Political science: an introduction - Regimes Flashcards
What is democracy?
Political system of mass participation, competitive elections, and human and civil rights.
What is illiberal democracy?
Regimes that are elected but lack democratic qualities such as civil rights and limits on government.
What is direct democracy?
This is where the mass rules with referendums and no representation.
What is a representative democracy?
One in which people do not rule directly but through elected and accountable representatives.
Describe the features of a representative democracy?
Political accountability of government - Leaders are accountable to their citizens which means that leaders need to worry that they can be voted out. On a leaders second term this may diminish as they know they will leave at the end of their term.
Political competition - Voters must have a choice of candidates or parties. The parties must have freedom to organise and present their case well before elections. Political freedoms have to be present for both parties such as media control before the ballot takes place.
Alternation in power - parties or candidates must alternate in the electorate. No-one must have a lock on power. In the last twenty years various countries have turned more and more democratic, especially in Africa. Alternate systems are important function of accounting for corruption.
Uncertain electoral outcomes - A part of the electorate must be up for grabs. Voting must not be by group , where a tribe or social class gives all their votes to a specific candidate or party. Countries such as Iraq and Zimbabwe have seen large voting based on a particular group. This creates instability and volatility within society.
Popular representation - Voters elect representatives to act as legislators, to voice and protect their general interests. There is some discussion about how they should go about doing this. The first method is by mandate in which the representative carries out specific wishes of the public. The second is by trustee in which the representative decides the public good without a specific mandate. Few people hold definitive opinions about everything, so in reality people care more about the general direction of government.
Majority decision - On any important decision the majority must decide. In modern times this is also done with respect to the minority. To uphold such rights, an independent judiciary, one not under the thumb of the regime is necessary. Minority views are important. What is a minority view today might become a majority view tomorrow. What is a majority view today might be a minority view tomorrow. Law often comes from the conflict between these two groups.
Right of dissent and disobedience - This refers to the right to resist the command of government they find wrong or unreasonable. This is supported through civil disobedience, where disobedience is peaceful and non-violent. Some do this independently and some try to mobilise and organise it.
Political equality - One person one vote. This holds that all individuals should be equally allowed to participate in politics.
Popular consultation - This refers to the ability to receive feedback from the public through means such as media, public opinion polls, their constituents directly through email, to name a few. Critics have however noted that sometimes a few because of their power and influence are able to have the biggest impact. This can be seen with the financial bank bailout in 2008.
Free press - A democracy must have a free press. It is likely the easiest way to measure the degree of democracy within a country. Specifically the ability of the media to criticise government. Countries such as China often shutdown tweets and other media. On the other hand criticism of government that goes too far, it is argued, that this undermines the authority of the government and its power.
As there are always elites in society how do elite theorists and pluralists differ on the impact of elites?
Elite theorists believe that the elites of society are little accountable to the masses whereas pluralists believe that the elites are ultimately accountable to the masses. Both Gaetano Mosca, Robert Michels and Robert Dahl believed that elites will always end up in control, ruling the few. Dahl however believed that the elites were accountable whereas the other believed they weren’t.
Elites argue that this happens through money and connections where access to political power is gained and elite theories emphasised.
Pluralists argue that the concerns of the masses is what drives politics as this is what will win them votes. They argue that government is instead influenced by interest groups. Anyone can organise an interest group and demand change.
As pure elitism and pure pluralism is an unrealistic view of society, what is realistic?
A synthesis of both - a polyarchy model - which represents small pyramids with an elite and a masses all effecting each other is a more realistic view. Here there is an interaction of many units and a stratification of leaders as elites would have it. The rule of leaders of groups who have reached stable understandings with each other. Trade unions, business leaders, the Church, are examples of this.
What is Totalitarianism?
A political system in which the state attempts total control of its citizens. It emphasises total control, brainwashing and worship of the state. The only example today of pristine totalitarianism is North Korea.
What are Dahl’s influence terms from best to worst?
Rational persuasion manipulative persuasion, inducement, power, coercion, physical force.
Explain the six features of totalitarian state?
All-encompassing ideology - Totalitarians push an official theory of history, economics and future political and social development. This has to be studied and followed - it is compulsory in China.
A single party - One party and person dominates politics. They are to be worshipped. Membership is controlled and has certain privileges leading to big party support. The party is superior or tied with formal institutions in a hierarchy.
Organised terror - Security police use both psychological and physical methods to keep citizens obedient. This is done through secret arrests, jailing, and torture.
Monopoly of weapons - governments of totalitarian nations have a complete monopoly of weapons, thus eliminating armed resistance.
Monopoly of communications - Strictly censored media to support the ideology and show the system is working well.
Controlled economy - All means of production are owned by the state or controlled by it through private industry.
What really goes on in totalitarian states?
In reality, it is often found that there is large corruption and lack of approval within these states, seen with Mussolini and Stalin.
What is right-wing totalitarianism and why did this come about?
Italian fascism and German national socialism are examples This came about in industrialised nations plagued by economic depression, social upheaval, and political confusion and democratisation in which democracy was weak.
What is an authoritarian regime; how does it compare to totalitarianism?
Authoritarian regimes are governed by a small group that minimises popular input. They do not attempt to control everything and matters such as religion and culture and left up the individual.
They usually limit freedoms in exchange for a hierarchical organisation of command, disobedience and order. Citizens pay taxes and obey laws they have no voice in establishing. Rigged elections usually occur and opponents have no chance.
A key difference is that totalitarianism is a lot harder to change.
What is the relationship of authoritarianism and developing nations?
When European colonies left African nations, authoritarianism grew. This is because colonialists did not leave behind a framework for democracy to flourish. Most importantly this is because these societies were preindustrial.
What kind of authoritarian regimes have contributed to the latest wave of democracy and why?
Authoritarian regimes that enjoyed strong economic growth and collapsed communist regimes whose economic growth lagged.
The authoritarian regimes implemented macroeconomic policy and exported to the world market. This led to modernisation theory - economic growth fosters a large, educated middle class that demands democracy. This happens because economic growth creates a large middle class, education levels rise, people increasingly recognise their interests and express them and the market teaches citizens about self-reliance, pluralism, tolerance, all attitudes that sustain democracy. The regime then eases up creating critical press, the formation of political parties and finally, free elections.
This does not happen in petrostates because they concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few. The oil industry does not employ many workers and citizens rely on the government for handouts.
