Political Science: Authoritarianism and Liberal Democracy

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Questions and Answers

What was the percentage of votes received by Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 1994?

99.3%

94.49%

99.9% (correct)

89.62%

In which century did democracy first appear in Greece?

5th century BC

6th century BC (correct)

8th century BC

7th century BC

What was the primary purpose of staging elections in Tunisia?

To legitimize the ruling party's control (correct)

To promote democratic values

To establish a pluralistic government

To increase international relations

What was the role of the public square in ancient Athens?

A venue for making important decisions Signup and view all the answers

What was the characteristic of Tunisia's electoral system under Ben Ali's rule?

Multi-party system with electoral fraud Signup and view all the answers

What was the percentage of votes received by Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 2009?

89.62% Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of the population were citizens in ancient democracy?

10% Signup and view all the answers

How were magistrates selected in ancient democracy?

Through random drawing Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between ancient and modern democracy?

Inclusive vs. Restrictive definition of citizenship Signup and view all the answers

Who constructed the concept of political citizenship in ancient times?

Men Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of delegation in ancient democracy?

To delegate power to elected representatives Signup and view all the answers

What type of democracy is practiced in modern times?

Representative democracy Signup and view all the answers

Who are the philosophers mentioned in the passage?

John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau Signup and view all the answers

What is the main consequence of the exclusion of women from political citizenship?

The exclusion of certain groups from power Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the representative's sanctions?

To hold the representative accountable at the end of their mandate Signup and view all the answers

What is the core idea of the participatory ideal?

Every individual has a necessary capacity to participate in decision-making Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of deliberative democracy?

To obtain consensus on the common good and general interest Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of democratic regimes that allows for diversity in their systems?

The diversity of democratic regimes allows for different systems to function in unique ways Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the elitist conception in political life?

It considers political life to be a specialist's activity Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the typology of democratic regimes?

To organize the diversity of democratic regimes Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of the 'government of experts'?

It restricts political participation to specialists and experts Signup and view all the answers

What is the vision of democracy expressed in the quote 'every cook must be able to govern the state'?

Participatory ideal Signup and view all the answers

In a single-party government, what is the typical arrangement of the cabinet?

It is made up of people from the same party Signup and view all the answers

What is a common consequence of a single-party government?

Executive dominance over the legislative branch Signup and view all the answers

In a multiparty system, what is often necessary to form a government?

A coalition between multiple parties Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of majoritarian democracies?

A unitary and centralized government Signup and view all the answers

In a unitary system, what is the typical arrangement of power?

Power is concentrated at the national level Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of a single-party government in terms of inter-branch balance?

Executive dominance over the legislative branch Signup and view all the answers

In a single-party government, what is the typical role of the Head of Government?

The main leader of the party Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a federal system of government?

Power is divided between the national and local governments Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of the expansion of citizenship discussed in the text?

The progressive expansion of citizenship to previously excluded groups Signup and view all the answers

What is mentioned as a possible future expansion of citizenship rights?

Young individuals and migrants Signup and view all the answers

What is a type of participative democracy mentioned in the text?

Deliberative democracy Signup and view all the answers

What is a historical example of the expansion of citizenship rights?

The extension of voting rights to women and ethnic minorities Signup and view all the answers

What is a type of procedure mentioned in the text as a way to involve citizens in decision-making?

Citizens conferences Signup and view all the answers

What is a possible future direction of the expansion of citizenship rights mentioned in the text?

The expansion of citizenship rights to non-human entities, such as animals Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Authoritarianism and Democracy

1987: Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali introduced a lifetime presidency, election of the president, and recognition of multi-partyism in Tunisia.
Ben Ali's subsequent elections (1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, and 2009) were characterized by massive electoral fraud, control of the media, and limited opposition, with him receiving increasingly high percentages of the vote (99.3%, 99.9%, 99.44%, 94.49%, and 89.62%, respectively).
This staged pluralistic control aimed to legitimize and demonstrate the importance of norms of pluralistic electoral competition, both internally and externally.

Origins and Definition of Democracy

Democracy originated in ancient Greece in the 6th century BC, particularly in Athens, where citizens would meet in the public square to make decisions, including declarations of war and ratification of laws.
Ancient democracy had a restrictive definition, excluding women, minors, slaves, and foreigners, with only 10% of the population being citizens.
In contrast, modern democracy has an inclusive definition, with no one excluded, and is representative, with citizens delegating their power to elected representatives.

Key Features of Democracy

Direct democracy: citizens govern directly, whereas in representative democracy, people elect representatives to govern.
Designation of representatives: ancient Athens used random drawing, whereas modern democracies use elections.
Random drawing was considered the most equalitarian attribution of power.

Gender and Democracy

Women have historically been excluded from political citizenship, in both ancient and modern democracies.
The social contract theories of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau also excluded women from political participation.

Maximalist Conceptions of Democracy

Maximalist conceptions advocate for everyone's participation in political life, opposing elitist and minimalist views.
Two main trends: participatory ideal (every individual has a necessary capacity to participate in decision-making) and deliberative ideal (public good is achieved through deliberative democracy with free and public confrontation of arguments).

Typology of Democratic Regimes

All democracies share four fundamental characteristics, but there is a great diversity of democratic regimes.
Parliamentary or presidential systems are ideal types, resulting in different party systems, governments, and inter-branch balances.
Examples of democratic regimes include majoritarian, federal, and deliberative and participative democracies.

Expansion of Citizenship

The history of democracy is marked by the progressive expansion of citizenship to previously excluded groups.
Examples include the expansion of citizenship to workers, women, and ethnic minorities, with possibilities for future expansion to young individuals, migrants, and non-human populations.

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Description

Explore the evolution of authoritarianism and the diffusion of liberal democracy standards, illustrated through the example of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's presidency.