PTO101: Democracy and Legitimacy

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Questions and Answers

What does the concept of legitimacy refer to?

The right of a person in authority to act (correct)

The acceptance of a person in authority

The power to enforce rules

The ability to change the rules

According to Max Weber, what are the three types of authority?

Traditional, democratic, and authoritarian

Traditional, charismatic, and bureaucratic

Traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational (correct)

Monarchical, aristocratic, and democratic

What keeps the legitimacy of a system in place?

The democratic process and political parties (correct)

The free market system and capitalism

The power of the ruling class

All of the above

What is a potential consequence of democracy, according to the lecture?

Discontent and potential collapse Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the machinery of legitimacy?

To keep the system in place through rules and norms Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of legitimising power?

To maintain the status quo and stability Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of populist leaders?

They act as if they're representing the homogenous majority Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of performance legitimacy in a non-democratic regime?

The ability to deliver economic growth and stability, as seen in Rwanda Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the concept of government of the people, by the people, and for the people?

The demos Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of majority rule in a democratic system?

Excluding the views of minorities Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a system in which people govern themselves directly?

Direct democracy Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of non-democratic regimes that can maintain stability in the long-term?

Maintaining power through a combination of mechanisms, including elections and performance legitimacy Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern of Max Weber's three ideal types of authority?

Analyzing the ways in which authority is legitimized Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between direct democracy and representative democracy?

Participation levels of citizens in the decision-making process Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of democratic legitimacy?

To promote the general will of the people Signup and view all the answers

What is the key characteristic of a cosmopolitan democracy?

Global citizenship and universal human rights Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the idea that a government's legitimacy is based on its performance and delivery of goods and services?

Performance legitimacy Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the idea that democracy is the best form of government because it promotes the general will of the people?

Rousseau's general will Signup and view all the answers

Which model of democracy emphasizes the development of the whole community, not just individual rights?

Developmental democracy Signup and view all the answers

Which philosopher is associated with the idea of universal suffrage?

Jeremy Bentham Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of Athenian democracy?

Direct popular rule Signup and view all the answers

Which model of democracy critiques 'capitalist democracy' and emphasizes the interests of the working class?

Socialist democracy Signup and view all the answers

What is a key principle of limited/protective democracy?

Protection of individual liberty Signup and view all the answers

Which philosopher is associated with the idea of the 'social contract'?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern of the New Right ideology in relation to democracy?

Democratic overload Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind cosmopolitan democracy?

The importance of international organizations in global governance Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of elitism?

The rule of the elite Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern of Marxism in relation to democracy?

The inequality and capitalism inherent in democracy Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind the concept of legitimate power?

The legitimacy of power based on Max Weber's three ideal types of authority Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern of corporatism in relation to democracy?

The prioritization of certain organized groups Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Legitimacy and Authority

Legitimacy refers to the acceptance of a person in authority, the right of a person in authority to act, and the power to act.
Max Weber's three ideal types of authority: traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational.

Legitimising Power

The democratic process, political parties, and the free market system help maintain legitimacy and keep the system stable.

Crises and Tendencies

Democracy pulls in two directions: stability and discontent.
Risks of democratic malaise, disillusionment, and populism.

Non-Democratic Regimes

Can function with stability in the long-term.
Maintain legitimacy through elections, performance legitimacy, and ideological legitimation.

What is Democracy?

Government of the people, by the people, for the people.
The demos, the many, but not foreigners or minorities.

Direct and Representative Democracy

Many democracies, a complex term.
Direct democracy: people govern themselves, radical democracy.
Representative democracy: the leader governs, totalitarian democracy.

Models of Democracy

Classical: ancient Greek model, direct popular rule.
Limited/protective: 17th and 18th centuries, citizens protecting themselves from government.
Developmental: not just individual rights but the development of the whole community.
Socialist: people's democracy, critique of 'capitalist democracy'.

Democracy in Practice

Liberal democracy: indirect, representative, competition and electoral choice, political pluralism.
Risks of pluralism, elitism, corporatism, and the New Right.
Marxism: critique of inequality/capitalism.

Cosmopolitan Democracy

Global interconnectedness, international organizations, and a world parliament.
A universal value, keeping tyranny at bay.

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Description

Explore the concepts of legitimate power, authority, and democratic legitimacy. Discuss the differences between direct and representative democracy and examine if democracy can deliver on its promises.