TRENDS,

NETWORKS, AND
CRITICAL
THINKING
SKILLS IN THE
21ST CENTURY
UNIT 5
DEMOCRATIC INTERVENTIONS

Prepared by:
Ms. Dianne Gandeza-Landicho
 Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students shall be able
to:
1. Explain how democracy works with a network
of people;
2. Identify preferred economic practices and
analyze the reason for your preferences;
3. Illustrate the benefits of democratic
participation; and
4. Generate the criteria to assess prevailing
political and social institutions.
 Lesson 1:
Democracy and Democratic
Participation in Society
“Democracy must be built through open
societies that share information. When there is
information, there is enlightenment. When there
is debate, there are solutions. When there is no
sharing of power, no rule of law, no
accountability, there is abuse, corruption,
subjugation and indignation.”
– Atifete Jahaga
• The word democracy came from the Greek
word demokratia, which literally means “rule
by the people.”
• Today, democracy is described as a system of
government in which eligible public officials
are chosen through an election.
• “The government of the people, by the people,
and for the people.” – Abraham Lincoln
 Components of a Democratic Society
1. Rule of Law
In this rule of law, we are free to actively
participate in the political life of the
government.
 2. Basic Rights and Freedom
 Human rights are indispensable and
Components of a essential components of democracy.
Democratic  The state ensures that its citizens are treated
equally and the separation of its powers is
Society clearly established in order to maintain
autonomy and independence.
 Components of a
Democratic Society
3. Elections
One of the
pillars of
democracy is
election, where
citizens have the
right to vote and
be elected.
Components of a
Democratic
Society

4. Division of Powers
Citizens draw up the laws and principles
that will rule and publicly control the
legislative power (to propose and vote for
laws), judiciary power (to promulgate
laws), and the executive power (to enforce
laws).
 Democratic Participation

• What is democratic participation?

1. recognition of diversity as a form of social
order and policy
2. respect and recognition of all political
viewpoints regardless of how different they
may be
3. opposition that provides public opinion and
makes constructive criticisms
4. public opinion and freedom of the media
 Democratic Governance and
Participation

• Basic values of democracy:

1. Rule of law
2. Justice
3. Equality
4. Diversity
5. Solidarity
6. Dialogue
7. Option for the minorities
 Democratic Governance and
Participation

• Principles of good governance:

1. Participation
2. Rule of law
3. Transparency
4. Responsiveness
5. Equity
6. Effectiveness
7. Strategic vision
8. Consensus orientation
 Summary of Key Points
 A growing decline of social institutions , government agencies,
the family, and the absence of consensus on unifying moral
principles, and disappearance of voluntary associations exist in
the world today.
 There are aftereffects of undemocratic processes relative to
gender biases, poverty, political marginalization, racial
inequality, cultural domination, crisis of representation, and
politics of recognition.
 Active citizenship demands engagement in political actions
that may help the citizens identify their own political
assumptions and allow them to participate more effectively in
the arena of competing political alternatives.
 Summary of Key Points

 Democratic participation is the empowerment of people to

effectively involve themselves in creating structures,
designing policies and programs that serve the interests of all.
 Democratic participation is built on the popular support and
full participation of people.
 A significant element of a good society is the clamor for
participation in its governance.
 Democratic participation requires association with other
people.
 Lesson 2:
Sustaining Democracy in a
Globalized World
“Democracy 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 that community. Unfortunately, in reality,
democratic societies have fallen short of this ideal.
Nevertheless, because of its very nature, once a
democracy is established, its citizens can work together
to make their society more and more democratic, if they
choose to do so.”
– Robert Alan Silverstein
 Dissatisfaction of Citizens

• There is an increasing disenchantment of the state of

society in our globalized world.
• Undemocratic practices breed social ills that haunt
societies in the planet.
• Dissatisfaction of citizens with their governments
include:
a. failure to meet their basic needs that create profound
insecurities,
b. failure to protect them from sweeping wins of economic
change where they lose their customs and traditions, and
c. failure to involve citizens in its policies and programs.
 Dissatisfaction of Citizens

1. Basic Needs
• Widespread poverty, rise in the prices of basic
commodities, declining standards of education
and public services, and corruption and
unresponsiveness on the part of governments
 Dissatisfaction of Citizens

2. Association
• Undemocratic practices undermine the
traditional bons 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.
 Dissatisfaction of Citizens

3. Participation and Active Citizenship

• Participation is the voluntary engagement of
citizens in their communities. Such participation
is necessary in the promotion of the common
good.
• Democratic governments have the responsibility
to promote inclusive communities.
• People expect their governments to extend their
role beyond that of a provider to that of
facilitator.
 Dissatisfaction of Citizens

• People also desire for their government to be

faithful promoters of policies and laws that
will benefit its citizens.
• As a promoter of the common good,
governments are expected to listen and include
its people in governance and decision-making
process.
 Dissatisfaction of Citizens

• Citizens play their part as active citizens by

engaging in collective action to perform
voluntary work with others in order to tackle
problems and 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.
 Summary of Key Points

• There is an increasing disenchantment of the state of society in

our globalized world.
• Dissatisfaction of citizens with their governments include:
a. failure to meet their basic needs that create profound
insecurities,
b. failure to protect them from sweeping wins of economic
change where they lose their customs and traditions, and
c. failure to involve citizens in its policies and programs.
 Summary of Key Points

• Undemocratic practices stem from the government’s taking

little account of the needs of citizens who expect much from
them.
• In a democratic society, citizens identify three main roles for
the state:
1. as provider of essential laws, services, frameworks, and
environments that form the basis for meeting basic needs,
2. as facilitator who is in-charge with safekeeping and
distribution of resources to the different groups of people,
and
3. as faithful promoter of policies and laws intended to help
citizens
 Summary of Key Points
• Citizens want their leaders to display vision, practice ethical
behavior, demonstrate high level pf personal and professional
integrity, and serve society s a whole.
• In sustaining a democratic society, citizens play their part as
active citizens 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.
• Sustaining democracy in a globalized world needs respect for
human rights and the rule of law to guarantee individual and
group rights and security, to produce a framework for economic
and social security, and to allow and encourage all individuals to
participate.