Democracy Flashcards
What are the Prerequisites of Democracy?
The people should be able to remove their leaders and replace them with more suitable representatives
Frequent and guaranteed elections
Real choice
Secret ballots to ensure that elections are free of fraud, bribery, or intimidation
Universal suffrage
Freedom of association
What are the advantages of democracy?
- Decisions are made in the interest of the people (social contract)
- Individual rights are safeguarded
What needs to happen in order for democracy to be successful?
High literacy rates
National unity
A consensus on national goals and values
Relative economic equality
Equality of opportunity
What are the disadvantages of democracy?
Inefficiency
Bureaucracy
Elite groups
Tyranny of the Majority
Apathy
How is inefficiency a disadvantage of democracy?
There is inefficiency due to attempting to provide political equality to all citizens
How is bureaucracy a disadvantage of democracy?
Bureaucracy is a system that administers the affairs of a government or business through employed officials
How is having elite groups a disadvantage of democracy?
Those who wield power and influence with a society are often “more equal” than others (wealth, lobbiests, interest groups)
How is tyranny of the majority a disadvantage of democracy?
It is a condition under which the ruling majority opposes minorities of any type
How is apathy a disadvantage of democracy?
Indifference, lack of interest
Low voter turn out and stagnation
Comes from being a minority
Who was Friedrich Nietzsche?
The classic critique of democracy
Democracy is the rule of the mob
Maintained that by democracy ensuring all individuals have a voice, it would lead to a mediocre and intellectually bankrupt society
Under such a system, the government would be forced to pander to the uneducated masses rather than the intellectual state
His attacks on democracy and socialism made him very popular with fascist movements of the interwar period (although they ultimately twisted his theories)
What is Locke’s Test of Legitimacy?
The purpose of government is to protect and foster individual rights and liberties, any government who fails to do so is illegitimate and must be overthrown
What are the two most common systems of democratic governments?
Parliamentary (constitutional monarchy) (Britain)
Republic (presidential) (Rome)
How do different governments organize representatives?
Most governments have a bicameral legislative (an upper and lower house) but a few countries have unicameral
Canada: the House of Commons (elected) is more powerful than the senate (unelected)
America: both the House of Representatives and the Senate are made up of elected officials and both have considerable power
How does Canada’s parliamentary democracy work?
The British monarch is Canada’s Head of State, represented by the Governor General
The government is formed by the political party which wins the greatest number of seats in a general election, the leader of that party becomes prime minister
Elections must be held within 5 years of taking office but can be called at any time
What is the cabinet in the Canadian system of government?
The most important group in the House of Commons
The cabinet consists of the prime minister and the heads of government departments who are MP’s chosen by the prime minister
Although the cabinet is extremely powerful, it is ultimately responsible to the House of Commons and can be forced to resign if it loses the confidence of the house
This is called a vote of non-confidence
What does responsible government look like in Canada?
Responsible government means that the government is directly responsible to the people through the people’s representatives
In theory: a vote of non-confidence ensures responsible government in Canada
In practice: cabinet and party solidarity usually prevents a sitting government to fail (unless it’s a minority government)
How does the United States presidential system of government work?
The US system is based on Montesquieu’s separation of powers or “checks and balances”
The US constitution divides the power of government between these three branches in order to prevent any one branch from controlling the state
What is the process of electing the US president?
The US president is chosen by the Electoral College
This means that the president can be elected without the majority of voters across the country actually voting for them
Not all states are equal in the electoral college system
What is the process of electing representatives in the US?
US legislators are elected for different terms and not all at the same time as the president (midterm elections)
Senators are elected for a 6 year term (revolving)
Congressional representatives are elected for only a 2 year term
What does responsible government look like in the US?
The president can veto any law put forward by congress
The House of Representatives working with the Senate can override the presidents veto if two-thirds vote of both houses is secured
The senate also has the power to impeach a sitting president, the senate forms a court and tries the president
How do you compare the Canadian and US executive branches?
The executive power in Canada is controlled by the Prime Minister and Cabinet
In the US executive power is largely in the hands of only the president
How do you compare the Canadian and US legislative branches?
Both systems have bicameral legislatures but the Canadian senate is much less powerful than the US counterpart because in Canada they aren’t elected
How do you compare the Canadian and US judicial systems?
Canada has a unitary system of shared courts for both federal and provincial laws
The US has a duel court system, which includes federal courts for federal laws and state courts for state laws
In both system the Supreme Court is the ultimate power
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Canadian system of government?
In Canada amendments can be made to bills only if they are directly related
The Canadian principle of responsible government requires cooperation between the legislative and executive branch’s, which leads to successive changes in government and the potential for instability
Critics claim that the need for party discipline has made the Canadian executive too powerful
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the US system of government?
In the US any amendments can be added to a bill in order to get it passed (pork barrelling)
since the terms of office are fixed the citizens cannot force and change in government until an election rolls around
This can be seen as a governing system that is either very stable or very unresponsive
What are the founding principles of the Canadian government?
Peace, order, and good government
What are the founding principles of the US government?
Life, liberty, and the persist of happiness
What are the weaknesses of the First Past the Post system of determining representatives?
Leads to lack of representation, division, and polarization
Only one winner, everyone else loses
Leads to ideological centrism because the party wants to cater to more people in the middle
What is the solution to the problems in a First Past the Post system?
The percentage of votes = the percentage of seats
Multi-member ridings
What are the pros of the system of Proportional Representation?
PR gives minority parties and independent candidates a much better chance of being elected
PR frequently produces coalition governments
There would be a higher turnout at the polls under PR
Requires government to compromise and build consensus
What are the cons of the system of Proportional Representation
PR makes it easier for extremist parties to gain seats
The coalition government that PR often produces can be weak and indecisive
