Elements of Liberal Democracy (High Quality Democracy)

ANFC Notes based from www.coursera.org online course on

Democratic Development by Prof. Larry Diamond

of Standford University, U.S.A.

1. Liberty – extensive freedoms of:

• Speech

• Press (print & boradcast)

• Assembly

• Association

• Movement (travel)

• Thought & belief

• Religion & religious practice

• Language, identity, cultural expression

1. Liberty – freedoms from:

• Torture

• Warrantless search & seizure (access to justice/due process)

• Corrupt demands & impositions

• Violence & coercion by state non-state actors

(continued…)

2. Rule of law

• All citizens are equal under the law

• No arbitrary arrest, exile or imprisonment

• No one is above the law

• Government power is limited; no official may violate legal & constitutional limits

• Courts are independent in structure & in fact

protection of citizens’ rights maintenance of order limitation of governmental powers

2. Rule of law

• Right to know the charges against you

• Presumption of innocence

• Right to a fair, speedy & public trial by an impartial court

• No one may be taxed or prosecuted except by a law of prospective application

• No one may be subjected to torture or cruel & inhumane treatment

protection of citizens’ rights maintenance of order limitation of governmental powers (continued…)

3. Horizontal accountability

• Executive power is limited, constrained & scrutinized by an independent legislature, judiciary & other institutions

• Independent institutions to monitor & control corruption & abuse of power – Counter-corruption commission

– Ombudsman (public complaints commission)

– Parliamentary investigative committees

– Supreme audit agency

Power is separated & dispersed among multiple, independent branches & institutions of government (checks & balances)

4. Civilian control of military & police

• Armed forces are directed by & subordinate to civilian elected officials & appointees

• Elected, civilian commander-in-chief • Top military command appointments are made

appointed by civilians • Budgets of armed forces, intelligence & other state

security agencies are reviewed, understood & approved by civilian executive & legislative authorities

• Professional civil capacity in defense ministry, presidential (or prime minister) office & parliament committees to supervise military & security agencies

This ‘state security’ sector must be neutral & non-partisan

4. Civilian control of military & police

• Armed forces & intelligence agencies may not operate domestically except under extraordinary & explicit constitutional circumstance with close civilian supervision

• Armed forces are non-partisan, non-political

• Police are professional, depoliticized & supervised & monitored by democratic, civilian authorities

Note: domestic security – by separate policing functions

external security – armed forces

(continued…)

5. Competitiveness

• At least 2 political parties with significant representation in the legislative body & a meaningful chance to win control of national government

• Low barriers to entry of new political parties

• No gerrymandering of electoral districts (independent non-partisan commission)

• Open, fair access to the mass media for all

5. Competitiveness

• Limited or no use of government resources to re-elect ruling party

• Virtually no vote buying or other electoral fraud

• Balanced access to party & campaign finance

– Public funding of parties & campaigns?

– Public guarantees of TV & radio time?

– Limits on campaign expenditures?

• Overtime electoral alteration (ruling parties lose)

(continued…)

6. Civic pluralism

• Numerous NGOs & interest groups represent a broad range of interests & values in society (raise the quality of public space & political process)

• NGOs & think tanks monitor the political process expose abuses & lobby for political reform

• Alternative sources of information; public has access to many sources of information, independent of government control

• Government ownership & regulation of mass media is very limited (media should be diverse)

7. Vertical accountability: Type I – Electoral accountability

• Party system is sufficiently competitive

• Competition is sufficiently fair

• Voters are sufficiently informed & aware of their interests

N.B. So that elected office holders can be held accountable & removed for bad performance

People hold their agents accountable to them

7. Vertical accountability: Type II – Societal accountability

• Civil society is sufficiently pluralistic, resourceful, independent & professional

• Public is sufficiently vigilant & mobilized

N.B. So that unpopular policies & abuses of power can be challenged & reversed.

8. Participation

• High rates of voter turnout

• Extensive public interest in & awareness of major issues, government conduct & party positions on issues

• High membership rates & active participation in civil society organizations (CSOs)

• Individual & CSOs petition & lobby government

Citizens take an active role in politics & the making of public policies & decisions

9. Equality

• Citizens have relatively equal political resources, at least in education, organizations & citizenship rights (a base)

• Women have substantial representation in cabinet, legislative body & other representative bodies

• Economic inequalities are not so severe that they rob large groups of political voice & power

9. Equality

• Ethnic minorities have representation in the national, provincial and other local legislative bodies, in rough proportion to their shares of the population

• All citizens are treated equally by government agencies & institutions (including the judiciary) regardless of their class, geographic region, religion, ethnicity, party or beliefs

(continued…)

10. Responsiveness

• Government changes its policies in response to clear, consistent & fairly deliberated expressions of majority preference

• There is substantial correlation overtime between government policies & citizen preferences & desires

• Aggrieved groups of citizens are able to win redress of wrongs & abuses committed by government

• Significant manifestations of citizen interest & protest are able to have access to the public agenda & to be heard by legislative & executive bodies

Note: No democracy is perfectly responsive to all interests at the same time. Democracy is about competition of interests & balancing minority & majority interests for inclusion

Government responds to citizen demands & preferences; with some degree of popular sovereignty not only in the choice of leaders but in policies & distribution of benefits & resilient to public sentiments & preferences.

11. Civic culture (i.e. culture as software)

• Tolerant of opposing views & groups • Law-abiding, respectful of the constitution • Peaceful, reject violence • Willing to compromise • Unwilling to coalition with undemocratic, anti-system actors • Believe in the legitimacy of democracy • Loyal to the constitutional system • Know their rights & obligations as citizens • Respect the outcome of elections • Question but respect authority • Condemn acts of intolerance & violations of constitutional

norms

Competing parties & groups are:

12. State effectiveness

• The state has legitimate authority, i.e. It is widely viewed as having the right to: – make & enforce laws

– exercise a monopoly of force

– extract & distribute resources

• The state has administrative capacity: – A professional, meritocratic, honest & politically

neutral bureaucracy

– Able to regulate, tax, maintain order & produce public goods

1. Concept Artist 5. Constructivist

2. Scribe 6. Feminist

3. Envoy 7. Poststructuralist

4. Critic 8. Postcolonialism