Political Science 1020E Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Political Philosophy, Direct Democracy, Alexis De Tocqueville

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Democracy: government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Government for the people means that the government exists for the sake of its citizens, not for the benefit of the rulers. Democratic governments rule in the interests of the governed . Voltaire argued for benevolent dictatorship where an enlightened despot, without the need to consult the people, would govern in their interest. Democratic state has power only over the people who make up the electorate. If they rule over a subservient class or territory, this is anti-ethical to the true ideals of democracy. Democratic status is often a litmus test for the legitimacy of regimes. Democracy has only recently become popular, for about 2000 years it has been detested by humanity. Democracy is not said to be the name of a political system, but rather a term of praise. According to this view, there is no single coherent theory of democracy.

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