Types of Democracy
- Created by: belle-madeleine
- Created on: 27-02-18 19:17
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- Types of Democracy
- Democracy
- Two Core Principles
- Political participation
- Political decisions are made by the people
- Political equality
- Each citizen has a free and equal opportunity to influence political decisions
- Political participation
- Two Key Models
- Direct democracy
- The people make political decisions
- Popular participation
- Representative democracy
- The people choose who will make their decisions
- Popular control
- Direct democracy
- Two Core Principles
- Direct Democracy
- Definition
- Direct, unmediated and continuous participation of citizens
- No distinction between the government and the people
- Direct, unmediated and continuous participation of citizens
- Key Features
- Direct
- The people make policy decisions
- Unmediated
- The people are the government
- Continous
- People engaged in politics on a regular and ongoing basis
- Direct
- Historical Examples
- Ancient Athens
- Popular mass meetings
- The citizens of Athens were tiny proportion of inhabitants
- No women
- No immigrants
- Slaves
- Unworkable in modern times
- Sovereign body was the Assembly
- Met 40 times a year
- Male citizens over 20
- Issues debated and decieded
- Public order
- Taxation
- Foreign policy
- Military affairs
- Quorum of 6,000 people
- Full-time officials on a rota
- Resembled citizens
- Short terms
- Council of 500 citizens were the executive of the assembly
- President of the Committee held office for a single day and only once in their lives
- Paris Commune 1871
- Township meetings in New England USA
- Communal assemblies in Swiss
- Ancient Athens
- Today
- Supplements representative democracy
- Strengthens popular participation
- Referendums
- Proposals for citizens' juries, electronic or digital democracy
- Benefits of Direct Democracy
- Genuine democracy
- People obey laws they made
- Freedom
- Personal development
- Better informed and knowledgeable citizens
- Encourage interest in politics
- How it should and shouldn't work
- End of professional politics
- Reduces or removes professional politicians
- Politicians distort public opinion
- Reduces or removes professional politicians
- Legitimate governement
- People accept decisions they've made
- Responsibility for their own decisions
- People accept decisions they've made
- Genuine democracy
- Negatives of Direct Democracy
- Only achievable in small communities
- Politics is the job for all citizens
- Restricts their ability to carry out other duties and activities
- Definition
- Representative Democracy
- Definition
- Representatives speak and act on the behalf of the people
- Representatives can be chosen and removed
- Regular and popular elections
- Politicians must serve the people to win or retain power
- Representatives can be chosen and removed
- Based on the power electoral process gives
- Winners of elections represent the people
- Representatives speak and act on the behalf of the people
- Key Features
- Indirect
- People don't exercise power themselves
- Mediated
- People kinked through representative institutions
- Limited
- Voting every few years
- Indirect
- Key Rules
- Free, fair and regular elections
- Voters can express opinion
- Universal suffrage
- Party and candidate competition
- Voters have a choice
- Free, fair and regular elections
- Benefits of Representative Democracy
- Practicable democracy
- Can work in large modern societies
- Government by experts
- Politicians have better education and expertise
- Division of labour in politics
- Ordinary citizens are relieved of decision making
- Political stability
- Distances citizens from politics
- Certain level of apathy is helpful
- Practicable democracy
- Negatives of Representative Democracy
- There is a gulf between government and the people
- Places too much faith in politicians
- Distort public opinion by imposing their own views
- Definition
- Liberal Democracy
- Definition
- Representative democracy plus limited government
- Balances the need for democracy against freedom
- Key Forms
- Constitutional democracy
- Upholds freedom and minority rights
- Majoritarian democracy
- Majority view takes priority over minority
- The majority speaks for everyone
- Majority view takes priority over minority
- Constitutional democracy
- Definition
- Democracy
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