Chapter 13 : Government, Political Power & Social Movements

1. Your textbook mentions that modern nation-states offer their citizens three kinds of rights: civil, political, and social. Briefly explain each type of right. Next, compare the United States to another country and discuss the availability of these rights in the United States and in the other country.

2. The text suggests that the Internet represents a democratizing force. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

3. Discuss the differences between the "pluralistic" and the "power elite" theory of democratic political processes. Which theory do you find most appropriate to describe U.S. politics in recent years?

4. Your textbook offers a variety of explanations on the formation of social movements. Briefly review the predisposing conditions for social movements and then discuss their relevance in the development of the feminist social movement in the United States.

5. What are "nations without states" and what type of relationship do they form with the nation-state within which they exist?

6. At the end of this chapter there is a discussion of whether or not the nation-state is losing its importance as a result of globalization. Write about why the nation-state arose in the first place and then consider whether its function is still vital in the world of today.

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