eu knowledge 2.2

the legislature- assemblies

→ parliaments

→ european parliament + council of ministers

→ enacts/makes laws

  • the role of the legislature varies from system to system and state to state

  • the legislature provides a link between governments and the people

→ oversees the implementation of laws and holds the government accountable through various mechanisms such as debates, questions, and committee reviews.

  • unicameral systems

    • simplified legislative process

    • risk of majoritarian dominance

  • bicameral systems

    • 2 chambers

    • provides checks and balances

    • balancing representation and oversight

principal functions of assembly

  1. legislation→ enact/make laws

  2. representation→ voice of the people

  3. scrutiny→ checks and balances/oversight

  4. recruitment→ training ground

  5. legitimacy→ vote of no confidence

the executive

→ governments/cabinets

→ european commission

  • implement laws and policies

  • execute laws

  • is accountable to the people via parliaments

parliamentary governments

  • the prime minister leads the government while being subject to parliamentary scrutiny

  • fusion of executive and legislative power

  • executive is drawn from and accountable to legislature

  • UK, Sweden, Germany

presidential governments

  • the executive operates independtly from the legislative→ clear seperation of powers

  • president is both head of state and head of government

  • USA

semi presidential governments

  • combines features of presidential and parliamentary systems

  • powers are shared by president and prime minister

  • France

→ responsible governments

  • executive is responsible to the legislative and to the public

  • government must retain the confidence of the majority of assembly

→ checks and balances

  • ensures no single branch of govenment becomes too powerful

  • each branch can limit and oversee eachother

The judiciary

→ independent courts

→ european court of justice

  • the judciary adjudicates and interprets laws

  • significance of this role varies from state to state → important in states with codified constitutions

  • judges are meant to be independent and non political

  • the judiciary has the power to review and invalidate laws or actions by other branches of governments

    • neutrality: judges must remain impartial, personal benefits may not affect theur decisions

    • judicial independence: judiciary operates free from external influence, ensuring decisions are based soley on law

Fair elections

  1. secret ballot

    voting must be private to protect individuals from coercion this ensures voters can make their choices freely without pressure of others, it upholds voter independecne and guarantess the integrity of the democratic process

  2. counting votes

    the counting process must be accurate, transparent and free from manipulation, votes should be counted under the supervision of impartial authorities and observers may be present to ensure fairness

  3. range of choice

    voters must have access to a variety of candidates or parties representing different political views and ideologies, this allows voters to choose the option that alligns with their beliefs, a broad range of options prevent monopolies of power and enhances the democratic pluralism

  4. reliable and accesible information

    voters must have access to accurate and unbiased information about candidates to make informed choices, media play a key role in disseminating this information, misleading or biased information can manipulate public opinion

  5. circumstances of campaigning

    campaigning must take place under fair and equal conditions, no party should have an unfair advantage due to unequal access to funding, media or public spaces, this ensures that elections are competitive and that all votes including smaller parties can be heard

Spitzenkandidaten process

→ way of choosing the president of the european commission

  1. before the elections

    each political group nominates their lead candidate

  2. during the elections

    voters in the eu countries elect mep’s. these elections indirectly influence which political group has the most power in parliament

  3. after the election

    • the political group with the most seats in the parliament proposes its spitzenkandidat for the role of commission president

    • the european coucnil must approve this candidate by majoritarian vote

    • then the european parliament votes on the candidate if the parliament agrees, the cadidate becomes the new commission president, if not a new candidate must be picked and voted on

Representative democracy

a system of democracy where citizens elect representatives to make decisions and create laws on their behalf, instead of being directly involved in governance, people delegate this responsibility to elected officials

  • elections are held to choose representatives

  • decision making power is concentrated in the elected

  • good for larger populations

Participative democracy

a system where citizens are directly involved in decision making process, this can include voting on laws, policy proposals or participating in deliberations

  • emphasizes active involvement of citizens

  • often used on smaller scales (local governance)

  • focuses on citizen engagement and empowerement

    • particapatory budgeting → citizens helpn decide how the cities budget is spend (porto alegre, brazil)

Liberalism

→ rights of individuals

→ aspirations of the middle class

→ early 19th century condemned government intervention → classical liberalism

→ late 19th century social liberalism emerged → more focused on welfare reform and economic intervention → modern liberalism

key ideas of liberalism

  • individualism

    • individuals are the most important in society, equal in moral worth all unique idenities

  • freedom

    • allowing people to act as they choose, ‘freedom under the law‘

  • reason

    • trust indviduals to make wise decisions, progress trough rational debate

  • progress

    • history is marked by human advancement, driven by increasing knowledge and wisdom

  • equality

    • people are born equal in terms of moral worth but social equality is rejected, support equality of opportunity, give everyone a fair chance to achieve their potential

    • meritocracy: rule by the talented, rewards and positions should be distributed on the basis of ability

  • toleration

    • allow others to express differing views, believe that diversity enriches society

  • consent

    • authority should be based on the consent of the governed, supports the idea of democracy and representatives

  • constutionalism

    • support limited government to prevent tyranny, favors checks and balances and codified constitutions

Conservatism

→ reaction against growing economic and political change

→ late 18th/early 19th century

→ trying to resist pressures of liberalism/socialism

→ defend the traditional social order

key ideas of conservatism

  • tradition

    • emphasizes the importance of customs and traditions, tradition embodies the wisdom of the past

  • pragmatism

    • prioritze practical action over abstract theories, believe that the complexity of the world limits human rationality

  • human imperfection

    • see individuals as flawed selfish and morally corupt, stability and order are needed to adress these imperfections

  • organicism

    • society is seen as an organic whole, stresses shared values are essential for social cohesion

  • hierarchy

    • social inequality is natural→ different roles and responsibilities, the priveleged have a duty to care for the less fortunate

  • authority

    • authority is essential and exercised from above by those with experience, freedom is balanced by the acceptance of duties

  • property

    • property ownership is vital for security and independence and respect for others, property is a legacy inherited from the past

Socialism

→ early forms of fundamentalist and revolutionary character

→19th century onwards a reformist socialist tradition emerged

→ divided in two → revolutionary socialist (communist) and reformist socialist (social democracy)

key ideas of socialism:

  • community

    • humans are fundamentally social creatures, emphasizes nurture over nature and the importance of community

  • fraternity

    • advocating for cooperation over competition, fraternity fosters collective efforts and strengthens community bonds

  • social equality

    • importance of social equality over equality of opportunity, this reduces societal divisions and fosters social stability

  • need

    • resources should be distributed based on need rather than merit, meeting basic human needs is essential for human dignity

  • social class

    • socialism views society trough class divisions, focussing on income and wealth, working class is a driver of social change, socialism aims to reduce class based inequalities

  • common ownership

    • supports common ownership to promote the common good and combat selfishness, moderns socialism more focused on social welfare and justice