Guided democracy

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Guided democracy, also called directed democracy [1] and managed democracy, [2] [3] is a formally democratic government that functions as a de facto authoritarian government or, in some cases, as an autocratic government. [4] Such hybrid regimes are legitimized by elections, but do not change the state's policies, motives, and goals. [5] [ page needed ]

Contents

In a guided democracy, the government controls elections such that the people can exercise democratic rights without truly changing public policy. While they follow basic democratic principles, there can be major deviations towards authoritarianism. Under managed democracy, the state's continuous use of propaganda techniques prevents the electorate from having a significant impact on policy. [5] [ page needed ]

The concept is also related to semi-democracy, also known as anocracy.

Regimes

Laos under Nosavan

Peru in the 1990s

Poland under Sanacja

The Sanacja regime that governed interwar Poland from 1926 to 1939 [6] is considered an example of guided democracy, during both its first phase from 1926 to 1930, [7] as well as the final 1930-1939 phase. [8] The regime retained much of the structures and institutions of Polish parliamentary democracy, even though Józef Piłsudski exercised such large influence on the government that he "assumed some of the postures of a dictator". [6] [7] The 1935 April Constitution of Poland implemented by Sanacja centralized most state power in the hands of President, but the Polish guided democracy nevertheless stayed pluralistic, even if authoritarian. [8] The opposition sat in the parliament and local governments, and political parties were allowed to function legally. [6]

Polish historian Andrzej Chojnowski  [ pl ] notes that elections under Piłsudski's regime were still organised along the principles of parliamentary democracy, [6] and the Sanacja regime was genuinely popular as the opposition parties were blamed for failing to prevent the Great Depression. [9] Writing about late Sanacja, Antony Polonsky stated that even after 1930, "parties survived, the press was fairly free, criticism was allowed", thus maintaining the system of guided democracy. [10] While the actions of the opposition were hampered, repressions were rare and only two parties were banned: Camp of Great Poland and National Radical Camp. [6] [11]

Indonesia under Sukarno

After World War II, the term "guided democracy" was used in Indonesia for the approach to government under the Sukarno administration from 1959 to 1966. [12]

Russia under Putin

The term "managed democracy" has been used to describe the political system of Russia under Vladimir Putin by former Putin advisor Gleb Pavlovsky, [13] by media, [14] [15] and by Russian intellectual Marat Gelman. [16]

Singapore under PAP

Singapore under the People's Action Party (PAP) has been mentioned in the context of guided democracy. [17] [18] [19] Proponents of this view point to the party's dominant position in parliament, which they argue limits effective political competition. Additionally, they raise concerns about restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly, which they see as hindering the ability of opposition voices to gain traction. [18] However, supporters of the PAP counter that its sustained electoral success reflects broad public approval for its governance, emphasizing the party's focus on economic development, social stability, and national unity. They further argue that Singapore's specific circumstances, including its diverse ethnic makeup and historical vulnerability, necessitate a strong and stable government, which the PAP's model is said to provide.[ citation needed ]

United States under lobbyism

A man holding an American flag with corporate logos substituting the stars Corporate America flag - September 15, 2007.jpg
A man holding an American flag with corporate logos substituting the stars

In his book Democracy Incorporated, Sheldon Wolin contends that the United States has transformed into a managed democracy dominated by corporate power and the interests of the wealthy elite. Lobbying plays a central role in this system, as corporations and wealthy individuals use their financial resources to influence legislation and policy decisions in their favor. [5] [ page needed ]

Wolin highlights several key points about the influence of lobbying and the nature of the managed democracy: [5] [ page needed ]

Wolin's concept of managed democracy describes a system that is hiding the rule of a powerful elite behind a democratic facade. This elite uses its influence and financial resources to shape public opinion and manipulate the political system to serve its own agenda. [5] [ page needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Sanation was a Polish political movement that was created in the interwar period, prior to Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État, and came to power in the wake of that coup. In 1928 its political activists would go on to form a Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government (BBWR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Democracy (Poland)</span> Polish political party

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The Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government was a "non-political" organization in the interwar Second Polish Republic, in 1928–35. It was closely affiliated with Józef Piłsudski and his Sanation movement. Its major activists included Walery Sławek, Kazimierz Bartel, Kazimierz Świtalski, Aleksander Prystor, Józef Beck, Janusz Jędrzejewicz, Wacław Jędrzejewicz, Adam Koc, Leon Kozłowski, Ignacy Matuszewski, Bogusław Miedziński, Bronisław Pieracki, Adam Skwarczyński, and Janusz Franciszek Radziwiłł.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1930 Polish parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Poland on 16 November 1930, with Senate elections held a week later on 23 November. In what became known as the Brest elections, the pro-Sanation Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government took 47% of the vote and 249 of the 444 seats in Sejm and 77 of the 111 seats in the Senate. The elections are known as the least free elections in the Second Polish Republic due to the Brest trial controversy.

A Piłsudskiite was a political supporter of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the founder of the First World War Polish Legions and the first Chief of State of the Second Republic of Poland. The Piłsudskiites had a major influence on the politics of Poland during the interwar period (1918–1939).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piłsudski's colonels</span>

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Inverted totalitarianism is a system where economic powers like corporations exert subtle but substantial power over a system that superficially seems democratic. Over time, this theory predicts a sense of powerlessness and political apathy, continuing a slide away from political egalitarianism.

A hybrid regime is a type of political system often created as a result of an incomplete democratic transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic one. Hybrid regimes are categorized as having a combination of autocratic features with democratic ones and can simultaneously hold political repressions and regular elections. Hybrid regimes are commonly found in developing countries with abundant natural resources such as petro-states. Although these regimes experience civil unrest, they may be relatively stable and tenacious for decades at a time. There has been a rise in hybrid regimes since the end of the Cold War.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic backsliding by country</span>

Democratic backsliding, also known as autocratization, is the decline in democratic qualities of a political regime, the opposite of democratization.

References

  1. Sultana, Tasneem. (2012). The Evolution of Democracy through the Ages: Focus on the European Experience. 28. p. 38. "[Guided democracy] is also called Directed Democracy."
  2. E. Akıllı, H. Tabak, O. Tufekci, A. Chiriatti. (2017). Eurasian Politics and Society: Issues and Challenges. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN   9781443891820 , 1443891827. p. 158.
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  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Wolin, Sheldon S. (2008). Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN   978-0-691-13566-3.
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  7. 1 2 Plach, Eva (2006). The Clash of Moral Nations: Cultural Politics in Piłsudski's Poland, 1926–1935 (PDF). pp. 13–14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-12. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
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  9. "Kalendarium wydarzeń - Kalendarium - Polska.pl". Wiadomosci.polska.pl. Archived from the original on January 18, 2007. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  10. Polonsky, Antony (1972). Politics in Independent Poland 1921-1939: The Crisis of Constitutional Government. Oxford University Press.
  11. Andrzej Friszke, Henryk Samsonowicz (2010). "Józef Piłsudski". KSAP XX LAT (PDF). pp. 349–379. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-07. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
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  14. Sauer, Pjotr (2023-12-08). "Vladimir Putin to run for Russian president again in March 2024". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  15. Shukla, Sebastian; Chernova, Anna; Sebastian, Clare; Picheta, Rob (2024-02-08). "Russian anti-war election candidate barred from running against Putin". CNN . Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  16. "Managed Democracy". The Moscow Times . July 8, 2005. Archived from the original on 2014-08-15.
  17. Shen, Rujun (March 23, 2015). "All roads lead to Singapore: Asians study Lee Kuan Yew's mantra". Reuters.
  18. 1 2 Han, Kirsten (2024-08-07). "Opinion: Opposition Victories Force a Crack in Singapore's Carefully Managed Democracy". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  19. "Does democracy hurt or help growth in the tiger economies of Asia?". The Economist. December 5, 2019. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 2024-08-04.