POLS 071 Chapter Notes - Chapter January 28th Reading: Liberal Democracy, Authoritarianism, The Roots
30 Jan 2019
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Responding to bush"s second inaugural address in 2005 on the iraq war. Spreading democracy around the globe is the primary us foreign policy piece since 9/11: removing the old governing elite and holding elections does not work to establish a democracy, however. Idealists explain democratic momentum as a triumph of democracy rooted in universal yearning of the people. It should lead to liberal institutions once the institutions of the past are undone. In societies with equal economic and social opportunities, the majority and minority are willing to accept the results of elections because there is less threat and less to lose. In a roughly equal society this will work because the differences between the two groups would make it hard for one group to harm the other without harming themselves. Participants in the elections will agree to the roles and outcome only if the burden of results doesn"t fall too heavily on either side.
