POL111H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Economist Intelligence Unit, Liberal Democracy, Liberalism In Canada
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In a typical liberal democracy, government decisions most of the time are made by the executive, after debate and discussion in the legislature: (cid:862)the e(cid:374)glish thi(cid:374)k the(cid:455) are free. The(cid:455) are free o(cid:374)l(cid:455) duri(cid:374)g the ele(cid:272)tio(cid:374)s of. Me(cid:373)(cid:271)ers of parlia(cid:373)e(cid:374)t. (cid:863) (cid:894)fre(cid:374)(cid:272)h e(cid:374)lighte(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)t thi(cid:374)ker jea(cid:374)-jacques rousseau (1712-1778): radical democratic theorists such as rousseau are critical of our indirect, representative democracy, which we inherited from britain. In between elections, ordinary voters have no direct control over how the executive makes decisions, and what those decisions are. Li(cid:271)eral (cid:894)(cid:862)s(cid:373)all (cid:862)l(cid:863)(cid:895) de(cid:373)o(cid:272)ra(cid:272)ies (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:271)i(cid:374)e i(cid:374)dire(cid:272)t represe(cid:374)tati(cid:448)e de(cid:373)o(cid:272)ra(cid:272)(cid:455), (cid:449)ith a culture that stresses individualism, and the capitalist/market economy (textbook, p. 38): at the (cid:373)ost fu(cid:374)da(cid:373)e(cid:374)tal le(cid:448)el, the (cid:449)orld(cid:859)s li(cid:271)eral democracies are very similar. What are the basic liberal democratic values? (page 24) Free & fair elections to elect the government. Political parties are free to organize and compete for support, and to promote their own ideas. Rule of law, enforced by an independent judiciary.
