Pol Midterm

Front 1

Democracy: What did Fukuyama Think?

Back 1

"Democracy is the end, the highest form of human achievement. Democracy is...

1. Good

2. Widespread

3. Here to Stay"

Front 2

Democracy: What is Teleology

Back 2

Teleology is the philosophical study of design and purpose. History builds towards a culmination. A teleological theory is one that there exists a final perfected form of being, in this case, of the state

Front 3

Democracy: Broadly, What is Kaplan's Theory?

Back 3

Kaplan argues that democracy emerges successfully only as a capstone to other social and economic achievement. When countries have democracy pushed upon them when they are not prepared, it leads to chaos and violence.

Front 4

Democracy: What are Kaplan's 8 Preconditions for Democracy?

Back 4

1. Democracies are Value Neutral institutions where the will of the majority is translate

2. The population must be Literate and Educated in order for citizens to make wise, informed decisions.

3. Democracy requires an Established Middle Class, because the middle class is satisfied with the status quo and is stable.

4. The Western Enlightenment Tradition. The reaction to the church and its monarchy introduced the rights of lower class people. REASON over religion, SCIENCE over superstition, HUMAN RIGHTS, and critique of tradition.

5. Reliable Bureaucratic Institutions. Rules apply to everyone equally, and provide necessities and follow predictable reason.

6. A Political Culture of Tolerance. People have to respect people with opposing opinions. Healthy, not dangerous competition. Faith in the system avoids population division and chaos.

7. Urbanization. Urban populations are easier to organize. Trade unions are often the base of pro-democratic movements. Governments are more likely to react to the demands of urban populations.

8. Low Birth Rates. Youth are a destabilizing force. They always want a revolution. More middle class and lower birth rates lead to a more stable country.

Front 5

Democracy: What is Standard Modernization Theory?

Back 5

Economic development leads to many social changes that naturally lead to democracy. The people demand it. Democracy can't succeed unless it develops naturally. It cannot be exported.

Front 6

Democracy: What system does Kaplan favour, and why?

Back 6

Kaplan favours a benign dictatorship. Stability and economic growth are more important than freedom and equality. produces a middle class, controls labour and international relations, law, and order. It is a short term preference that can produce the preconditions for democracy. Kaplan believes that democracy is not always the desirable outcome. Sometimes authoritarianism is ideal in the circumstances.

Front 7

Democracy: What are the problem with benign dictatorships?

Back 7

There is no fundamental mechanism for the control/transfer of power in benign dictatorships, nor is there any way to ensure that the regime stays benign. There are neo-authoritarian people, but no neo-authoritarian system. (Chile under Pinochet. Kaplan argues that Pinochet created economic and political stability and fostered growth. But did he really? Pinochet introduced free markets which did accelerate the economy, but came at a large cost to the Chilean population.)

Front 8

Democracy: What is the argument for democracy?

Back 8

Democracy limits the possibilities of despotism. System of checks and balances. We frequently retreat to moral arguments (freedom, self determination, voice, participation, human rights.) to justify democracy because we don’t have legitimized instrumental reasons for valuing democracy. These moral arguments are all we have, but they are not necessarily powerless.

Front 9

Democracy: What are the implications of forced democracy?

Back 9

Our advocacy for democracy regardless of a state's local conditions amounts to cultural hubris. However, it also amounts to cultural hubris to claim that another state is “not ready” for democracy. It is arrogant for westerners to export democracy to states that do not have established preconditions.

Front 10

Democracy: What is the working definition of Democracy?

Back 10

Regular free and fair elections

-a majority of the population has right to vote. Everyone, regardless of literacy, should vote if they live and are effected by what is enforced in their own country.

-ability to express a real preference at polls

-candidate who wins majority is able to take office and govern

Front 11

Participation: What is the difference between participation in liberalism and democracy? What is Illiberal Democracy?

Back 11

Illiberal Democracy: Elections, representation, and even political participation are present, but freedoms and rights are not definite.

Democracy is about extending power to the people – a radical idea. Political participation.

Liberalism is about setting limits on the “Power to the People” ideology of democracy. Liberalism is a conservative idea that believes that democracy is too radical.Liberalism often leads to democracy, but, fearing that the people may gain too much power, sets limits on who can vote. Who “counts”.

In our democracy, there is nearly no limits on the franchise. Everyone can vote.

Front 12

Democracy: What does Amartya Sen say are the universal values of democracy?

Back 12

1. Democracy has Intrinsic values, political freedom and rights to exercise are necessary to human life and well being

2. Democracy has Instrumental value, in that it guides politics and economics in the direction that is desired.

3. Democracy has Constructive value, in that it allows citizens to learn from each other, and helps a society to form its values and priorities through public discussion and information exchanges.

Front 13

Participation: What is a public good and how does it affect rational choice theory in political participation?

Back 13

Public Goods: non-excludable and non-rivalrous. Everyone gets access whether they helped to create it or not (infrastructure, clean air.) The use by one does not diminish the use of anyone else.

Rational Choice Theory: If the benefit or the outcome you are working toward is a public good, as it is in cases of political participation, it is not rational to participate. It is a waste of your time and money.

Free Riders: Everyone will benefit from a public good once it exists, So it makes much more rational sense to take advantage of the goods without working to create them.

Front 14

Participation: What do Schlozman, Verba, and Brady investigate?

Back 14

1. The types of benefits that flow from collective action.

2. The meaning of participation to activists.

3. The nature of different types of political activism.

Front 15

Participation: What do Schlozman, Verba, and Brady state as the benefits that flow from collective action?

Back 15

Selective Benefits: Accrue only to participants. Rational choice theory.

Selective Material Benefits: Jobs, help with personal problems, career opportunities.

Selective Social Gratification: Meet new people, enjoy the work, find it exciting

Selective Civic Gratification: Civic duty, responsibility to community.

Collective Benefits: Everyone reaps benefits, even free riders. This motive is contrary to rational choice theory.

Collective Policy Outcomes: Political goals for the public good. I really care about this issue, I care about a change in policy.

Front 16

Participation: What are the forms of participation?

Back 16

Institutionalized Participation:

Elections: Translate the will of the people into a government. However, elections are infrequent, and limited and constrained time-wise. This makes participation very sporadic. Elections offer vertical accountability (The elected representative is accountable in carrying out campaign promises.)

Political Parties (persuade and respond to the people)

Non-Institutionalized Participation:

-Personal Interest Groups: May influence policy. Niche groups with a particular goal (breast cancer research, the environment, etc.) tend to be dangerous because they can be powerful and wealthy, though reflect the desires of a very small portion of the population.

-Political Parties: A political party is a formal organization whose self-conscious primary purpose is to place and maintain in public office persons who will control, alone or in a coalition, the machinery of government. Types of parties: Pragmatic, Ideological, Personalistic.

-Societal (social movements and lobbying).

Front 17

Participation: Schlozman, Verba, Brady: Results

Back 17

Most people do not cite selective material benefits as a reason for participating. Selective social gratification is important to social types of participation. Civic gratification is high for all forms of voluntary participation. When people participate in activities with intended policy outcomes, they identify collective policy outcomes as an important motivation for participation. Thus, many people participate irrationally.

Front 18

Participation: Dangers and Solutions to low-voter turnout.

Back 18

-Low voter turnout is a failure of the democratic system. It is a sign of lack of engagement from political institutions, and lack of education in political issues and action.

- When people don't vote, it is dangerous because powerful people and personal interest groups can gain more and more control without being checked.

-People become apathetic when they are not passionate about political issues. This can be a sign of stability (People have big issues with the status quo)

-When political institutions do want a group of apathetic people to vote, they can do it by targeting that specific group and adapting to their needs. (When elections Canada wanted young people to vote, they put polling stations in universities.)

Front 19

Participation: What is Participatory Budgeting?

Back 19

Participatory Budgeting is an innovative institutional format that incorporates citizens into a policy-making process in which citizens negotiate directly over the distribution of public resources.

Participatory Budgeting is an intrinsic and instrumental good:

Intrinsic: Direct meaningful role in democracy

Instrumental (extrinsic): The budget is better distributed throughout the community.

Front 20

Participation: Why does participatory budgeting arise?

Back 20

Participatory budgeting arrises from problems such as...

-low levels of accountability

-inefficiency in social service provision

-corruption

-lack of transparency.

Participatory budgeting is solution because: It is transparent, It produces buy-ins from citizens, Limits the chances for corruption, Holds officials accountable. It also allows citizens to have a direct, personal relationship with their representatives.

Front 21

Participation: What problem does participatory budgeting pose in accountability?

Back 21

Participatory budgeting can be problematic because although it improves vertical accountability, it can undermine horizontal accountability.

Front 22

Participation: What are the levels of accountability?

Back 22

Vertical: (elections).

Horizontal: (judicial body controlling legislative controlling executive…).

Social: (social movements and lobbying).

Front 23

Liberalism: What is Classical Liberalism? What are the four principles of classical liberalism?

Back 23

Classical LiberalismFreedom as the absence of government interference.

1) Personal freedom.

2) Limited government.

3) Equality of right.

4) Consent of the governed.

Front 24

Liberalism: Principle 1 of Classical Liberalism: Personal Freedom

Back 24

Personal Freedom: absence of coercion, freedom to do whatever you want, up until the point that that person’s freedom inhibits someone else’s freedom to do what he/she pleases. These limits are determinable only by law. (e.g. seatbelt law: when drivers and passengers wear seat belts they are protected, and are less likely to cause others harm. The person’s injuries will cost or harm others.) Freedom is a birth-given right, the job of the state is refrain from interfering with one’s freedom.

Front 25

Liberalism: What are negative rights?

Back 25

Negative rights include free speech, freedom of religion, freedom to own property, and freedom to political opposition.

Front 26

Liberalism: Principle 2 of Classical Liberalism: Limited Government

Back 26

Limited Government has 2 purposes:

-to protect political community from external enemies

-to prevent citizens from harming one another from force or fraud. This is referred to as the “night watchman state.” The state steps in legitimately at the point when people encroach on each other’s freedoms.

The Private realm is prioritized over the public sphere.

Arbitrary power violates the rights over whom their rule is exercised. Citizens have rights that may not be violated by other citizen or the state. The liberal state was also primarily concerned with private property. “A man’s house is his own castle; the wind and rain may enter his castle but the king may never.” Also, Sacred Vs. State.

Front 27

Liberalism: Liberalism and the Church

Back 27

Classical Liberalism develops against the background of hundreds of years of religious wars, which were motivated by the connection between religion and state power. Church and State must be separated. The secularization of state power. Religion is personal, not the concern of the state. The state is tolerant of all religions.

Front 28

Liberalism: Principle 3 of Classical Liberalism: Equality of Right

Back 28

The law is blind to differences of status and wealth. Justice is blind. Egalitarianism does not imply economic equality or political participation. Classical liberalism is against economic redistribution, because it violates the right to private property. Where there is a clash between freedom and equality, freedom trumps.

Front 29

Liberalism: Principle 4 of Classical Liberalism: Consent of the Governed

Back 29

Democracy proceeded historically through extension of the franchise (white male property owners, white males, males, all people over 18). Classical liberalism shifts sovereignty to the people, but doesn’t make a liberal account of who the people are. Because one of the few jobs of government is to protect private property, those with private property are those who should have first say on laws.

Front 30

Liberalism: What was the glorious revolution?

Back 30

Liberalism is a concept that grew out of a struggle between parliament and the steward king of Britain – this is called the glorious revolution. Parliament is now supreme over the monarchy. It established the public authority and the right to rule is not ascribed to a monarch by God. The authority to rule is a trust that can be removed if it is abused. The sovereign can only rule under the constitutional laws of the country.

Front 31

Liberalism: How do liberalism and democracy coexist?

Back 31

Democracy is about extending power to the people (a radical idea). Liberalism is about restricting power of the people (a conservative idea.)

Liberal Democracy=Constitutional Democracy A liberal democracy is one in which the scope of things that may be decided by peoples’ votes are limited by a bill of law (constitution).

-Written documents establish fundamental principles and laws of the land. They are difficult to change.

-The possibility that a majority could vote to take right to property or freedom from a group must be limited by a constitution.

- Constitution limits what democratic majorities can decide.

-The constitution often usually states freedom of religion.

-The will of the democratic majority must be limited as not to encroach on the rights of the minority.

-Autonomous individuals will make a wide variety of choices of how to live the good life and the government must allow people to make those choices.

Front 32

Liberalism: The 19th Century Reform

Back 32

Freedom as capacity; has to be enabled or produced. Modern Liberalism reformed the meaning and capacity for freedom. if individual freedom is the highest good, then it would not be enough to have a night-watchmen state, because freedom must be generated under conditions of mass-inequality. The government can interfere if it is to level the playing field. Freedom is the capacity to make truly free choices. The wealthy man has more of that capacity, while the poor man has less. it is the job of the liberal state to equalize that capacity. There is no tension between equality and freedom. One implies the other. Freedom REQUIRES equality.

Interventionist Role: the state must intervene to include economic equalization through redistribution. May also include public education and health.

Front 33

Liberalism: The Liberal Party in the 20th Century

Back 33

The liberal party was initially a classically liberal party up until the 1940s, but has leaned left or right throughout the years. After WWII, starting with PM Mackenzie King, the Liberal Party began to take a positive approach to freedom as a capacity. They began developing social policies (above) to enable people to actualize true freedom. The Conservative Party seems to have a stronger tie to classical liberalism. The NDP and The Liberal Party have affinities with Modern Liberalism.

Right: freedom and individual autonomy (conservative party)

Left: the equality of all leads to freedom (liberal and NDP parties)

Front 34

Liberalism: Pierre Burton

Back 34

“A poor man is not free and a destitute man is as much a prisoner as a convict; in fact a convict generally eats better. A man who can’t afford a streetcar ticket, let alone real travel, who can exercise no real choice in matters of food, clothing, and shelter, who cannot follow the siren song of the TV commercials, who can scarcely afford bus fare to the library let along a proper education for himself or his children - is such a man free in an affluent nation?”

Front 35

Liberalism: Liberalism Multiculturalism

Back 35

Assimilation: A government puts policies in place that are designed to force a minority population to take on the culture, habits and lifestyle of the majority. The desire to transform this population to create a homogenous population. (e.g. residential schools). This is no longer considered to be a just solution, because people have a right to their culture and language.

Privatization: Allowing people to practice their different beliefs, traditions, languages, in the private sphere without interference from the state, as long as those practices do not infringe upon the freedoms of others. They cannot seep into the public sphere.

Multiculturalism: Most of the same hallmarks as privatization. Culture might hit up against individual rights, and individual rights will always trump.

Front 36

Parliaments: The Executive Branch

Back 36

Executive Branch: Composed of the Queen, Governor General, Prime Minister and Cabinet

Head of State: The Queen/ David Lloyd JohnstonThe monarch can appoint whoever the prime minister selects. Other than that they have very limited power. They cannot do anything that opposes the will of the prime minister. Mostly ceremonial duties. Neither has any significant power in the Canadian system. Governor general is the representative of the crown.

Prime Minister: Wields a lot of power in the Canadian system, the power to appoint judges and senators, he is also the head of government, the ruler of the winning party, and sets the agenda of parliament. Because of party discipline, the PM has a lot of power. The prime minister is another MP who happens to be the leader of the winning party. His/Her political connection to voters is the same as any other MPs. The PM remains in power as long as they can maintain the confidence of the house.

Prime Minister’s Cabinet: Prime Minister’s personal advisors in all areas of government – economy, transportation, aboriginal affairs etc... Cabinet members initiate all legislative proposals, they are discussed and renegotiated in the house. This means that the ruling party (cabinet) has enormous power because they have the power to set the agenda.

Front 37

Parliaments: The Legislative Branch

Back 37

Legislative Branch: Composed of the House of Commons and the Senate, the Legislative Branch debates and votes on legislation

House of Commons: The PM introduces legislation and it is debated. Number of seats dependant on number of votes. If the PM has majority, he wields a lot of power here.Every legislature goes to the house, if they are supported by a majority, then they have the confidence of the house.

Senate: The PM appoints senators, and they are part of the senate until they are 75. Their job is to veto, amend and defend the laws passed by parliament.

Front 38

Parliaments: The Judicial Branch

Back 38

Judicial Branch: Composed of the municipal, provincial and supreme courts. The courts can veto any legislation that is deemed unconstitutional (i.e. they have the power of judicial review)

Front 39

Presidents: The Executive Branch

Back 39

Executive Branch: The President is the CEO, he is the head of state and government. He has the power to choose officials, responsible for foreign affairs, and is the CIC of the armed forces. He also has the Presidential Prerogative, which means he is able to veto congress

Front 40

Presidents: The Legislative Branch

Back 40

Legislative Branch: Congress serves as a check on the powers of the President – almost all presidential agendas must be approved by Congress. Complete autonomy (no party discipline) leads to inefficiencies in Congress.

Front 41

Presidents: The Judicial Branch

Back 41

Judicial Branch: This Branch has the power to check both the powers of the President and Congress. It has the power of judicial review, which means that it can veto any law that is deemed unconstitutional.

Front 42

Presidents and Parliaments: Structural Differences

Back 42

Voting: President is chosen by the Electoral College, while the Prime Minister is elected by popular vote.

Confidence: The Prime Minister can be removed with a vote of no confidence, but it is much harder to impeach the President.

Party Discipline: Parliamentary systems have strong party discipline, whereas presidential systems do not. This leads to inefficiencies in the presidential system.

Front 43

Presidents and Parliaments: Which states use each system?

Back 43

Colonial history and sphere of influence determine whether countries have presidential or parliamentary systems. Most former British Colonies have parliamentary systems, most French and American influenced countries have presidential systems.

Front 44

Parliaments: Government Forms

Back 44

Majority Government: One party wins an absolute majority of parliamentary seats. (170 of 338 seats)

Minority Government: A plurality forms a weaker government, harder to get votes and pass legislation. It can still govern so long as it doesn’t face a no-confidence (an opposition party calls a vote, and is successful, a new election is forced.)

Coalition Government: A plurality decides to form a coalition with a smaller party to form a more powerful majority government. This means that you must compromise positions, negotiate policy and ideological positions. There is always a danger that it will fall apart, in which case a new election will be held.

Front 45

parliaments: Election Timing

Back 45

Timing of elections are part of political strategy, which differs from presidential systems.

-No confidence

-Ruling party calling election

-Coalition falling apart election

Front 46

Parliaments: How are parties elected?

Back 46

Citizens cast their voter for a party representative (MP) in their riding, which is determined by where they live. A party is elected based on how many "seats" they get; each riding represents one seat.

Front 47

Parliaments: What is an MP's line of accountability?

Back 47

MPs always vote with their party. The line of accountability runs up from the MP to the leadership to the party, rather than from the MP to the constituency. If MPs do not vote with their party, they can be removed from office or be prevented from running again.

The exception to this is a free vote, where MPs can vote however they want on a particular controversial issue.

Front 48

Parliaments: What is the Official Opposition?

Back 48

Official Opposition is the party that comes in second. They are given certain powers and privileges, and check the majority. This status means that the opposition can OFFICIALLY criticize the government. This is the key important feature of democracy.

Front 49

Parliaments: How are Senators elected? What do they do?

Back 49

Senate (upper house) (House of Lordes): Senators of the upper house are not elected, but are chosen and appointed by the prime minister, and serve as senators until they are 75. The party in power tries to stack the senate with their own party members. Senators tend to retire while conservative party is in office in order to guarantee that another conservative will replace them. Stephen harper appointed 59 senators. Some people think that this is undemocratic. If the senate allows an important bill to die, it can persuade the government that it needs to go to the people for a mandate. (e.g. when Canadians got to vote on the free trade agreement with U.S.A.). Most often, senate plays the important role in amending bills (examining, meetings,

Front 50

Presidentialism: Branches

Back 50

Divided or fragmented system. Separation of executive (president), Judicial (The courts) and legislative (senate and house) powers. They are elected separately. President: More power to executive than in the parliamentary system. -The legislature and executive can veto legislature. The president can veto the veto of the legislation. -President appoints whoever he wants to be member of cabinet. They have to be veted by congress and senate. (allies in business, army generals)