5. Drawing on the pool of domestic political events that have taken place over the past year (> February 2017), select an issue related to the provision of a public good and critically assess it as a collective action problem. If the problem was overcome, how was it overcome? If it was not overcome, why was it not, and how might it be? Collective Action is a unique concept, as despite it being an integral part of society, it is contradictory in it’s function with small groups often more successful then large ones in obtaining their objectives. Collective action is the rational calculus of the masses coming together in order to achieve a common goal of providing a non-excludable and non-rivalrous public good, where the benefits of such a movement …show more content…
The East West Link was a proposed 18km tollway joining the Eastern Freeway with the Western Ring Road. This project had numerous purposes, including helping Melbourne cope with a projected 30% population rise by 2033, and reducing the East-West divide in the city by creating more opportunities for business growth and jobs in the West (Eddington, 2008). However, numerous opposition groups arose to this project, including residential action groups, the Yarra city council, and the Greens. The primary reason these groups were formed were people did not want a tollway near there homes, and believed that investment in public transport and other infrastructure would be a far more suitable usage of public funds. The Labor Party narrowly won the state election, and subsequently cancelled the contracts, at the expense of 1.2 billion dollars. However, in the lead up to the upcoming state election this year, opposition leader Matthew Guy has proposed that should the Liberals take power, they are open to renegotiating contracts for an East West Link (Jacks, …show more content…
For The East West Link: R=Reward for participating in collective action for the East West Link B= Benefits; Reduced travel times, enhanced business opportunities in the Western Suburbs. P= The probability that the East West Link will generate these benefits C= The total cost of the East West Link, including cultural and environmental effects D= Other incentives provided to individuals who campaign for the construction of an East West Link, e.g. a labourer who gains employment if the construction occurs. Against The East West Link: R=Reward for participating in collective action against the East West Link B= Benefits; Reduced carbon emissions, investment in alternative transportation methods, less noise pollution in populated areas P= The probability that protesting the East West Link will generate these benefits C= The total cost of the protests, including the printing of posters, and the time of those
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When there is a dilemma that affects a group of people, actions by the right people can be
Polletta, Francesca and James Jasper. “Collective Identity and Social Movements.” Annual Review of Sociology 27.1 (2001): 283–305. Print.
This past summer, when I lived and worked in Washington, DC—first as a U.S. Senate Page and then as a Congressional Intern—I gained invaluable experience and insight to the American political system. It is amazing how much one can learn from simply overhearing the conversations of Members of Congress on a daily basis. Working on the floor of the Senate and then in the back rooms of a Congressional office were two entirely different experiences, each teaching me in a distinctive way about how our political system functions. While I most definitely became aware of how bureaucratic and slow our democratic system can be, I also discovered that with a commitment to unity and prosperity for the common good, great feats are attainable through government.
Many mass construction projects in the history of the United States have had a major impact on the economy and culture; however, not many of these have had as large as an impact as the Interstate Highway Act of 1956. The Interstate Highway Act revolutionized the way that we think about highways today. The act created an extremely easy mode of transportation for people across the country. Not only was the Interstate Highway Act extremely helpful in making rural and urban transportation for normal people, but it also helped commercial businesses in increasing sales across the country. These businesses were now able to transport their goods cheaper and faster. The Interstate Highway Act was tremendously beneficial in regards to its economic, social, and cultural significance. The legislation was significant economically in the way that it promoted business and cut travel costs, it was significant socially in the way that it allowed people to see friends and family even if they did not live close, and it was significant culturally in the way that it allowed people to move out to the country for low costs in order to live a happier life.
Part one, The Appeal of Mass Movements, describes why people would be drawn towards a mass movement. "For men to plunge headlong into an undertaking of vast change, they must be intensely discontented yet not destitute, and they must have the feeling that by the possession of some potent doctrine." (Page 11) During this chapter the author uses a wealth of historical information including the French Revolution and the English Industrial Revolution. The author also details what conditions are most suited for a mass movement to take place. He tells that when people are ready for mass movement, they will usually go for any type.
D. Preview of Main Points: What problems revolve with Political Polarization and whom does it begin with? Who influences Political Polarization? Who does Political Polarization effect? What does Political Polarization affect? What possible solutions are there to resolve Political Polarization?
Polletta, F., & Jasper, J. M. (2001). Collective identity and social movements. Annual review of Sociology, 283-305.
(Turner and Killian 1987) cited in (Diani 1992, p. 4) define social movements as a “collectivity acting with some continuity to promote or resist a change in the society or organisation of which it is part. As a collectivity a movement is a group with indefinite and shifting membership and with leadership whose position is determined more by informal response of adherents than by formal procedures for legitimizing authority”. Turner and Killian regard a social movement as a peculiar kind of collective behavior that is contrasted to regularity and institutional behavior. Additionally, Turner believes that social movements do not necessarily coincide with movement organisations, although these organisations can carry out a large part of the movement tasks and it is often help to control and speak for movements (Diani 1992).
A social movement can be loosely defined as a group in society united by a common belief or goal, and lacking distinct organisational structure . The broad nature of this definition aligns with the nature of social movements themselves, as a social movement can lend itself to a wide array of issues. Some of these gather momentum and manage to influence the political sphere of the time, and others seemingly do not get off the ground. Australia has indeed seen its fair share of social movements. In this essay, I will be discussing and comparing three social movements; environmentalism, anti war/peace movement and Indigenous rights, and measuring their success, commenting on their relevance to present day society.
During the Vietnam War, many people protested to show how the U.S. was losing the war in Vietnam. One way they
...d desire for the reinstating of the former Croxley Green Rail Link upon which the development focused (Mouchel, 2011b). As such, three key objectives of the proposal were defined (Mouchel, 2011b):