Challenging power/History of democracy Flashcards
What is a revolution?
A forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system by a group holding a significant amount of popular support
What is a coup?
A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government by a small group lacking popular support
Why do overthrows often happen?
When a government is lacking legitimacy
What is a strike?
A boycott induced to stop production until grievances are met
Who normally conducts strikes?
Trade unions
What is a dissident?
A person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state
What is Sedition?
A speech/behaviour or organisation that encourages revolution
A person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state is known as a?
Dissident
What is a speech/behaviour or organisation that encourages revolution known as?
Sedition
Where did the earliest notions of democracy start?
Athens
What is the Ecclesia?
An assembly of politicians
Who is Cleisthenes?
An intelligent aristocrat whom had the idea of having a popularly elected leader of Athens
Who had the idea of democracy?
Cleisthenes
Who was Hippias?
A reigning tyrant
What were the Phylae?
The four warring clans of Athens and Attica who were divided up into 10 smaller groups
The four warring clans of Athens and Attica who were divided up into 10 smaller groups were known as
Phylae
How many times did the Ecceslia meet annually?
40 times
A council of how many men were elected into the Phylae every year?
50 men
What were the main principles that democracy is based on?
Government is constituted from population, right to vote, rotation of positions of power
When was the Magna carta or “Great charter signed?”
1215
What was the Magna carta?
It set the boundaries that the feudal monarch needed to follow
When did King James come to power?
1603
What did King James notably do?
Begin English parliament
What started friction between the monarch and parliament?
The belief that the monarch had the divine right over anyone else
What was the petition of right?
It was made by parliament and declared that all taxes not voted on by parliament were illegal
When was the Petition of right signed?
1628
What caused the Petition of right to occur?
King Charles wanting to tax people so he could fund going to war with France
As a result of the Petition of right Charles?
Dissolved the parliament
As a result of the dissolution of the English parliament what would place in 1642?
The English civil war
How long was the English civil war?
7 years
When was the English civil war?
1642
How did the English civil war end?
King Charles being beheaded
Who declared England a commonwealth?
Oliver Cromwell
Who was Oliver Cromwell?
The man who declared England a commonwealth
An independent state or community, especially a democratic republic is an?
Commonwealth
A Commonwealth is?
An independent state or community, especially a democratic republic
Did the original English commonwealth last long?
No
When did Oliver Cromwell die?
1658
Who took to the throne after the death of Cromwell?
King Charles son
What conditions did Charles son return on?
The compulsory signing of the petition of right along with the virtue to meet with parliament every three years
What made the English republic significant in the development of democracy?
It shifted away from sovereignty of the monarch to popular sovereignty
What was the enlightenment?
When traditional ways of thinking was replaced with new more “progressive ideals”
When did the enlightenment span from?
1660-1789
What is social contract?
If you follow the laws of state, you will social benefits
Who is the “father” of the social contract theory?
Thomas Hobbes
Who was Thomas Hobbes?
The “father” of the social contract theory
What was Thomas Hobbes belief on the “state of nature?”
Things would become so unbearable without order that a civil society would form
Who was John Locke?
An English philosopher who had beliefs in the idea of social contract
Who Was Baron de Montesquieu?
An French political philosopher
What was Baron de Montesquieu biggest contribution to politics?
The idea of the separation of powers
When were Australian women given the vote?
1902
