There are two primary forms of Government in use throughout the world: Authoritarian Democratic

There are two primary forms of Government in use throughout the world: • Authoritarian • Democratic

Authoritarian • a single individual or small group provide leadership and make decisions • Leaders are typically self-appointed • Leaders cannot be easily replaced (trouble often ensues at succession) • citizens cannot question or speak out against the leaders

Authoritarian regimes • Government controlled press • Censored media • No, or staged, elections • Unequal, or no, legal rights • Courts and military under political control • select groups (Minorities) often persecuted

Examples • Monarchy • Totalitarian/Dictatorship • Aristocracy • Theocracy • Communism

China: a case study • the autocratic Communist Party has flirted with a “democracy” over the years, but begins to squirm at even the hint of spontaneity in elections • in 1980 it first experimented with election polls, but heated campaigns on campuses led to official intervention and the exclusion of outspoken candidates • six years later the government again excluded independent candidates, prompting student protests • the Tiananmen Square unrest and subsequent crackdown all but ended attempts at electoral reform for many years • in 2003 a more liberal atmosphere encouraged middle class citizens to take part in elections but even then media coverage was stifled • in its parliament government policies are not debated, projects like the Three Gorges dam, with its serious environmental concerns, are routinely rubber-stamped

Democracies • Free press • Free media • Equal legal rights • Courts free of political control • Minorities respected

Democratic systems • controlled by the people • leaders are elected by citizens who have specific rights and responsibilities • leader’s time in office (term) is limited • citizens can question and speak out

Liberal Democracies • not all democracies are made equal: the rights enjoyed by Canadians are not necessarily shared by the peoples inhabiting other “democracies” • in Peru, for instance, Alberto Fujimori was elected president during the 1990s • despite being chosen by the people, he ruled as an autocrat and ended up in prison for human-rights abuses and corruption • the new president has twice been part of a military coup against the government

Turkey: a case study • a working Muslim democracy in a region of autocratic governments • Prime Minister Erdogan, who has an autocratic reputation, just won a third consecutive victory in parliamentary elections (winning 50% of vote) • there is much talk of rewriting Turkey’s constitution which could mean allowing more freedom of speech and protection of minority rights (e.g. Kurds) • others fear Erdogan would like to shift the nation from its parliamentary system to a presidential one (allowing him more powers) and push a religious agenda • will Turkey be a “liberal democracy” ?

Greece Roots of democracy: • in Athens, citizens would vote for their leaders • in the Greek polis citizens- free adult males- had political rights (the vote) and the responsibility of civic participation in government (public debate, civic duties) • women, foreigners and slaves had no political rights • the idea of “Civic virtue” became important to many ancient Greek philosophers • the antithesis to Athenian democracy was the militaristic oligarchy of Sparta

Rome • before evolving into a dictatorship, the Romans developed advanced forms of representative government • citizenship in the Roman Republic meant voting (in the Assemblies), paying taxes, and performing military service • citizens (civis) included Patricians (a small but powerful nobility), Plebeians (the majority), and select foreigners • the Ancient Romans alsodeveloped the “rule of law” common to all citizens throughout the realm

England • while other nation-states emerge as centralized monarchies, in England democratic traditions and rule by law appear • in the first step toward limited government, Britain’s King John is forced to recognize his power was not boundless • in 1215 he signed the Magna Carta which proclaimed certain liberties for citizens: a key step leading to the rule of constitutional law No confiscating horses or firewood • with England’s 1689 Bill of Rights, parliamentary rights are strengthened and limits placed on the powers of the sovereign • rules for freedom of speech were set forth and rightsprotected through trial by jury

Iroquois • Iroquois Confederacy orLeague was established to create and maintain peace among the Six Nations • the Iroquois peoples established the oldest living participatory democracy • women played a central role in this democracy: nominating the men to the leadership positions (sachems) • the society rested on the recognition by all of the sovereignty of a common law

America • speaking out against the divine right of kings, John Locke claims the power to rule is granted by the people • his “contract” stated that rulers can expect obedience from those they rule only if they respect and uphold the people’s rights • angry at being taxed by a British parliament in which they had no vote and, therefore, no voice, America’s colonists declare their independence • the new nation will recognize that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed • that citizens possess certain unalienable rights, among them Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness • and the right to vote

Canada • The Constitutional Act: 1791 • Britain grants each province an elected assembly • the real power however rested in the hands of the governor and the appointed executive council • Canada therefore had representative government; but not responsible government • The British North America Act: 1867 • Canada becomes both a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy • The Military Voters Act: 1917 • all women who had a relative serving in the Armed Forces also obtained the right to vote (all women could vote by 1918) • 1948 • the last of the property qualifications were removed, and Asian Canadians gained the right to vote • 1960 • the vote was extended to include Indians (Aboriginals) on reserves • 1982 • the Charter of Rights and Freedoms grants all citizens the right to vote

Examples • Constitutional Monarchy: The power of the monarch is limited by the constitution (Canada; Japan) • Parliamentary: - the leader (the Prime Minister of Canada) – leader of majority party in House of Commons becomes PM • Republic: - the leader (the President) is elected separately (U.S.)

Authoritarian vs Representative Democracy

Extent of Government Power • the powers of government are NOT limited • government is limited by the consent of the people

Control of Power • POWER is held by an individual or small group (junta or ruling clique) • POWER is exercised by elected officials who are chosen by ballot

Civil Liberties and Rights • rights are NOT guaranteed in practice • liberties and rights are guaranteed by a constitution

Elections • Elections do not offer a choice. Single party system is in place • Elections offer a choice of candidates with differing ideas, usually in a two- or multi-party system

Rule of law • government does NOT always follow rule of law • government and people exist under the rule of law

Maintaining Order • Force, or threat of force, is used frequently to maintain control • orderly demonstrations are legal and protests are guaranteed by law • force is used only to restrain the disorderly

Which System is Superior? • in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell, the U.S. had succeeded in conveying the view that democracy and economic prosperity went hand in hand • by 2011 the rise of China and the difficulty the West continues to have in recovering from the financial crisis have broken the link between prosperity and freedom

The Arab Spring • modern communication technology has made it easier to rebel against authoritarian governments, as seen in Tunisia and Egypt • however, it has also made it tougher to build enduring, deeply rooted democratic politics to replace them • communication technology has only served to create a fragmentation of public space in existing democracies: people are no longer part of a single public debate because the Internet and social media allow us to consume only the information that confirms our biases Mohamed Bouazizi Ann Coulter

Female Political Dynasties • in modern times there has been a growing number of females assuming dynastic authority (in many democracies as well) • these wives, sisters and daughters have come to power or assumed top political jobs following in the footsteps of male relatives • WHY? Family name confers brand recognition and provides contacts and financial contributions, all equalling success Yingluck Shinawatra Aung San Suu Kyi Sonia Gandhi Cristina Fernandez

Authoritarian Rulers: unpopular? • few are willing or able to challenge the authoritarian leader • but despite criticism for corruption and human rights abuses, he remains popular for promoting stability and economic growth • his supporters share in the nation’s oil, gas and mineral wealth

There are two primary forms of Government in use throughout the world: Authoritarian Democratic