Maatschappijleer
Parliamentary democracy §1 - §5
Paragraaf 1. What is politics?
1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICS
Politics = the way a country is governed (it’s about making choices)
general interest, they affect everyone directly
Biggest dilemma in politics: quick, effective and efficient administration (= efficient results) or
priority to maximum participation (= process of democratic decision-making) of all citizens
1.2 DICTATORSHIP
The people in power decide themselves what is good for their citizens. In almost all dictatorships
there is violation of human rights an political aggression.
Features of dictatorship:
1) the three powers (legislative, executive and judicial) cannot be separated and are in the hands of
a small group of people
2) individual freedom is restricted
3) there is no political freedom
4) very often there is institutionalised violence those in power defend their power with a heavy
hand
5) there is no independent judiciary
6) the mass media and the art world are censored by the government
Autocratic dictatorships = one leading figure is the face of power
sometimes the leader is assisted by a junta (= a government that consists mainly of military
officers)
the population is suppressed but because the dictatorship is not based on any particular
ideology, there is often a certain amount of religious freedom and economic room for manoeuvre
Totalitarian dictatorships = if a group of people or a party seizes power via an ideological
revolution
political, economic and social life is completely regulated
indoctrination = the population is spoon fed the party ideology
Theocracy = an exceptional form of dictatorship where religion becomes the state ideology
1.3 DEMOCRACY
‘demos’ + ‘kratia’ (Greek) = democracy = the people rule
Democracy = the power of many
1) direct democracy = the direct vote of the people
referendum = a vote by the people on a particular government bill
1) bindend referendum uitslag is bepalend
2) raadgevend referendum uitslag is advise
2) indirect/representative democracy = the people elect representatives who make the
decisions and who quite regularly are held accountable by the people for their policies when
elections are held
Features of democracy:
1) political power is distributed over a number of people and institutions that keep a check on each
other: trias politica
2) there is individual freedom
3) basic political rights apply
1
Parliamentary democracy §1 - §5
Paragraaf 1. What is politics?
1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICS
Politics = the way a country is governed (it’s about making choices)
general interest, they affect everyone directly
Biggest dilemma in politics: quick, effective and efficient administration (= efficient results) or
priority to maximum participation (= process of democratic decision-making) of all citizens
1.2 DICTATORSHIP
The people in power decide themselves what is good for their citizens. In almost all dictatorships
there is violation of human rights an political aggression.
Features of dictatorship:
1) the three powers (legislative, executive and judicial) cannot be separated and are in the hands of
a small group of people
2) individual freedom is restricted
3) there is no political freedom
4) very often there is institutionalised violence those in power defend their power with a heavy
hand
5) there is no independent judiciary
6) the mass media and the art world are censored by the government
Autocratic dictatorships = one leading figure is the face of power
sometimes the leader is assisted by a junta (= a government that consists mainly of military
officers)
the population is suppressed but because the dictatorship is not based on any particular
ideology, there is often a certain amount of religious freedom and economic room for manoeuvre
Totalitarian dictatorships = if a group of people or a party seizes power via an ideological
revolution
political, economic and social life is completely regulated
indoctrination = the population is spoon fed the party ideology
Theocracy = an exceptional form of dictatorship where religion becomes the state ideology
1.3 DEMOCRACY
‘demos’ + ‘kratia’ (Greek) = democracy = the people rule
Democracy = the power of many
1) direct democracy = the direct vote of the people
referendum = a vote by the people on a particular government bill
1) bindend referendum uitslag is bepalend
2) raadgevend referendum uitslag is advise
2) indirect/representative democracy = the people elect representatives who make the
decisions and who quite regularly are held accountable by the people for their policies when
elections are held
Features of democracy:
1) political power is distributed over a number of people and institutions that keep a check on each
other: trias politica
2) there is individual freedom
3) basic political rights apply
1
