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  • SPU326E Democratic Government: Democracy and Other Forms of Governance Week 4

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    The document discusses democracy and alternatives forms of governance such as monarchy, dictatorship, military junta, and theocracy. It notes that non-democratic regimes are characterized by unaccountability, lack of freedom, arbitrary rule of law, and political repression. While non-democracies can act decisively, they lack accountability. The document asks if democracy is the best system compared to alternatives, and suggests that democracy has risen globally since WWII due to decolonization, the Cold War, end of the Soviet Union, and democracy promotion by Western nations. However, it notes "non-democratic" elements can still exist within democracies.

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    The document discusses democracy and alternatives forms of governance such as monarchy, dictatorship, military junta, and theocracy. It notes that non-democratic regimes are characterized by unaccountability, lack of freedom, arbitrary rule of law, and political repression. While non-democracies can act decisively, they lack accountability. The document asks if democracy is the best system compared to alternatives, and suggests that democracy has risen globally since WWII due to decolonization, the Cold War, end of the Soviet Union, and democracy promotion by Western nations. However, it notes "non-democratic" elements can still exist within democracies.

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    16 views12 pages

    SPU326E Democratic Government: Democracy and Other Forms of Governance Week 4

    Uploaded by

    Anak Ns
    The document discusses democracy and alternatives forms of governance such as monarchy, dictatorship, military junta, and theocracy. It notes that non-democratic regimes are characterized by unaccountability, lack of freedom, arbitrary rule of law, and political repression. While non-democracies can act decisively, they lack accountability. The document asks if democracy is the best system compared to alternatives, and suggests that democracy has risen globally since WWII due to decolonization, the Cold War, end of the Soviet Union, and democracy promotion by Western nations. However, it notes "non-democratic" elements can still exist within democracies.

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    SPU326E
    Democratic Government
    Democracy and Other Forms of Governance
    Week 4
    +
    Questions to ponder

    1) How does democracy compare to other forms of


    governance in these areas: PEACE?
    EQUALITY? JUSTICE? FREEDOM?
    2) Is democracy good enough to be on its own or it
    should incorporate some non-democratic
    elements to make it a better system?
    + Alternatives to democracy
     Monarchy
     Absolute rule: sultan, king, queen, emir, tsar, shah
     Hereditary

     Dictatorship
     Rule by one or a few elites
     No election or sham election

     Military junta
     A form dictatorship but ruled by military officers

     Theocracy
     A rule by religious elites based on religious laws

     Competitive authoritarianism
     Authoritarianism with democratic façade (elections, some freedom, weak
    political opposition)
     Political system is rigged to favor the regime
    + Basic characteristics of a non-democratic regime

     Unaccountability
     Unelected, cannot be changed, not answerable to the people

     Almost or no freedom
     Either embroiled in a state of conflict (chaos) or sacrifice freedom (political and
    civil rights) for stability (economic prosperity)

     Arbitrary rule of law


     Laws are vague, subjective and often interpreted to benefit the ruling regime

     Political repression (fear factor)


     The ready option to use violence (law, police, military, hired thugs) to extract
    obedience from the population

     Rule by elites
     Unaccountable, unelected or elected through a shambolic process, safeguarding
    the interests of the few
    +
    Do you agree?
    + Advantages of non-democratic governance

     Get things done by fiat or decree


     “Benevolent ruler”
     Stability (no political opposition)
    +
    Democracy vs Non-Democracy

     Efficacy

     Accountability

     Justice

     Balance of power
     Freedom

     Equality
    +

    So, do you think democracy is the best


    available system of governance in
    comparison to other alternatives?

    Well…
    + Political trend since WWII
    (Pew Research Center)
    +
    + Why democracy has been on the rising trend
    since WWII?

     Theslow death of imperialism at the end of WWII


    (decolonization)
     ColdWar (western liberal democracy vs
    socialism/communism)
     End of Cold War and the fall of Soviet Union
     Theexpansion of the European Union (Copenhagen
    Declaration) – democracy at the heart of political identity
     Democracy promotion through political interference and
    assistance (US, UK EU)
    +
    “Non-democratic” elements in a democracy

     “Presidentialism” – bully pulpit in the US

     Unequal distribution of wealth: more wealth = more say


     Citizens United case in the US Supreme Court
     “Corporation is people”

     (Un)civil society
     Hate speech

     Arbitrary laws prone to abuse

     Unaccountable judiciary. For e.g. US Supreme Court

     Power of incumbency

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