Understanding Politics
...democracies of the West. In this category will be those states which have had functioning democracies for at least 40 years, and also posses highly developed capitalist economies. This category will include almost all of Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Oz, New Zealand, etc. Deal with Japan in a later context.
The term democracy in itself is somewhat problematic. Virtually all states claim to be democratic -DDR, DPRK, etc. This term has taken on heavy symbolic value and is often used to describe us, while other terms are used to denote them. There has been a difference of opinion as to what determines democracy - in the west we view it as the ability to exercise determinant influence on the direction of government policy; however, Marxism would contend that this is only an illusion. Our elections are presented as being facades that serve to dupe the people into believing that they exercise control over their lives, while in reality the government is simply a product of the desires of the elite. They contend that democracy is impossible without equality, and that their system is democratic as it provides for freedom from exploitation. This is purported to represent economic freedom for the masses.
Literal translation - Demos- People; Kratos - Government******************
**Pedicles and Four Elements of Democracy**
(1) government by the people, with their full and direct participation;
(2) equality before the law;
(3) pluralism, or the respect for different pursuits and viewpoints; and
(4) existence of a civil society.
However, for the purposes of this class, I will be employing the traditional definition of democracy which rests on two basic premises popular sovereignty and the social contract.
The former means that the public will have a regular choice as to the composition and orientation of its government. I.E. that it will be...
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