Nature of Democracy

Democratic Legitimacy:: The right to govern/exercise control
1. May be due to wide recognition of goverance
2. Conveyed through elections
3. May also refer to the degree by which power can be justified
  1. House of Lords
Three levels of power
1. Coercion - Physical Force
2. Political Power - use of legal authority and persuasion
3. Influence - The ability to affect thought of of others
  1. Not Physical
Authority - Right to exercise control
1. Sources of Authority
  1. Tradition
  2. Election
  3. Charisma
Consent
1. free elections
  1. good turnout
2. lack of dissent
3. Referendum
Citizenship
1. Grants a person explicit rights
  1. Vote
  2. fair trial
  3. Justice
  4. Stand Office
2. Enjoyment of civil liberty
3. Big Society
  1. Politically active
  2. Charity
Democracy
1. A system of governance whereby the people are able to influence politics
2. Accountable
3. Strands of democracy
  1. Direct
    1. People themselves make decisions
      1. Referendums & Plebicites
        2011 - AV
        2014 - Scottish Independence
    2. People may use initative to create political change
  2. Representative
    1. Political decisions made by elected representatives
      1. Decision-making is delegated to these representatives
    2. Different Political Parties represent different views and ideologies
    3. Pressure Groups
    4. UK Representation
      1. MPs
        Stand in constituencies
        Represent party - Not necessarily individual constituents
      2. House of Commons
        Represents UK
        Parliamentary democracy
        Parliament is the source of political power
        Liberal democracy
        Should it be more representative?
        Micro-cosm
      3. House of Lords
        Non-elected
        Represents particular causes
  3. Pluralist
    1. Multiple parties and associations c0-exist
    2. Political beliefs are tolerated
    3. Power is dispersed
  4. Liberal
    1. Constitutional Limitations
    2. Checks & Balances
    3. Liberty respected
4. Features of a modern democracy
  1. Peaceful power transfer
  2. Free, fair & regular elections
  3. People have access to independent information
  4. High degree of freedom
  5. Ideologies & Beliefs are tolerated
  6. Rule of Law applied to all

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Nature of Democracy

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	Created by Daniel Easterbrook about 9 years ago