Grigsby slides 8
- 1. Chapter 8 Comparative Politics I Governmental Systems: Democracy and Nondemocracy
- 2. Comparative Politics The study of how governments, political groups, political procedures, and citizenship vary across countries or time periods.
- 4. Spectrum of Government Power • Perfect democracy - Power in hands of the people • Democracy • Limited democracy • Authoritarianism • Totalitarianism • Perfect totalitarianism - All power held by government
- 6. Democracy • From the Greek demokratía - demos = “people” - kratía = “government” • Democracy does not always equal freedom. • Democracy needs • Thoughtful citizens • Limits on power • Rule of law • Human and civil rights
- 7. Democracy: Definition and Presuppositions • Participatory • Protective Democracy Democracy • Government not • People free to participate tyrannical and oppressive • Pluralist Democracy • Performance • All people free to Democracy participate • Governmental outputs • Developmental reflective of the people’s desires Democracy • People aware of their role in process
- 8. Democracy • “True” democracy • A system in which all citizens meet periodically to elect officials and personally enact laws. Representative democracy – One in which the people do not rule directly but through elected and accountable representatives.
- 9. Elements of Democracy • Popular accountability of government • Political competition • Alternation in power • Popular representation • Majority decision • Right of dissent and disobedience • Political equality • Popular consultation • Free press
- 10. Democracy in Practice • Even if all the democratic criteria are met, political power will still not be evenly distributed • Few will have a lot • And many will have little
- 11. Elites • The “top” or most influential people • Those who govern • Elites make the actual decisions, and ordinary citizens generally go along with these decisions • Key dispute: • How much elites are accountable to masses. • Elite theorists vs. pluralists
- 12. The Models
- 13. Nondemocracy: Definition and Characteristics • Antiparticipatory • Diverse in Leadership • Governments deny • Family leadership freedom of participation • Party leadership by the people. • Military leadership • May suppress various • Individual leadership groups • Unclear lines of • May produce laws and succession policies not reflective of the peoples’ desires
- 14. Totalitarianism • All-encompassing ideology • A single party • Organized terror • Monopoly of communications • Monopoly of weapons • Controlled economy
- 15. Right-Wing Totalitarianism • Aims to strengthen the existing social order and to glorify the state. • Citizens directed toward national glory and war
- 16. Authoritarianism • Diluted totalitarianism • Governed by small group • Does not attempt to control everything • Rarely has firm ideology to sell • Institutes command, obedience, order • Has strict, hierarchical chain-of-command • Allows little to no voice for citizens • Has some trappings of democracy, with little function
- 17. Latest Wave of Democracy • Authoritarian regimes that enjoyed strong economic growth • Chile, South Korea, Taiwan • Why? • Middle class grows • Have stake in system • Want modification, not collapse of system • Education levels rise • Pluralism – citizens express interests • Market teaches attitudes of democracy
- 18. China’s 1989 student protest in Tiananmen Square
- 19. Latest Wave of Democracy • Collapsed Communist regimes whose economic growth lagged • Why? • Poor economic growth • Hard to reform totalitarian systems • System can’t bend • If they admit system needs changing, they admit that the ideology was wrong, etc.
- 20. Theory of Democratic Peace • No two democracies have ever fought each other. • If true, a more democratic world means a more peaceful world.