Module: Basic terms and conceptual delimitations on European and national democratic governance...

DEMOcratic governance and Social responsibility for a better and secure EUROPE [DEMOS EUROPE]

Module: Basic terms and conceptual delimitations on European and national democratic governance (part 1)

Lecturer: Rafal Czachor (Lower Silesian University of Entrepreneurship and Technology, Poland)


Theoretical part:-changing role of the state-contemporary democracy and its ancient roots-what is a liberal democracy and how does it work-the idea of governance -the EU institutions: facing new challengesPractical part (tasks for students):-group work & brainstorming


STATE-one of basic form of social organization: most people are citizens of some stateall of us are living on the territory that belongs to some state

-state has changed during ages: it has developed its institutions but fundamental characteristics and functions are essentially the same.


STATEmain characteristics of the state:-clearly defined territory;-effective government;-populationsubsidiary chracteristics:-international recognition;-perpetual succession of rulers;-universality of rules;-the right to use force and coercion against members


STATEFunctions of the state, spheres of state’s activity-legislature (producing law)-administrative (executing law)-providing public goods and services-developing business strength-developing culture, education-order (control over society)


STATEMain features of the state are shaped by:-historical experience-tradition and local culture-efficiency of the political system

The state and its all characteristics are a result of social activity – it depends on the

society, how does the state work

Social system

Political system


STATES BY HUMAN1.Norway 0.9552.Australia 0.9383.United States 0.9374.Netherlands 0.921 5.Germany 0.9206.New Zealand 0.919 7.Ireland 0.9168.Sweden 0.9169.Switzerland 0.913 DEVELOPMENT INDEX

186. Niger 0.304186. DR of the Congo 0.304185. Mocambique 0.327184. Chad 0.304183. Burkina Faso 0.343182. Mali 0.344181. Eritrea 0.351180.Central African Rep 0.352179. Guinea 0.355


DEMOcratic governance and Social responsibility for a better and secure EUROPE [DEMOS EUROPE]DEMOCRACY1990’s: belief that democracy is winning (Samuel Huntington’s Third wave of democratization)

2000’s: failure of full democratization in various parts of the world leads to conclusion that establishing new political system depends on many factors:-historical experience of democracy-tradition and local political culture-efficiency of the former political system

DEMOcratic governance and Social responsibility for a better and secure EUROPE [DEMOS EUROPE]DEMOCRACYOnly 11% of World’s population live in full democraciesMore than 50% of World’s population live in hybrid and authoritarian regimes

Full democracies Flawed democracies Hybrid regimes Authoritarian regimes


DEMOCRACYFull democracyFlawed democracyDemocracies with adjectives (sovereign democracy, managed democracy)Gray zone of democracyHybrid regime (combines elements of democracy and non-democratic regimes)

Where to seek the patterns of democracy?


DEMOCRACYOrigins of the term:Δῆμος (people) + κράτος (power) = δημοκρατία (rule of the people)Ancient Greece: city-states-small territory, small population size-limited citizenship-slavery-direct form of participation


DEMOCRACYNowadays:-mechanism of political choice-balanced power structure (separations of powers: legislature, executive, judicary)-a stable political system

Liberal democracy – what does it mean?


DEMOCRACYThe success of the Western model of political system is bound up with:-freedom of political choice-freedom of economical choice

There is a close tie between conditions of economic activity and political freedom

The linearity theory: economic development leads to urbanization which leads to communication which leads to high levels of education and in turn leads to democracy.


DEMOCRACYBertelsmann Index of Transformation



DEMOCRACYLiberal democracy – consequences:

-limited sovereignty of the state’s institutions-international dependence-vulnerability to the influence of corporations and big companies

DEMOcratic governance and Social responsibility for a better and secure EUROPE [DEMOS EUROPE]DEMOCRACYThe World’s Biggest Companies by Assets (Forbes, May 2013)1. Fannie Mae 3226 B USD2. ICBC 2813 B USD3. HSBC Holdings 2684 B USDCountries by GDP - purchasing power parity (CIA, 2012)1. USA 15660 B USD2. EU 15630 B USD7. Brazil 2362 B USD79. Croatia 79 B USD

DEMOcratic governance and Social responsibility for a better and secure EUROPE [DEMOS EUROPE]GOVERNANCEGovernance as well as government date back to 14th-15th century and are derrived from French

Meanings of government and governance were very close:-government meant state bodies-govenance meant the process of governing

The oil crisis and ‘the third wave of democratization’ changed the usage of this term.


GOVERNANCENowadays, governance means the process and manner of governing based on mutual partnerships intended to archieve political order

Governance is more effective and more democratic: the asymmetrical top-down model of government was shifted by horizontal interactions and networking.


GOVERNANCE

DEMOcratic governance and Social responsibility for a better and secure EUROPE [DEMOS EUROPE]GOVERNANCE-the outputs of government and govenance are the same -the discussion on govenance does not bring new issues but shows the new approach:•governance refers to state institutions and non-government participants (local self-government, industry, NGO’s)•governance means democratic engagement of the society – administration is engaging civic society and sharing responsibility•non-government participants beeing significant political actors are obliged to cooperate, act collective

DEMOcratic governance and Social responsibility for a better and secure EUROPE [DEMOS EUROPE]GOVERNANCE•governance leads to autonomous self-governing networks of actors: they are controlling each other more effective than government-imposed regulations•the activity of administration should be more effecitve and under society’s control

Conception of good governance by the World Bank: ‘good governance’ agenda is concerned with the relationship between the state, the market, and civil society. The Bank argues that in order to be effective, the state have to play a critical role in managing and regulating the market and civil society.


GOVERNANCEgood governance’ is a‘the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development’

-institutional reforms-market support institutions-anticorruption measures-decentralization

DEMOcratic governance and Social responsibility for a better and secure EUROPE [DEMOS EUROPE]EU INSTITUTIONSAfter WWII western European countries were playing minor role in the international relationsThanks to overcoming politcal conflicts and starting close economic cooperation, Europe (the EU) returned into world politics as a strong actor

Contemporary EU is an survivor of former integration structures known as European Communities: European Coal and Steel Community, European Economic Community and European Atomic Energy Community.


EU INSTITUTIONS

Source: commons.wikimedia.org


EU INSTITUTIONSSince 80’s there were many factors that made functional integration progessive:-rapid economic growth in Western Europe;-the spillover effect: integration in economy encouraged similar processes in political sector-enmeshing of the activities of variuosu institutions in participating states-development of common institutions


Source: commons.wikimedia.org


EU INSTITUTIONSInstitutions


EU INSTITUTIONSProblems of the EU institutions-EU bureaucracy is overdeveloped-competencies of the EU and member states are overlapping-European identity is still weak (especially in crisis times)

As a result: EU is getting stuck in crisis


EU INSTITUTIONS

Source: www.datamarket.com


EU INSTITUTIONSHow to reform the EU institutions?

Source: www.warszawa.naszemiasto.pl








DEBATING ISSUES:

-does the liberal democracy meet expectations of ordinary people?-what is the role of the Internet in democracy?- what are the examples of governanace at local level?


GROUP ACTIVITIES:

-what is the influence of globalization on national states?

-will ‘the end of history’ really happen? What are prospects for democracy in next 20-30 years?

Date post:	23-Dec-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	edwina-tate
View:	215 times
Download:	0 times

Module: Basic terms and conceptual delimitations on European and national democratic governance...

Documents