Theories of Democracy Lecture 3 PDF

Theories of democracy Comparative Politics Lecture 3 1 The history of democracy 2 Classical (or ancient) democracy Original Greek words: demos (people) + kratos (power) Athenian democracy Roman democracy Focus on debates Exclusi...

Theories of democracy Comparative Politics Lecture 3 1 The history of democracy 2 Classical (or ancient) democracy Original Greek words: demos (people) + kratos (power) Athenian democracy Roman democracy Focus on debates Exclusionary by today’s standards, inclusionary by contemporary standards 3 Medieval democracy Democracy as the form of government for city-states Democracy=small+trade 4 The birth of modern democracy Enlightenment, American and French Revolutions (late 18th century) Democracy becomes feasible for the masses due to technological advances, broadened education, economic changes 5 Theories of democracy Democracy is not a single concept, it is rather an amalgamation Countless theories have been proposed -> confusion Theories may or may not be compatible with each other Moral connotations 6 Theories of democracy focusing on the form of participation 7 Direct democracy Democracy=active self-rule The people rule directly, there is no mediation Plebiscitary democracy 8 Representative democracy Democracy=appointing representatives who will act on the people’s behalf The people rule indirectly by infrequent participation, there is significant mediation Parliamentary democracy 9 Participatory democracy Democracy=participating in public affairs The people rule directly and indirectly, the emphasis is on the level and opportunities of participation Democratic conventions, democratic budgeting 10 Theories of democracy focusing on the outcome of politics 11 Egalitarian democracy Democracy=the system that decreases inequalities The economic system creates inequalities, the goal of the political one is to correct them The more equal the people are, the more democratic the system Different dimensions of equality (economic, political, etc.) 12 Meritocratic democracy Democracy=the system producing equal opportunities, resulting in the best people occupying the most important positions The economic system creates inequalities, the goal of the political one is to correct them The more equal the playing field, the more equal the system is Different dimensions of equality (economic, political, etc.) 13 Economic democracy Democracy=the system producing the most welfare for the people The economic system is imperfect, the political system is responsible for fixing it The better the circumstances of the people, the more democratic the system is 14 Theories of democracy focusing on the institutional system/process of decision-making 15 Liberal democracy Democracy=constraints on the government The more dispersed power is, the more democratic the system->no single event is very consequential Checks and balances Most commonly used concept today (but others are mixed in) 16 Procedural/minimal democracy Democracy=elections decide who governs Elections are high-stakes event determining every aspect of politics Checks and balances are not necessary Illiberal democracy 17 Deliberative democracy Democracy=the system where decisions are made as a result of discussion The people rule directly and indirectly, the emphasis is on the level of deliberation Deliberation vs voting, compromise vs consensus 18 Radical democracy Democracy=every aspect of life is determined by the people No private sphere, all decisions made collectively Links to socialism 19 Consensus democracy Democracy=political decisions made by including as many affected groups as possible The more inclusion there is, the more democratic the system is Minorities should have power (veto?) Compromise is more frequent than consensus 20 Majoritarian democracy Democracy=political decisions made by the majority No inclusion necessary, minorities have little to no power Effectiveness/performance is key 21 Thank you for your attention!