The evolution of democracy

 Form a more perfect union  Establish Justice  Insure Domestic Tranquility  Provide for the Common Defense  Promote General Welfare  Secure Blessings of Liberty  “A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good…For the American idea, though it is shared by all of us, is realized in each one of us.” Barbara Jordan

 1. Who Participates  Autocratic vs. Democratic  2. Selecting the Executive  3. Geographic Distribution of Power

 Autocracy- “self-rule” one ruler who arbitrarily rules and controls the people’s lives in the name of the people  Monarchy-Denmark  Dictatorship-former Iraq  Totalitarian- Peoples’ Republic of China, former Soviet Union

 Oligarchy-rule by few  Junta- rule by military (former Chile, Thailand, Pakistan)  Aristocracy- rule by landed classes (former Mexico)  Theocracy- rule by religious officials (Iran, Vatican)

 Democracy- “rule of the people”  Direct  Indirect

 An ideal democracy should have  Equality in voting  Effective participation  Enlightened understanding  Citizen control of agenda  Inclusion  (also majority rule with minority rights)

 Pluralist Theory: politics is defined by competition between groups pressing for its own policies and then finding compromise to serve the public interest  “nation of joiners” de Tocqueville  Group membership may be declining  Elite and Class Theory: society is divided along class lines and the upper class elite will always rule  We are not home to the market place that Adam Smith wrote about  Hyperpluralism: a perverted pluralism, groups are so strong and so many that government is weakened  If a group loses in Congress, they have the Courts  Politicians try to placate every group leading to muddled public policy

PARLIAMENTARY-EXECUTIVE IS PART OF LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AND CHOSEN BY ITS MAJORITY PARTY PRESIDENTIAL-EXECUTIVE CHOSEN AT LARGE BY VOTERS  More cooperation between the executive and the legislature-questions with the Prime Minister once a week  More accountability for the executive-legislature can ask for vote of no confidence  Cabinet officials play an active role in enactment of legislation  President not as representative as the Prime Minister  Allows one party to go unchecked  Instability

 Unitary System People Big Government Local Government The Big Government makes policies for the local governments as well as handle national affairs: examples France, Britain, China, Egypt

 Confederal: The people establish the local governments which give to the national government (power that is extremely limited) (Articles of Confederation, Confederate States of America)  Federal: Power is constitutionally divided between levels of government, and their legitimacy comes from the people

Want stuff More gov’t Have stuff Less gov’t

 Marxism/Leninism: central control of economy- total equality and security  Socialism: government control of economy- economic equality, political liberty  Liberalism: active government to achieve economic and social equality-political liberty, economic security, equal opportunity  Conservative: protect capitalism, political liberty, economic liberty, social order  Libertarianism: least government is best government

IssueLocke: Second Treatise on GovernmentHobbes: Leviathan Human nature and natural law Man is by nature a social animal and they have an ability to know right and wrong and what is theirs and someone else’s Man is not by nature a social animal, society only exists through the state and property only exists through the state The State of Nature Men were honest, and while insecure it was peaceful, good and pleasant No society, man lives in continual fear of death; life is solitary, poor, short The Social Contract We give up our right to ourselves exact retribution for crimes in return for impartial justice If you shut up and do as your told, you have right not to be killed Violation of Social Contract If a ruler seeks absolute power, he is in a state of war with citizens and they have a right to kill the ruler No right to rebel; ruler’s define good and evil Role of the State The only role of the state is to ensure that justice is being done Whatever the state does is just by definition Adapted from