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