Democracy

Question 1

what is a regime

Answer 1

government system defined by institutions and rules about power
eg. democracy, dictatorship

Question 2

what are institutions

Answer 2

social/political structures that shape individual/group behavior
eg. supreme court

Question 3

what is government

Answer 3

• a government IS NOT a regime

- always changing

Question 4

what is lincoln’s definition of democracy

Answer 4

a government, of the people, by the people, for the people AKA responds to peeps

Question 5

What is Schumpeter’s definition of democracy

Answer 5

COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS: a method where people have the power to decide by having to compete for people’s vote
- elites make decisions but compete for the right to make decisions

Question 6

what is Przeworski definition of democracy

Answer 6

a system where parties lose elections -> uncertain outcomes

Question 7

What is Schmitter and Karl’s definition of democracy

Answer 7

it must have rule of 4:

1. a system of governance = rules that give access to public office
2. rulers held accountable
3. citizens have the right to vote/run for office
4. elections of professional politicians

Question 8

what’s a representative democracy

Answer 8

representatives constrained by:

• elections
• citizens’ rights

Question 9

whats a direct democracy

Answer 9

citizens make decisions themselves
eg. past - ancient Greece
present - city/state elections

Question 10

what’s up with direct democracy in certain regimes

Answer 10

in authoritarian regimes, direct democracy is used to avoid having representatives

Question 11

what is Dahl’s defintion of democracy (the content)

Answer 11

7 conditions:

1. free, fair, frequent elections
2. all adults have right to vote
3. all adults can run for elections
4. elected officials make govt decisions
5. freedom of expression
6. alternate sources of info (media)
7. freedom of association

Question 12

what is polyarchy

Answer 12

rule of many
- HIGH CONTESTATION
      - important offices = 
        elective
      - elections = competitive
- HIGH INCLUSION
      - almost all adults can 
        vote/run

Question 13

what is plutocracy

Answer 13

power of $$$ in politics

Question 14

how do you measure democracy

Answer 14

• the freedom house score where 1 (free) - 7 (not free)

- 2 determinants of rating

Question 15

what are the 2 determinants of rating

Answer 15

1. political rights

2. civil liberties

Question 16

what is the criteria for political rights

Answer 16

1. electoral process
2. political participation/pluralism with freedom to go against govt
3. functions of govt (corrupt? transparent?)

Question 17

what is the criteria for civil liberties

Answer 17

1. freedom of expression/belief w/o prosecution
2. associational rights (fair rights, no police violating law)
3. rule of law
4. personal autonomy/individual rights (economic opportunity)

Question 18

why is there global democratic decline?

Answer 18

long term trends show…

a) faltering post-cold war democratization
b) democracies slip
- less than 20% of world pop live in free country
- some “not free” countries claim doesn’t work

Question 19

why 2020 democratic decline

Answer 19

• china = more assertive/interference
• us lost world leadership -> domestic democracy problems
• COVID
• use of military force rose in authoritarian states

Question 20

how did covid lead to 2020 democratic decline

Answer 20

• excessive surveilance/restrictions to help
• elections delayed
• socio-economic, racial, gender couldn’t afford rights
• journalists/social media users arrested for “misinformation”

Question 21

how did uuse of military force in authoritarian states lead to 2020 democratic decline

Answer 21

• Libya/Yemen long-standing govt
• Ethiopia had war with Tigray -> elections proposed -> president from Tigray went to war with Ethiopia
• Azerbaijan war against Nagorno-Karabakh to settle in Armenia

Question 22

what countries had major deterioration in 2020 freedom

Answer 22

India and Belarus

Question 23

how did freedom deteriorate in india

Answer 23

free->partly free
PM modi…
- crackdown critics
- COVID 19 -> displaced millions workers
- blamed Muslim spreading virus -> lynching

Question 24

how did freedom deteriorate in belarus

Answer 24

• deeply flawed election -> incumbent Lukasheka didn’t get majority and stayed in power
• mass protests -> crackdowns, mass arrests, torture

Question 25

where and how did freedom improve in this country

Answer 25

Malawi

• elections -> flawed by favoring incumbent
• constitutional court ruled new elections

Question 26

what is the significance of Malawi

Answer 26

1. institutions can keep check

2. message to other African countries

Question 27

how has US been deteriorating

Answer 27

2010: 94 -> 2020: 83
- trump’s action
- covid 19 (distorted recommendations/racial disparities)
- past 10 years

Question 28

what’s happened in the past 10 years the us has been deteriorating in democracy

Answer 28

• gerrymandering/partisan manipulation of electoral process
• corruption/conflict of interest
• lack of transparency
• police violence
• punitive immigration
• plutocracy