Thursday, April 2, 2009
What comes to mind when one thinks of democracy?
When I think of democracy the first things that come to mind are universal suffrage and civil liberties. These were, as the socialist T.H. Marshall pointed out, influenced by enlightenment thinkers in the 17th and 18th centuries, such as John Locke. However, when I think about the bureaucracy enveloped in our own democracy, I can’t help but notice socialist elements that would perhaps dilute the true definition of a democratic republic. Marshall argues that the 20th century would bring a much larger range of social rights, including rights to provide protection of economic interests, and welfare and security for its citizens. Though he is a socialist, the compilation of his ideas are what I define as democracy, the modern democratic state is a welfare state.
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This is an interesting comment. You are clearly linking it to our discussions of the Swedish model of the Welfare State. It might be helpful to put this kind of comment into context, as a stand alone comment. What you have written may work within the context of the linking/delinking exercise that we will be doing after the AP exam.
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