Instructor: Said Yaqub Ibrahimi

• Email: said.yaqub@carleton.com

• Textbook: Robert. A Dahl,  “On Democracy”

• Democracy: power over people, ruled over many, free election

  • Social world is the world of symbols

  • Those symbols are called ‘concepts’

    • democracy= symbol & concept

    • Picture??

• Political system and importance of democracy

  • Compared other systems

  • Democracy in the global south is questionable

  • What would the world look like in a non democratic system?

    • Political behavior and systems would be different

      • If China was a democracy? Or if Canada was an authoritarian system?

  • More than 15% is interested in authoritarian regimes (russia, china, north korea, soviet union)

• Comparing democracy with other regimes

  • China VS the U.S

  • Which system is better 

  • Diversity is the basis of democracy

• Why isn't democracy not working in the global south?

  • Do they have a choice?

 Lecture 2 - Friday september 13

• What is democracy?

  • Does election alone create democracy?

  • Political regime/political system

    • System of government

    • Robert dahl: elements of democracy

    • Election: rulers should be elected through a free & fair process

      • Vote by force, won’t count

    • Effective participation + voting equality (responsibility of citizens)

      • Anyone that is a citizen has the freedom to vote

    • 2nd. Political regime that respects political rights 

      • Free to vote without discrimination

      • Requires pluralism: right to be in a political party, right to have own political associations→ society there should be a variety of political systems. 

      • Right to cultural, ethnic, religious group (diversity is respected) 

    • 3rd: civil liberties → freely express yourself, freely be interviewed and express your thoughts 

      • Freedom of thought

      • E.g: liberals may have the ability to express freedom of thought in a very liberal society. However, conservatives also deserve equal thought. 

      • Civil liberties are directly affiliated to democracy 

    • Liberal democracy (liberalism): outcomes of elections

      • Different countries= different ideals 

  • Democracies is also about procedures: requires constitution; social contract→ trust that rights and liberties are expressed 

    • Checks and balances (balance of relation between institutions) 

• 3 branches of power (separated between state and bureaucracy)

  • Executive

  • Parliament (majority government) 

  • Judiciary 

• Majoritarian rule through elections

  • Respect or protect the minority 

  • E.g: turkiye is a semi democratic and authoritarian regime but both must be respected

• Origins and causes of democracy

  • Fundamental differences between modern democracy and classical democracy:

    • Modern democracy: representative & inclusive → requires party politics

    • Associated with right and freedoms of citizens (mostly liberal) 

    • → life, liberty and property (no one can prevent it) 

  • Classical democracy:

    • Direcr to democracy

    • Not liberal

      • Rights and freedoms are limited to particular citizens

• Cause: great transformation (federal system to capital system) → modern institutions (bureaucracy) 

  • Great transformation: move from village to cities; industrial economy 

  • Modern instituion: new development of political instituions

  • Ubernizations: 

  • 3. Modern philosophy→ rule by people

  • The outcome is the creation of modern institutions

  • Before transformtin, bureaucracy was personal

  • E.g: if you are a teacher, family is likely to pursue teaching

• Democracy as a political ideal:

• Greek ideas

  • Dictatoriships→ rule of single leader

  • Aristocracies → rule of the nobles or a privileged class

  • Theoracracies → rule of the clergy or religious leaders (spevific laws, seen in Islamic countries) — they’re more modern, more modern state structure (saudi arabia) 

  • Democracy→ rule of the people→ freedom of choice of the groups 

• Is democracy a better system? It is better because it is based on the rule of the people 

• What is the alternative?? 

• Will it dominate the world? Is it futuristic? 

Democracy in the world

• 3 waves of democracy (huntington) 

  • 1st wave: north west europe

  • 2nd post fascist era 

  • 3rd 1970s democranization of soviet union 

• The end of history (fukuyama) 

• Democratic failures in the middle east

• Rise of populism and threats to democracy

  • Trump

  • When in power no full democracy 

• Geopolitics of democracy: russia and ukraine 

• Requirements of democracy 

  • Representative control

  • Political rights: elections parties and plurilism

  • Civil liberties: presenting yourself without the fear of being punished; freedom of associations 

  • Democratic structures and offices

  • Rule based on separation of power (protect systems and people)

  • Free of an outsider power (all of the minimum)

* secod requiremen tof democracy 

• It goes beyond procedures and depends on the quality of 

  • Partivipatuioin and inclusion

  • All equalities

  • Accoutnibilty and awareness

    • Putin did not have a second thought to the invasion of ukraine

  • What are the outcomes? Should not produce autotritarian regimes.   

Week 4 - lecture 4.5, october 4th 2024           

Democracy and Statw: practice 

• Democracy means, making a state democratic to enhance its 

  • Legitimacy

  • Authority

  • Capacity

• Democratization means institutional transformation

  • Representative and bureaucratic intuitions

    • Elections, parties, parliamentary systems (government cant intervene in the court) 

    • Not the same in authtoritarian regimes → government can intervene

    • Bureaucracy: a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.       

    • Why? We have a canadian bureaucracy 

    • The system is bureaucracy→ more dominant than politics 

Obstacles in the relationship between democracy and the state

• Letimacy: to what extent do people see our state or election 

  • Justin trudeaus liberal party is not exactly legitimate to the party

  • Authority: 

  • Capacity:         

What is a state

• An institution: can be parliament, white house, capitol (wahsington) 

• Refers to all states, sovereign states, nation -states

• Sovereignty: independence of state

  • Recognized internationally by the united nations, membership by the U.N

  • E.g: canada is a sovereign state, because it is recognized internationally (extyernally as it is seen in global scales in the UN) and nationally (internally as the country is voted for) 

  • It is modern; emerged in a modern era→ based on legitimacy, functions through modern laws, and impersonal bureaucracy 

• Permanent members of the Security council: U.S, Russia, France, United-Kingdom, China 

  • Any member can be vetoed

State and theories of international politics 

• Framework of world of international politics 

• Realism → focus on state

• Liberalism→ focuses more on the market 

• Constructivism → culture, ideology, norms

• Poststructuralism→ stories, narratives 

Importance of state in realism

• The state is the key actor in international politics 

• Cohesive entity that makes decisions based on national interest, often prioritzinf survival and security 

• The states are the engine of competition

• They exist because they compete (no cooperation) → they compete to increase competitive capacity 

Importance of market in liberalism 

• Cooperation 

Why is North Korea the way it is?

• Control 

• Contstructivism: based on the norms 

• Nationalist ideology 

• Isolasionism→ rejecting foreign influence and its pursuit of a highly controlled and self-sustained society.

• Why some states makes decisions that aren’t the best for the people 

State as a concept in comparative politics 

• State is defined by statehood and state fragility 

  • Statehood: measured by authority, legitimacy, capacity 

  • Applicable to the global north. 

  • Legitimacy of the ruler is under question (people will ask if the prime minister is the best option for ruling)

  • Consider authority as legitimate→ good relationship 

• Capacity: how to implement policies and maintain authority 

  • Mobilize resources, enforce laws, provide public goods, and ensure security. 

Theories of state formation 

• Economic theory: Capitalism as the source of state formation 

  • Economic modernization made states and states serve the system

  • States emerged through the process of the transition from feudalism to bourgeoisie and serve the Bourgeoisie’s interests

• Cultural theory

  • Nationalism and national identity played a crucial role in the formation of modern sates

  • E.g: the majority of people who share a same language/backround tend to form a state 

  • E.g: israel; majority speak hebrew and are jews ; russia; multicultural but white russians are who make russia

• Political theory: war made states and states make war.

  • States emerged from anarchy to restore order 

  • Thomas hobbes → state and power; anarchy was considered as the status quo (created the state) why do people fight? In the absence of central authority 

  • Max weber: german american philosopher ; created the ideo of the use of violence/force

    • As individuals we sell things; who has the monopoly to sell security?

    • Answer: the government. How? Through taxation 

    • State is the only organization that can sell security 

    • Max weber = importance of bureaucracy in his perspective  

    • Son of Prussia (germany) the reason of violence and inability of centralized government was because there was no share of the same language.

  • Charles tilly: british scholar; idea of analysis of experiences of war in britain 

  • War is expensive: need for collection of taxation—key source of a creation of a state.

    • Humans didnt structralise the war/fighting. The administration of the war was the keyinstituion of the state 

    • War making community collect tax from citizens 

    • War making bureaucracy making transparent institution (impossible to account for representatives) 

    • This led to the emergence of accountability institutions/parliements 

    • No war = no state 

    • Is war important to create what we are today? 

Components of the state 

• History → canadian believe they have a common past → makes for common experiences 

• Culture → shared way of life

• Language → different dialects of one language

• Religion → thinking about a state;; canada is multicurltral and no shared religion but we respect everyones beliefs

• Nationality → belief in common ethnic ancestry that may or may not be true; in canada it is complicated by multicultural groups

• Territory → national states, states defined by territory (having documents)

Week 6- Context of democracy 

• Link to requirements

• Requirements that provide conditions for democracy 

• Political institutions and arrangement

• Polyarchy -pluralism and representatives 

• Inclusive citizenship and alternative sources of information 

• Country as a large human community

• History of a countries democracy (modernity): classic & modern: direct or representative 

  • Why that country is a democracy 

  • State and region: small or large 

  • Region 

  • Constitutional context: does a social contract matter for democracy 

    • Defines types of rules: presidential or parliamentary; federal or unitary, etc.

    • Defines philosophy of rule 

• Which context is the most important in discussing democracy? 

  • Modernity 

  • State 

  • Region

  • Constitution 

• Parties and electoral systems 

  • Multiparty systems 

  • Electoral systems: PR, FPTP 

  • PR: subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body 

  • FPTP: Voters cast a vote for a single candidate, and the candidate with most votes wins the election 

  • Is the electoral system important for democracy at all? 

    • Which system is better? Process or context 

• State as a context: no state if no democracy; effective or fragile states?

  • Effective states: 

    • Legitimacy → context that provides kind of imagination of a peaceful relation between state and society (max weber political thought)

      • People must not feel disconnected from state and society 

    • Authority → 

    • Capacity → provision of services; healthcare, education, welfare.

• Fragile states 

  • Lack of legitimacy 

  • Lack of authority 

  • Lack of capacity 

• Conclusion: 

  • The tree narraitves are baked on experiences of state formation in europe 

  • Both, states and regions are important in this narrative 

• States in the global south emerged out of international chnages rather than domestic developments 

  • Postcolonial scholars call this process eurocentric 

  • Global south states mostly do not host democracy 

  • Is the context or region important at all for democratization? 

• Region as a context of democracy 

  • Europe as a context of democracy 

  • Watch “the future of liberal democracy in europe”

  • Will Europe remain a democratic region? 

• The context of state formation 

  • modern/sovereign states emerged from a non-stateorder defined by european feudalism : kings, church, nobilty, peasants. 

• Characteristics of this context

  • No centralized authority (borders not clear)

  • The authority was locally divided (prussia;germany) 

    • Thomas hobbes leviathan 

  • The king's authority was rivaled by bith the authority of the church and the nobility 

  • Law was present but the rule of law was not 

  • Use of force and law enforcement were considered legitimate by some actors bu tnot others. 

  • Civil war among local powers took place in regular basis 

  • Sovereign state emerged as a leviathan

Week 9 - Democratization Journey: United States 

Readings:

• Dahl, 2015, chapter 15

• Benjamin I. Page, Martin Gilens. 2020.Democracy in America? What Has Gone Wrong and What We Can Do About It (University of Chicago Press), Chapter 6 (Polarized Parties and Gridlock), pp. 150-177. Available online. 

• J. C. Ikuta. (2022). “Rethinking Tocqueville: White democracy or American democracy?” Journal of Classical Sociology, 22 (4), 396-401.

Theories: 

Neoliberalism vs post-neoliberalism

• Ll

Modernization vs Dependency

• Ll

Postcolonialism

• Ll

Neoliberalism 

• Historical: the end of history 

• Poltical: social engineering

• Economic: multinational companies and competition

Post-neolibiral:

• Focus on domestic sectors

• Slow expansion claim the return of ideology 

• Resistance 

Pressures and reactions 

• Vision of traditional societies and informal sectoers

• Decolonization of development 

• Alternative global models 

• Overall: new ideas of democracy 

Modernization and dependency

• Modernization model: 

  • Definition of democracy: development → democracy 

  • Social engineering: external democratization 

  • Globlaization of the global north

  • Institutional developemt→ democracy 

• Dependency model

  • Global north controls history and development 

  • Development → democracy in Global North 

  • Imperical relation between GN and GS 

  • Resources flow from GS to GN

  • Globalization as the globalization of GN

  • Dependancy → underdevelopment → dictatorship 

• Conclusion

  • GN controls development → udnerdevelopment → dictatorship 

  • Globalization favous underdevelopemt in GS → dictatorship 

  • Imperial domination is the engine of inequality in btoh GN and GS

Postcolonialism and democracy 

• modernization : development → democracy 

• Neooliberalism: market → democracy 

• institutionalism : institutions → democracy 

• Marxism: class struggle → democracy 

• Dependency: GS dependanct → underdevelopemnt → autoritahrian regimes 

• World system: transnational division of L → democracy 

Postcolonialism

• Critique of right and left eurocentrism 

• Focuses on history of colonialism and resistance 

• Provide image of pre colonial systems and domestic democracies 

• Emphasizes on traditional soceityes and informal sectors as engines of development and democracy 

Features of democracy 

• State and People

• Electoral Systems

• Economy and Development

• Culture and Diversity

• Civic Education

• Political Engagement

America’s Journey

• An Unfinished Journey, An Uncertain Future?

• State and People: authority, legitimacy, capacity AND rights and freedoms

• Electoral System: Biparty, electoral college

• Economic Challenges: The anomalies in the economic order and market capitalism.

• Cultural Diversity: The anomalies of managing cultural diversity and addressing the persistence of racism.

• Civic Education: Questions about enhancing civic education and fostering a robust civic culture.

• Political Engagement: Questions about promoting enlightened citizens and a functional multiparty system.

Causes of democratization in the U.S 

• Desire for making collective decisions 

• Desire for creating rile through popular decision

• Desire for legitimate monopoly over the use of power/violence 

• Active civil society 

• Desire for creative legitimate and effective state

  • Authority

  • Legitimacy 

  • Capacity 

Electoral system: 3 ways 

1. Presidential election

• Elects the president and vice president

• Electoral college: the number of electors in each state = # of the state’s representatives in the congress 

2. Senate

• Represents States at the federal level 

• Each state has 2 senators regardless of its population size (100 senators) 

• The purpose is to balance between states

3. House of reperesnatives 

• Represents the p[eople of the USA 

• The # of representatives form each dtat is based on the states population (435 members) 

Outcomes of democratization 

• Comparative politics: democratic states (democracy theory)

  • Democracy theory: 

• IR: democratic alliances 

  • Democratic peace theory 

Strenghts and weaknesses of U.S Democracy 

Week 10 - democratization journey: Canada 

Driving forces behind democratization: 

• British infleunce and legacy

• Geopolitical context: member of the commonwealth and international order 

  • Commonwealth: The Commonwealth of Nations was formed in 1949 to maintain an association between countries that had once been part of the British colonies, but which were considered 'free and equal'. 

  • Members of commonwealth: shouldv’e been democratized 

  • Canadian democracy is highly influence by LIO

• Approach to peacefully resolving internal conflicts

• Economic development, urbanization and the rise of the middle class

  • People got richer over time; peaceful transition of power (not wanting war) 

  • People moving from rural area to urban areas for jobs 

• Cultural and social diversity: indigenous peoples, francophones, migrants

• Political pluralism: multi-party system

  • Different interests (values)

  • Need of a variety of political partys to meet people's interests 

• Political awareness through media and education

• External influence and American revolution 

  • Canada neighbours US 

  • If a country is located near a country that is already democratized, the neighbour must also be a democracy.

Beginning of the journey: confederation

• Efforts began in 1864

• The fathers of confederation drafted a written constitution in 1867

• They chose to vest the formal executive authority in the Queen

• Democracy emergedas a constitutional monarchy

Canadian constirtuion (1867) define:

• State system: federalism and division of power → between federal and provincial power 

• Government system: parliarentarian → we have a prime minister (people vote for members of parliament) 

  • Difference of government and state: 

    • State: executive → government 

    • Constitution act → bichamberal legistlation (house of commons and senate) 

    • Bicameral legislature: includes house of commons and senate 

• Provincial autonomy → province of ontario has control over matters like education 

• Judicial independance: judicial freedom from political interference

• representation: ensures representation based on population size 

• Taxation system: provides a framework for federal and provincial taxation power 

Charter of rights and freedoms (1982): a step forward 

• Fundematnal freedoms: expression, though (relgion), belief, association (own community)

• Democratic rights: rights to vote and rune for public offices 

• Legal rights: life, security, liberty 

• Equality rights: equality before and under the law without discrimination

• Official languages: english and french (bilingualism) 

• Minority languages: educational right

• Indigenous rights 

Outcome of journey

• Multiparty system: 

  • Liberal party → social justice, environmental sustainability, progressive taxation, multiculturalism (center left) 

  • Conservative party → economic freedom, individual responsibility, lower taxes, traditional values. (centre right)

  • NDP → social equality, workers rights, public healthcare, environmental protection (left wing)

  • Bloc Quebecois → quebec nationalism, protection of french language and culture, social democracy (centre left) 

  • Green party → environmental stabiltiy, social justice, grassroots democracy, non-violence (left wing)

  • Peoples party → individual freedom, limited government, free markets, national sovereignty (right wing) 

• 3 levels election

• 3 levels of government: federal, provincial and munipal

• Multicultural democracy

• Welfare state 

Multicultural diversity 

• Strong pillars to canadian democracy

• Has canadian democracy and its multicultrualrism solved.reduces issues related to race,gender, ethnicity, and political affiliation?

Week 11- Democracy in the Global South 

• Understanding democracy in countries outside Europe and North America, often called the "Global South."

• Discussion includes why democracy exists there, how it functions, and challenges faced.

Democracy in the Global South: Theory

Mainstream and Critical Theories

• Dependency Theory: gSuggests democracy in the Global South can be a way for powerful countries to exploit weaker ones by creating unequal relationships.

• Postcolonialism: Views democracy as a continuation of colonial power structures, emphasizing the importance of internal, anti-colonial movements.

• Post-development Theory: Argues that promoting democracy globally often reinforces dominance by wealthier northern nations, sidelining local cultures and ideas.

• Feminism: Highlights how democracy must also address gender equality to be meaningful.

Other Influences

• Modernism: Treats democracy as a way to "civilize" less-developed countries, often imposing Western norms.

• Institutionalism: Views democracy as a form of social engineering that creates stable institutions.

• Neoliberalism: Links democracy to free-market economies, sometimes prioritizing business over citizen needs.

• Democratic Peace Theories: Believes democracies promote global peace by avoiding wars with each other.

Democracy in the Global South: Practice

1. Diverse Experiences: Democracies vary widely, shaped by local histories, cultures, and economies.

2. Role of Civil Society: Groups like non-profits, unions, and community organizations influence how democracy grows and functions.

3. Beyond Elections: True democracy includes fairness, social justice, and empowering the marginalized—not just voting.

4. Innovative Perspectives: Sociologists and local studies help understand the lived experiences of democracy.

Forces Behind Democratization

• Social Movements: Community-based organizations (e.g., farmers, youth, or women) have historically fought for democracy.

• Political Parties: Modeled after Western systems, they sometimes created divisions (e.g., ethnic or sectarian conflicts).

• Example of Success: India successfully adapted these systems to its context.

Conflict-Affected Societies

• In conflict areas, democracy faces challenges such as weak institutions and external interference.

• Approaches to democratization often focus on five areas:

  1. Welfare: Social support systems.

  2. State-Building: Creating stable governments.

  3. Rule of Law: Ensuring fair laws are upheld.

  4. Political Regime: Structuring how power is distributed.

  5. Nation-Building: Uniting diverse groups under shared governance.

Case Studies

Kenya

• Transitioned to a multi-party system after 1992, but struggles with fragile institutions, elite control, and ethnic disputes.

• Progress is gradual, focusing on reform.

Zambia

• A battleground between privatization (Western influence) and state control (Chinese influence).

• Mining policies highlight the struggle between neoliberal economics and local governance.

Arab Spring

• Protests across the Middle East against authoritarian regimes, driven by unemployment, rising costs, and lack of rights.

• Outcomes varied:

  • Some countries (e.g., Tunisia) achieved progress with military intervention.

  • Others (e.g., Syria, Libya) descended into civil war due to foreign interference and internal divisions.

The Role of Online Activism

• Social media amplified dissent, allowing citizens to organize protests, share information, and bypass state censorship.

• Created a blend of online and offline activism, marking a new approach to democratic movements.

Challenges and the Future

• Democratic movements face setbacks due to internal divisions (e.g., religion, ethnicity) and external interference.

• The journey toward global democracy remains uncertain, especially in the Global South, where inclusivity and stable development are still evolving.

• 
  -  The effectiveness and inclusiveness of these institutions directly impact how democracy operates and evolves within a given political system.

• -  If want to change you need to change the entire system and culture

• -  Institutions create their own culture
  Agents and Actors theory

• -  Actors, such as decision makers, leaders, and powerful elites,
  are key drivers of democratic change

• -  These individuals or groups view democracy as the ideal system
  for governance and problem solving

• -  Examples include groups and coalitions led reformed minded
  “softliners” or influential elite circles, both within and outside the
  government, who pushed for democratic reforms and transition

• -  Democracy is a time and context specific phenomenon, shaped
  by unique conditions of each society and era
  Many theories, many variables, many cases: what is the outcome?

• -  Ecah theory offers a unique lens through which the democratic process is analyzed

• -  Theories focus on specific variables, highlighting different factors that influence democracy

• -  While some theories may be validated in certain cases, they can be challenged or refuted in others

• -  Collectively, these theories provide a comprehensive understanding of the various dimensions of emcoarcy and how it emerges

• -  Democacry is a time and context speififc system

Full democracies: 7.8% of population (24 countries) Flawed democracies: 37.6% of population (50 countries) Hybrid regimes: 15.2% of population (34 countries Authoritarian regimes: 39.4% of population (59 countries) Requirements of Democracy
Minimal or quantitative requirements

• ●  Representative control

• ●  Political rights: elections, parties, pluralism

• ●  Civil liberties: presenting yourself without the fear of being
  punished, freedom of associations

• ●  Democratic structures and offices

• ●  Rule based separation of power

• ●  Free of an outsider power
  Substantive or qualitative/procedural requirements

• ●  Goes beyond procedures and depends on the quality of

• ●  Participation and inclusion

• ●  Equalities

• ●  Accountability and transparency

• ●  Public awareness

• ●  Outcomes: democratic procedures should not produce
  authoritarian regimes
  Failed experiences

• ●  Arab Spring

• ●  Rise of populism