutherford B. Hayes 1876 • Benjamin Harrison in 1888 • George W. Bush 2000 What does a campaign need? • To run a campaign for any state of federal office one needs to raise money and a lot of it • How much is the minimum amount one needs to stand a chance? • $500,000 House of Representatives • $5,000,000 Senate • $100,000,000+ President How voters decide • Partisan loyalty • Issues • The economy • Candidate Characteristics Quote of the Day “Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.” Lester B. Pearson