polsci - midterm modules 2

democracy

a political system in which people have a role in governing

two types of democracy

direct and indirect

direct democracy

citizens directly participate in making political decisions

indirect democracy

citizens elect representatives who make political decisions on their behalf

• people participate through elections

james madison

factions are dangerous → indirect democracy and institutional safeguards help control them

james madison’s definition on factions

group of people who share a common interest that could threaten the right of others

types of factions

• minority faction

• majority faction

minority faction

small and powerful group that dominates others

majority faction

A majority group uses its political power to benefit itself at the expense of minority rights

3 main branches of democracy

legislative, executive, judiciary

legislative

make laws

executive

implements law

judiciary

interprets law

david held’s theory

cosmopolitan democracy

cosmopolitan

System that holds political power democratically accountable at local, national, regional, and global levels

tyranny of the majority

a majority can use democratic power to violate minority rights