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Important Information!. http://www.arts.uwaterloo/~gboychuk/psci365/psci365.html gboychuk@uwaterloo.ca. A. The basic American ideals seem like a good basis for a democratic system. B. The practice of democracy in the United States comes reasonably close to living up to its ideals.

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  1. Important Information! • http://www.arts.uwaterloo/~gboychuk/psci365/psci365.html • gboychuk@uwaterloo.ca

  2. A. The basic American ideals seem like a good basis for a democratic system.

  3. B. The practice of democracy in the United States comes reasonably close to living up to its ideals.

  4. C. The American system of government is a good example for countries like Canada to follow.

  5. D. I would ________ living in the United States.

  6. E. I have lived in the United States.

  7. F. I have visited the US.

  8. G. I have family who live in the US.

  9. H. I have friends who live in the US.

  10. Correlation= -0.26

  11. The American Dilemma • What is a “dilemma”? • What might the “American” dilemma refer to? • What is democracy? • What does Americandemocracy look like?

  12. DEMOCRACY?? WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?? May 7, 2002

  13. CLASSIFYING DEMOCRACIES • within a range of models incorporating some minimum amount of meaningful citizen input and some minimuim protection of basic rights, there are different models of democracy • choice of models is completely normative • there is no “right” model • the best model of democracy is contestable

  14. Democracy -- A Process Opportunities for Mass Participation LOW HIGH Representative (Trustee) Democracy Representative (Delegate) Democracy Participatory Democracy Direct Democracy

  15. Democracy -- The Outcomes Protection of Individual Rights Low (Emphasis on General Welfare) High (Emphasis on Limited Gov’t) Communitarianism Libertarianism

  16. Models of Democracy Individual Rights/Limited Gov’t Liberal Democracy I Liberal Democracy II High Mass Participation Low Mass Participation Marjoritarian Democracy Elite Democracy General Welfare

  17. Models of Democracy Individual Rights/Limited Gov’t Liberal Democracy I Liberal Democracy II High Mass Participation Low Mass Participation Majoritarian Democracy Elite Democracy General Welfare

  18. Models of Democracy • majoritarian democracy • most important goal is maximizing mass participation • high mass participation will result in decisions being made that maximize the general welfare

  19. Models of Democracy Individual Rights/Limited Gov’t Liberal Democracy I Liberal Democracy II High Mass Participation Low Mass Participation Majoritarian Democracy Elite Democracy General Welfare

  20. Models of Democracy • elite democracy • most important goal is the general welfare • requires an elite capable of pursuing the long-term interests of society • actually values low mass participation

  21. Models of Democracy Individual Rights/Limited Gov’t Liberal Democracy High Mass Participation Low Mass Participation Marjoritarian Democracy Elite Democracy General Welfare

  22. Models of Democracy • liberal democracy • most important goal is protecting individual rights • does not prefer low mass participation but may be willing to accept it

  23. Models of Democracy Individual Rights/Limited Gov’t Liberal Democracy I Liberal Democracy II High Mass Participation Low Mass Participation Marjoritarian Democracy Elite Democracy General Welfare

  24. Models of Democracy Individual Rights/Limited Gov’t Liberal Democracy I Liberal Democracy II United States High Mass Participation Low Mass Participation Marjoritarian Democracy Elite Democracy General Welfare

  25. ASSESSING DEMOCRACY... • the democratic model • completely normative • difficult to apply label of “undemocratic” to the different models • internal logic • are some models of democracy more difficult to achieve than others?

  26. Models of Democracy Individual Rights/Limited Gov’t Liberal Democracy I Liberal Democracy II United States High Mass Participation Low Mass Participation Marjoritarian Democracy Elite Democracy General Welfare

  27. THE CHALLENGE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY... • combining... • high levels of opportunity for mass political participation • strong emphasis on rights of the individual • why might these be difficult to combine?? • citizens who participate in the political process are limited in what they can use government for • citizens who view themselves primarily as rights-bearing individuals have little incentive to participate in collective decision-making

  28. ASSESSING DEMOCRACY... • the model of democracy • the practice of democracy • does the practice meet the ideals of the model?

  29. The “American” Dilemma • democratic ideals are in tension • difficult to maximize the achievement of one set of values without compromising the other • mass participation vs. individual rights • democratic ideals are in tension with democratic practice • difficult to change democratic practice without sacrificing democratic ideals • the politics of race in the US • understanding American politics today requires recognizing the on-going significance of these two sets of tensions

  30. Things to Think About... • is it better to strive for unrealistic goals and not achieve them or to aim for more modest goals but achieve them? • did the democratic system in the US contribute to ameliorating the problems of race in the US or did it contribute to the persistence of the problems of race?

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