Basic Elements of Democracy

 Democracy

·         Popular sovereignty

o       A people…”social contract” agreement among elements of a society to form a single self-governing country

o       Self-governing country

o       Citizens/citizenship

§         Rights and responsibilities

§         Roles of

§         Participation of

·         Elections and voting – free, periodic

o        Majority/supermajority rule

o        Minority rights

·         Representation

o        Legislatures

o        Forms of representation

o        Equality

Liberalism

• Individual rights/human rights
  • Personal
  • Economic
  • Political

• Civil society
• Market economy (creates and disperses power outside of government and checks powers)

Constitutions and Constitutionalism

• Constitution – alternative definitions of
• Constitutional government/constitutionalism

·         Empower and limit government

·         Allocate powers

·         Establish governmental institutions

·         Establish fundamental rights of citizens

·         Rule of law

o        Independent judiciary

Politics

Government and purposes of government

• Authority, power, legitimacy

• Purposes of government

Political culture

Justice

Freedom

Equality

Free society

Participation