Political system, the system theory
PMCb1006 Political and media systems


The system theory
•Linked to D. Easton
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•The ambitions of the system theory
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•Reaction to historicism and „hyperfactualism“ of political science
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•Behavioral revolution
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•A general theory of politics as the ultimate goal of the ST
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Roots of the political system theory
•Systéma = the whole in Greek
•Originally in biology
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•L. von Bertalanffy – the theory of open systems
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•The new meaning of the „system“
•System environment
•Subsystems
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Easton and the system theory
•Three key assumptions:
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1.The basic unit of analysis is a political system defined as a “system of behavior”:
▫Partial units are interactions
▫Departing from the theory of T. Parsons – interactions linked in a systemic way, the social system
▫The stress put on the dynamics vs. institutionalism
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Easton and the system theory
2.Specification of political interactions
▫Pol. interaction one of the types of social interactions jen
▫Orientation on the “binding or authoritative allocation of values to society”
▫ the political system = a set of interactions, distinguishable from other social interaction,
through which the authoritative allocation of values take place
▫Pol. system as an „analytical system“ (vs natural/membership based) – political roles

Easton and the system theory
3.Political system as part of society
▫Functions of the PS – authoritative allocation of values in the society
▫Affecting society as the most important part of the environment of the PS – open system
▫Types of the PS environment:
▫intrasocietal – economics, environment
▫extrasocietal – other political systems, international organizations
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Easton and the system theory
•Borders of the political system
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▫Delineation of the PS compared to the environment:
a)Political roles vs other types of roles
b)Specifics of groups “playing” political roles
c)Hierarchy of political roles
d)Specific mechanisms for selection of the execution of political roles

Functioning of the political systems
•How do political systems survive?
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•The necessity to keep the ability to authoritativelly allocate values in society under the
pressure from the environment
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•The feedback between the environment and the political system as a condition for the survival of
the political system
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•Persistence through change
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Relationship of the PS and its environment
•Inputs:
▫Demands
▫Support
•Outputs
•Feedback
•„simplified model of political system“ – so-called „input – output model“
•The crucial triad: input – conversion (the political system, processes) – output
•gigantic communications network into which one kind of information flows and out of which another
kind of information emerges
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Inputs I.
•Demands– aiming at binding decisions by authorities (vs wants)
•Two types of demands:
▫external inputs– from the PS environment (environmental protection, culture, economics…)
▫withinputs – stemming from the evolution within the system, related to polity, not demands sensu
stricto, e.g. The role of equal representation (electoral districts), constitutional reforms
▫flesh and blood of politics, but also pressure – demand input overload, content stress,
potentional threat to the very functioning of the PS

Inputs II.
•Support
•Positive and negative attitudes to the PS
•Crucial for the survival of the PS (stress through the erosion of support)
•Three objects of support– pol. community, regime, government
▫Political community– sense and will to belonging
▫Regime – „rules of game“, norms, structures, decision making
▫Government –specific decision-makers
▫Not necessarily dependent on each other
•Mechanism of support – outputs reflecting demands, politicization (political socialization,
learning of attitudes)

Diffuse and specific support
•Specific support – performance of the system base on outputs, authority, effectiveness,
instrumental attitudes
•Diffuse support– relatively independent on outputs
•Regime, political community, partially authority, less prone to changes
•Allows for tolerance of the system inability to react to demands – crucil for the system survival
(community)
•Trust and legitimity
•Sources – political socialization and direct experience
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Outputs
•Authoritative allocation of values – decision makers
•Political decisions and their implementation affect the functioning of both the environment and
the system itself
•PS reacting to demands
•Types:
•Outputs vs. outcomes
•Authoritative and associated (declarations, reasonings…)
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Feedback
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•Information about outcomes – from environment to PS
•Crucial for the system survival
•Enable for correction of the future behavior based on the past experience
•Central element of the dynamic theory defined by interactions
•Beginning of new inputs (demands, support) – „never-ending story“

Simplified model of PS (Easton 1957)



The role of media in PS theory?
•Information flow
•Demands formulation
•Outputs communication
•Support building (news exposure)
•Soft power
•Media as gatekeepers (e.g. news value criterion)
•Systemic changes also as consequence of media changes (political parties, government, pressure
groups, political participation)

Summary
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•Ambitious and influential
•General theory explaining political functioning of society
•Reaction to institutionalism
•Point of departure for broad empirical research (political participation, political culture,
public opinion, political régime changes, policy analysis, electoral behavior …)
•The role of the media in the theory
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