Dr. Kevin Lasher

POL 101: U.S. Government

Definitions

Democracy – system of govt. in which the people rule, either directly or indirectly

Republic – system of govt. where elected officials rule as agents of the people

Republican(Representative) Democracy –system of govt. in which the people rule through elected representatives

Winston Churchill : “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Types of Government

Monarchy/Autocracy – rule of the one

Oligarchy/Aristocracy – rule of the few; rule of a small elite

Democracy – rule of the people

Alternatives like theocracy (rule of God) and anarchy (lack of any government) are very rare in human history

Types of Government

Monarchy/Autocracy – where one individual has most of the political power

Types of Government

Oligarchy/aristocracy – where a small group of individuals have most of the political power

Types of Government

Democracy – where the citizens have most of the political power

Types of Government

For much of human history, rule of the one or rule of the few were the only two forms

Democracy is the “new kid on the block”

Democracy (?) in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Native American tribes, others (was this really democracy?)

Democracy as an “idea” in the 1700s

2015

Democracy has become the “dominant” form of government

115/194 countries are electoral democracies

(Freedom House, 2012)

Many countries in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe have adopted democracy in the last 30 years or so

Success and Failure

Russia was moving toward democracy in the 1990s, but has moved away from democracy since 2001

Models of Democracy

Procedural democracy

Substantive democracy

Procedural Democracy

Procedural Democracy

Universal participation – everyone has a vote

Political Equality – everyone has ONE vote

Majority rule – 51% decision-making

Procedural Democracy

Universal participation Political Equality Majority rule

Combine for direct procedural democracy(very rare, if not impossible)

Very difficult for even small groups to make joint decisions

Procedural Democracy

Universal participation Political Equality Majority rule Real representation (elect people to

make decisions for society and they reflect the people’s will)

Combine for indirect procedural democracy (representative democracy)

Procedural Democracy

Universal participation Political Equality Majority rule

Universal participation Political Equality Majority rule Real representation

Direct ProceduralDemocracy

Indirect ProceduralDemocracy

Substantive Democracy

Substantive Democracy

Civil liberties – freedom of speech, press, religion, jury trial, right to lawyer, etc.

Civil rights – “equality” and non-discrimination of all racial, ethnic, religious, gender groups

Social rights – right to health care, decent education, etc.

Economic rights – right to a decent standard of living