6. Democracy

Question 1

what are 5 major political systems?

Answer 1

Many more, but the major contemporary systems are:
* Totalitarianism: extensively regulates people’s lives
* Authoritarianism: denies popular participation in government
* Monarchy: a single family rules from generation to generation
* Democracy: power is exercised by the people as a whole→ representative or participatory

Importance of legal-rational authority: authority is bound to rules and to (rule-bound) institutions and creating and changing these rules is outside control of those who administer them

Question 2

what are Flaws of democracy?

Answer 2

• Extensive bureaucracy
  Unelected members
  Untransparent
  
  • Economic power
     Lobbying
     International position (competition)
  • Participation
    ‘Diploma democracy’ (Bovens & Wille, 2017) (higher education in politics→ this effects policies, in favor of higher educated ppl)
     Disconnected groups (income, education, health)

Question 3

what do Polarization and democracy have to do with each other?

Answer 3

-Polarization = a process whereby the normal multiplicity of differences in a society increasingly align along a single dimension and people increasingly perceive and describe politics and society in terms of “Us” versus “Them”.

Though, it seems that political polarisation makes it easier to choose between political parties, as long as polarisation is not severe and it does not threaten governability and social cohesion. Overall, polarisation simplifies voting, strengthens political parties and institutions

Question 4

what is Pernicious polarization?

Answer 4

polarizing discourse mobilzes new or previously disunited group → reduced collective action at mass level → Zero-Sum perceptions, heightened threat perception → conflict over cooperation → democratic erosion

Question 5

What is Antagonism?

Answer 5

It makes use of a series of mechanisms:

The Psychological and Information Effect: ‘Us’ vs. ‘Them’ attitudes that increase the magnitude of the differences and distort perception of reality.

The Moral Effect is visible in the biases that occur. Polarisation leads to camp loyalty, viewing the ingroup as ‘good’ and the outgroup as ‘bad’. Furthermore, it is tied to violation of
basic norms, corruption and moral relativism.

The Public Policy Effect is seen in veto actions, so called zig-zagging and deadlock strategic policies.

The Patronage Effect results in the idea that filling positions is more difficult and the quality of the personnel is lower.

The Delegitimizing Effect is reflected by a rise of political stakes, a change in policies and laws or even the criminalisation of opponents.

Question 6

How can Antagonism and Agonism be compared?

Answer 6

Agonistic pluralism
beneficial element to democracy

differences in opinion about what democracy is or ought to be should be communicated and debated, thus allowing for a possible consensus

-> opponent is viewed as an adversary, not as an enemy

-> argues for polarisation in society as it would simplify voting andrepresent plurality of interest

Question 7

What are Micro and Macro-economics? What is political economy? what is Neolibreralism?

Answer 7

Microec
Individuals and business decisions
Focuses on supply and demand, other factors that determine price-levels
Bottom-up approach
Investors use microeconomics in investment decisions

Macroec
Analytical tool to help craft policy
Decisions made by countries and government
Top-down approach, looks at economy as a whole

Neolib
Everyone for themselves mentality, individualistic
Founded on idea of self-sufficiency
Goes against kant’s ideas about social responsibility
Against breeding culture of dependency and entitlement through subsidizing the weak and vulnerable
Free market brings ultimate goal of efficiency
In governments and individual organizations and institutions

Question 8

Democracy from BM POV

Answer 8

Threats to democracy: polarization, insecurities
Requires work from individuals on the collective, individuals form political system
Requires work from collective on individuals, political systems form individuals

Question 9

Agonism?

Answer 9

political and social theory that emphasizes the potentially positive aspects of certain forms of conflict.

It accepts a permanent place for such conflict in the political sphere, but seeks to show how individuals might accept and channel this conflict positively.