The Spectrum of Government Power Many variations between two extremes:- Totalitarianism & perfect Democracy.

Democratic & Non-democratic Gov. Perfect Democracy  Non partisan politics.  Full individual participation.  Unlimited individual liberties.  Absolute social & economic equality.  Absolute freedom of press.  Free access to administrative office. Perfect Totalitarianism  Single party politics.  Absence of voting franchise.  Absence of individual liberties.  Enforced social & economic stratification.  Government control of press.  Total economic control by government.  Thought control & obliteration of individual conscience.

Many variations in between  Democracy.  Limited Democracy.  Authoritarian.  Totalitarian.  And, many others……

Modern Democracy What is Democracy? The word has many meanings, some dictatorships use the word to convince citizens that they live in a just system. Example:- China still calls itself the “People’s Republic”.

Modern Democracy Democracy is from the Greek word “Demokratia” which is demos =people & kratia=government Some use the word to mean mob rule as in the perfect democracy of Athens also known as Athenian democracy.

Representative Democracy  It is a democracy in which the people do not rule directly but through elected and accountable representatives.  A political system which supplies regular constitutional opportunities for changing the governing officials, and a social mechanism which permits the largest possible part of the population to influence major decisions by choosing among contenders for political office.

Representative democracy has several essential characteristics:- 1- Popular accountability of government:- Policymakers must obtain the support of a majority. Leaders are accountable to citizens. Elected leaders who govern badly must be ousted. Governmental officials must be freely, fairly, and periodically elected by fellow citizens.

Characteristics Cont. 2- Political Competition:- Voters must have a choice, either candidates or parties. That means a minimum of two distinct alternatives. A regime with no opposition is undemocratic. Political competition controls corruption.

Characteristics Cont. 3- Alternation of Power  power must change hands with the “ins” becoming “outs” in a peaceful, legitimate way.  A system in which the ruling party stays in power many decades cannot really be democratic.

Characteristics Cont. 4- Popular Representation:- Voters elect representatives to act as legislators and as such to voice and protect their general interests. 5- Majority Decision:- The majority should decide but with respect for minority rights otherwise it becomes “Tyranny of the majority”.

Characteristics Cont. 6- Right of dissent and disobedience:- Related to minority rights, the people must have the right to resist the commands of government if those commands no longer serve the public will. Without civil disobedience minority claims would have gone unheard.

Characteristics Cont. 7- Political Equality:- In a democracy, all adults (usually 18 and over) are equally able to participate in politics. 8- Popular consultation:- Most leaders realize that to govern effectively they must know what the people want and must be responsive to these needs & demands.

Characteristics Cont. 9- Free Press:- Dictatorships cannot tolerate free and critical MASS MEDIA; democracies cannot do without them. One of the clearest ways to determine the degree of democracy in a country is to see how free its press is. WHY?

Characteristics Cont. Mass Media provide the citizens with facts, raise public awareness, and keep rulers responsive to citizens demands. What happens if rulers control Media? They can disguise wrongdoing and corruption. They could lull the population into passive support.