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 Governmen

t

Local Governmen

t

Local Governmen

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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 stuffMore gov’t

Have stuffLess 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

Issue Locke: Second Treatise on Government

Hobbes: 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 www.jim.com/hobbes.htm