1. Introduction Flashcards
five criteria from Dahl for a genuinely democratic system (suggestion)
inclusion
political equality
enlightened understanding
control of the agenda
effective participation
inclusion - criteria
with minimal exceptions, all permanent adult residents must have full rights of a citizenship
political equality - criteria
when decisions about policy are made, every citizen must have an equal and effective opportunity to participate fully
enlightened understanding - criteria
within reasonable limits, citizens must have equal and effective opportunities to learn about relevant policy alternatives and their likely consequences
control of the agenda - criteria
citizens must have the opportunity to decide which matters are placed on the public agenda, and how
effective participation - criteria
before a policy is adopted, all the citizens must have equal and effective opportunities for making their views known to other citizens.
representative democracy
traditional system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
people feel like it does not offer enough direct influence.
voter turnout has generally dropped, though some countries have tried reforms, like more primaries to make representatives more accountable to the public.
direct democracy
people can make policy decisions directly through referendum or initiatives
allows citizens to have more control over specific issues, bypassing representatives
some challenges, like low voter turnout in referendums and the potential for wealthy interest groups to influence outcomes by funding campaigns.
this model is growing, especially as people push to have a say on big issues like taxes or environmental policies.
advocacy demoracy
involves citizens or public interest groups directly engaging with government policy-making without needing elections
people can attend public hearings, access information through freedom-of-information laws, or work with ombudsmen to hold the government accountable.
while this approach increases access, it often benefits those with more resources, education, or expertise, which can lead to inequalities.
what is democracy for Dahl
total participation & total equality. he is really radical.
participation must be effective
voting must be equal
all must have full understanding of policies
control of the agenda
all adults must be included
conclusion on different forms of democracies
no form is truly ideal, each has its advantages and limitations.
democratic reforms create opportunities, but also challenges.
goal should be to ensure that progress on some democratic criteria is not sacrificed for progress on others
four factors that stand out in explaining why there could be an eroding democratic satisfaction
polarisation
paralysis
perfidy
powerlessness
polarisation
countries with increasing polarisation show rising dissatisfaction.
especially in majoritarian electoral systems that generate winners and losers, which leaves close to half of the electorate dissatisfied
paralysis
citizens do not like a political vacuum (gridlock), so that has a bad effect on democratic satisfaction
can happen when (in USA) the president / house of representatives are from different parties
perfidy
or scandal
scandal is one of the strongest predictors of dissatisfaction with democracy. This can be short-term, but also long-term
