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WHAT MAKES A REGIME DEMOCRATIC? What major choices has America made?. WHAT DO ALL DEMOCRACIES SHARE?. How “decisive” should the role be for the demos ? How do we hold government accountable? Vertical, horizontal, and social models
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WHAT MAKES A REGIME DEMOCRATIC? What major choices has America made?
WHAT DO ALL DEMOCRACIES SHARE? • How “decisive” should the role be for the demos? • How do we hold government accountable? Vertical, horizontal, and social models • How “universal” does political participation need to be? • One person, one vote? • How much contestation for power does there need to be? • Citizenship: Does the rule of law apply the same to everyone? The US judicial system • Civil liberties… and civil rights? Which are necessary and which are luxuries?
What are the big CONCEPTUAL tradeoffs that democracies must make? • How codified (constitutional)? How difficult should it be to change the basic rules? • How responsive? How deliberative? • How consensual? How much should the system value compromise? • To whom should the system be accountable? Balancing vs. separating power • How participatory should the electoral process be? • How majorities? How representative? • The scope of government: What should be on the table? • What level should exercise power? Federalism
What institutional choices to democracies make? • Scope and flexibility in Constitutional design • Republicanism vs. direct election vs. direct democracy (referenda/initiatives) • Frequency and scope of elections? Staggered elections? Compulsory voting? • How representative? FPTP vs. PR (open/closed); “magnification” schemes • Degree of insulation (the use of terms vs. early elections and/ or votes of no confidence) • Separation of powers: presidentialism vs. parliaments & federalism • Balance of powers: France vs. the US