POLSCI 1G06 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Takers, The Federalist Papers, Direct Democracy
Document Summary
In the modern context, democracy is almost universally advocated as the ideal model for organizing political life. Democracy comes from the greek demos (people) and kratos (rule) But - what this rule of the people means and how it has been translated into actual political practice is historically and culturally variable. In this lecture we will focus on two forms: direct democracy and. Indirect democracy (representative democracy) examine their justifications and explore their particular institutional structures. Democracy is the most effective way of ensuring that rulers do act in the interests of the ruled. A political system where there are no specialized distinctions between governors and governed. The rule makers and the rule takers are the same people. Everyone governed by those rules has a say on what those rules are. Citizens are directly involved in governing themselves directly involved in debating and determining public laws, rules, regulations (rather than electing someone else to make these decisions)