Prof. Dr. Th. Meyer Democracy

Why Democracy? Democracy not only serves as a check on power, but is also useful for the production and distribution of wealth. Thus democracy is not a luxury to be indulged in by rich countries or rich citizens but an indispensable instrument of control for ensuring a development that satisfies the basic needs in every country. Democracy is not culture of the West but a universally suitable means of realizing productive social development.

Pluralism A democracy in which human rights and civil liberties are recognized is always pluralistic democracy in practice. Democratic consensus and the partial overlapping of interests allow pluralism to be made productive so that society need not necessarily be split up on this account.

Civil Society A free, multifarious and vibrant civil society forms an indispensable basis for a strong and effective democracy. Civil Society is the sum total of all initiatives, unions, association, organizations and networks in which people are voluntarily engaged with the objective of pursuing the welfare of the community apart from their own.

Embedded Democracy 1. Basic individual rights 2. Active civil society 3. A functioning legal system in 4. A democratic political culture

Social vs. Libertarian Democracy Basic Rights civic, political, cultural social, economie ↓ ↓ Type of DemocracyLibertarianSocial Normative foundations (Basic Rights) partial recognitionfull recognition Welfare Stateselective, residualrights based, risk covering Political Economyliberal marketco-ordinated market Transnational Co- ordination negative globalisation (dominant) positive globalisation

Social Democracy Index InstitutionalOutcomes 1.Social & economic basic rights 2.Rights based, covering welfare state 3.Co-ordinated market 4.Public social spending rates 5.Educational opportunities 6.Employment participation 7.Poverty rates 8.Labour participation 9.Income equality 10.Redistributive education

Social Democracies ► Libertarian Democracies High inclusive Social Democracies Denmark Sweden Finland Austria 1.Rights based, covering (comprehensive) welfare state 2.High public social expenditure rates (>26%) 3.High level co-ordinated market economy Outcomes 1.Low poverty rates (< 7 %) 2.Redistributive educational systems 3.Low rates of income inequality (Gini: 0,239)

Social Democracies ► Libertarian Democracies Libertarian = exclusive Democracy USA1.No rights based, selective welfare state 2.Very low rates of public social expenditure (<15 %) 3.Liberal market economy Outcomes 1.High poverty rates (17,1 %) 1.Very low redistributive educational system 2.Very high rates of income inequality (Gini: 0,36)

Defective democracies Defects in the access to power Defects in the claim to power Defects in the monopoly on power Defects in the power structure