Democracies, Semi-democracies and authoritarian political systems

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Democracies, Semi-democracies and authoritarian
political systems
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ROOM CHANGE

• STARTING WEDNESDAY, POSC 2300 WILL MEET IN SN 2105

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TYPES OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS

• Democratic vs. Semi-democratic vs. Authoritarian
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• Consolidated vs. Transitional
  states
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• Developed vs. Developing states
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DEMOCRACY LIBERAL DEMOCRACY

• Democracy in its simplest form
• Rule of the many popular control, participation
• Representative democracy a variant of
  democracy in which popular control is exercised
  through elected representatives
• Liberal democracy a form of representative
  democracy involving majority rule, respect for
  minority rights, and the rule of law

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Typically realized through

• Extension of right to participate to all citizens
• Political Competition
• Freedom of Expression

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TYPES OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
Monarchy Republic
Presidential Semi- Presidential Parliamentary
UNITARY FEDERAL
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OTHER WAYS IN WHICH DEMOCRACIES CAN VARY

• ADVERSARIAL v. CONSENSUS
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• DEVELOPED VS. UNDER-DEVELOPED
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• STABLE v. UNSTABLE
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  --?

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Authoritarian systems

• Characteristics?
• non-democracy?
• A system in which power is held (or arrogated) by
  a single individual or group without reference to
  elections or popular control

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Varieties of authoritarianism

• Tyranny?
• Simple dictatorship
• Rule by a single individual or group
• Military government
• Monarchy?
• Fascism?
• Communism?

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Totalitarianism

• A form of authoritarianism characterized by
• Frequent mobilization of the population
• Recourse to terror
• A total grip of the state on its citizens
• Atomization of the population
• Reduction, if not elimination of any private
  space
• Relatively rare -- a 20th c phenomenon

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Examples of totalitarian systems

• Nazi Germany
• The Soviet Union (USSR) under Stalin
• The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) under Mao
  Zedong
• North Korea
• Cuba?

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Communist regimes

• A form of authoritarianism characterized by
• a dominant Communist Party
• constitutionally mandated to control and guide
  the state apparatus,
• implement socialism and prepare the way for an
  eventual communist system in which
• The state has withered away
• Society is organized on the principle from each
  according to his (her) means to each according
  to their needs

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Actually existing Communism

• A party-state system, characterized by
• A single communist party monopolizing of
  dominating political life
• The Communist Party inter-penetrates and
  dominates the state
• The Communist Party organizes and mobilizes the
  population
• The Communist Party monopolizes access to the
  political system

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Authoritarianism vs. Totalitarianism

• Authoritarian systems lack (or fail to maintain)
  the total grip characteristic of totalitarian
  systems there is some private space beyond the
  grasp of the state
• Less recourse to force or arbitrary terror
• What is and is not acceptable is more predictable
• There may be a state of law

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Examples of authoritarian systems

• The Soviet Union after Stalin
• The Peoples Republic of China after Mao
• Portugal from 1926-1974 (Salazar govt
  1932-1968)
• Spain from 1939-1975 (Franco dictatorship

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ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY

• What is it?
• Illiberal democracy v. semi-democracy? Is there
  a difference
• Semi-democracy v. semi-authoritarian
• is the glass half empty or half full?
• Does it matter?

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ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY

• How does illiberal democracy differ from
• Liberal democracy?
• Authoritarianism?
• Examples of illiberal democracy?
• Is illiberal democracy becoming a more common
  form of government? If so, why?

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ROOM CHANGE

• STARTING WEDNESDAY, POSC 2300 WILL MEET IN SN 2105

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