What is Democracy/Comparative Method

list the system functions

political socialization, political recruitment, political communication

list the process functions

interest articulation, interest aggregation, policymaking, policy implementation

political socialization

the process by which citizens adopt their political culture

political recruitment

how people get involved in politics and obtain positions of power (consider who these people are)

political communication

the extent to which (and how) the government provides information to the citizens; level of transparency

interest articulation

how citizens express their wants and needs to the governement

interest aggregation

bringing interests together into a policy proposal

democracy (per the article)

Modern political democracy is a system of governance in which rules are held accountable for their actions in the public realm by citizens, acting indirectly through competition and cooperation of their elected representatives.

7 conditions for democracy

control of decisions is constitutionally vested in officials, elected officials are chosen frequently and fairly, practically all adults can vote, practically all adults can run for office, citizens can express themselves without punishment, citizens can seek out alternative sources of information, citizens have the right to form independent organizations

11 ways democracies can differ

consensus, participation, access, responsiveness, majority rule, parliamentary sovereignty, party government, pluralism, federalism, presidentialism, checks and balances

consensus

all citizens may not agree on goals of action

participation

all citizens may not participate actively in govt

access

rulers may not weigh all preferences equally

responsiveness

rulers may not always follow the preferred course by the citizens

majority rule

decisions may not be solely made on most votes

parliamentary sovereignty

legislature may not be the only body that can make rules

party government

rulers may not be promoted by coherent political parties

pluralism

the political process may not be based on autonomous private groups

federalism

territorial division of authority may not include multiple levels and local autonomy

presidentialism

the chief executive officer may not be a single person, and he/she may not be directly elected

checks and balances

it is not necessary that the different branches of government be systematically pitted against each other

political culture

the values, attitudes, beliefs, and expections a citizen holds of their government

power

the ability to make someone do something they would not otherwise do

parliamentary sovereignty

the principle that parliament’s power is supreme and extends over all aspects of the state

authority

the legitimate power a state has over people within its territory

nation

a group of people who share a sense of belonging (languague, culture, race, ethnicity, political identity, traditions)

state

political institutions with international recognition that govern a population in a territory

nation-state

a state in which citizens identify themselves with a national identity

sources of legitimacy

constitution, elections, tradition, nationalism, economic success, religion

regime

a type of government, such as liberal democracy or authoritarian

government

institutions and individuals that make legally binding decisions for the state and that have the lawful right to use power to enforce those decisions

sovereignty

a state’s ability to act without internal or external interference

comparative method

examining the same phenomenon in several cases and reaching conclusions

globalization

the increased interconnectedness of people, states, and economies

welfare state

government programs to benefit the health and well-being of citizens

civil liberties

fundamental rights and freedoms protected from infringement by the government

civil rights

protections granted by the government to prevent people from being discriminated against when engaged in fundamental political actions, such as voting

constitutions

the fundamental law or set of principles that organizes a government, defines its powers and duties, and guarantees the rights of its citizens

separation of powers

a constitutional principle that divides a government’s authority into distinct branches

democratization

the process of transitioning from an authoritarian to a democratic regime

democratic backsliding (+examples)

decline in the quality of democracy (decrease in participation, rule of law, transparency, accountability)

legitimacy

the citizens’ belief that the government has the right to rule

consolidated democracy

a regime that has developed stable democratic institutions and protection of civil liberties; unlikely to revert to authoritarianism

accountability

the obligation of public officials to explain and justify their decisions and actions to the public

rule of law

a clear set of rules where governement officials are subject to the same laws and penalties as citizens

competition

the contect among individuals, parties, and groups for power, influence, and the ability to shape public policy

public realm

everything that is not privatized

illiberal democracy

a system in which elections may be marred by fraud and the state protects some rights and liberties while restricting others

competitive authoritarianism

a hybrid political regime in which meaningful democratic institutions coexist with serious abuses that create an uneven playing field

contingent consent

a government’s legitimacy and a citizen’s obligations to obey the law are not absolute, but depend of certain conditions being met

bounded uncertainty

despite the unpredictable nature of political events, the potential range out outcomes is limited or constrained by the existing institutional framework

nationalization

government takes control of a company

import substitution

enacting high tariffs and providing incentives to encourage groth of domestic manufacturing