1. Democracies, Semi-democracies and authoritarian political systems

2. STARTING WEDNESDAY, POSC 2300 WILL MEET IN SN 2105
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3. TYPES OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS:
Democratic vs. Semi-democratic vs. Authoritarian
< >
Consolidated vs Transitional states
< >
Developed vs Developing states

4. DEMOCRACY & LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
Democracy in its simplest form:
Rule of the many: popular control, participation
Representative democracy: a variant of democracy in which popular control is exercised through elected representatives
Liberal democracy: a form of representative democracy involving majority rule, respect for minority rights, and the rule of law

5. Typically realized through:
Extension of right to participate to all citizens
Political Competition
Freedom of Expression

6. TYPES OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
Monarchy
Republic
Presidential
Semi-
Parliamentary
UNITARY
FEDERAL

7. OTHER WAYS IN WHICH DEMOCRACIES CAN VARY:
ADVERSARIAL v. CONSENSUS
◄ ►
DEVELOPED VS. UNDER-DEVELOPED
◄ ►
STABLE v. UNSTABLE
◄ ►

8. Authoritarian systems
Characteristics?
non-democracy?
A system in which power is held (or arrogated) by a single individual or group without reference to elections or popular control

9. Varieties of authoritarianism
Tyranny?
Simple dictatorship
Rule by a single individual or group
Military government
Monarchy?
Fascism?
Communism?

10. Totalitarianism A form of authoritarianism characterized by:
Frequent mobilization of the population
Recourse to terror
A total grip of the state on its citizens:
Atomization of the population
Reduction, if not elimination of any private space
Relatively rare -- a 20th c phenomenon

11. Examples of totalitarian systems
Nazi Germany
The Soviet Union (USSR) under Stalin
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) under Mao Zedong
North Korea
Cuba?

12. Communist regimes A form of authoritarianism characterized by
a dominant Communist Party
constitutionally mandated to control and guide the state apparatus,
implement socialism and prepare the way for an eventual communist system in which
The state has withered away
Society is organized on the principle “from each according to his (her) means; to each according to their needs

13. `Actually existing’ Communism
A party-state system, characterized by
A single communist party monopolizing of dominating political life
The Communist Party inter-penetrates and dominates the state
The Communist Party organizes and mobilizes the population
The Communist Party monopolizes access to the political system

14. Authoritarianism vs. Totalitarianism
Authoritarian systems lack (or fail to maintain) the total grip characteristic of totalitarian systems – there is some private space beyond the grasp of the state
Less recourse to force or arbitrary terror:
What is and is not acceptable is more predictable
There may be a state of law

15. Examples of authoritarian systems:
The Soviet Union after Stalin
The People’s Republic of China after Mao
Portugal from (Salazar gov’t )
Spain from (Franco dictatorship

16. ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY What is it?
Illiberal democracy v. semi-democracy? Is there a difference
Semi-democracy v. semi-authoritarian:
is the glass half empty or half full?
Does it matter?

17. ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY How does illiberal democracy differ from
Authoritarianism?
Examples of illiberal democracy?
Is illiberal democracy becoming a more common form of government? If so, why?

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19. STARTING WEDNESDAY, POSC 2300 WILL MEET IN SN 2105
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Political Science 2300
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