POSC 1000U Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Limited Government, Mixed Government, Athenian Democracy
12 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Theocratic state: recognizes a spiritual leader as the supreme ruler. Iran: institutionalizes a central role for religious authorities in political affairs; constitution gives supreme authority to the spiritual leader (despite the existence of an elected president). Moreover, the constitution requires that the precepts of islam be the basis for political, social and economic relations. Secular state: maintains neutrality in matters of religion; religious authorities and institutions are completely separated from the state (separation between church and state) Political philosophy is thinking about the nature and public requirements of the good life . Political philosophy dates back to plato (427-347 bce) and aristotle (384-322 bce) but it also has modern traditions. Democracy means a form of government in which people rule = demon (people) + kratos (rule) In democratic societies the rules of society are decided by the people bounded by them. Democracy entails a political community in which there is some form of political equality among the people.
