Social Studies Term2 - Politics

Politics

Politics

• Who get’s what, why, when, how

• Institutions and mechanism by which territroy is governed

• Distributes resources

• Define norms by which political ativities are governed

Conservatism

Emphasizes tradition, authority, and property rights, with a sub-branch like nationalism focusing on the nation or community over the individual.

Environmentalism

Advocates for sustainability over profit, often associated with the Green Movement.

Liberalism

Prioritizes individual freedom, reason, free speech, free market, and positive liberty.

Socialism

Emphasizes community, working-class rights, and aims to eliminate the class system.

Democracy

Involves constant motion, legitimacy from people's participation, and can be direct or representative.

Totalitarianism

Characterized by authoritarianism, fascism, communism, or dictatorship, limiting individual freedom.

Denmark Government Structure

Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy, no military influence, and a focus on human rights and welfare systems.

Thai political system

• Constitutional monarchy with monarch as Head of State

• Parliamentary democracy with multiple parties (2023) and PM as Head of Government. 1997-2019: most seats in Parliament belong to two major parties with opposing ideas.

How to classify a system

.How leaders are elected

Who has power

What does the system revolve around

The way things are organised

Relationship between leader and leaded

Collectivism vs individualism

Colectivism emphasiezes rights of roles of community while individualism emphasizes rights and roles of individual.

Rural vs urban

• Rural

  • Traditions strong

  • Perception of community important. Therefore, conservatice thinking

• Urban

  • Developed infrastructure

    • energy

    • transportation

    • healthcare

    • food

    • sewage

    • heating/cooling

• Foreign investments and companies

Perception of individualism. Therefore, liberal thinking

Factors of being collective or individualistic

Wealth difference, gender, religion, colonial history, geo-politics

3. Democracy vs authoritarian

• Democracy

  • Exists in astate of constant motion

  • Source of legitimacy from ‘regular’ participation form people

  • Can be either direct of representative

    • Athen’s democracy is very different from today’s perception. Only free men can vote.

• Authoritarian

  • Single leader

• Source of legitimacy

  • National myth

  • Religion (theocracy)

  • Controlled information

  Facism(appeal to mythical past

Authoritarian vs totalitarian

Authoritarian: single leader with a source of legitimacy from national myth, religion, or controlled info. Conplete control of people’s lives

Totalitarian: replacing all old political institutions with new ones, achieving special goal

Thai government structure overview

• Constitutional monarchy with monarch as Head of State

• Parliamentary democracy with multiple parties (2023) and PM as Head of Government. Most of the data is from years without a multi-party system.1997-2019: most seats in Parliament belong to two major parties with opposing ideas.

Role of monarchy in Thailand

Symbol of soverignty, politcally neutral. Appoints cabinet members

• Final approval of bill

Influence of monarchy in Thai politics

• Lese’ majeste law forbids defaming, insulting, threatenting monarch, consort, heir apparent, or regent. Up to 15 years in prison.

• Monarch is so important due to the image of Rama IV with Sarit Thanarat in 1957 coup

• Coup leaders show signs of deferene to give themselves a source of legitimacy. The monarch can’t refute those claims because they have to be politically neutral.

Role of military in Thai politics

• Has rights to intervene in times of crisis

  • 60 years of former or servin military officers leading the government

  • 19 coup attempts from 1932-2014

  • All members of Senate appointed by military

  • Current constitution written by military

How law is made in both Thailand and Denmark

1. Drafted by Cabinet

2. Reviewed by Parliament

3. Sent to monarch by PM for Royal Assent

Thai government organisation

• Legislative arm - writes and approves bills; review budget

  • The National Assembly - rejects, amends, writes bills; reviews budget

  • Senate - approves bills that were approved by House, then sends to PM, who sends it to the king

    • All members apponinted by military

• Executive arm - manages government, proposes bills, which are sent to National Asembly to review. Composes of Cabinet (PM+ministers)

  • Cabinet - PM and ministers, head of each minitry of government. Controls government apart form Parliament and Courts

  • PM- implements laws, recommends cabinet memebrs to the king

• Judiciary - interprets laws to solve legal disputes and decides whether bills are constitutional

  • Court of Justice, Constitutional Court, Administrative Court

Denmark governmental structure overview

• Parliamentary democracy

• Constitutional monarchy with monarch as Head of State and Prime Minister as Head of Government

• No military influence

• No lese’ majeste’ law

Governmental Organization of Denmark

• Legislative -reviews bills.
  Parliament (Folketing)- made up of several parties that form a coalition, no party rules by itself.

• Executive - drafts bills, lead governemnt. Cabinet.

  • PM- Head of Government, leads Cabinet, in charge of oversea territories (Faroe Isalnds and Greenland), in charge of constitutional affairs

  • Cabinet ministers- heads of government minitres, gives instructions to civil service

• Judiciary - settles legal disputes. Operates separately from Parliament and Cabinet

• Food - Global Food Security Index (2022) Thailand

• 60.1/100

• Food afforability - 83.7/100. Available sustainability low is 50-60. Quality and safety is 45.3.

Global Food Security Index (2022) Denmark

• 77.8/100

• Food insecurity is 6%

Drinking water access Thailand 2017

• 96% access in 2017

• Quality bound to change because of farm chemicals, untreated sewage, and industrial waste

Drinking water access Thailand 2017

• 97% have access in 2017

• 50% of drinkign water boreholes contain pesticides and other pollutants

Adult literacy rate in Thailand 2021

• Literacy is 94% in 2021

• Primary school enrollment is 101.59% in 2022

Adult literacy rate in Denmark 2021

• 99.52% in 2021

• 100.3% primary enrollemtn in 2021

• While expenditure on education is high, needs to work on educational performacne

Thailand right to free speech

• Freedom House score - 1/4

• Criticism of governemnt, monarchy, military leads to risk of imprisonment, harassment, or physical attack

• Since 2022, speech-related offenses casued hundreds to face prosecution. Ex. human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa sentenced to 4 years in jail in a speech in 2020 calling for monarchy reformation

Right to Freedom of Speech Denmark

• 4/4 Private conversations have multiple persepctives without restricted topics

Efficiency of Government Thailand

• Corruptions perception index 35/100 2023

• Vote-buying is common, especially towards poor people

• Caused by state security, the most corrupt, beig needed by Chanocha’s government

• Thai courts after 2014 become politicised
  

Efficiency of Government Denmark

• 90/100 corruptions perception index 2023

• Multiple-party coalition calls out each other

World Happiness Index Thailand

60/150

World Happiness Index Denmark

• 2/150

• Welfare systems help citizens in need

• High minimum wage, high quality of life, work-life balane

• Every citizen has access to healthcare and education. Compensation present for income loss due to unemployment, disability (etc)

Effect of Thai Political System on Success

1. Cabinet with ministers who are specialists in their area let people have basic needs (food, water, education)

2. Military power leads to coups, which lead to lack of free speech, corruption, and happiness

3. Constitutional monarchy enables coups, leads to corruption, lack of free speech, low happiness score
   
   Overall, a government where no one is allowed to oppose the one is rule cannot realise it’s mistakes.

Effect of Danish political system on success

1. Cabinet with ministers in their area of expertise distribute food, water, and education

2. Multi-party system allows for criticism from other parties, which means that any mistake in general can be discussed. This is especially true for cases of free speech, government efficiency, and happiness (caused by healthcare, education, poverty prevention etc, trust in institution).

3. Lack of military influence leads to free speech, less corruption.