Democracy 1
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Democracy
It ain’t a spectator sport.
Pluralism: Concept of distributing political power through several different institutions, which can limit each one’s actions. Ex: separation of powers In the United States. Executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Checks and balances. Plurality of ideas, encompassed in different political parties. Belief that a country’s constitution ought to make room for a diversity of social customs. But all political rights traced back to the constitution.
Democracy as we now understand it was born in Western Europe.
Why? Toward end of middle ages: Modernization from within. Not colonized by more technologically advanced invaders. Region could evolve slowly, along lines more natural to its “indigenous peoples” and cultures
Feudal Roman-Catholic legacy Feudalism and early capitalism created a very rigid class structure. Working class in most of Europe had to fight for the right to vote. Led to the creation of more class-based political parties. (Ex: Labour Party in the U.K.) Role of church in politics overlapped with class issues to create church-based parties. (Ex: Christian democrats in various countries).
U.S. = exception to these European developments.
The Renaissance (~1300-1650) Revolutionary in its notion of human beings as the center of all things. New innovations in art, science, technology, and political philosophy came from a belief in the surpassing powers of human will and intellect.
The Reformation (beginning in 1517) Challenging the Catholic church was a big deal. Inspired intellectual ferment, new ideas.
Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg and began a revolution
Reformation and Renaissance new, powerful intellectual, economic and political movements that developed into: mercantilism, the scientific revolution, the enlightenment, the industrial revolution, and imperialism.
Mercantilism (17th century): early form of capitalism that was not about free trade. Countries’ trade policies protected local producers against foreign competition. Equated wealth with money. New social class: The Bourgeoisie
And a Global System that judged nations by the size of their balance of trade (surplus or deficit).
Mercantilism’s support for national producers and manufacturers allowed Europe to develop its own industry without a whole lot of competition from the outside. Resulting Economic growth colonization. Colonies inhibited from developing their own native industries dependence. All of these new phenomena: extended sea travel, economic growth and production + intellectual foundations of the Renaissance and Reformation Scientific Revolution Changed people’s understanding of the physical world.
Changing concept of world laid basis for modernity: Science provided tools to conquer nature. Philosophy of science and politics as a means to solve social and economic problems.
The enlightenment (eighteenth century) Emphasized human reason over blind faith. One effect = Ethical hedonism: ordinary human desires = natural and good. = support for capitalism.
French philosophers, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau set about to do for the social sciences what the scientific revolution did for the natural sciences. Emphasized fact and experience. Envisioned a new social order: Rule of law bound rulers and ruled alike. All citizens guaranteed equal rights “I may not be an aristocrat, but I’m wealthy. I should have rights and representation in government to protect my wealth.”
Combination of the intellectual dissent of the enlightenment + a series of complex social, economic and political difficulties French Revolution. Stage 1: limited constitutional monarchy. Stage 2: abolition of monarchy. King Louis XVI’s head. Execution of monarch = turning point in European political history. Stage 3: Jacobins’ attempt at a “Republic of Virtue”
Stage 4: Thermidorean Reaction: Oligarchy in the guise of a Republic
Napoleon’s dictatorship
Nonetheless, French Revolution was a major step toward democracy as we understand it. Rejection of both popular rule and rule by heredity.
Industrial Revolution:
increased production + colonialism + increased global trade
Rising middle class (bourgeoisie) + Demand for political rights to protect economic interests.
New technologies + factory system had other socioeconomic consequences: Urban industrial working class (proletariat). Decline and fall of Feudalism. Better transportation, larger cities.
But also made production less labor intensive. unemployment, poverty, exploitation.
Child factory labor
Worker’s tenement housing
the Renaissance, the Reformation, the rise of capitalism, the scientific revolution, the enlightenment, the industrial revolution
Liberalism The dominant point of departure for world politics today
Liberalism Liberty Liberté Libertad? What does it all mean?
FREEDOM!!
Ideal ideology for the emerging middle class.
Politically: opposed to arbitrary and repressive rule, press censorship, special privilege, and discrimination on the basis of race or religion. Economically: stressed property rights and other middle-class interests.
Liberal philosophers, Adam Smith, Malthus, and Ricardo: Free competition among nations and individuals, without the limits of tariffs or monopolies greatest prosperity for the greatest number of people. = Free market capitalism!!!! Unemployment, hunger, deprivation = nature’s way of regulating population growth (Social Darwinism)
Reactions to Liberalism:
Socialism
Conservativism
Modernity, via liberal politics and economics, eradicated the scourges of feudal society.
Myth and blind faith
science
Hereditary privilege
concept of merit.
Constitutional Democracies: Including presidential, parliamentary, and mixed systems. Contract between the government and the citizens.
Presidential democracy:
Chief executive = popularly elected
Checks and balances
President = both head of state and head of govt
President’s power curbed by the Legislature
Parliamentary Democracy: Chief Executive usually = Prime Minister
Fusion (not separation) of powers
Major Advantage: less gridlock
Parliament can government with vote of “no confidence” But, executive can dissolve parliament and call for new elections (Allowed once every five years in the British system) Majority party can wait for favorable time to hold elections.
Different democratic systems, same goal:
Government of laws, not of individual rulers
It ain’t a spectator sport.
Pluralism: Concept of distributing political power through several different institutions, which can limit each one’s actions. Ex: separation of powers In the United States. Executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Checks and balances. Plurality of ideas, encompassed in different political parties. Belief that a country’s constitution ought to make room for a diversity of social customs. But all political rights traced back to the constitution.
Democracy as we now understand it was born in Western Europe.
Why? Toward end of middle ages: Modernization from within. Not colonized by more technologically advanced invaders. Region could evolve slowly, along lines more natural to its “indigenous peoples” and cultures
Feudal Roman-Catholic legacy Feudalism and early capitalism created a very rigid class structure. Working class in most of Europe had to fight for the right to vote. Led to the creation of more class-based political parties. (Ex: Labour Party in the U.K.) Role of church in politics overlapped with class issues to create church-based parties. (Ex: Christian democrats in various countries).
U.S. = exception to these European developments.
The Renaissance (~1300-1650) Revolutionary in its notion of human beings as the center of all things. New innovations in art, science, technology, and political philosophy came from a belief in the surpassing powers of human will and intellect.
The Reformation (beginning in 1517) Challenging the Catholic church was a big deal. Inspired intellectual ferment, new ideas.
Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg and began a revolution
Reformation and Renaissance new, powerful intellectual, economic and political movements that developed into: mercantilism, the scientific revolution, the enlightenment, the industrial revolution, and imperialism.
Mercantilism (17th century): early form of capitalism that was not about free trade. Countries’ trade policies protected local producers against foreign competition. Equated wealth with money. New social class: The Bourgeoisie
And a Global System that judged nations by the size of their balance of trade (surplus or deficit).
Mercantilism’s support for national producers and manufacturers allowed Europe to develop its own industry without a whole lot of competition from the outside. Resulting Economic growth colonization. Colonies inhibited from developing their own native industries dependence. All of these new phenomena: extended sea travel, economic growth and production + intellectual foundations of the Renaissance and Reformation Scientific Revolution Changed people’s understanding of the physical world.
Changing concept of world laid basis for modernity: Science provided tools to conquer nature. Philosophy of science and politics as a means to solve social and economic problems.
The enlightenment (eighteenth century) Emphasized human reason over blind faith. One effect = Ethical hedonism: ordinary human desires = natural and good. = support for capitalism.
French philosophers, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau set about to do for the social sciences what the scientific revolution did for the natural sciences. Emphasized fact and experience. Envisioned a new social order: Rule of law bound rulers and ruled alike. All citizens guaranteed equal rights “I may not be an aristocrat, but I’m wealthy. I should have rights and representation in government to protect my wealth.”
Combination of the intellectual dissent of the enlightenment + a series of complex social, economic and political difficulties French Revolution. Stage 1: limited constitutional monarchy. Stage 2: abolition of monarchy. King Louis XVI’s head. Execution of monarch = turning point in European political history. Stage 3: Jacobins’ attempt at a “Republic of Virtue”
Stage 4: Thermidorean Reaction: Oligarchy in the guise of a Republic
Napoleon’s dictatorship
Nonetheless, French Revolution was a major step toward democracy as we understand it. Rejection of both popular rule and rule by heredity.
Industrial Revolution:
increased production + colonialism + increased global trade
Rising middle class (bourgeoisie) + Demand for political rights to protect economic interests.
New technologies + factory system had other socioeconomic consequences: Urban industrial working class (proletariat). Decline and fall of Feudalism. Better transportation, larger cities.
But also made production less labor intensive. unemployment, poverty, exploitation.
Child factory labor
Worker’s tenement housing
the Renaissance, the Reformation, the rise of capitalism, the scientific revolution, the enlightenment, the industrial revolution
Liberalism The dominant point of departure for world politics today
Liberalism Liberty Liberté Libertad? What does it all mean?
FREEDOM!!
Ideal ideology for the emerging middle class.
Politically: opposed to arbitrary and repressive rule, press censorship, special privilege, and discrimination on the basis of race or religion. Economically: stressed property rights and other middle-class interests.
Liberal philosophers, Adam Smith, Malthus, and Ricardo: Free competition among nations and individuals, without the limits of tariffs or monopolies greatest prosperity for the greatest number of people. = Free market capitalism!!!! Unemployment, hunger, deprivation = nature’s way of regulating population growth (Social Darwinism)
Reactions to Liberalism:
Socialism
Conservativism
Modernity, via liberal politics and economics, eradicated the scourges of feudal society.
Myth and blind faith
science
Hereditary privilege
concept of merit.
Constitutional Democracies: Including presidential, parliamentary, and mixed systems. Contract between the government and the citizens.
Presidential democracy:
Chief executive = popularly elected
Checks and balances
President = both head of state and head of govt
President’s power curbed by the Legislature
Parliamentary Democracy: Chief Executive usually = Prime Minister
Fusion (not separation) of powers
Major Advantage: less gridlock
Parliament can government with vote of “no confidence” But, executive can dissolve parliament and call for new elections (Allowed once every five years in the British system) Majority party can wait for favorable time to hold elections.
Different democratic systems, same goal:
Government of laws, not of individual rulers
