Political Systems and Theories

Direct Democracy: Citizens participate directly in decision making.
- Pros: High engagement, clear ownership.
- Cons: Requires constant participation, high civic knowledge, potential for volatility.
Representative Democracy: Citizens elect officials to make decisions on their behalf.
- Pros: Continuity, expertise, manageable deliberation.
- Cons: Risk of unresponsiveness, corruption, and disconnect from citizens.
Evaluation of Democracy:
- Instrumental: Evaluate by consequences.
- Intrinsic: Beyond mechanisms; a way of life led by ideals such as sovereignty, equality, accountability.

Classical Liberalism: Focus on individual freedom, equality before the law, limited government.
Modern Liberalism: Emphasizes active government and regulated capitalism to address inequality; promotes positive freedom through state support.
Neoliberalism: Advocates minimal state interference and privatization for efficiency; emphasizes market freedom.

Traditional Conservatism: Values tradition, hierarchy, and gradual change; belief in social order.
Social Conservatism: Preserves traditional moral values and cultural norms.
New Right Conservatism: Combines deregulation and free markets with traditional values.
Neoconservatism: Focuses on assertive foreign policy and military interventions while promoting democracy.

Core Beliefs: Shaping by environment, emphasis on equality across race, class, and gender; collective ownership and community cooperation.
Social Democracy: Reform capitalism; strong government intervention; supports social welfare and redistribution.
Democratic Socialism: Seeks equality via democratic institutions and welfare programs.
Marxism: Advocates for revolutionary change; promotes collective ownership of production.
New Democratic Socialism: Merges democracy with capitalism; votes for policies that promote wealth sharing.