POLS 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Liberal Democracy, Minority Rights, Cultural Capital
3 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
Challenges minority rights protection and majority rule. Majorities impose will unfairly on minorities, permissible and desirable sometimes. Charter rights vague and open, room for judicial interpretation. Constitution written or unwritten set of rules, laws, customs, provide structure of government, limit scope of powers, civil rights and freedoms for all citizens. Liberal democracies commitment to individual freedom and equality, balance greater public good with individual freedoms and rights. Argue: liberal democracies unstable places, lack sense of community and solidarity. Ignatieff: struggle for rights sign of health and vitality, gives distinct and desirable political identity, differentiates from authoritarian government. Wealth and social status advantageous, run by (cid:862)politi(cid:272)al (cid:272)lass(cid:863) Participation not required, participation declines, feeling of democracy declines, elected governments less representative of people. Ca(cid:374)ada"s offi(cid:272)ial head of state (cid:373)o(cid:374)ar(cid:272)h, hold (cid:272)o(cid:374)stitutio(cid:374)al po(cid:449)ers. First criteria: elected representatives voted in by citizens charged with making laws, setting budgets, and developing policies and projects, also foreign relations.
