Session 1: Democracy? State? what are we talking about?
This article was written by Mauricio Mejia.
Democracy today.
“Democracy is in crisis”, it is a statement we repeatedly hear here and there. Before agreeing, we should ask ourselves, is it actually in crisis? Or at least compared to when?
Students had to read two reports on global attitudes towards democracy. When asked about their attitudes towards democracy, students answered that 43% feel unsatisfied, 29% satisfied and only 7% feel very satisfied.
On one hand, political participation and the perception of democracy are not at their best. Low turnout, citizen mistrust, political apathy, disengagement in traditional politics, polarisation, role of social media… for many different reasons, citizens around the world do not feel represented by their institutions, their elected representatives, their political class. This mistrust fuels the discourse — and the electoral success — of the anti-establishment politicians and populist parties, which in turn feeds the perception of a democratic crisis.
On the other hand, the past years have seen the rise of ephemeral and targeted social movements: Occupy, Indignados, YoSoy132, Nuit Débout, Hong Kong, etc. In response to different political, social and economic contexts, these movements had something in common. Protesters were challenging the institutions, questioning their legitimacy and asking for a broader participation of the population. From Paris to Santiago, protesters waved slogans asking for a better democracy or for the inclusion of the 99%. These movements were not questioning democracy, but rather asking for a better democracy. One where their voice is heard beyond the ballot box. One where they feel represented. One that looks like them.
Democracy is not just about elections, that is how we decided to measure it, but in its essence, it is about the shared power and decision-making amongst equal people — the citizens-.
Democracy a work in progress:
v1: The “demos kratos” an idealised and elitist exercise of power (5th century BC). The Greeks are commonly known as the creators of the concept of democracy, as an idea of a broadening the decision-making power from an elite to the “people”. The “demos-krátos” etymologically the power to the people, gradually appeared as a governing model in the Greek city-states around the 5th century BC. First, as a set of values and ideals and the practices to implement them and to allow for governance. It took centuries, many reformers (Dracon, Solon, Clisthenes, Pericles, etc.), was not linear neither perfect as it excluded women and slaves and did not avoid the rise of tyrannies, but it established the principles of our modern democracies (popular rule, isonomia -equality before the law- and isegoria -equality in speech-).
In practice, each Athenian citizen (20% of total population) had an equal right to take part in person in discussions and votes in the assembly on the laws and policies of the community, and also to have a share in their administration through jury service and membership of the administrative council, which were recruited in rotation by lot (random selection).
50% of students agree with Plato that the best government should be led by a minority of the most highly qualified persons, an aristocracy of “philosophers-kings”. What do you think?
v2: The institutions of the Roman Republic (Vth century BC): Inspired by the Greeks and in continuation of their legacy, the Romans added the complex set of institutional architecture and elaborated rules that we call today the State and the administration. The Roman Republic introduced new institutions also because the governed body and territory were expanding, and thus, power had to be decentralized and shared. At the centre of the system, the Senate and the Magistrates, divided power in a similar way to a legislative and executive branch.
v3: We the People and the American Constitution (1787): Strongly inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment, the Founding Fathers introduced new ideals, values and institutions. At the centre, the Constitution, a piece of legislation that establishes the balance of power, the operation of the political system and the relationship State-citizens. It introduced 10th amendments that list the fundamental liberties and freedoms that this new democracy should protect at all costs. As the Roman Republic, the American Constitution designed new administrative and political systems to share power among the citizens and the territories (Federalism and Bicameralism).
50% of students agree with Tocqueville’s analysis of the American democratic system that democracy is the “tyranny of the majority”. What do you think?
v4: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité (1789): The Enlightenment, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Regime reshaped democracy with new ideals and institutions. The Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen introduced key values that persist today: equality as a natural right and the general will as new raison d’être of the political system. The individual (or elitists) interests of the non-democratic Ancien Regime were to be replaced by a continuous will to reach a common agreement for the common good. Napoleon placed himself as the heir of the Revolution and the Augustus Ceasar that the newly born Republic needed. He codified the legislation and jurisprudence (Civic Code), and created the civic infrastructure than the French Republicanism needed to subsist.
Democracy a work in progress: Our understanding of democracy has evolved throughout the years. It follows the evolution of society, its changing values and ideals. It also follow the constant change of context: territories, growing population, economic needs, cultural changes, etc. Democracy is about the collective decision-making, about a governing system by the people for the people. It is then evident that if the demos and the context changes, the way we think about democracy will change too.
· Ideals and values (Equality)
· Rules and norms (the Constitution)
· Institutions (Parliament)
· Administrative organisation (Federalism)
· Systems of governance (multi-party system)
Modern democracy.
Democracy is a wide known concept but not a single common definition because it is entrenched in social, cultural and historical characteristics. It is a mix of ideals and practices.
Today, we consider that a democracy needs the following elements to be healthy: Free, fair, and frequent elections; Independence of sources of information; Protection of fundamental rights (association, expression, equality); Multi-party system; Respect of rule of law; Universal democratic governance; Equal and effective participation; Protection of human rights and liberties.
However, students pointed out that we have a tendency to concentrate in western liberal democracies as the model, when more traditional or bottom structures of governance can exist. We will continue this discussion.
What is a State?
“Political organization of society, or the body politic, or, more narrowly, the institutions of government. The state is a form of human association (entity) distinguished from other social groups by its purpose, the establishment of order and security; its methods, the laws and their enforcement; its territory, the area of jurisdiction or geographic boundaries; and finally by its sovereignty”. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Shades of democracy:
· Representative democracy: a type of democracy where people select representatives to take decisions and represent them in governing bodies.
· Direct democracy: a type of democracy where people take the decisions and govern directly.
· Participatory democracy: a type of democracy where the constant and effective participation of individuals in decisions and actions of government and a greater representation is required.
· Deliberative democracy: a type of democracy where deliberation (not just voting) is required to reach consensual decisions.
Students prefer to live in a participatory democracy (59%) and in a mix of different types of democracy (24%).
Slides for Session 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VADSflA-EnhWWgAAIl0LXAVAjx1JwizU/view?usp=sharing
