L2: Emergence of the Liberal Democratic State

Question 1

what are the origins of democratic tradition

Answer 1

ancient greece (though not recognised as democracy by todays standards)

Question 2

why were the conditions of ancient greece democracy not considered as democratic today?

Answer 2

• voting rights restricted
• government offices chosen by lottery
• No parliament as such

Question 3

what was the key political debate during the dark ages and what did this start ?

Answer 3

who holds ultimate source of power

and sacred process of questioning source of political authority

Question 4

what three events saw stirrings of popular sovereignty ideas

Answer 4

magna carta
masilius of padua
putney debates (english civil wars, thomas rainsborough)

Question 5

who was the first major theorist to argue ultimate sovereignty lie with the people

Answer 5

masilius of padua

Question 6

while social contract theories differ among themselves, explain state of nature

Answer 6

different starting points of social contracts, pre political sate of nature

Question 7

Explain Thomas Hobbes State of nature

Answer 7

• life is ‘nasty brutish and short’

* to control this, men rationally give up ALL authority to a single Sovereign who has complete power

Question 8

in thomas hobbes state of nature why can men not complain

Answer 8

Even if the Sovereign is cruel and malevolent, men cannot complain because (a) this is still better than the State of Nature; and (b) they are themselves the ‘author’ of the Sovereign

Question 9

explain john locker state of nature

Answer 9

• characterised by abundant resources and human reasonableness
• money =accumulation
o Government is necessary to protect life, liberty and property, in the face of such accumulation

Question 10

in john locker state of nature, what should government be and not be

Answer 10

Government should not be democratic but should be Commonwealth- a political community for the good of all
• Separation of powers and toleration
• Revolution as a right, and sometimes, obligation

Question 11

what three revolutions allowed start of political form

Answer 11

1. The Glorious Revolution (1688)
   • limits on monarchical power,
2. The American Revolution (1765-1783)
   • independent nation with a constitution
   • Strong constitution, Bill of Rights enacted
3. The French Revolution (1789-1799)
   • Established a (relatively short lived) constitutional democracy

Question 12

In all three revolutions, what were the common features

Answer 12

• Separation of powers
• Bill of Rights, or equivalent
• Protection from arbitrary rule
• Still a limited demos, either explicitly or inexplicitly- women, African Americas, voting rights still restricted in some places