Democracy Flashcards
what is a regime
government system defined by institutions and rules about power
eg. democracy, dictatorship
what are institutions
social/political structures that shape individual/group behavior
eg. supreme court
what is government
- a government IS NOT a regime
- always changing
what is lincoln’s definition of democracy
a government, of the people, by the people, for the people AKA responds to peeps
What is Schumpeter’s definition of democracy
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
what is Przeworski definition of democracy
a system where parties lose elections -> uncertain outcomes
What is Schmitter and Karl’s definition of democracy
it must have rule of 4:
- a system of governance = rules that give access to public office
- rulers held accountable
- citizens have the right to vote/run for office
- elections of professional politicians
what’s a representative democracy
representatives constrained by:
- elections
- citizens’ rights
whats a direct democracy
citizens make decisions themselves
eg. past - ancient Greece
present - city/state elections
what’s up with direct democracy in certain regimes
in authoritarian regimes, direct democracy is used to avoid having representatives
what is Dahl’s defintion of democracy (the content)
7 conditions:
- free, fair, frequent elections
- all adults have right to vote
- all adults can run for elections
- elected officials make govt decisions
- freedom of expression
- alternate sources of info (media)
- freedom of association
what is polyarchy
rule of many
- HIGH CONTESTATION
- important offices =
elective
- elections = competitive
- HIGH INCLUSION
- almost all adults can
vote/runwhat is plutocracy
power of $$$ in politics
how do you measure democracy
- the freedom house score where 1 (free) - 7 (not free)
- 2 determinants of rating
what are the 2 determinants of rating
- political rights
2. civil liberties
what is the criteria for political rights
- electoral process
- political participation/pluralism with freedom to go against govt
- functions of govt (corrupt? transparent?)
what is the criteria for civil liberties
- freedom of expression/belief w/o prosecution
- associational rights (fair rights, no police violating law)
- rule of law
- personal autonomy/individual rights (economic opportunity)
why is there global democratic decline?
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
why 2020 democratic decline
- china = more assertive/interference
- us lost world leadership -> domestic democracy problems
- COVID
- use of military force rose in authoritarian states
how did covid lead to 2020 democratic decline
- excessive surveilance/restrictions to help
- elections delayed
- socio-economic, racial, gender couldn’t afford rights
- journalists/social media users arrested for “misinformation”
how did uuse of military force in authoritarian states lead to 2020 democratic decline
- 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
what countries had major deterioration in 2020 freedom
India and Belarus
how did freedom deteriorate in india
free->partly free
PM modi…
- crackdown critics
- COVID 19 -> displaced millions workers
- blamed Muslim spreading virus -> lynching
how did freedom deteriorate in belarus
- deeply flawed election -> incumbent Lukasheka didn’t get majority and stayed in power
- mass protests -> crackdowns, mass arrests, torture
where and how did freedom improve in this country
Malawi
- elections -> flawed by favoring incumbent
- constitutional court ruled new elections
what is the significance of Malawi
- institutions can keep check
2. message to other African countries
how has US been deteriorating
2010: 94 -> 2020: 83
- trump’s action
- covid 19 (distorted recommendations/racial disparities)
- past 10 years
what’s happened in the past 10 years the us has been deteriorating in democracy
- gerrymandering/partisan manipulation of electoral process
- corruption/conflict of interest
- lack of transparency
- police violence
- punitive immigration
- plutocracy
