Democracy and Forms of Government

Democracy - Forms of government throughout history

Autocracy

• Government by one person with absolute power
• The two forms are monarchy and dictatorship

Monarchy

• A single person has absolute power over the government
• Power passed to a family member, establishing a ruling dynasty
• Historic instances include Genghis Khan's Mongol empire and the Tsars in Russia's Romanov dynasty

Dictatorship

• One person or a small group holds power by force or manipulation
• Historic instances include Julius Caesar in ancient Rome, Oliver Cromwell in England
• Contemporary examples include Joseph Stalin in Soviet Russia, Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, and Benito Mussolini in Fascist Italy
• Autocracy is usually synonymous with dictatorship

Theocracy

• Government by religious authorities following the rules of a certain religion
• Historic instances include Israel from Moses to Saul, Ancient Egypt with the Pharaoh, the Caliphate

Historical Theocracies

• Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates are examples of Islamic states ruled by a Caliph
• Contemporary instances are Afghanistan, Vatican, and Tibet
• There are elements of theocracies in autocracies when the autocrat represents a certain religion

Feudalism

• Government by a lord owning land in exchange for services and protection
• It was dominant in medieval Europe, where nobility held lands for the crown
• Peasants, known as vassals, lived on the lord's land in return for labour and services

Historical Feudal Societies

• Great part of medieval Europe, Japan and India until the 19th century, and parts of Germany and Russia until the 18th/19th century
• Under this system all peasants, known as serfs, lived in slavery as they where formally property of the lords

Tribes and clan-based system

• Government based on tribes or kinship, with a chief chosen by consensus
• This system is and was predominant in pre-colonial Africa, among Native Americans and Polynesian societies, and in pre-Roman Europe

Aristocracy

• Government by those presumed best qualified to rule, or by a small privileged class
• Historic instances are Ancient Greece and 19th-century European democracies
• Contemporary instances are House of Lords in Britain, second chamber where qualified legislators preside

Oligarchy

• Government by a small group of powerful people
• Historic instances are Ancient Rome, Japan, and China, and 19th-century United States
• Contemporary examples are Russia, China, and North Korea

Plutocracy

• Government by the wealthy
• Historic instances are Venice, Genoa, Florence, merchant republics in Renaissance
• Contemporary examples are Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Equatorial Guinea

Totalitarianism

• Government by a centralized and dictatorial state requiring full subservience from people
• This requires power and modern technologies to implement policies
• Historic instances are Communist Russia, Nazi Germany, and Fascist Italy
• Contemporary examples are China, North Korea, and Cuba
• Communism and fascism ideologies require a totalitarian state for implementation

Anarchy

• Absence of government leading to absolute freedom of the individual
• A state of disorder with no recognition of authority
• Historic instances were Paris commune (1871) and Revolutionary Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War
• Contemporary examples are Democratic Federation of Northern Syria
• Anarchic rule can occur during war or when a government fails to impose law and order

Ochlocracy

• Rule by mobs, mass of people and intimidation of legitimate authorities
• Historic examples are France and Russia after the revolutions in 1789
• Contemporary instances are Venezuela

Kleptocracy

• Rule by thieves, leaders taking community wealth by stealing, embezzling, or misappropriating funds
• Historically, many conquering countries imposed levels of kleptocracy
• Diverse countries in all continents with high levels of corruption and little accountability are contemporary examples of kleptocracy

Democracy

• Rule by the people
• Demos (people's) Kracy (power/might)
• Rule by the people based on the principle that the people have the right to rule
• The two overall forms are direct and representative

Direct Democracy

• Everyone can vote on community issues
• Issues get decided by all members of that community

Representative Democracy

• Indirect democracy
• Electing representatives, who then implement decisions

Basic premise of democracy

• Equality: all citizens are equal regardless of wealth, social status, race, ethnicity, gender
• Citizens have the same rights to participate in decision-making, to vote, and to be represented

Functioning of Democracy

• A parliament: an assembly of elected representatives discussing community affairs and making laws

Elections

• Citizens elect a person or group to represent them
• Election periods vary but every 4 or 5 years has become standard in modern democracy

Majority Rule

• Any decision taken by the majority of citizens becomes law
• Constitution: basic principles/laws governing a community, establishing powers/duties of government officials and rights of people

Seperation of poewrs

• Division of power prevents abuse and safeguards citizens' rights/freedoms

Three pillars of democracy

• Legislative: those who enact law (Parliament and other assemblies)
• Executive: those who implement the law (Government)
• Judiciary: Supreme Court, High Court and other judicial centres

Historical claims of democracy

• Several cultures and individuals have had/claimed forms of democratic rule in antiquity
• Collective decision-making has even existed from the beginning

Ancient proto-democracy

• Anthropologists describe forms of proto-democracy in hunter-gatherers, before agrarian societies were established
• Phoenicians showed evidence of rule by popular assembly
• Sumerians in Mesopotamia had council of elders and another of young men to take decisions
• India: Alexander the great mentions rajas (kings) ruling with the support of deliberative assembly

Drawbacks of historical democracy-claims

• The main elements of democracy seem to be lacking
• No formal elections, no clear system of majority

Sparta

• Military state
• Hegemonic in ancient Greece in 5th century BC
• Three virtues: equality, military fitness, and austerity
• Private wealth was rejected
• Ruled by Gerousia, Council of Elders, including two Kings (elected by people above 60), and Ephors (representative citizens overseeing the Kings)
• Apella or assembly of Spartans, Spartans over 30 elected this assembly chose members of ephors and gerousia
• Great Rhetra has been described as the world's first written constitution Nevertheless, Sparta was mainly a military camp, where “no man was allowed to live as he wished"
• By mid-5th century BC, Spartan power in the Greek isles was declining
• Marks the emergence of Athens

Athens

• Ruled by powerful aristocracy from the 7th century
• Caused revolts from lower classes

Democratic founders

• Solon, poet and lawmaker, and considered one of the seven sages of the ancient world
• Solon is considered the founder of democracy in Athens, divided Athenians into 4 classes

Athenian rights

• Solon gave all Athenians the right to vote and attend an Ecclesia
• Archons reserved higher posts for citizens of two higher income classes
• Arepoagus or Council of Elders checks the decisions of Ecclesia

Code of Law

• First code eliminated Athenian enslavement
• Privileges based on productive wealth rather than birth
• Founders of Greek democracy

Cleisthenes

• Lawyer, aristocrat
• Introduced the principle of equality for male citizens
• Proposed a democracy

Ephialtes

• Politician, advocate of democracy
• Reformed the Areopagus in 460s BC including control of office holders, introducing pay for public officeholders, reduced property qualifications to hold public office, created broader definition of citizenship

Pericles

• Reached power when Ephialtes was assassinated
• Leading Athenian statesman from (461-429 BC)
• Historian Thucydides described him as "the first citizen of Athens"
• During this age the Acropolis, including the Parthenon, was built
• Athens became cultural and educational center of ancient Greek world

Great ideas that came from Pericles

• Public administration was known as a democracy
• Government favors the many rather than the few
• Equality. All citizens are equal regardless of wealth and social status
• Selection for public office based on merit and limited mandates in office
• Popular jury. Legislation controlled by popular juries. Economic compensation for the poorest
• Legislation was controlled, and they had a direct democracy which was the Boule of 500
• Council of 500 people to run the city's affairs, and members were chosen by lot for a year

Greece and the birth of political philosphy

• Education, culture and knowledge were at the heart of Athenian society
• The principle of equality among all citizens meant everyone had to participate in public affairs
• Lead to debate and exchange of ideas between them, wishing to inquire knowledge on those they should be based

Socrates

• (470-399 BC)
• Famous for his teachings that orally transmitted.
• He gave rise to the Socratic dialogue - Paradocially imprisoned for corrupting the youth

Plato

• Disciple of Socrates
• Most of what Socrates taught is known through the writings of Plato -- Ideality structured society is based on 3 classes: moral, workers, philosopher kings
• Very few fit to rule. Defines education to develop kings

Aristotle

• Disciple of Plato
• Founder of the Lyceum, a peripatetic school of philosophy
• Made contributions; the most influential philosopher of all times

The reality of democracy

• Concept of freedom was diffderent than ours, Slavery was firmly established
• A few questioned it and Aritotle didn't
• All male citizens were eligible to vote, although foreigners, women and slaves were not

Decline and End

• Democracy lasted almost two centuries
• Culmulated under Alexander the Great who unifed Greece, but then there was a decline when it became a Roman Empire
• Grease spent most of modern historic under the Ottoman Empire

Conclusion

• Ancient Greece can legitimately claim to have been the first society to be ruled by democracy
• Initially neglected, it was revived from the fifteenth century and better society

Democracy Under the Roman Empire

• It never developed a democracy like Greece
• It was influenced in history by its institunions
• Rome was originally state in which the king ruled with the support of the Patriians
• The aristocrats led to the emergence of popular consent

The Roman Senate

• Council
• Embodied a Monarchic form
• Also included the Senate, with many patricans of wealth

The end of the Senate

• Generals often imposed their power over the Senate and ruled as dictators ex: Julius Caesar
• First citizen and power was the title Romans gave their powerful generals

Roman Law

• Democracy was a desportic regime
• But the Senate allowed other citizens to influence society
• The civil law of people was created

Key Terms:

• Roman, civil + lusGentium was applied to all
• It also differeinciated between written and unwritten law

Origins

• Thucidides criticized citizens
• Democracy was generally inefficient

Magna Carta and the 1st Parliaments

• Medivial Europe played an important role to their origins
• It constituted the first limits on autocratic power contributing to the role of law.

British Democracy

• It stemmed from the arbitrary power of the king
• Due to this barons rebelled.
• Content limited feudal payments
• Protected Barons from illegal imprisonment
• Established a concil of barons to impliment it

Consequences

• It was initially ignored
• Led to the first Barons War
• Incorporaed into the English parilmentary
• Then it incorporated into the English parilmentary system

Legacy

• Regulate the relationship between nobility and the kin
• Became a sumbol of prection of ancient personal liberty
• American colonists during in the 13 colonies
• Symbol of liberty againist abirtrary power of the state

Cotres Delion

• Recognized as the first documneted
• 1188 - modern partilianmterisim

Guills of Italian States

• Themerchants and states formed guilds for trade
• They divided representiatves and trade interests

Renaissance and birth of individualism

• Led to the discovery of the human being
• Changed and produced a new mode of thinking
• Machiavelli considered to be the father of political thought

The Englightenment

• Also known as the era of reason
• Was going to play a central role in developing democracy
• Main 3 ideas were science, humanisim, individualism which stem from the renaissance

Intellectual Figures

• Issac Newton
• Rene Descartes
• John Locke
• Adam Smith
• Montesqieu
• Voltaire

Englightenment and Government

• Enlightenment with citizen rights influenced political leaders like Tsarina Catherine

ideas of government

• Social contract theory concerned authority with the state
• Is is the government that helps people protect basic rights and John locke states

Social Contract

• Not just protecting invividiual rights

• Represents general, will citizens need to follow, not desires

• American Revolution- Cause: colonial rule preventin representation Result: The American Declaration of Independnence

The French Revolution

• Declaration of the Rights
• 1792: Universal Sufferage, not revokes
• 1794: All men withtout colour were French and could enjoy the rights assured

Naopleon Bonparte: Becomes fist consul, state of frnace 1802: Prolaimed permancent head of state Crowned emporoer as France

Civil Code

Abolition of Feudalism Freedom of worshop Consitution for each state Made law accessable to the citizens!

Liberalism

• All the word liberal are of spanish origin
• It leads to the revolution

American Democracy

• Individuals were guaranteed freedoms
• The federal government shared powers with the states + all must follow the law
• Equaliy, all citizens could implimented equalitity

Federalist vs Repulicans Democratic Repulican, supported and promoted more in line with Erupoe

• But the Repubican party in 1850s are like the buisness and the factory owners

American civil war

• North increase oppsed and caused the American Civil War
• Abraham Lincoln, president from Repubican party _The Civil war 1891-1865-

US after war

• Union was preserved

• Millions were freed under law, but segregation was implimented 0USA paid high price for the consolidation and spirit

• US steadily expanded fronitiets. -

The western world led to us mantality The US wanted the power to the union

• They posed the democratic

Liberal Republics

• From Revolution inherited poverty lead to problems

France vs Dynasties

French revolution with civilzation implimented the concept

Swiz Republic:

A confederation French government Federal law Trade, and legal matters Reffrenfum staute consultes citizenis

Defines citizen:

President and council

Spain 1837

Aiming for independence in Spain Importance reforms were passed

• Spanish votes

• Constitution and laws for the people

• Spain established 1872:

Constitutional Monarchy Key for the development of democracy

• Consitutla monarchy: combines with Traditoon!

Influence

Monarch is important Provies polital stability Uniqueness of Britan

• an island
• popular monarchy

British Monarch infulence

Is the role to be consulted and warrned The monarchs worked witht ogetrther with parliment Spreads across Europe

European Union

Italy emerges a counstutional state But only Russia stayed autocratic

Suffrage

The British advanced most in their own way

• All would participate mostly

Cases

1862: A bill Act passed for people

Women

Women would win by later

France followed later 1848

The other contires would folllow

• Greeks, swiss

The main factors:

Liberlizm : Played a crucial role

• Freedom
• Equality

Utailiatrim - Grant happiness to the people

Popula:

• Chariot Movement
• Movement for revolts

The chartsits Wante a vote secrey BALLOT NO property NO qualifications

• and parliamnter elections

• Socialsits

Communits

Trade Union movement

• The growth and expansion of the working class -- All orignated by socializm
• Expand the franchise, of what all working class is wanted

Women

• Strugle for voting rights -

Minorites

Race and to a certaing extent religion

Voting Rights

• Based on regligion

• Based on Race

• The concept vaires

• Citizens right

Speech and freeodm - the 4th seat

Elections and

• Refernfums
• They ask the citizen

In these countires a mess is created

People feel like they are voting

Communism and Democratic

• Those who form are from the elite

That's why this is bad

Lenin

• Alls this
• Experssion is not
• In 1921
• MUSSolini gained power by gaining it
• Fascidm promtoed system for economics

The Third reich

Hiler

• Used deomacry but gained power by it

• They feared communsim

Reich for legislation Not from parties

• -- they like family
• -- munipacailty

Deconziation and expansion

Samel popularized 1784 shortwave

• It made it possible through the third way

• After all collaspes it all works out

They used 1143 and

• They used a lot

No studies

referndum for attraction

They just vote!