What is Democracy?
Freedom is a food easy to eat but hard to digest. -Jean Jacques Rousseau
Democracy
Greek for “rule by the people”
Government by the people
A form of government where ultimate power is vested in the people
A state characterized by equality of rights and privileges - political equality
Michael Mandelbaum : Democracy’s Good Name
Democracy’s Preconditions
What are necessary conditions for a democracy?
Freedom is a food easy to eat but hard to digest. -Jean Jacques Rousseau
Democracy
Greek for “rule by the people”
Government by the people
A form of government where ultimate power is vested in the people
A state characterized by equality of rights and privileges - political equality
Michael Mandelbaum : Democracy’s Good Name
| Democracy= | Popular Sovereignty + | Liberty |
| People Rule+ | Freedom and Rights | |
| Who+ | How |
Democracy’s Preconditions
What are necessary conditions for a democracy?
- Basic human security
- Functioning state with power and rule of law
- Agreement on nationhood - of who the people are
- Political culture embracing democracy
- Free and fair elections
- Basic Equality
- Education and informed populous
- Respect for human rights - Civil Liberties and Rights (I and IV Amendment)
Samuel P. Huntington - The Third Wave of Democratization
First Wave 19th century culminating in new democracies after WWI
UK, France, US, New Zealand, Germany, Italy
Second Wave 1943-1960s Newly independent states from colonization: Nigeria, India, Uruguay, Chile, Greece
And defeated authoritarian states: Japan, Germany, Italy
Reverse wave à 1960s and 1970s most of the new democracies lapsed back into authoritarianism in a reverse wave that swept these democracies away.
Why was there a reverse wave?
Third Wave 1974-? Southern Europe, East Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa
Will there be/is there a reverse wave?
What might cause the reverse wave?
How does this connect to Jihad VS McWorld?
What are the enemies of democracy?
- Poverty
- History
- Inequality
- Power
- Algerian elections in 1992. Democracy stopped to preserve liberty. 120,000 dead.
- Iraq in 2004
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- North Korea
- Iran
- Authoritarian Russia
Spreading Freedom
- How do we spread freedom?
- Should we trade with communist nations?
- What is relationship between freedom and capitalism?
Freedom in the World Global Data
Map of Freedom
Freedom House Methodology