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Democracies, Semi-democracies and authoritarian political systems

Democracies, Semi-democracies and authoritarian political systems. ROOM CHANGE. STARTING WEDNESDAY, POSC 2300 WILL MEET IN SN 2105. TYPES OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS :. Democratic vs. Semi-democratic vs. Authoritarian <----------------------------------------------------------------->

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Democracies, Semi-democracies and authoritarian political systems

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  1. Democracies, Semi-democracies and authoritarian political systems

  2. ROOM CHANGE STARTING WEDNESDAY, POSC 2300 WILL MEET IN SN 2105

  3. TYPES OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS: Democratic vs. Semi-democratic vs. Authoritarian <-----------------------------------------------------------------> Consolidated vs. Transitional states <----------------------------------------------------------------> Developed vs. Developing states <----------------------------------------------------------------->

  4. DEMOCRACY & LIBERAL DEMOCRACY • Democracy in its simplest form: Rule of the many: popular control, participation • Representative democracy: a variant of democracy in which popular control is exercised through elected representatives • Liberal democracy: a form of representative democracy involving majority rule, respect for minority rights, and the rule of law

  5. Typically realized through: • Extension of right to participate to all citizens • Political Competition • Freedom of Expression

  6. TYPES OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY

  7. OTHER WAYS IN WHICH DEMOCRACIES CAN VARY: ADVERSARIAL v. CONSENSUS ◄-------------------------------------------------------► DEVELOPED VS. UNDER-DEVELOPED ◄--------------------------------------------------------------► STABLE v. UNSTABLE ◄---------------------------------------------------►

  8. Authoritarian systems Characteristics? • non-democracy? • A system in which power is held (or arrogated) by a single individual or group without reference to elections or popular control

  9. Varieties of authoritarianism • Tyranny? • Simple dictatorship • Rule by a single individual or group • Military government • Monarchy? • Fascism? • Communism?

  10. Totalitarianism A form of authoritarianism characterized by: • Frequent mobilization of the population • Recourse to terror • A total grip of the state on its citizens: • Atomization of the population • Reduction, if not elimination of any private space • Relatively rare -- a 20th c phenomenon

  11. Examples of totalitarian systems • Nazi Germany • The Soviet Union (USSR) under Stalin • The People’s Republic of China (PRC) under Mao Zedong • North Korea • Cuba?

  12. Communist regimes • A form of authoritarianism characterized by • a dominant Communist Party • constitutionally mandated to control and guide the state apparatus, • implement socialism and prepare the way for an eventual communist system in which • The state has withered away • Society is organized on the principle “from each according to his (her) means; to each according to their needs

  13. `Actually existing’ Communism A party-state system, characterized by • A single communist party monopolizing of dominating political life • The Communist Party inter-penetrates and dominates the state • The Communist Party organizes and mobilizes the population • The Communist Party monopolizes access to the political system

  14. Authoritarianism vs. Totalitarianism • Authoritarian systems lack (or fail to maintain) the total grip characteristic of totalitarian systems – there is some private space beyond the grasp of the state • Less recourse to force or arbitrary terror: • What is and is not acceptable is more predictable • There may be a state of law

  15. Examples of authoritarian systems: • The Soviet Union after Stalin • The People’s Republic of China after Mao • Portugal from 1926-1974 (Salazar gov’t 1932-1968) • Spain from 1939-1975 (Franco dictatorship

  16. ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY • What is it? • Illiberal democracy v. semi-democracy? Is there a difference • Semi-democracy v. semi-authoritarian: • is the glass half empty or half full? • Does it matter?

  17. ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY • How does illiberal democracy differ from • Liberal democracy? • Authoritarianism? • Examples of illiberal democracy? • Is illiberal democracy becoming a more common form of government? If so, why?

  18. REMINDER PLEASE SIGN UP FOR THE POSC2300 LISTSERV (follow directions on p. 2 of the course outline)

  19. ROOM CHANGE STARTING WEDNESDAY, POSC 2300 WILL MEET IN SN 2105

  20. STUDENT INFORMATION CARD • Political Science 2300 • Name • Student number • Local address • Home address (if different) • Telephone • E-mail • Year of study • Major • minor

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