1. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
Representation vs. Authority
Type of About Liberal Current Metaphor
Government Principles Example(s)
Direct - Operates on the belief that Accepted: - Switzerland Direct democracy is
Democracy every citizen’s voice is - Individual First Nations having
important and necessary for rights and pow wows about
the orderly and efficient freedoms situations or
operation of society - Rule of law events.
- Three important instruments
of direct democracy are Rejected:
initiatives, referendums or - Self-interest
plebiscites, and recalls
- Initiatives, in the US, can be
used for citizens to create
legislation. They begin with
the forming of a petition by a
group of citizens and if the
petition is signed by a certain
amount of people, it can force
a public vote on an issue
- Referendums or plebiscites,
is when all citizens must vote
on whether to accept or reject
a proposed piece of legislation
- Recall elections are when a
majority of voters may choose
to remove an elected official
or government in power,
which is usually initiated
through petition
- Every citizen votes directly in
all decisions; only practical
with small population
Republican - A republic is a country where Accepted: - France Republican
Democracy the people are sovereign and - Rule of law - United States democracy is
there is no king or queen - Individual of America Godzilla and King
- Has three branches of rights and Kong fighting over
government; legislative, freedoms dominant power.
executive, and judicial - Economic
- To ensure the government Freedom
adheres to liberal principles, - Self-interest
they use a system of checks
Rejected:
and balances to make sure

2. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
that no one branch of the - Competition
government becomes too
powerful
- This system was established
based on the beliefs that
checks and balances would
keep the government too
weak to override the will of
the people, and that the least
intrusive government provides
more freedom to its citizens
- There are two chambers of
the US Congress; the House of
representatives and the
Senate
- New laws must be passed by
both House of Representatives
and senate, then be approved
by president
- The president can veto the
bill and ultimately choose not
to sign a bill, in which case the
bill would be sent back to the
house of Congress where it
originated, so it may be
revised
- Presidential veto may be
defeated by ⅔ majority vote in
both Houses of Congress
- The people go to the polls
and vote for the presidential
candidate of their choice by
voting for electors pledged to
body known as the Electoral
College
- The framers of the US
Constitution were somewhat
suspicious of the will of the
people and did not want the
people to directly elect the
president
- Established a process
whereby each state and the
District of Columbia select
electors equal in number to
their Congressional

3. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
representation, and the
electors actually elect the
president
- Essentially has a two-party
system, which has the
advantage of stability, but the
disadvantage that it is virtually
impossible to challenge the
established parties to consider
minority opinions
- Legislative branch=Congress
(House of Representatives and
Senate)
- Number of representatives
reflects state populations (435
total; 2 year term
- Every state has 2 senators
(100 total); 6 year terms (1/3
are elected every 2 years
- Executive branch (all
appointed by the president):
president (every 4 year terms,
max 2 terms) (head of state
and commander and chief in
military), vice president,
secretary of state, cabinet
- Judicial branch: courts and
judges
- Appointed cabinet
Parliamentary - Also known as responsible Accepted: - United Parliamentary
Democracy government - Individual Kingdom democracy is a pig
- A branch of government that rights and - Canada race with 10 pigs
proposes laws, the executive freedoms racing for the finish
branch of government, is - Rule of law line. Some are
dependent on the direct or - Competition slower or less liked,
indirect support of elected while others are
members of the legislative Rejected: the power pigs that
branch - Self-interest dominate the
competition.
- Responsible government is
about the accountability
- If suspected of not carrying
out the will of the people, a
motion of non-confidence may
be proposed in the House of
Commons, in which a vote is

4. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
held to decide whether the
government must immediately
resign or submit to a new
general election or not
- Operates on the basis of
representation by population,
in which a single
representative is elected from
divided electoral districts of
about 100 000 people
- Like most government
systems, Canada has a
bicameral legislature to
provide two different
legislative bodies, each based
on a different form of
representation
- Senators are not elected;
prime minister appoints new
senators
- Any piece of legislation
passed by the House of
Commons must also be passed
by the Senate before it can
become law
- Usually, the Senate simply
recommends alterations
rather than rejects the bill
- Government led by party
with most representatives and
the leader of the party
becomes head of the
government
- Elected executive branch
needs support of elected
legislative branch
- MP’s represent electorate
- Governor general is a
member of executive and
legislative branches -
represents Monarch
- Legislative branch (house of
commons and senators) create
laws
- Election= “first past-the-post”
(single member constituency)

5. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
- Senators represent regions,
not population -- also
legislative branch
- Judicial branch administers
(interprets and enforces) law -
courts and judges
- Electoral parliament; appoint
senate
Proportional - This system of government Accepted: - Venezuela Proportional
Representation has the citizens voting directly - Individual - South Africa representation is
for a party, not candidate, and rights and - Israel when you can’t
then representatives are freedoms - Austria choose between
assigned based on the amount - Rule of law - Finland two chocolate bars,
of popular support obtained - Competition so you end up
(percentage of vote) getting a little bit of
- Encourages and legitimizes Rejected: both.
participation by minority or - Self-interest
marginal parties who would
not obtain representation in
the systems used in Canada or
the US
- Is argued this system more
directly reflects the popular
vote and therefore better
reflects the will of the people
- Smaller parties are more
successful
- Often results in minority
governments that require
coalitions between parties
- The will of the people is
expressed in the selection of
representatives to the
government during elections
- Periodic elections are held to
ensure that those elected
remain true to the will of the
people
- The presence of multiple
parties representing various
perspectives allows them the
ability to watch one another
with a critical eye, the
separation of powers among
different branches of

6. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
government, and independent
media, an independent
judiciary, and the rule of law
- Entrenches the basic rights
and freedoms of citizens and
prevent abuse by those who
wield power
- Elected representatives make
decisions on behalf of
electorate
Monarchy - Government power is held by Accepted: - Saudi Arabia Monarchy is God
a monarch (king, emperor, - Self-interest holding power over
sheik, tsar, etc.) and passes all the people.
according to bloodiness Rejected:
(sometimes monarchs are - Individual
elected too) rights and
- Monarch has total authority freedoms
over government and civil - Rule of law
matters - Economic
freedom
- Leadership is passed along
- Private
blood lines/through
property
generations
Oligarchy - A form of government in Accepted: - Russian Oligarchy is the
which political power rests - Self-interest Federation cool kids in a
with a small elite segment of school of cliques.
society, who are often Rejected: There are few of
controlled by politically - Individual them and it is a
powerful families who pass on rights and special privilege to
their influence to their freedoms rule to school.
children - Rule of law
- The oligarchic elite imposes - Private
property
strict limits on what
constitutes an acceptable and
respectable political position,
and politicians’ careers
depend heavily on unelected
economic and media elites
- Political power is held by a
small elite segment of society,
often politically powerful
families
- The Russian Federation is
considered an oligarchy
because of the influence
carried by members of the

7. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
former communist part
- Some also theorize that all
forms of government
eventually become oligarchies
(ex. USA)
One-Party State - A type of system where only Accepted: - Italy A one-party state is
one party forms the - Rule of law trying to pick a red
government and no other marble out of a bag
parties are permitted to run Rejected: of blue.
candidates for election - Individual
- Some appearances of rights and
democracy exist, but the freedoms
absence of choice and the - Competition
barriers against change - Self-interest
eliminate the liberal and
democratic principle of the will
of the people
- They are often communist
states
- Others say it simply does not
represent the will of the
people
- In some states, people may
choose from a number of
candidates, though all
candidates represent the same
party
- Emphasize unity, strength,
community through a single
organization (party), rather
than the divisiveness and
conflict of multi-party
democracy
- With no dissenting voice
(opposing parties) it is easier
to ignore previously
established laws or
constitutions
- Often described as a republic
of the people’s will (people’s
republic, socialist republic,
democratic republic)
Military - A form of government in Accepted: - Latin America Military
Dictatorships which political power resides - Rule of law - Africa dictatorship is the
- Middle East live version of the

8. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
with the military leadership Rejected: Saw movies. A man
- Some justify military - Individual with the ability to
dictatorships by saying they rights and take away your life
are bringing political stability freedoms right before your
to their countries or of - Self-interest eyes, but makes
rescuing them from you participate in
“dangerous ideologies” his sick, twisted
- Military regimes tend to game, which is
portray themselves as neutral your only way to
survive.
third parties who can provide
interim leadership during
times of turmoil
- Will of the people is ignored
or undermined short term, but
apparently is better in the long
run
- Tend to be unwilling to give
up power unless forced to do
so
- Military leadership holds
political power
- May be official (military
declares their intent to
govern) or unofficial (military
exerts influence privately)
- Generally established
through coup d’état
- Often justified as an attempt
to stabilize national politics or
rescue the nation from
dangerous ideologies
- Musharraf claimed the
elected president was
undermining Pakistan’s
constitution
- Pinochet took over Chile in
order to prevent the elected
president from creating an
authoritarian socialist
government
- Military dictatorships are
rarely considered legitimate by
the international community
and have become increasingly
rare in the last 20 years

9. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
In General
Democracy Similarities Authoritarianism
- Tests human’s ability to make - Both have intentions - Generally labeled as unconcerned with
wise judgments in matters of paying attention and the will of the people, but that is not
concerning themselves or others responding to the will necessarily true
- Ordinary individual citizens are of the people, but go - They attempt to discern and respond to
the ones who shape how the about in different ways the will of the people
government works - Both have a leader - Claim order and security are more
- Ideally, the governing system is over the government, important than freedom
designed with the individual whether it be a prime - Father figure will make the decisions
citizen’s participation and minister, a president, in the interests of the people
or a monarch - They have a detailed vision of a
inviolability in mind
- Both make use of the wonderful future, but their vision
- Individual equality and worth,
practice of propaganda requires sacrifice and hardship and
the rule of law, private property,
to spread word and must therefore ignore the immediate
and ruling through the consent boost their popularity
of the governed will of the people
- Elections are the essence of - Authoritarianism describes a form of
democracy; open, free and fair government that vests authority in an
- “As citizens of this democracy, elite group that may or may not rule in
you are the rulers and the ruled, the interests of the people
the lawgivers and the law- - Many authoritarian governments
abiding, the beginning and the believe they are serving the best
end.” – Adlai Stevenson interests of the country
- In democracy, power is - Some scholars believe
ultimately vested in the people authoritarianism is an expression of
collectivism, in opposition to
individualism
- Places governing authority with an
elite that may or may not govern in the
interests of the people
- Vision: defined by leader as a national
objective (security, prosperity, etc.)
- Propaganda: population is controlled
by controlling the information they
receive
- Controlled Participation: people
believe they are contributing
(attending rallies, spying on subversive
citizens) and work to support
government activities or stop anti-
government efforts
- Directing Public Discontent: people

10. Samantha Lesyk Humanities 30-1
May 6, 2012
are provided with a common enemy
(scapegoat) upon which they can focus
their frustration or anger
- Terror: may be quick, brutal, and
violent (dissidents disappear)