IR-Politics Week 2

Conceptual Definitions of Democracy
Processes of Democratisation
Causes of Democratic Backsliding
Measuring Democratic Levels
- How can we measure how democratic (or not) a state is?
- How useful are these measures?

Narrative Context: Dr. Alison Statham, UCL Department of Political Science, recounts a fictional tale set in Garyland.
- Scenario: Gary, a tyrannical ruler, dies. Sister Alison becomes the new sovereign, uncertain about Gary's death.
- First Act: Alison announces an amnesty for anti-Gary insurrectionists in Northern and Eastern parts, excluding the pro-Gary South and West.
- Referendum: Calls to name the new state, resulting in the formation of the United Kingdom of Alison.
Key Question: Is the United Kingdom of Alison a democracy?

Institutional Change:
- Alison rejects absolute monarchy, opting for a constitutional monarchy with Parliament.
- Leadership: Lady Vicky becomes Prime Minister.
- Parliament members are proposed by Lady Vicky and approved by Alison.
Key Question: Is the United Kingdom of Alison a democracy?

Sir Jason's Dilemma: A loyalist advocating for a more representative Parliament, proposing a two-party system.
- Eligibility to Stand for Election: Homeowners over 30 without a criminal record can run.
- Elections: 450 constituencies formed.
Result: Three parties emerge:
- "Data is Supreme" Party
- "Running is Brilliant" Party
- "Justice for Gary" Party
Key Question: Is the United Kingdom of Alison a democracy?

Challenge: Recognizes youth under 30 and non-homeowners are underrepresented.
Bill Proposal: Reducing voting age to 18 and removing homeownership and criminal record restrictions.
Debate Outcome: Bill passes into Law; elections result in Jason being elected Prime Minister.
Key Question: Is the United Kingdom of Alison a democracy?

Opposition's Response: Sir Pete and Sir Chris protest against Prime Minister Jason.
- Initial peaceful protests devolve due to inciting false information shared by Pete.
- Jason introduces emergency measures to control protests and identity verification.
Media Narrative: Declaring Sir Pete and Sir Chris as "Enemies of the People."
Key Question: Is the United Kingdom of Alison a democracy?

Conclusion: The story reflects the complexity and multifaceted nature of democracy, suggesting that one size does not fit all.

Soren Sorensen (1993): "A form of governance in which the people rule."
Joseph Schumpeter (1950): "The democratic method is that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people’s vote."
David Held (1996): "Democracy entails a political community in which there is some form of political equality among the people."
Alexis de Tocqueville (1835): Warning about the risk of the "tyranny of the majority."

Key Features:
- Control over government constitutionally vested in elected officials.
- Free, fair, and frequent elections with virtually all adults having the right to vote (universal suffrage).
- Right to run for office granted to nearly all adults.
- Right to express political views freely.
- Legal availability of alternative information sources.
- Freedom to form independent parties and organizations. [Dahl, 1989]

Historical Examples:
- Swiss Consociation: Founded in 1291, evolved to encourage power sharing.
- English Glorious Revolution (1688): Shifted from absolute to constitutional monarchy.
- French and American Revolutions: Shifted power from elite classes to common citizens, establishing citizenship ideals.
Philosophical Basis: Emphasizes civil rights afforded by social contracts (Hobbes & Rousseau).
Contemporary Events:
- Fall of communism post-Cold War.
- Influence of the Arab Spring.

Factors Leading to Backsliding:
- Economic inequality.
- Culturally conservative reactions to societal changes.
- External pressures from dominant powers.
- States of emergency declared by the government.
- Promissory coups where current regimes justify their takeover by claiming to protect democracy. (Examples: Thailand 2007, Pakistan 1999)

Notable Issues:
- Restrictions placed on citizen participation in elections and public dialogue.
- Decreased governmental accountability.
- Limits on civil liberties (e.g., curfews, criminalization of dissent, protest bans).
- Restrictions on media freedom.
- Rise of cronyism and corruption undermining justice institutions.

Economist Democracy Index:
- Categories: Full democracy, Flawed democracy, Hybrid regime, Authoritarian regime.
- Measures Include: Electoral process pluralism, functioning government, political participation, political culture, civil liberties.
- [Source: Our World in Data link]

Overview: Transparency International’s index assessing corruption levels.
Categories Range: From ‘highly corrupt’ to ‘very clean’.
Measures Include:
- Instances of bribery
- Diversion of public funds
- Misuse of public office for personal gain
- Excessive bureaucratic procedures promoting corruption
Statement: "Corruption is a global threat undermining development, declining democracy, and human rights violations."
- [François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International]

Freedom House Index:
- Categories: Free, Partially Free, Not Free.Assessment based on: The 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- [Link to report for 2025]

Varied Interpretation: There's no set template for democracy; it varies widely according to economic and social contexts.
- Basic democratic elements such as competitive elections and suffrage are commonly included.
- The process of democratisation is fluid, lacking a definitive sequence.
- Regular backsliding occurs across democracies due to various conditions.
- Caution against biased assessments in plural democracy measures.

Reflection Areas:
- Strengths: Identify what you do well, what you have learned, your interests, and set goals.
- Opportunities for Growth: Challenges you face and plans for improvement.
- Future Enhancements: Understand how the learning process can contribute to future development.