Civility
Civility is the use of the systems of society to resolve disputes. For example, a household that tries to resolve a dispute with a neighbor with calm conversation or perhaps by taking them to court as opposed to doing something negative or destructive.Rule of Law
Rule of law is when the rules of a society are encoded in clear laws and regulations that are widely accepted, followed and enforced. For example, a nation where police can't arbitrarily apply justice as they see it but are rather required to follow prescribed procedures and let the courts handle judgement and sentencing.Oversight
A society where nobody is above the law such that there is an efficient, transparent and fair way to complain about anyone who represents the government and have those complaints promptly investigated and injustices punished.Institutions
Institutions are enduring features of a society that shape it and give it long term stability. For example, families, hospitals and courts.Infrastructure
Hard infrastructure such as bridges and soft infrastructure such as universities can produce economic efficiency, resilience and stability.Class Structure
A society with a large middle class whereby most people can accumulate capital and improve their lives over time is likely to be highly stable. People who don't benefit from a system have little incentive to support that system and may even benefit from toppling that system.Corruption
A society where corruption in governments and firms isn't tolerated and is quickly detected with internal controls and oversight.Security
A nation that is secure such that internal and external threats are managed. For example, a nation that defends its citizens from criminal activity under the rule of law with a robust justice system.Rights & Freedoms
Society is stable where people feel that it is representing them and allowing them to pursue happiness as they see it. As such, rights and freedoms are a cornerstone of stability. Where most people feel oppressed in some way it is difficult to say that society is stable. Historical examples of oppressive systems being overthrown are extremely common such that they constitute the rule rather than the exception.Quality of Life
Quality of life is the degree to which people are satisfied with their life. People will tend to defend a system that they feel benefits them such that a high quality of life correlates with stability.Creative Tension
Stability should not be confused with a political chill. Protest and participation are a cornerstone of long term stability as systems must change and adapt to risk to survive over time. This can be described as creative tension whereby a truly healthy and stable society is a little turbulent. Resilience to discord shouldn't be confused with the absence of discord or group harmony whereby discord isn't tolerated.Summary
Political stability is a society that serves its functions without disruptions. This should not be confused with an apolitical environment or cohesive society where everyone agrees. Political stability is more about resilience to stresses such as political differences.
| Overview: Political Stability | ||
Type | ||
Definition | The resilience of a society to disagreement and discord. | |
Related Concepts | ||
