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Politics: Democracy in Everyday Life

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  1. Democracy Dr. Yee Wah Foo ywfoo@lincoln.ac.uk

  2. Everyday Life • Politics in everyday life is dynamic…it is a topic you digest every morning with your breakfast • Daily papers • Radio • Television

  3. But what is politics? • Politics is “the resolution by compromise and conciliation of the inevitable conflicts in any community”.

  4. Politics, Power, Authority • David Easton argues that politics is concerned with the “authoritative allocation of values”. • i.e. politics necessarily entails the concept of authority, an accepted or legitimate form of power.

  5. What else? “Politics is not just a necessary evil; it is a realistic good. Political activity is a type of moral activity; it is a free activity, and it is inventive, flexible, enjoyable and human”. Bernard Crick, (1929 -), (author of In Defence of Politics)

  6. What is democracy? • “A political system in which a government is removable by the people and that they should be the ultimate decider of who should govern…” • “Demos” – the people • “Kratos” – power, or to rule

  7. Ancient Greece • The “polis” or city state (300 years before the birth of Christ) • Freeborn citizens were politically equal and all citizens voted • Judges were elected from assemblies who together acted as a court for a limited time and were publicly accountable

  8. Ancient Greece • Greek democracy was based on direct popular participation • Disadvantages: – over 50 percent of the population non-citizens. These were slaves, foreigners and women

  9. The Magna Carta • 1215 King John puts his seal on the Magna Carta • Petition of Right in 1628 (Monarch could not tax without parliament’s consent) • Bill of Rights in1689 (Freedom of speech, banning of cruel or unusual punishment)

  10. Political Philosophers • Thomas Hobbes, (1588-1679) • “Leviathan” published in 1651 • John Locke (1632-1704) • “Two Treaties of Government” written in 1690 • Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) • ‘The Social Contract” (1762)

  11. End of the 19th Century • Most of the Western European monarchies had adopted a constitution • Power of the Monarchies is limited • Parliamentary-style representative legislatures give the people more power

  12. Democracy in Everyday Life • Everyday Life: how far have our democratic rights been eroded? • George Orwell, “1984” • Do Orwell’s predictions ring true?

  13. Seminar Question • Is democracy an enemy of individual liberty? • What are some of the predictions George Orwell made, and do you think any of them have some truth today?

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