Political Regimes

Ing. Mansoor Maitah Ph.D. et Ph.D.

Types of Regimes

There are five major types of regimes:

• Oligarchy

• Monarchy

• Dictatorship

• Autocracy

• Theocracy

• Democracy

Oligarchy

An oligarchy is a form of government that is run by an

elite group of people. A government in which a few

people such as a dominant clan or clique have

power.

Monarchy

A monarchy has a king, queen, emperor or empress.

The ruling position can be passed on to the ruler’s

heirs. In some traditional monarchies, the monarch

has absolute power. But a constitutional monarchy,

like the UK, also has a democratic government that

limits the monarch's control.• A monarchy is a political system in which a royal family (king/queen) is in

charge.

• A constitutional monarchy is a blend of a monarchy and a democracy. The

king/queen is a figurehead - without political power.

Dictatorship

A country ruled by a single leader. The leader has not

been elected and may use force to keep control. In a

military dictatorship, the army is in control.

Autocracy

Government by a single person having unlimited

power; despotism (domination through threat of

punishment and violence) .

Totalitarian

This is a country with only one political party. People

are forced to do what the government tells them and

may also be prevented from leaving the country.

Past Totalitarian Dictatorships

ADOLPH HITLER BENITO MUSSOLINI JOSEPH STALIN

Germany Italy USSR

Recent Totalitarian Dictatorships

Fidel Castro Hugo Chavez Kim Čong-un

Cuba Venezuela North Korea

Theocracy

• A theocracy is a political system governed by

representatives of a certain religion.

Anarchy

Anarchy is a situation where there is no government.

This can happen after a civil war in a country, when a

government has been destroyed and rival groups are

fighting to take its place. Anarchists are people who

believe that government is a bad thing in that it stops

people organizing their own lives.

Capitalist

In a capitalist or free-market country, people can own

their own businesses and property. People can also

buy services for private use, such as healthcare. But

most capitalist governments also provide their own

education, health and welfare services.

Communist

In a communist country, the government owns

property such as businesses and farms. It provides its

people's healthcare, education and welfare.

The Theory of Democratic Government

• Theories of a democratic government include

consideration of:

• Autocracy: power to govern is concentrated in the

hands of one individual.

• Oligarchy: power is concentrated in the hands of a

few people.

• Democracy: in theory, the people rule, either

directly or indirectly.

Republic

A republic is a country that has no monarch. The head

of the country is usually an elected president.

Revolutionary

If a government is overthrown by force, the new ruling

group is sometimes called a revolutionary government.

Democratization

• Democratization is a process of transition as a country

attempts to move from an authoritarian form of

government to a democratic one.

Democracy

• Democracy is a system of government in which the people

either govern themselves directly, or elect their public

officials through free elections.

• The Czech Republic has a democratic form of government in which the people elect members to Parliament to govern the country; therefore, it is known as a parliamentary democracy.

• In a parliamentary democracy, the political party which is in the majority elects the country’s prime minister (leader).

The Theory of Democratic Government

• The decision of a group must reflect the preference of

more than half of those participating; a simple majority,

known as majority rule.

• Simple majority - A number of votes totalling over 50

per cent, such as the total number of votes or seats

The Theory of Democratic Government

• A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement

for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support

which exceeds a simple majority in order to have effect. for

example, parliamentary procedure requires that any action

that may alter the rights of the minority has a supermajority

requirement (such as a two-thirds majority).

Democracy – Basic Elements

• Democracy

– Democratic systems involve wide participation by citizens in the

decision-making process

– In representative democracy, majority rule is achieved through periodic

elections

– Factors for evaluating freedom are

• Political rights

• Civil liberties

– Political rights include

• Fair and competitive elections

• Power for elected representatives

• Ability to organize

• Safeguards on rights of minorities

Democracy – Basic Elements

• People of the country rule through any form of government they choose to establish

• Free elections so citizens can choose their leaders and express their opinions - government can be defeated

• Majority rule because all citizens are equal

• Minority rights guarantee that the government can’t take away freedoms of smaller groups or individuals

• Political parties give voters a choice

• Controls on power prevent any branch or person from becoming too powerful

• Based on laws and usually has a written constitution

• Has a separate judicial system to protect the laws and the rights of the people

• Private organizations carry on many social and economic functions

• Citizen participation is considered a responsibility

Democracy – Basic Elements

• Stamping out corruption

• Free and active media

• Media freedom

• Media pluralism/independence

What is Democracy?

• Regular, contested elections

• Alternation of Governments

• Rule of Law

• freedoms: speech, association press, etc.

• Pluralism /civil society

• Privacy

• Separation of powers/checks and balances

• some systems are obviously democracies

• some systems are obviously non-democratic

• some systems are in between

Variables

• Electoral system and party system

• monarchy or republic

• Uni - or bi-cameral

• fusion of executive and legislature

• separation of powers

• President and prime minister

• ministers in or out of Assembly

Democracy

• Presidential or parliamentary?

• British model?

• US model?

• French model?

• Direct or indirect election?

• How much power?

• Relationship with Prime Minister

Parliament

Parliament = expression of the will of the people and public interest”– Makes laws

– Balances power of the executive

– Speaks on behalf of the people

Bicameralism

• Bicameralism: The fragmentation of legislative power, established

through the existence of two (co-equal) chambers in the assembly, a

device of limited government.

The Theory of Democratic Government

• Societies can meet these principles with a direct or

participatory democracy, which is a system of

government where citizens rule themselves rather than

electing representatives to govern on their behalf.

The Theory of Democratic Government

• Representative democracy is a system of government

where citizens elect public officials - representatives to

govern on their behalf.

The Theory of Democratic Government

• Universal participation: everyone in a democratic

society should participate in governmental decision-

making.

• The principle of political equality establishes an

equality in political decision-making providing for one

vote per person, with all votes counted equally.

The Merits of Direct Democracy

• It heightens the control that citizens can exercise over

their destinies, and is the only pure form of democracy.

• It creates a better-informed and more politically

sophisticated citizenery, and thus it has educational

benefits.

• It enables the public to express their own view and

interests without having to rely on self-serving politicians.

• It ensures that rule is legitimate in the sense that people

are more likely to accept decisions that they made

themselves.

The Strengths of Representative Democracy

• It offers a practicable form of democracy (direct popular

participation is acheivable only in small communities).

• It relieves ordinary citizens of the burden of decision-

making, thus making possible a division of labour in

politics.

• It allows government to be placed in the hands of those

with better education, expert knowledge and greater

experience.

• It maintains stability by distancing ordinary citizens from

politics,thereby encouraging them to accept

compromise.

Parliamnetary Democracy

• Parliamentary deomcracy is a form of democratic rule that

operates through a popularly elected deliberative assembly ,

which establishes an indirect link between the government

and the governed. Democracy in this sense, essentially

means responsible and representative government.

Parliamentary democracy thus balances popular participation

against elite rule: governmnet is accountable not directly to

the public but to the public´s elected representatives.

Pluralism

• The term pluralism is used in two senses, one broad the

other narrow. In its broader sense, pluralism is a belief

in, or a commitment to, diversity or multiplicity (the

existence of many things). More narrowly, pluralism is a

theory of the distribution of political power. It holds that

power is widely and evenly dispersed in society rather

than concentrated in the hands of an elite or a ruling

class. In this form, pluralism is usually seen as a theory

of „group politics“ in which individuals are represented

largely through their membership of organized group,

and all such groups have access to the policy process.

Liberalism

• Liberalism (from the Latin liberalis, "of freedom" is the

belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights.

• Most liberals support such fundamental ideas as liberal

democracy, free and fair elections, written constitutions,

human rights, free trade, and a secular society.

Elements of Liberalism

• Individualism: It reflects a belief in the supreme

importance of the human individual as opposed to any

social group or collective body. Human beings are seen,

first and foremost, as individuals. This implies that tehy

are of equal moral worth and that they possess separate

and unique identities.

• Freedom: Individual freedom, or liberty (the two terms

are inter-changeable) is the core value of liberalism, it is

given priority over, say, equality, justice, or authority.

Elements of Liberalism

• Reason: Liberals believe that the world has a rational

structure, and that this can be uncovered through the

exercise of human reason and by critical enquiry. Issues

must be resolved through debates and arguments rather

than bloodshed and war.

• Equality: Individualism implies a belief in foundational

equality: that is, the belief that individuals are „born

equal“, at least in terms of moral worth.

Elements of Liberalism

• Toleration: Liberals believe that toleration (that is ,

forbearance: the willingness of people to allow others to

think, speak and act in ways they disapprove) is both a

guarantee of individual liberty and a means of social

enrichment.

• Consent: In liberal view, authority and social

relationships should always be based on consent or

willing agreement.

Elements of Liberalism

• Constitutionalism: Although liberals see government

as a vital guarantee of order and stability in society, they

are constantly aware of the danger that government

may be become a tyranny against the individual. They

therefore believe in limited government. This goal can

be attained through the fragmentation of government

power…….

Democracy in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a representative democracy and is

composed of THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

The Constitution creates a government of three equal branches,

or parts.

The Constitution is the plan and set of rules for our government.

The three branches are: LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, JUDICIAL

The division of power

Executive

Legislative Judicial

The division of power

Society gives feedback

Decision makersInput Output

Feedback

• Illustrates how different segments of society influence a government

to make decisions

• Society gives feedback on the government’s decision, which

becomes input for the next decision

Citizens, Society, and the State

Cultural

Geographic

Historic

Ethnic

Economic

Racial

• Consider politically

relevant cleavages and

their effect on the state

• The media and

advocacy groups also

influence state

operations

Politically relevant cleavages

Models of Democracy

Opportunities for

Mass Participation

Direct

Democracy

Participatory

Democracy

Representative

Democracy

HIGHLOW

DemocracyIndividual

Rights/Limited

Gov’t

General

Welfare

High Mass

Participation

Majoritarian

DemocracyElite

Democracy

Liberal

Democracy

Models of Democracy

Low Mass

Participation

Models of Democracy

• Majoritarian democracy

• most important goal is maximizing mass

participation

• high mass participation will result in decisions being

made that maximize the general welfare

Models of democracy

• Elite democracy

• most important goal is the general welfare

• requires an elite capable of pursuing the long-term

interests of society

Models of democracy

• Liberal democracy

• most important goal is protecting individual rights

• does not prefer low mass participation but may be

willing to accept it

Liberal Democracy

• Liberal democracy is an indirect and representative form of

democracy in that political office is gained through success in

regular elections that are conducted on the basis of formal

political equality.

• Liberal democracy is based on competition and electoral choice.

These are achieved through political pluralism, tolerance of a

wide range of contending beliefs, and the existence of

conflicting social philosophies and rival political movements and

parties.

• In liberal democracy, there is a clear distinction between the

state and civil society. This distinction is maintained through the

existence of autonomous groups and interests, and the market

or capitalist organization of economic life.

Models of democracy

Majoritarian democratic critiques of other models

Elite democracy – there is no such thing as an elite

that is not self-interested and will look after the good

of the general masses

Liberal democracy – emphasis on individual rights is

used to limit government in order to protect small,

priveleged groups

Models of democracy

• Elite democratic critiques of other models

• Liberal democracy – undue focus on individual

rights limits government’s ability to pursue the

general welfare of the community

• Majoritarian democracy – masses are too

uninterested, incompetent or, at worst, dangerous

to be given control over decision-making

Models of democracy

• Majoritarian democratic critiques of other models

• Elite democracy – there is no such thing as an elite

that is not self-interested and will look after the good

of the general masses

• Liberal democracy – emphasis on individual rights

is used to limit government in order to protect small,

privileged groups

Models of democracy

• Liberal democratic critiques of other models

• Elite democracy – if unchecked, elites will use

power to infringe the rights of individuals

• Majoritarian democracy – if unchecked, majority

will infringe the rights of minorities (tyranny of the

majority)

Models of democracy

• Elite democrats

– the masses will always be incapable of making

decisions for the long-term common good

• Liberal democrats

– elites and the majorities will always be prone to

infringing individual rights if given the chance

• Majoritarian democrats

– elites will always be self-serving

– masses can learn over time to become better

democratic citizens if given a meaningful opportunity

to do so

Models of democracy

• there is no “right” model

• the best model of democracy is contestable

• there is no one, single, accepted model of

democracy

• within a range of basic elements (consent of

the governed, protection of individual rights),

democracy means different things to different

people

Doc. Ing. Mansoor Maitah Ph.D. et Ph.D.

Parliamentary and Presidential Systems

Parliamentary system

Parliamentary systems are characterized by no clear (cut) separation of powers

between the executive and legislative branches, leading to a different set of

checks and balances compared to those found in presidential systems.

Parliamentary systems usually have a clear differentiation between the head of

government and the head of state, with the head of government being the prime

minister or premier, and the head of state often being a figurehead, often either

a president (elected either popularly or by the parliament) or a hereditary

monarch (often in a constitutional monarchy).

Parliamentary system

• Parliamentary systems, unlike presidential systems, are typified by

a fusion of powers between the legislative and executive branches.

• The Prime Minister is the chief executive

– The Prime Minster may be elected to the legislature in the same

way that all other members are elected.

– The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that wins the

majority of votes to the legislature (either de facto, or in some

cases through an election held by the legislature).

– The Prime Minister appoints Cabinet Ministers.

Parliamentary system

• However, unlike in the presidential systems, these members are

typically themselves legislative members from the ruling party or

ruling coalition.

• Thus, in a parliamentary system, the constituency of the executive

and legislature are the same.

• If the ruling party is voted out of the legislature, the executive also

changes.

• Continued cooperation between the executive and legislature is

required for the government to survive and to be effective in

carrying out its programs.

• The UK represents the strongest form of parliamentarism

(sometimes referred to as the Westminister system).

Parliamentary Systems

• Cabinet only serves as long as there is parliamentary confidence.

A “Vote of Confidence” can be called at any time, and a majority

vote can unseat the existing cabinet (“government falling”) and

call for a new one to be formed.

• But the cabinet can also hold the parliament in check. The leader

of the cabinet (Prime minister, premiere, etc.) can disband a

parliament and call for new elections.

Parliamentary Systems

• Advantages:

– Always unified government

– Greater party discipline

– No veto power

– Clear lines of responsibility – voters know who to blame/reward

• Disadvantages:

– Minority rights get washed away

– What if there‟s no clear majority? Then coalition governments

must be formed between the main parties, and cabinet

positions are divvied up accordingly.

Presidential system

A presidential system is a system of government where an executive

branch exists and governs separately from the legislature, to which

it is not accountable and which cannot, in normal circumstances,

dismiss.

Presidential System

• In a presidential system, the President is the big „guy“.

– The President, who is the chief executive as well as the symbolic head

of government, is chosen by a separate election from that of the

legislature.

– The President then appoints his or her cabinet of ministers (or

"secretaries" in US parlance).

• Ministers/Secretaries usually are not simultaneously members of the

legislature, although their appointment may require the advice and consent

of the legislative branch.

– Because the senior officials of the executive branch are separately

elected or appointed, the presidential political system is characterized

by a separation of powers, wherein the executive and legislative

branches are independent of one another.

Presidential System

• Presidents have great control over their cabinet appointees who

serve at the President‟s pleasure, and who are usually selected for

reasons other than the extent of their parliamentary support (as in

parliamentary systems).

– In general, the Prime Minister is more constrained to represent

his/her parliamentary party in the Cabinet.

• The U.S. represents the strongest form of presidentialism, in the

sense that the powers of the executive and legislative branches are

separate, and legislatures (national and state) often have significant

powers.

Presidential versus Parliamentary

• The key distinction is the Separation of Powers

– Separation of Powers Doctrine and Checks and Balances…

• In parliamentary systems, the chief executive‟s term of office is

directly linked with that of the legislature, while in presidential

systems the terms are not linked.

• Furthemore – and related to the first point, above– there are

differences in party systems/structures/politics/elections.

Differences

• Separation of powers: in a presidential system presidents and

members of the legislature are separately elected for a given length

of time.

– Presidents have no authority to remove members of the

legislature.

– Premature removal of either legislative members or the

President can only be initiated by a vote in the lower legislative

chamber and under particular conditions.

– Thus, under normal circumstances, even if the political party

that the President represents becomes a minority in either or

both houses of the legislature, the President will remain in his

position for the full term for which he was elected.

Differences

• In a parliamentary system, the Prime Minister can be removed from

office in two ways.

– The first is through a „no-confidence‟ motion, which is typically

filed by the opposition or a coalition of opposition parties.

• The no confidence motion calls for a vote in the legislature to

demonstrate that the legislature no longer has confidence in

the Prime Minister and his cabinet of Ministers.

• If the vote passes by a majority, the Executive, including the

Prime Minister, is forced to step down. Since the Prime

Minister and his cabinet of ministers are members of the

legislature, this brings about new legislative elections. The

term of the Prime Minister, therefore, is generally linked to

that of the rest of the legislature.

Differences

• However, the Prime Minister can be removed by his/her own party

members, in a setting outside of the legislature.

– For example, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was removed by

party vote and replaced by John Major during the Conservative

Party caucus.

– Such a removal, whereby the party decides to change its leader,

does not force legislative elections.

The semi-presidential system

The semi-presidential system, also known as the presidential-

parliamentary system, or premier-presidential system, is a

system of government in which a president and a prime minister

are both active participants in the day-to-day administration of

the state. It differs from a parliamentary republic in that it has a

popularly elected head of state who is more than a purely

ceremonial figurehead. It differs from the presidential system in

that the cabinet, although named by the president, is

responsible to the legislature, which may force the cabinet to

resign through a motion of no confidence.

The semi-presidential system

• The term hybrid generally refers to a system with a separately

elected President who shares executive power with the Prime

Minister.

– The President usually has the constitutional power to select the

Prime Minister.

– If the constitution and/or political circumstances tend to place

the emphasis on the powers of the President, it is sometimes

termed a semi-presidential system.

– If, on the other hand, the Prime Minister and the legislative

leaders enjoy more power than the President does, it may be

referred to as a semi-parliamentary system.

The semi-presidential system

• For political reasons, Presidents generally appoint leaders of the

ruling coalition to the post of Prime Minister, although they are not

required to do so constitutionally.

• The Prime Minister may or may not be a member of the President‟s

political party, depending upon what party or coalition of parties

maintains the majority in the legislature.

The semi-presidential system

• The French system is the hybrid model most often cited as a semi-

presidential system.

•In the French system, the President has broad powers.

– For example, the President nominates the Prime Minister and

selects his own cabinet, over which he presides. The President,

his cabinet and attending bureaucracy initiate and draft most

legislation.

•The French President, like some others in hybrid systems, has some

areas where his power is well defined, such as in the conduct of

foreign affairs.

•The day to day running of the government is, however, left to the

Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The semi-presidential system

• Unlike in a parliamentary system, the legislature in France cannot

force the resignation of the President.

• Rather, the President may dissolve the parliament‟s Lower House,

the National Assembly (but not the upper house, Senate).

• Further, the President appoints, and can remove the Prime Minister,

who is effectively the head of the cabinet and legislature.

• Similar to the parliamentary model, the National Assembly can also

force the government (the Prime Minister and legislative leaders) to

resign by passing a motion of confidence.

The semi-presidential system

• Thus, in the French model, while the Prime Minister is vulnerable to

removal from both the legislature and the President, the President

cannot be removed prior to the end of his/her electoral term.

•Advantages of stronger party discipline in parliamentary systems:

– Parties and stable party coalitions within parliament can be held

accountable to the public based on their promotion of the party

platform.

– The chief executive can be made accountable to her/his party

and the parliament as a whole by a vote of no confidence at any

time.

– Highly organized parties can act as a link between party leaders

and constituents at local levels.

US Presidential UK – Westminster parliamentary French Hybrid

Who makes

up the

Executive

Branch?

Separately Elected President, Cabinet

nominated by the President and

confirmed by the legislature

(Cabinet members cannot

simultaneously be members of

legislature, and vice-versa)

Prime Minister; PM and Cabinet

elected by the majority party in the

legislature The Cabinet, or Ministers, are

members of the legislature. A

Hereditary Monarch is head of state (mostly ceremonial).

Separately elected President with

strong powers chooses a Cabinet and

Prime Minister who presides over the

legislature. (The President presides

over the Cabinet, who cannot be

members of the legislature.)

Can the

legislature

remove the

executive, and

vice-versa?

Legislature cannot remove the

President, except under extreme

conditions, and the president cannot

dissolve the legislature.

The legislature dissolves the chief

executive and cabinet through a vote of

no confidence, forcing new parliamentary

elections.

The legislature cannot remove the

President, but can dissolve parliament,

removing the Prime Minister and

cabinet. The President can dissolve the

lower house.

Bodies

involved in the

legislative

process?

Upper House: Senate

Lower House: House

Govt. cabinet departments assist in

drafting bills, but most originate via

committees in legislature; President can

veto legislation, which can be

overridden by 2/3 vote of both houses.

Upper: House of

Lords

Lower: House of

Commons

The government (Prime Minister, cabinet

and bureaucracy) Occasionally bills

referred to select committees for

consultation.

Upper: Senate

Lower: National

Assembly

President; Prime Minister and cabinet

appointed by PM who sits in the

legislature (can be MPs).

Who Initiates

Legislation?

Both Houses

Executive can draft legislation but a member must introduce it.

Executive and Both Houses, but MPs

can’t introduce bills that affect govt.

spending or taxation. Can only amend on

technical grounds. Executive-initiated

bills take precedence over member bills.

Executive and both Houses, Appointed

bodies, such as the Economic and

Social commission make

recommendations on drafting

legislation. MPs cannot introduce any

bill that raises or reduces expenditures.

Executive-initiated bills take

precedence over member bills.

Thank You for your Attention