Democracy

Question 1

What are the 4 political systems?

Answer 1

1) Totalitarianism - environment of fear, control.
2)Authoritarianism - denies people’s participation in politics.
3) Monarchy -single family rules from generation to generation.
Absolute monarchy - monarch has most power.
Constitutional monarchy - monarch is head of state + officials that are considered legislative/executive power.
4) Democracy - power of people.

Question 2

What are the problems of democracy?

Answer 2

1) Not everyone is democratically elected, (bureaucracy -extended officials) => lack of transparency.
2)Inequality between countries due to their position.
3)Diploma democracy - higher education officials promote actions in their interest.
4)Disconnected groups (different education levels, incomes), so worse participation and underrepresentation.

Question 3

Polarisation - Pros and Cons

Answer 3

Pros - simplifies voting, strengthens political parties + institutions.
Cons - “Us and them” mindset, intergroup competition (due to intergroup threat, ingroup loyalty) => lack of corporation and compromise

Question 4

What does erosion of a non-liberal system lead to?

Answer 4

Downfall of democracy

Question 5

What is the agonistic pluralism?

Answer 5

Agonistic pluralism - viewing the outgroup as rivals, not enemies.
Understanding and debating the groups’ view of what democracy should look like.
(Good)

Question 6

What is antagonistic pluralism?

Answer 6

Viewing the outgroup as enemies. “Us (good) and them (bad)” mindset, biases. People take extremes, the veto system against their opponents, delegitimizing people and the system.

Question 7

What is the future going to look like according to Fukuyama?

Answer 7

The rise of the Western liberal democracy will lead to the end of political history.

Question 8

What is the future going to look like according to researchers?

Answer 8

Some people think democracy is on the decline => critical thinking about officials and regime.
Young people express their opinions through non-conventional ways(protest).
Dissatisfaction towards officials => higher risk of supporting authoritarianism.

Question 9

Micro-economics

Answer 9

Used in investment decisions. Focuses on individuals and business decisions (supply-demand relations, etc.).

Question 10

Macro-economics

Answer 10

Focuses on decisions made by countries and governments. Determining the future of economy, used as a tool for tax policy.

Question 11

Political economy

Answer 11

Studies the effect of economic theories (capitalism, communism) plays out irl. Analyzes history, culture and impact on economy. Global political economy => how politics form global economic interactions.

Question 12

Neoliberalism

Answer 12

Death of dialogue in democracy. Based on self-sufficiency and individualism (f.e. not supporting weak => dependency + entitlement)

Question 13

Management

Answer 13

Administering a company.

Question 14

Managerialism

Answer 14

Ideology, expansion of management in 20th and 21th c.

Question 15

How does managerialism refer to totalitarianism?

Answer 15

Managerialism = totalitarian ideology => management of society and capitalism.
Organisations have more similarities than differences, so optimal functioning could be achieved by generic management skills + theory.
internal components of organisation = elements of an internal market economy.
Competition => efficiency + lowers costs.

Question 16

Managerialism and it’s implications on humans

Answer 16

individual beliefs of humans => information processing entities.
Employees put through training to conform their expectations + that procedures are error-free + filling in the form after every action => ideology of managerialism.
Human emotions also managed to increase productivity.

Question 17

Consumerism on the basis of managerialism

Answer 17

Led by managerial capitalism. Perpetual greed to grow and produce.
Negative impact on planet and employees/employers (organisation).
F.e. overconsumption; not stopping climate change, because of interests of industries, consumers.

Question 18

What are the guiding principles of managerialism?

Answer 18

Managerial techniques and skills.
Based on free market.

Question 19

What is the goal of managerialism?

Answer 19

To reach monopoly in a specific field, market or industry.
Ultimate goal = profit.

Question 20

What does neoliberalism focus on?

Answer 20

Focused on free trade, economics and politics.

Question 21

What does managerialism focus on?

Answer 21

Focuses on corporations and management.

Question 22

What is beurokracy and how is it linked with B. Towney (disembedded rationality)?

Answer 22

Beurokracy = decisions based on rules that disconnect individual from reality.
Disembedded rationality = rationality that makes us ignore the social side of interactions.

Question 23

What does H. Arendt say about beurokracy (disappearance of politics + disembedded rationality)?

Answer 23

Disembedded rationality and lack of conscious thinking => struggle for recognition.
All human beings are replaceable => tyranny.
Disappearance of politics = abstractification (“the state”/ “the company”).
Deprivation of political freedom, so tyranny without tyrant (it doesn’t account for humans within such a system).
Disembededness of rationality => destruction of practical judgement.