PS 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Secret Ballot, Social Contract, Civil Society
11 Sep 2018
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Political regimes: closed authoritarian, hegemonic authoritarian, competitive authoritarian. Liberal democracy: legitimacy is contractarian, our government has its roots in monarchy, elections are regular, free, and fair, with near universal suffrage and secret ballot, political, economic, personal freedom, space for civil society, rulers must obey the law. Social democracy: greater emphasis on social rights and equality, more generous social programs, greater public involvement in the economy, but still fundamentally capitalist. Autocracy: communism: marx: economic forces determine history, wealth gives people power. This leads to divisions in society between property-owners and workers: democracy serves property owners, civil society will not be needed when class distinctions are abolished, critics say communism can lead to totalitarianism and low economic performance. Fascism: anti-liberal and anti-communist, society is a body. We all belong to each other and are dependent on each other: rejects competing organizations, no civil society, totalitarian, often associated with racism and offensive nationalism.
