Modern Democratic Principles and Other Systems of Government Flashcards
What are the main roles of government?
Traditional roles:
~ security: improve public safety, provide a level of internal+external security individuals can’t achieve
~ settling disputes: provide avenues of dispute settlement
~ infrastructure
Modern growth of functions
~ economic management: in the interest of greater growth, ⬆️employment, ⬇️inflation
~ social security*
~ health: hospitals, public health insurance and campaigns
~ education: primary, secondary, tertiary
~ communications i.e. NBN
~ transport: road, rail, ports, airports
~ environment
*redistribution of income
What are the characteristics of a good government?
Democracy is basis of good govt.
- first be based on the concept of individual freedom
- representative: reflect the backgrounds+interests of their citizens
- participatory: involve people in the decisions that affect their lives
- accountable: people must have the ability to dismiss leaders who misuse their power
What is the separation of powers?
The division of government into three independent branches. Each ranch has its own powers.
It is a major difference between democratic and non democratic systems
Three functions/arms of government in Australia
Legislative - creating and modify law
~ Parliament, delegated legislation, courts
Executive - administration (powers and structures required to ensure a law is carried out)
~ Cabinet (State and Federal)
~ police, public service, public agencies
Judicial - resolve legal disputes, determine penalties and interpretation of laws
~ Courts
***as well as their central function, the 3 arms of govt. also perform a checking function on the other arms of govt.
What is the legislative function in Australia?
Legislative
➡️creating and modifying laws
~ statutes (acts of parliament)- sovereign law
~ delegated legislation
~ judge made law- common law and statutory interpretation
What is the executive function in Australia?
Executive
➡️administration, covers the powers and structures required to ensure the law is carried out
~ chief executive is Cabinet
~ police, public service and other public agencies
What is the judicial function in Australia?
Judicial
➡️to resolve legal dispute, determine penalties and interpret laws
~ carried out by courts
What are the key features of a democratic government?
~ based on the concept of individual freedom ~ representative, participatory, accountable (separation of powers) Also have ~ free and fair elections ~ representative parliaments ~ accountable executive ~ open participation ~ just and equitable legal system
Necessary features of a democracy and free society:
~ free and fair elections ~ representative parliaments ~ accountable executive ~ open participation ~ just and equitable legal system
Types of democratic government systems:
~ direct democracy
~ representative democracy
Types of non democratic government systems
~ absolute monarchies
~ aristocracy, oligarchy, plutocracy
~ dictatorship- authoritarian, totalitarian- fascist, communist
~ theocracy
What is a democracy?
Political and legal system that is based upon the rule of the will of the people
What is a direct democracy?
Involved citizens voting on all aspects of legislation and society i.e. Ancient Greece- Athens
It is not considered practical for large nation states
What is a representative democracy?
Citizens elect representatives on their behalf to make decisions for a specified period of time
What are liberal democracies?
Modern democracies- they are based on individual freedom and rights. Government must be freely chosen, representative of the people and accountable to the people. Everyone must have access to just legal procedures
What is typically a non democratic system?
A political and legal system that is based on the views of elites and powerful minorities
What is an absolute monarchy?
Traditional form of govt. in pre-modern times. All legal power rests in the decisions of an unelected monarch who held office on the basis of hereditary entitlement
What is aristocracy?
Political and legal power held by an elite section of society (aristocrats) i.e. France pre French Revolution
What is oligarchy and plutocracy?
Oligarchy- modern form of aristocracy. Power is held by a few powerful elites i.e. South America countries a
Plutocracy- power is held by wealthy elites
What is autocracy?
Legal power is exercised by an autocrat who unilaterally decides the laws and social direction of that country i.e. Zimbabwe with Robert Mugabe
What is a dictatorship?
Unelected leaders with significant powers to impose their will on society. There are two types; authoritarian and totalitarian
What is an authoritarian dictatorship?
Authoritarian rulers have total control of political and legal power and use violence to maintain control i.e. Zimbabwe, Italy under Mussolini
What is a totalitarian dictatorship?
Totalitarian rulers enforce absolute obedience and seek to create absolute social control over all citizens i.e. Germany with Hitler, Soviet Union with Stalin, China with Mao Zedong, present day North Korea
Two main types- fascist and communist
What is a fascist totalitarian system of governance?
~ believe all disunity is a source of national weakness, they suppress any group who opposes them/different to national ideal.
~ only a single leader can express the will of the people and the good of the nation
i.e. Nazi Germany
What is a totalitarian communist system of governance?
~ seek total control over the people to revolutionise and transform society
~ abolish all social and economics differences to create absolute equality
i.e. Soviet Union under Stalin, China under Mao Zedong, Cambodia
