Democracy and Authoritarianism

the meaning of ‘democracy’ remains..s

contested

what is a universal feature of democracy

political power serves the interests of the people rather than those who govern

what does Western (liberal) democracy have a correlation to

Athens

name some key theorists for democracy

• Schumpter (1950)

• Dahl (1971)

• Huntington (1991)

what is Marxists approach to democracy

• ‘bourgeois democracy

• communitarians also see deliberative democracy

what do the Communist Party prefer when approaching the concept democracy

the party enjoys a ‘scientific’ understanding of society that allows it to discern the people’s true interests

what do Utopians traditions sometimes focus on

the potential of new technologies

where does the Western narrative base their history of ‘democracy’

Athens

how did democracy arose in Athens

• it arose out of struggles between wealthy landowners and poorer families

• it improvised a solution for a local problem 2500 years ago

did everyone in Athens rule

no

who mainly ruled Athens

• only 30000 full citizens in the citizens

• this includes, males, adults and several generations of descent

how did citizens govern themselves 

they had an assembly, council and court to help them operate with each other 

who was included in assembly

all citizens

who was included in council

• 500 citizens

• continuing executive

• agenda for the Assembly

how was the council composed

• citizens coordinate public bodies, drawn from territorial units

• members selected by lot and would rotate chairs (a lot)

• they would rotate 24 hours at a time only

how was the court composed

juries were drawn from panel of 6000 volunteer citizens 

were there elections in Athenian democracy

no

what were ‘democratic’ aspects of precolonial societies in Africa

• clans eluded domination by centralised states

• centralised kingdoms

• commoner council

• those who held positions of power had to ensure the benefits created by states where widely shared

centralised kingdoms

forums in which citizens could challenge royals and bureaucrats

how was colonial destructed in Africa

• imperial powers used traditional leaders to extract taxes and labour 

• imposed compliant chiefs or did deals with incumbents

• chiefs were empowered by colonial occupiers 

how were chiefs empowered by colonial occupiers

• diverted revenues for themselves

• favoured their own kin

• established hereditary power

• forced compliance of masses, backed by colonial force

what were key events in the recent spread of liberal democracy

• American Independence (1760s)

• French Revolution

• Industrial capitalism, warfare, mass literacy

how was the American Independence a key event in the spread of liberal democracy

• ‘democracy’ in 1760 was a term of abuse (populism)

• founders chose highly dispersed power

• only later came to understand themselves as ‘democrats’

what highly dispersed powers did founders choose in the US (1760)

separation of powers, federalism, freedoms and rights 

how was the French Revolution a key event in the spread of liberal democracy

• revolutionary overthrow of absolute monarchy 

• language of democracy allied to political struggle 

• after 1789, idea of ‘democrats’

how was the industrial capitalism, warfare and mass literacy a key event in the spread of liberal democracy (19th century)

• gradual concessions by political elites

• legislative elections, wider franchise, freedom of vote, executive accountability

when and where was the first wave of democracy

• 1828-1926

• USA, Britain, France, Italy, Argentina, British overseas dominions (29 democracies by 1918)

• then reversals Italy, Germany, Argentina

when and where was the second wave of democracy

• 1943-62

• West Germany, Italy, Japan, India

• 36 democracies by 1962

• then reversals Brazil, Argentina, Chile

when and where was the third wave of democracy

• 1974-present

• Portugal & Spain; Latin America; Africa

• Asia: Taiwan, South Korea, various others

• Eastern Europe: post-soviet states

how does Przeworski (1999) define democracy 

a system in which parties lose elections 

what are the features in elections

• regular and competitive

• change the occupants of legislatures and executive offices

• ‘free and fair’

• constitutional protection of certain key human rights

• participation

• ‘consolidated’ if there has been a turn over

why must there be participation in elections

so that citizens can express their preferences between elections concerning particular issues

when was the ‘authoritarian rule’ used

as a catch-all phrase for ‘non-democracies’

in the 20th century, what where characteristics of authoritarianism

• fascism 

• communisms 

• totalitarian regimes seeking ‘total control’ 

• military rule

what are strengths of having a democracy

• outlet for dissent

• capacity to adapt

• deters state capture by oligarchs or tyrants

• accountability reduces corruption

• dignity

• deters arbitrary and brutal rule

what are weaknesses of having a democracy

• lobbies and interest group power

• tough reforms evaded to avoid unpopularity

• increases consumption rather than investment

• MAY hinder development

• does not preclude systematic inequality

• mobilisation of emotions

• citizens do not really rule themselves → illusion

• poor leadership choices

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

• idea of modern state 

• religious war → horizontal threat > vertical threat

• state as a common structure of authority distinct from either rulers or subjects 

Benjamin Constant (1767-1830)

• ‘liberty of the ancients’ = collective agency of the citizen body

• ‘liberty of the moderns’ = freedom to do whatever we each feel inclined to do, protected by rights

Joseph Schumpeter (1883-1950)

• ignorant citizens

• competition between teams of politicians for the vote

• victors win the opportunity govern → ‘rule of the politician’ → transfer of power to professional rulers