Liberal Democracy and Civil Liberties Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, philosophers, key features, and case studies of liberal democracy and civil liberties as discussed in modules 1, 2, and 3.

Liberal Democracy

A system of government where people elect representatives to make decisions, while laws and institutions protect individual rights, freedoms, and equality.

Demokratia

A Greek word meaning "rule by the people," which is the root of the word democracy.

Direct Democracy

A system where people vote on every decision or law themselves, giving everyone a direct say in how things are run.

Representative Democracy

A system essential in modern nation-states where citizens elect leaders who make policy decisions and act on their behalf.

Referendum

A vote where citizens directly decide on an important or controversial issue within a representative democracy.

Liberalism

A political and social philosophy focused on freedom, individual rights, and equality, asserting that people should be free to live as they choose as long as they do not harm others.

John Locke

A $17^{th}$ century English philosopher often regarded as the father of liberalism who promoted the idea of natural rights and the consent of the governed.

Natural Rights

Rights that everyone possesses simply because they are human, identified by John Locke as the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to property.

Separation of Powers

A foundational principle involving the division of governmental power among the executive, legislature, and judiciary branches to create checks and balances.

Executive Branch

The branch of government headed by a president or prime minister responsible for implementing and enforcing laws.

Legislature

The branch comprising elected representatives tasked with creating laws and policies; in the USA, this is known as Congress.

Judiciary

The branch that interprets laws, ensures they are applied fairly, resolves disputes, and protects citizens' rights.

Rule of Law

The principle that the law applies equally to all individuals regardless of status, and that government actions must be bound by established, clear, and non-retroactive legal frameworks.

Retroactive Law

A law used to punish someone for an action committed before the law existed; for example, a speed limit change passed in $2026$ cannot be used to punish a driver in $2025$.

Friedrich von Hayek

A $20^{th}$ century economist and author of The Road to Serfdom ($1944$) who argued that private property is the most important guarantee of freedom for both owners and non-owners.

Freedom of Speech

The right to express opinions, ideas, and beliefs without fear of government censorship or punishment, including the right to criticize authority.

Freedom of the Press

The principle that media organizations should have freedom of expression without government censorship, interference, or prior restraint.

The Fourth Estate

A term for the media, positioning it as a fourth source of power alongside the executive, legislature, and judiciary that provides a check on power.

Internet Freedom

The principle that individuals should have open and unrestricted access to seek, receive, and publish information online without censorship.

Freedom of Association

The right of individuals to voluntarily form or join groups like political parties, trade unions, and campaign groups to pursue common interests.

Freedom of Assembly

The right of people to gather together peacefully in public spaces to express, promote, and defend their ideas, including the right to protest.

V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy)

An organization that classifies political systems into four types: closed autocracies, electoral autocracies, electoral democracies, and liberal democracies.

Free Elections

Elections in which candidates campaign and voters cast their ballots without coercion, repression, or intimidation.

Fair Elections

Elections where the process is impartial, transparent, and provides a level playing field with comparable opportunities for all candidates to campaign.

Meaningful Elections

Elections that genuinely reflect the will of the people and offer real alternatives to the ruling party, leading to actual political choice and change.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

A Paris-based NGO also known as Reporters sans frontières that publishes the annual Press Freedom Index to measure media freedom worldwide.

Watchdog Journalism

The function of the press to scrutinize those in power and expose abuses, corruption, or malfeasance; famously seen during the Watergate scandal.

Censorship

The suppression or restriction of speech, public communication, or information.

Moral Censorship

Efforts to suppress content deemed offensive based on societal norms, such as the historical Hays Code in Hollywood.

The News of the World Scandal (2009-2011)

A British phone-hacking scandal involving journalists illegally accessing voicemails, which highlight the need for media regulation to prevent unethical journalism.