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Support-Bargaining

The theory of support-bargaining suggests that the systems of government recognised as 'democratic' are better understood as processes in which support is assembled in groups and organisations through support-bargaining.^[1] In political support-bargaining, parties formulate policies and proposals that will attract support. People give their support to parties in accordance with their acceptance or rejection of the policies and proposals on offer.^[2] An electoral system, understood as an artificial support-bargaining structure, is used to facilitate the emergence of a party with majority support in a legislature.^[3] In contrast with democratic theory, which has difficulty reconciling parties with popular rule, the theory gives a central role to political parties, as the most powerful agents of support-bargaining systems.^[4]

Support-bargaining theory also draws attention to the importance of finance for political parties. The assembly of support across a nation for the same policies involves substantial costs. Democratic theory has no understanding of parties and consequently no understanding of the importance of finance in political processes.^[5]

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Psuedo democracies

The comment "Representative Democracy, Consensus Democracy, and Deliberative Democracy are pseudo-democracies because they do not allow direct citizen participation in the legislative process." is contentious: the term "pseudo-democracy" generally refers to an illiberal democracy or "hybrid regime" where citizens "are cut off from knowledge about the activities of those who exercise real power because of the lack of civil liberties". There is a massive gulf between these and representative Western democracies where, in general, societies are more open and citizens better-informed. 77.101.222.142 (talk) 18:38, 25 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Iroquois

Now I love these guys as much as the next, but this passage doesn't seem relevant. It is part of a list of government types, which my sesame street honed skills tells me it doesn't belong. If there is a specific form of government used exclusively or primarily by Iroquois, then this section does not mention it. mostly it is about a possible connection between the US Constitution and the Iroquois. it should be revised or deleted. 98.206.155.53 (talk) 20:01, 30 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]

"Rule" of "all" the people?

The article opens with the grand statement of "all citizens" being equal, then shortly thereafter tells us "democracy" from the Greek means "rule" of the people. Really? Are both statements in fact accurate? Isn't the Greek closer to "people power" or "empowered people" or "power from the people?" Does democracy automatically confer this empowerment to "all citizens?" Then the alleged scholarly work providing the apparently definitive meaning of the Greek cannot be browsed due to Tufts' IT security provisions. If each statement is in fact accurate, where are the useful references to back them up? I'm not suggesting they are inaccurate (though they might be), but rather pointing out there is no supporting source information for either.

Referenced link: http://web.archive.org/web/20070914202111/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry%3d%2324422

24.214.238.86 (talk) 17:00, 14 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

First sentence

The article is off to a really bad start: "Democracy is a form of government in which all citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives." If the owner of my local shop decided to close it down I would have to walk a long way to get my groceries. That decision would affect my life. I would have no say in that decision, let alone an equal say. "Decisions that affect their lives" is just absurdly broad. It's not even true of political decisions that affect our lives. Governments make all kinds of decisions and laws and citizens don't have any say in except to choose the decision makers.Even in a modern direct democracy model the people aren't consulted on EVERY decision. How about "Democracy is a system of government characterised by some form of participation from the governed populace," and then something about the word meaning rule by the people and we could take it from there? 46.11.39.96 (talk) 23:54, 20 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Elimination of Presidential Democracy

Granted, I'm no Political Science major, but it seems to me that the idea of a Presidential Democracy, and the concept of a a Republic are synonymous. As I've never heard the term Presidential Democracy, nor Semi Presidential Democracy and the idea of a Republic (which is noted under representative democracy, and is probably worth noting somewhere in the the article I think it best if Presidential and Semi Presidential were eliminated.

Sovereignlance (talk) 05:45, 18 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Lack of Consistency with Democracy

The page notes several forms of Democracy, yet almost non of those are noted sub lists of Democracy on the list of Governments bar on the side (linking to the politics portal). To me, it seems that this lack of congruence could be problematic. Sovereignlance (talk) 05:59, 18 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

^ Spread, Patrick (2004). Getting It Right: Economics and the Security of Support, Sussex, Book Guild, pp. 8, 127-9. Spread, Patrick (2008). Support-Bargaining: The Mechanics of Democracy Revealed, Sussex, Book Guild, pp. 2, 39, 50-52, 406-13.
^ Spread (2004), p. 114. Spread (2008), pp. 39-40.
^ Spread, Patrick (1984). A Theory of Support and Money Bargaining, London. Macmillan, pp. 203-09. Spread (2008), pp. 44-49.
^ Spread (1984), pp. 204-05. Spread (2008), pp. 411-12.
^ Spread (2004), pp. 141-3. Spread (2008), pp. 2-3, 66-68.

[1] Spread, Patrick (2004). Getting It Right: Economics and the Security of Support, Sussex, Book Guild, pp. 8, 127-9. Spread, Patrick (2008). Support-Bargaining: The Mechanics of Democracy Revealed, Sussex, Book Guild, pp. 2, 39, 50-52, 406-13.

[2] Spread (2004), p. 114. Spread (2008), pp. 39-40.

[3] Spread, Patrick (1984). A Theory of Support and Money Bargaining, London. Macmillan, pp. 203-09. Spread (2008), pp. 44-49.

[4] Spread (1984), pp. 204-05. Spread (2008), pp. 411-12.

[5] Spread (2004), pp. 141-3. Spread (2008), pp. 2-3, 66-68.

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@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 [[User:Sovereignlance|Sovereignlance]] ([[User talk:Sovereignlance|talk]]) 05:45, 18 July 2011 (UTC)
+== Lack of Consistency with Democracy  ==
+The page notes several forms of Democracy, yet almost non of those are noted sub lists of Democracy on the list of Governments bar on the side (linking to the politics portal). To me, it seems that this lack of congruence could be problematic. [[User:Sovereignlance|Sovereignlance]] ([[User talk:Sovereignlance|talk]]) 05:59, 18 July 2011 (UTC)