Principles, Measures and Indicators of Democracy

1. Principles, Measures and Indicators of Democracy

2. Democracy • Principles • Definitions • Measures • Measuring Democracy Assignment

3. What’s a democracy?

4. What’s a democracy? • “Modern political democracy is a system of governance in which rulers are held accountable for their actions in the public realm by citizens, acting indirectly through the competition and cooperation of their elected representatives.” (Schmitter and Karl, p. 50, in Diamond and Plattner, 1996).

5. Minimalist Requirements

6. Elected Governance

7. Regularly Contested Elections

8. Universal Adult Suffrage

9. Competitive Multi-Party System

10. Free Speech and Assembly

11. The Minimalist Acid Test

13. At least two free and fair elections in which there is a peaceful transfer of power

14. Minimalist Procedural Problem

15. Delegative Democracy • Minimal horizontal accountability • Plebiscite authoritarian system

16. Competitive Authoritarianism • Formal democratic institutions principal means of obtaining and exercising political authority, but incumbents violate rules to extent that regime fails to meet minimal standards

17. Maximalist Additions

19. Political Rights (Score of 1) • Free and fair elections • Elected representatives rule • Competitive parties or groupings • Opposition plays a role in governance and has actual power • Minority groups have reasonable self-government or participate in governance

20. Civil Liberties (score of 1) • Freedom of expression, association, education, and religion • Established and equitable system of rule of law • Free economic activity • Equality of opportunity

23. Measuring Democracy Assignment • Summary of Freedom House score for last 10 years • Summary of key events that impact political rights and civil liberties • Analysis of whether Freedom House has made appropriate evaluation/categorization • 1 page, single-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins, emailed by 3:30 PM, April 7 • Individually or in self-selected groups of 2-3