The Usefulness of David Eastons Model of the Political System - Essay Example

Usefulness of David Easton’s model of the political system for comparative political analysis Department Introduction Politics is a necessary social aspect that propels ideologies and perspectives. In essence, the process and purposes of governance derive their objective from politics. When we mention politics, it is important to consider the fact that politics thrives on systems. David Easton is a leading scholar who played a critical role in coming up with political systems as they exist in the society (Easton 1957). According to Easton, a political system refers to a set of existing interactions that in a way find their abstraction from the totality that exists in social behavior. Through these interactions, the society can authoritatively allocate values (Easton, Gunnell & Stein 1995). In short, it is a systematic way used to determine the allocation or power and authority in the society. The term system reflects brings together various elements as captured by Easton. These elements include the purpose of the system. In this case, the main objective of a political system should be to convert inputs, which exist in the form of demands from supporters and converting them into decisions. Secondly, a political system should consist of elements (Barrington 2012). These elements consist of decisions, demands, implementations, strategies among others. Thirdly, it is necessary to have boundaries that define the political system. These boundaries play a critical role when it comes to determining what belongs to the system of not (Almond 1988). Lastly, the environment is a major player in a political system. In this case, actions considered to be lacking in political will, exist in the environment. Easton introduces three different levels in a political system. These levels include the state, the regime, and the government. According to the political systems theory, the state represents an institution that bears that responsibility to govern. It is a legitimate entity that exists permanently. A regime represents fundamental rules and principles (Frohock 1974). It is an organization of power in a specific government. Thirdly, the government refers to a collection of existing offices that exist in a political system. These offices give the office holders room to act on behalf of the people in realizing their objectives. Usefulness of Easton’s model on political system Easton’s political system represents a systematic approach when it comes to politics and governance. In essence, it makes it possible to analyze political systems and come up with solutions to some of the challenges facing the society. Easton developed a systematic process of transforming input into output. Through this system, it is possible to monitor how the existing political systems or regimes are managing the affairs of the citizenry. Furthermore, it makes it possible to focus on the main actors who influence the decision-making process. When the political actors develop an understanding on the subject of balance, it becomes easier to put to rest issues that have the potential of bringing about political instability (Munck & Snyder 2007). Besides this, the political system theory enables the actors to view politics as a whole, not a mere collection of parts. As such, it makes it possible for political systems to adapt and cope with the arising and existing demands. In essence, we can rightly state that Easton’s systems approach makes it possible to capture the fundamental attributes that promote decision-making process (Dahl 1989). By understanding the demands, one can put in check the support systems and blend them in a political system that produces workable decisions and actions. Case Analysis of a Democratic Regime: The United States of America The system of government in the United States of America is democratic in nature. Essentially, the US Constitution forms the supreme law of all the land. Due to this, most democracies that are within the confines of a Constitution have limits when it comes to power. The function of the Constitution is to outline the structure of the state and the basic functions of each arm of the government. The American system espouses federalism and republicanism (Behnegar 2003). Each of these aspects forms a critical part of the democratic society in America. These systems present a case that is similar to Easton’s evaluation of a political system. The American system gains influence from political parties, social movements, and interest groups that would like to capitalize on the existing policies (Hoffman & Graham 2015). As such, it is possible to note that these interest voices and groups generate the demands and support of the political system (Barrington 2012). As such, they attribute for the decisions that later come about as the regime and the state organs function. Easton’s model enables us to understand the entire picture of how the American democratic system operates. Easton’s model continues to suggest that democratic systems operate in relative stability. The relative stability, in this case, gives the implication that change will occur when the components of the systems enjoy harmony (Dunn 2008). However, the democratic system as portrayed by the United States of America is defenseless when it comes to disturbances that occur as a result of dissatisfaction. Authoritarian government systems Essentially, authoritarian systems comprise of leaderships patterns that gain influence from personalities. In this case, the political leader bears the responsibility of governing a state based on personal wishes and direction. Authoritarian systems of governance derive their ruling authority through what we can call a combination of appeals. The combination brings on board a blend of appeals that include traditional legitimacy, elements of repression through gaining personal loyalties (Joseph 2004). In light of this, Easton’s model brings on board a classical analysis of such systems by enabling the reader to understand the implication of such forms of leadership. According to this systems theory, the function of leadership becomes a private entity (Johari 1982). In the end, the sources of demand and support face suppression. In the end, it culminates into a lack of feedback and inputs from the masses due to the fear of suppression from the ruling class. However, when such forms of leadership persist, chances of resistance and uprising are bound to increase. A case in point was the political leadership system in Iraq. The citizens who are facing oppression, in this case, felt that the political system was not according them the decisions and actions that were fit for them (Almond 1956). As a result, there was a general outcry and uprising leading to toppling of the government. The pursuit of political stability and an opportunity to voice demands to the existing political system is a core element that denies authoritarian systems an opportunity for continuity. Conclusion According to Almond, citizens feel the need to interact with the political culture and processes. As such, it is important to have steady political communication systems that might not be present in authoritarian systems (Almond 1988). The rule of law, in this case, a Constitution developed by the citizens needs to come into play. Without the rule of law, it becomes difficult to analyze the effects and feedback as the Easton’s model presents. Reference List Almond, GA 1956, Comparative Political Systems, The Journal of Politics, vol 18, no. 3, pp. 391-409. Almond, GA 1988, The Return to the State. , The American Political Science Review, vol 82, no. 3, pp. 853-874. Barrington, L 2012, Comparative Politics: Structures and Choices, 2nd edn, Cengage Learning, California. Behnegar, N 2003, Leo Strauss, Max Weber, and the scientific study of politics, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Dahl, R 1989, Democracy and its critics, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. Dunn, J 2008, The Cunning Of Unreason: Making Sense of Politics, Basic Books, New York. Easton, D 1957, An Approach to the Analysis of Political Systems, World Politics, vol 9, no. 3, pp. 383-400. Easton, D, Gunnell, JG & Stein, MB 1995, Regime and Discipline: Democracy and the Development of Political Science, University of Michigan Press, Michigan. Frohock, FM 1974, Notes on the Concept of Politics: Weber, Easton, Strauss., The Journal of Politics, vol 36, no. 2, pp. 379-408. Hoffman, J & Graham, P 2015, Introduction to Political Theory, Revised edn, Routledge, New York. Johari, JC 1982, Comparative Politics, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New York. Joseph, S 2004, Political Theory and Power, Foundation Books, London. Munck, GL & Snyder, R 2007, Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics, JHU Press, London. Read More