Global Democracy

Question 1

Democratic principles

Answer 1

• Elections – free and fair​
  
  • everyone can participate safely and freely​
  • results can be trusted → legitimacy​
• Plurality​
  
  • different people/views/interests participate​
  • wide participation → legitimacy​
• Accountability​
  
  • citizens hold politicians responsible for decisions​
• Transparency​
  
  • operation of govt visible to the people​
• Rule of law​
  
  • law applied equally and fairly to all​
  • separation of powers​
• Participation​
  
  • voting open to all​
  • interest in everyday political life/debates
• Equality - political and legal​
  
  • all citizens treated equally before the law​
  • representation​
  • cosmopolitanism​
• Checks on government power​
  
  • checks/balances on govt power/authority​
• Respect for sovereignty​
  
  • acknowledging legitimacy of govt to rule​
• Human Rights and Freedoms​
  
  • liberalism – political/economic/social​
• Political Culture/Functioning Govt​
  
  • popular trust in democratic institutions​
  • confidence in government​
  • representative political parties​
  • citizens feel they have control over their govt​
  • societal consensus and cohesion​
  • perception democracy benefits eco/society

Question 2

Democracy and peace

Answer 2

• Democratic Peace Thesis​
  
  • democracies less likely to invade another state​
  • b/c democracies respond to views of population​
  • ppl generally prefer peace​
  • assume other democracies also prefer peace​
  • force = last resort​
  • Immanuel Kant, Perpetual Peace, 1795​
    
    • democracies inherently peaceful​
  • Thomas Friedman, The Lexus & the Olive Tree, 1999​
    
    • ‘Golden Arches Theory’​
• International Human Rights Laws​
  
  • democracies – protect human rights globally​
  • UN Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

Question 3

Overview of rules-based international law

Answer 3

• developed post WWII & creation of UN​
• structured relationships, expectations + behaviours b/w states​
• liberal democracy​
• global institutions, rules and norms underpinned by liberalism/democracy​
• democracies more enthusiastic than authoritarian regimes for rules based order​
• however, bi-lateral or multi-lateral actions by authoritarian regimes undermine rules based order​
• examples of rules-based order:​
  
  • international law​
  • regional security arrangements​
  • trade agreements​
  • immigration protocols

Question 4

Institutions that exemplify rules-based international law

Answer 4

• United Nations​
  
  • maintain international peace and security​
  • promote international eco/social co-op​
  • respect for human rights​
• United Nations General Assembly​
  
  • policy making, represents 193 mbrs​
  • lacks power to enforce resolutions​
• United Nations Security Council​
  
  • responsible for peace/security​
  • 5 permanent mbrs (veto pwr) + 10 rotating​
• International Court of Justice​
  
  • settle disputes b/w states/advisory opinions​
• International Criminal Court​
  
  • individual crimes – genocide, war crimes etc​
  • no pwr to enforce rulings​
  • USA, China and Russia do not recognise ICC​
• International Monetary Fund​
• World Trade Organisation

Question 5

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members (remember at least 4)

Answer 5

• Albania (2009), Belgium (1949), Bulgaria (2004), Canada (1949), Croatia (2009), Czechia (1999), Denmark (1949), Estonia (2004), Finland (2023), France (1949), Germany (1955), Greece (1952), Hungary (1999), Iceland (1949), Italy (1949), Latvia (2004), Lithuania (2004), Luxembourg (1949), Montenegro (2017), Netherlands (1949), North Macedonia (2020), Norway (1949), Poland (1999), Portugal (1949), Romania (2004), Slovakia (2004), Slovenia (2004), Spain (1982), Sweden (2024), Türkiye (1952), United Kingdom (1949), United States (1949)

Question 6

NATO Decision

Answer 6

• A “NATO decision” is the expression of the collective will of all 32 member countries since all decisions are taken by consensus.

Question 7

NATO Purpose - security

Answer 7

• NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means​

Question 8

NATO Purpose - political

Answer 8

• members consult/cooperate on defence and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict

Question 9

NATO Purpose - military

Answer 9

• if diplomatic efforts fail, military power to undertake ‘crisis-management operations’​
• collective defence clause Article 5 of the Washington Treaty ​
• Also, acts under UN mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations

Question 10

AUKUS background

Answer 10

• Sep 2021, tripartite deal: Australia, UK & US​
• creation of trilateral security partnership​
• security and defence​
• support Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy​
• information/technology sharing​
• integration of security and defence-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains​
• enhance joint capabilities and interoperability, cyber capabilities​
• artificial intelligence​
• quantum technologies​
• undersea capabilities

Question 11

AUKUS submarine deal

Answer 11

• Aust - acquire fleet up to 8 nuclear-powered submarines ​
• forecast cost: up to $368bn ​
• b/w now mid-2050s​
• Aust will spend $9bn over the next four years

Question 12

AUKUS cooperation

Answer 12

• from 2023 Aust military and civilian personnel will embed with US and UK navies​
• including within both countries’ submarine industrial bases​
• from 2027 UK & US plan to rotate their nuclear-powered Virginia class submarines through HMAS Stirling (near Perth) = training of Australians​
• Aus/UK start building SSN-Aukus submarines in their domestic shipyards before the end of this decade