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===Localized early democratic institutions and medieval European developments=== | ===Localized early democratic institutions and medieval European developments=== | ||
Almost all cultures have at some time had their new leaders approved, or at least accepted, by the people; and have changed the laws only after consultation with the assembly of the people or their leaders. Such institutions existed since before the ] or the ], and modern democracies are often derived or inspired by them, or what remained of them. | Almost all cultures have at some time had their new leaders approved, or at least accepted, by the people; and have changed the laws only after consultation with the assembly of the people or their leaders. Such institutions existed since before the ] or the ], and modern democracies are often derived or inspired by them, or what remained of them. However, the direct result was as likely to be a narrow ], as at Venice, or even an absolute ], as in ], as a democracy. | ||
These early institutions include: | These early institutions include: | ||
*], an ]ic parliament founded in ] and open to all free men was the first example of real democracy since ancient Greece | |||
*The ]a system in ]. | |||
*Government of ]. All men who owned land, all professionals, and all craftsmen, were entitled to become members of an assembly, known ]. Each tuath's members formed an annual assembly which decided all common policies, declared war or peace on other tuatha, and elected or deposed their 'kings'. The tuath was thus a body of persons voluntarily united for socially beneficial purposes and the sum total of the landed properties of its members constituted its territorial dimension. About 80 to 100 tuatha coexisted at any time throughout Ireland.{{inote|see Murray N. Rothbard, For a New Liberty, Chapter 12|For a New Liberty}} | |||
*The republics of medieval Italy, of which ] and ] were the most successful. | *The republics of medieval Italy, of which ] and ] were the most successful. | ||
*Similar ]s in ], ] and the ]. | |||
*Democratization tendencies in the cities (]s and such) and ]s like ] | |||
*Rise of ] in the ] and ]: ] of ], ] and ] (1573). See also: ], ], ] | *Rise of ] in the ] and ]: ] of ], ] and ] (1573). See also: ], ], ] | ||
*Rise of ] in the ]: ] (]), ] (]-]), ] (]). See also: other documents listed at the ], ] | *Rise of ] in the ]: ] (]), ] (]-]), ] (]). See also: other documents listed at the ], ] |
Revision as of 21:36, 1 June 2005
Origins
Ancient Greece
Main article: History of AthensThe word 'democracy' was invented in Athens, to describe the revolutionary system of government used. Athenian democracy provides an example of the first democracy, and one of the most important in ancient times.
By virtue of the fact that democracy has evolved over time (and is still continuing to in some respects), there are a few key differences between Athenian democracy and democracies which exist today.
First, Athenian democracy's principle was selection by lot. The assembly of all male citizens in Athens voted on decisions directly (compare direct democracy). Elected officials did not determine decisions—the ancients did not consider such a system a democracy but an oligarchy. Democracy had (and for some people still has) the meaning of equality in decisions and of elections in decisions, not the election of persons charged to decide (see representative democracy).
One of the reasons why this system was feasible is because of the relatively small population of Athens—only 300,000 people. Additionally, there were severe restrictions that dictated who had the right to vote, which excluded over half of the total population. Voting rights were limited strictly to male adult citizens of Athens. Therefore, women, children, slaves, foreigners, resident aliens—groups that together made up a majority of the city's population—had no voting rights at all. On the other hand, modern democracy has its own limitations in comparison to the ancient model, as the right of voting is usually limited to once every several years, and voters merely get to choose their representatives in the legislative or executive branches (with the exception of occasional referendums).
After the fall of Athens, the Periclean democracy was restored in less than a year. However, even though Athens had previously encouraged democracy in her allies and dependent states; she was no longer in a position to do so. Democracy declined.
In comparison, although the Roman republic elected its leaders, and passed its laws by popular assemblies, the system had been effectively gerrymandered in the interest of the rich and well-born. The Romans favored similar systems in the states they controlled.
Localized early democratic institutions and medieval European developments
Almost all cultures have at some time had their new leaders approved, or at least accepted, by the people; and have changed the laws only after consultation with the assembly of the people or their leaders. Such institutions existed since before the Iliad or the Odyssey, and modern democracies are often derived or inspired by them, or what remained of them. However, the direct result was as likely to be a narrow oligarchy, as at Venice, or even an absolute monarchy, as in Florence, as a democracy.
These early institutions include:
- The tuatha system in early medieval Ireland.
- The republics of medieval Italy, of which Venice and Florence were the most successful.
- Similar city-states in Switzerland, Flanders and the Hanseatic league.
- Rise of nobles' democracy in the Kingdom of Poland and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Nihil novi of 1505, Pacta conventa and King Henry's Articles (1573). See also: Szlachta history and political privileges, Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Organisation and politics of the Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth
- Rise of parliament in the United Kingdom: Magna Carta (1215), English Civil War (1642-1651), Habeas Corpus Act (1679). See also: other documents listed at the Constitution of the United Kingdom, History of the parliament of the United Kingdom
- Rise of parliamentary bodies in other European countries
Eighteenth and nineteenth century milestones
- 1780s: development of social movements identifying themselves with the term 'democracy': Political clashes between 'aristocrats' and 'democrats' in Benelux countries changed the semi-negative meaning of the world 'democracy' in Europe, which was until then regarded as synonymous with anarchy, into a much more positive opposite of 'aristocracy'.
- From late 1780s: Constitutions explicitly describing and limiting the authority of powerholders
- 1789-1799: the French Revolution aftermath
- Introduction of the idea that powerholders are responsible to an electorate—US constitution and later
- Early 19th century: rise of political parties competing for votes
- Introduction of the idea of representation (elected legislators) — evolution from direct democracy towards representative democracy
- Extension of political rights to various social classes: elimination of wealth, property, sex, race and similar requirements for voting
- Introduction of the secret ballot
The secret ballot
The notion of a secret ballot, where one is entitled to the privacy of their votes, is taken for granted by most today by virtue of the fact that it is simply considered the norm. However, this practice was highly controversial in the 19th century.
The two earliest systems used were the Victorian method and the South Australian method. Both were introduced in 1856 to voters in Victoria and South Australia. The Victorian method involved voters crossing out all the candidates whom he did not approve of. The South Australian method, which is more similar to what most democracies use today, had voters put a mark in the preferred candidate's corresponding box. The Victorian voting system also was not completely secret, as it was traceable by a special number.
20th century waves of democracy
- Waves of democracy: rise after First World War, fall after Great Depression and during World War II, rise after WWII, fall after 1973 energy crisis, rise afterwards
- Main competitors: fall of totalitarian regimes (monarchy after 1918, nazism after 1945, communism after 1991)
Contemporary trends
See also
Ideas
Documents
People
- Edmund Burke
- Francis Fukuyama
- Samuel P. Huntington
- John Locke
- Pasquale Paoli
- Amartya Sen
- Alexis de Tocqueville
References
- Markoff, John, Waves of Democracy, 1996, ISBN 0803990197
- Muhlberger, Steve, Phil Paine, Democracy's Place in World History, Journal of World History, 4: 23-45; 1999
- Rothbard, Murray N., For a New Liberty, 1973, online, last acessed on 24 May, 2005
- Vanhanen, Tatu, The Emergence of Democracy: A comparative study of 119 states, 1850-1979 Helsinki, 1984
External links
- World History of Democracy
- Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century
- Waves of democracy often get reversed, Lipset reminds social scientists
- Review of 'Waves of democracy' and 'Development and Social Change'
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