POLS 110 Study Guide - Jeremy Bentham, Representative Democracy, James Mill
Document Summary
Chapter 3 democracy and our relationship to the state. Direct democracy: a system in which the people rule directly; this may be possible only on a very small-scale society. Here, the people theoretically choose others to represent their interests. British members of parliament, american representatives in the lower house of congress. From the utilitarian perspective, elections are protective devices designed to ensure that decision makers take the preference of the people into account. Mill argued that left to their own devices, members of government would simply work to maximize their own pleasure; they would not pursue the greatest happiness of all unless their positions in power depended on it. Chapter 8 key elements of the state: laws, constitutions, and federalism. Legal positivism: the law is what the state says it is. Fundamental rights: a basic feature of most constitutions, rights of citizens guaranteed by the charter, potential conflict between the courts" duty to enforce rights and the sovereignty of parliament.
