Unit 5 : Democratic Interventions

Prepared by: Cherrylyn T. Magano LPT.

Government interventions
Refers to the ways in which a government regulates or interferes with
the various activities or decisions made by individuals or organizations
with its jurisdiction. The effects of this can be positive or negative.
Democracy

 Greek word demos (the people ) and kratein (to rule)… to rule the
people.
 Is one of the most important principles for a better world. In its
truest sense, a democracy is a community in which all members have
an equal say in the running of the community. Unfortunately in
reality, democratic societies have fallen short of this ideal.
Democratic Participation
 is the empowerment of people to effectively involve themselves in
creating structures, designing policies and programs that serves the
interest of all. It requires association with other people.
6 Fundamental Elements of Modern
Democracy
1. Rule of Law – ensures that the rights and freedom of citizens are
protected and no one is above the law. All citizens stands as equals
in the eye of the law.
2. Separation of Powers – check and balances. Powers are distributed
among the executive, legislative, and the judiciary.
3. Basic rights and freedom – a. Human Rights b. Civil Rights c.
Political Rights.
Basic rights and freedom:
a. Human Rights – a right that is believed to belong justifiably to
every person.
Ex. Right to life, Rights to be secured in one’s person and right to live
freely.
b. Civil Rights – and (ex. Right to own a property, rights to enjoy
privileges accorded to being a citizen of a country.
c. Political Rights – rights that protect individual’s freedom
infringement by government, social institution, and private individuals.
(ex Right to run foe elective office, right to suffrage)
Other right from the rule of law - Freedom of speech, Freedom of
worship, Freedom of association.
4. Suffrage - civil and political rights. Every citizen within the
recognized legal age, has the right to participate in election by casting a
vote regardless of sex, religion, political affiliation, educational
attainment and socio- economic status. They are entitled to one vote.
5. Freedom of speech – ensures that the citizen are able to voice out
their agreement, disagreement, affirmations, criticism, and proposal to
their government.
Libel – a crime broadly characterized by maliciously publishing an
article or write up that may be detrimental to a person’s character or
may cause dishonour.
Oral Defamation - someone’s telling lies about you.
6. Pluralism – people are entitled to diverse beliefs and opinions, which
may result in the becoming part of different organizations with varying
thrust and advocacies.
Ex. In government - administration vs. opposition
Types of Democracy
 1. Direct Democracy / Pure Democracy
Citizens come together to decide on issues or pass laws through a
vote.
Considered as ideal democracy, every single person is able to
participate in the voting process and it ensures that the will of the
people is really followed.
Being practiced in the Cantons of Switzerland.
Philippines, practiced in provisions of the constitution (initiative and
referendum).
Advantage: each citizens has a voice in making important decisions for
the community.

Disadvantage: difficulty to implement with huge populations because

of amount of time needed to gather each citizens vote and opinion on
issues.
 2. Indirect Democracy / Representative Democracy

People elect leaders to act as their representatives in the

government.
Citizens vote the members of the executive and legislatives.
Advantage : relatively easier to decide on issues, pass laws, and carry
out their implementations.

Disadvantage : very difficult to consider the will of every citizens. They

resort to intelligent guesses to decide what they think their constituent
need.
4 Dimensions of Democracy
1. The People

A collective group of individuals with varying political and religious

beliefs who freely decided to live together in a particular geographical
area and mutually consented to form a democratic nation.

Citizens of the nation wherein these citizen are regarded as equals.

2. Equality

We are equal in the eye of the law ( morally equal), not necessarily
because we are naturally equal in every respect, but because we have
to be placed in a status of equality so that we may be governed fairly
and receive the equal protection of the law (legal equality).

People in democracy has an equal right to rule and an equal to vote.

3. Common Good

What is good for the people. Ever action should be done is for the
well – being of the people and not for the benefit of a particular
majority.
4. Representation

The use of representatives - the ones who are authorized to take

appropriate and necessary actions within the government that would
be beneficial for the common good of the people.
Political Corruption
There is an increase disenchantment of the state of society in our
globalized world. In a study about democratic participation in different
countries in the globe, 44 out of 47 countries that took part in the
study asserted that the conditions of a good society were not met
(Barry Knight : 2002)
Undemocratic practices breed social ills that haunt societies in
the planet. Dissatisfaction of citizens with their government
includes:
a.) failure to meet their basic needs that create profound
insecurities,
b.) failure to protect them from the sweeping winds of
economic change where they lose their customs and
traditions, and
c.) failure to involve its citizens in its policies and programs.
Basic Needs
Failure to meet basic needs is a common complaint among many
societies in the world today. There was a growing gulf between rich and
poor droving the former to extra – legal activities such as theft and
prostitution.
Association
Undemocratic practices undermine the traditional bonds of family and
kinship threatened by the pressures of work, urbanization and
migration. The distancing of government concerns from the lives of
ordinary people weakened customary forms of accountability and led
to a highly corrupt, self – seeking, inefficient, and partisan state.
Participation
Citizens play their part by:
(1) Engaging in collective action to perform voluntary work with others
in order to tackle problems and
(2) Participating in political processes to play an active role in relation
to the state in order to ensure that the state opened itself up to the
influence of citizens.