POS 201 Chapter Democracy, Fall 2016

Democracy 1) A system of rule by the poor and disadvantaged. 2) A form of government in which the people rule themselves directly and continuously, without the need for professional politicians or public officials. 3) A society based on equal opportunity and individual merit, rather than hierarchy and privilege. 4) A system of welfare and redistribution aimed at narrowing social inequalities. 5) A system of decision-making based on the principle of majority rule. 6) A system of rule that secures the rights and interests of minorities by placing checks upon the power of the majority. 7) A means of filling public offices through a competitive struggle for the popular vote. 8) A system of government that serves the interests of the people regardless of their participation in political life. Democratic Legitimacy: Modern discussions about legitimacy are dominated by its relationship to democracy, so much that democratic legitimacy is now widely accepted as the only meaningful form of legitimacy. So saying that a political organization is legitimate is like saying its democratic. Democracy promotes legitimacy in three ways: 1) Through Consent. Citizens give their consent implicitly each time they participate in the political process. Which means that democracy supports legitimacy by expanding the opportunities for political participation, like the act of voting. 2) The essence of democratic governance is a process of compromise and negotiation, through which rival groups find a way of living together in peace rather than the use of naked power. (elections). 3) Democracy operates as a feedback system that tends towards long-term political stability. Because democracy provides a mechanism through which governments can be removed and public policy changed. Nevertheless, the link between legitimacy and democracy has been questioned. Some argue that the high levels of political stability and low incidence of rebellion in democratic societies can be explained by factors other than democracy. Democratic societies tend to be Capitalist and Liberal, which causes democratic societies to offer wide opportunities for personal freedom, self-expression… which maintains legitimacy in a democratic society. How should the people rule? Most conceptions of democracy are based on the principle of ‘government by the people’. This implies that, in effect, people govern themselves – that they participate in making crucial decisions that structure their lives and determine the fate of their society. In the case of direct democracy, popular participation entails direct and continuous involvement in the decision-making, through devices such as 1) Referendums 2) Mass meetings 3) Interactive television. The alternative and more common form of democratic participation is the act of voting. There are also models of democracy that are built on the principle of ‘government for the people’, and that allow little scope for public participation of any kind, direct or indirect. Non Democratic Legitimacy If democracy is considered the only genuine basis of legitimacy, then non- democratic regimes are illegitimate. Nevertheless, some Oppressive regimes survive for decades with little evidence of mass political disaffection or opposition. This can largely be explained through the use of repression and fear so citizens obey the state. Three key forms of non-democratic legitimation have been used: 1) Non-competitive or “rigged” elections. Used mainly in Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. 2) Through the deliverance of High living standards, socio-economic benefits and so on. This legitimation is based on their ability to enforce public order, improve education and health care and so on. This method is largely used by china today as its strategy is to generate high levels of economic growth to improve legitimacy 3) Ideological Legitimation, to uphold the leader’s right to rule and to spread a sense of rightfulness to the leader’s regime. Political Equality In a politically equal society, citizens who are unequal socially or financially still possess identical voting rights and have the right to expect equitable treatment under the law. Majority Rule The will of the numerically strongest overrides the will of the minority, implying that the latter should accept the views of the former. Democracy in practice: Rival Views Debate about the most desirable form of democracy is present, but not as much the debate about how democracy really works in practice. One form of Democracy accepted Worldwide is “LIBERAL DEMOCRACY” with these central features: A political office is gained through fair elections Competition and electoral choice through tolerance of contending beliefs and political pluralism Distinguishes between the state and civil society. Provide protection for minorities, safeguarding them from the will of the majority. Nevertheless, many questions are asked about this Theme of democracy, with many interpretations the most important being: Pluralism, Elitism, Corporatism, Marxism. Pluralism: Pluralism is the recognition and affirmation of diversity within a political body, which permits the peaceful coexistence of different interests and lifestyles. James Madison was very influential to Pluralism as he created the “Madisonian Democracy” which is all about recognizing multiplicity and diversity in society and how these separate groups need a political voice to ensure stability. Which also means that a pluralist democracy is all about political systems where there is more than one centre of power. Elitism: For the elitists, democracy is a foolish delusion, because political power is always exercised by a privileged minority. The theory posits that a small minority, consisting of members of the economic elite and policy-planning networks, holds the most power and that this power is independent of a state's democratic elections process. So it’s a belief that a society or system should be led by an elite. Corporatism: As governments Wanted better economic and public services, they recognized the need for agreements designed to secure the cooperation and support of major economic powers. It dates back to Fascist Italy, as there was an attempt to construct a ‘corporate state’ by integrating both managers and workers into the processes of government. Corporatism is the control of society and state by major interest groups, or corporate groups, such as agricultural, business, labour, military… on the basis of common interests. Marxism: Karl Marx did express belief that the working class could achieve power through democratic elections, but that working people had the right to revolt if they were denied political expression. While Marxism does not dismiss democracy; it views it along class lines. The democracy that Marxists aim to achieve is a workers' democracy. This would consist of political power being held by the working class (the majority). Marxists also hold that a workers' democracy is only a temporary and transitional form necessary prior to the establishment of a communist society. Under a truly communist society, the class of proletariat would disappear, along with the state, to form a classless and stateless society. Who are the people? On the face of it, the answer is simple. “The People”, surely refers to all people, that is the entire population of the country. Early Greek Writers used to refer to “The Many”, which were the disadvantaged and property-less masses, which meant that Democracy implied not political equality, but bias over the poor. In Greek city states, political participation was restricted to male citizens over the age of 20. Which means all slaves, women and foreigners had strict voting restrictions and that continued in Western Europe well into the Twentieth century, usually through the exclusion of women. Universal suffrage was not gained in the UK until 1928, when women gained full voting rights. In USA, it was not achieved until early 1960s, when African-American people were able to vote for the first time. Nevertheless, an important restriction continues to be practised in all Democratic systems in the form of exclusion of children from political participations. Technical restrictions are also on the imprisoned criminals and certifiably Insane.