Dr Maurice Mullard Lectures3 and 4
DEMOCRACY IS BOTH AN IS AND AN OUGHT STATEMENT DEMOCRACY AN INTERACTION BETWEEN IDEALS AND REALITY HOPES AND PRAGMATISM – THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE DISILLUSIONMENTS WITH DEMOCRACY UK PROPROSALS ON REFORM MEANING OF AV
Optimism and Promise of Politics Human rights Accountability Political parties Politics as dialogue as opposed to violence Afghanistan and Iraq lessons Importance of tribe and localty Military rule in Nigeria politics as corrupt China communist and capitalist
PLURALISM - IMPACT OF - ORGANISED INTERESTS AND UNEQUAL ACCESS POLITICAL ARITHMETIC - SHORT TERM EXPEDIENCY THE TYRANNY OF ELECTORAL MAJORITIES SURVIVAL OF OLIGARCHY LEADERS AND ELITES
INVISIBLE POWER - THE RULE BY NOBODY PASSIVE CITIZEN - CONSUMER SOCIETY LIMITED SPACES FOR DEMOCRACY - LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BUREAUCRACY, PROFESSIONALS
How do we read the history of democracy Born of struggles – hopes and optimism To challenge elite power That politics does matter Coalition Government in the UK National Government 1931 and 1937 Churchill 1940
OLIGARCHY – ELITES GLOBAL BUSINESS ELITES – DISTORT DEMOCRACY FINANCE FOR POLITICAL PARTIES BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION IN THE POLICY PROCESS FINANCING TEA PARTY MOVEMENT IN THE USA 2010
FROM PUBLIC TO CITIZENS AS CONSUMERS POLITICS AND THE MEDIA THE ROLE OF IDEOLOGY ANTI POLITICS
Political vacuum the emergence of new social movements New technologies blogging – the internet The sound bite politics Surveillance and the State
Passivity and legitimacy New Elites and income inequalities Politics represent views End of collectivism and class struggles
SITE - GUARANTEES DIVERSITY AND PLURALITY AN ON-GOING PROJECT - REDUCE ARBITRARY DECISIONS PUTS LIMITS ON POWER - CHECKS AND BALANCES RECOGNISE DIFFERENCE AND OPPOSITION
IT IS NEVER THE END OF HISTORY- THE IDEA OF THE MULTITUDE RELEARNING HISTORIES PROCESS NOT CAUSE AND EFFECT NEED TO STAY THE COURSE