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Political science

Political science. AY 2010-2011 - Lecture 4 “The State and Democracy ” Prof. Paolo R. Graziano. A peculiar polity THE STATE Population Territory Government. Emergence Europe, ca. 1500-1800 A.C. - fundamental component of the MODERNIZATION process - The role of war

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Political science

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  1. Political science AY 2010-2011 - Lecture 4 “The State and Democracy” Prof. Paolo R. Graziano

  2. A peculiar polity THE STATE Population Territory Government • Emergence • Europe, ca. 1500-1800 A.C. • - fundamental component of the MODERNIZATION process • - The role of war • - Power CONCENTRATION, modern bureaucracy • - Functions • Institutionalization & Expansion • - 1800-1900 more clear borders • After WWII: expansion of functions • -The “welfare state” and more states

  3. A peculiarpolity THE STATE • Restructuring • Since mid-1970s, after the “oil shocks” • - Financial crisis ….privatization • -Internationalization and globalization process • …is the state still a relevant/the dominant actor? • Resurgence • - the regulatory state

  4. STATE & NATION • STATE • - population • - territory • - government • NATION • - it is an imagined community • …based on actual or presumed ties (ethnic, religious, language) • …and emotional bonds

  5. STATE & NATION 1 STATE MORE STATES 1 NATION + NATIONS NATION-STATE (Iceland, but also most other states) STATELESS NATION The Kurds DIASPORA The Jews MULTI-NATIONAL STATES (Austro-Hungarian Empire, UK)

  6. What is democracy ? Meanings & types of democracy Demos kratos: Rule of the people DIRECT democracy …and its limits Power from the people of the people for the people REPRESENTATIVE democracy

  7. What is representative democracy ? A normative definition • R. Dahl, Poliarchy, 1980 (1971) • “a key characteristic of a democracy is the • continued responsiveness of the government • to the preferences of its citizens, • considered as political equals”

  8. What is representative democracy ? Procedural, minimal definition • J. Schumpeter, 1943 • “the democratic methodis that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a COMPETITIVE STRUGGLE for the people’s vote” + R. DAHL 7 Basic institutional guarantees/prerequisites For responsive government and equality of citizens • Freedom of association • Freedom of thought and expression • Pluralism of information (multiple and free source of information) • Right to vote (active electorate) • Right to compete for the people’s vote & to occupy public offices (passive electorate) • Free, correct and recurrent elections • Rules that make political institutions dependent on the people’s vote

  9. Representative liberal democracy A system characterized by • Universal suffrage, both male and female • Free, competitive, fair and recurrent elections • Pluralistic party system • Pluralistic information system

  10. Illiberal democracies while in Liberal democracy the power of government is limited • …in Illiberal democracies it is NOT • There are elections, but • Electoral results are deeply influenced by, and controlled through • - the strong government “grip” on information sources • - the “particularistic”usage of state resources • The political executive is generally dominated by a strong president • that pays little attention to individual rights, especially opponents rights • The judiciary is generally under-resourced and has limited independence

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