Advanced Democracies

1. Advanced Democracies Defining Paths Freedom and equality States and sovereignty Social change and conflict Economic Change

2. Quiz • How are Postmodern values different from Modern values? • What is the major dilemma facing Advanced Democracies in regard to the welfare state and an aging population?

3. Defining Advanced Democracies • Which countries are these? • Past definitions: first, second, third worlds • Problems with these terms: democracy and capitalism, end of Cold War • Countries move between different categories! • Definition: institutionalized democracy and high level of economic development

4. Paths of Advanced Democracies • How did they get to where they are today? • Various paths of democratization and industrialization • Early democratization and industrialization (US, Canada) • Late democratization, early industrialization (Germany) • Late industrialization, late democratization (Japan)

5. Freedom and Equality in the Advanced Democracies • All share: • institutionalized liberal democracy • Private property and free markets • High level of economic development • Differences, though, in how freedom and equality reconciled • Civil liberties • Participation and competition • State role in the economy (liberal, social democratic, mercantilist)

6. States and Sovereignty • Hallmarks of modern politics • Changing in the advanced democracies? • Pull of authority upward: Integration • Pull of authority downward: Devolution • Both challenge state power

7. Integration and the European Union • Created after World War Two • Idea to prevent war through interdependence • Pool resources to have greater authority in international system (Cold War) • Slow development from 1951 to present • Transfer of sovereignty incrementally

8. Institutions of the EU • Bodies that reflect domestic political institutions, with some differences • European Commission: representatives appointed from member states, make legislation • Council of Ministers: ministers from member states’ cabinets, approve legislation • European Parliament: directly elected members that approve legislation • European Court of Justice: interprets EU law

9. From Intergovernmental to Supranational? • EU has gained more power over time • No longer intergovernmental • Now supranational—like a state of its own • Monetary Union—most member states gave up own currency in 2002 for euro • Major loss of sovereignty—countries’ central banks lost many of their traditional powers • How good has been euro for EU members?

10. Enlargement of the EU • In 2004, took on ten new members • Most post-communist countries of Eastern Europe, former Soviet Union • How will this affect EU? • Decision making in a larger body • Costs of subsidies and benefits for poorer new members causes conflict • Former Soviet States’ Skepticism • Far from over

11. Rejection of the EU Constitution • Why? • - Fear of loss of Sovereignty (Too Liberal and too Socialist) • - Too long and too difficult to understand • - Democratic Deficit

12. Supranationalism and Democracy • Who controls the EU? • Absence of direct popular control • Notion of the “democratic deficit” • Recent rejection of EU constitution by some members has led to confusion over future of EU and what changes are needed

13. Devolution and Democracy • Power not just moving up, as with EU • Also moving down • Devolution: powers and resources are transferred away from central state institutions and vested at a lower level

14. Why Devolution? • Counter public mistrust of “distant” government and state • Greater flexibility and local participation • Resolve ethnic or national identity conflicts by giving more power to discontent groups • Helps reinvigorate politics or simply undercuts state sovereignty?

15. Limits of Devolution • Post-September 11, move back toward centralization • State power increased, devolution seen as a possible threat to security

16. Social Change and Conflict: Postmodern Values • Changes at societal level as well • Traditional modern values: • Rationality and science • Individualism and autonomy • Materialism • Growing skepticism of these values by 1960s • Environmentalism • Criticism of nationalism and patriotism

17. The Content of Postmodern Values • Less focused on idea of progress • Quality of life issues more central • Health • Environment • Leisure • Personal equality • Diversity • Hostility to centralized power (devolution, integration)

18. Diversity, Identity, and the Challenge to Postmodern Values • Are postmodern values really taking hold? • Affected in part by wave of immigration across advanced democracies • Large numbers • Diverse groups of peoples within and between advanced democracies

19. Identity and Migration • Assimilation or multiculturalism? • Will migration undercut postmodern values? • Will advanced democracies become more different from each other due to migration?

20. Economic Change: Postindustrialism • Modern economies built upon industrialization, away from agriculture • Now moving from industry and toward service sector: non-tangible goods • Finance, insurance • Communication, education • Legal, health care • Majority of people in advanced democracies now work in service sector

21. Postindustrialism’s Effects • Greater devolution of industry? • Less hierarchical • More virtual • More international • More flexible and autonomous • Reinforces postmodern values? • Marginalization of those without education? • Shapes new political struggles? • How much of this is over-exaggerated?

22. Maintaining the Welfare State • Important element of most advanced democracies • Wide array of social expenditures enjoyed by society • But problems as well: • Increasingly expensive, such as health care, pensions • Populations getting older! • Who will pay for this? • Migration as a way to solve? Will people accept?

23. Future Issues • States face integration and devolution • Societies face new values and old ideologies • Economies face changing workplace and aging workforce • How will these areas in combination transform freedom and equality in the coming decades?