University of Sarajevo Faculty of Political Sciences Sarajevo ESPS English language 2 Instructor: Srebrenka Makovi, MA (English)

Unit 1 - Representation, Elections and Voting Democracy means rule by the people and it is based on two values: 1. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION- where key decisions are made by the people, reflecting the notion of government by the people. In this context the participants are the electorate. 2. POLITICAL EQUALITY- where each citizen is free and has an equal opportunity to influence political decisions. A democratic country is a country where the major decisions that affect society are made by the people, whether directly or indirectly. Two types of democracy:

DIRECT DEMOCRACY- Direct Democracy is a type of democracy where the people make the key political decisions by themselves. This abolishes any distinction between the state and the citizens as it is a form of self-government. The effectiveness of this model of democracy is directly proportional to the extent of popular participation. REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY- This is an indirect and limited form of democracy where the people choose who shall make decisions on their behalf. The people vote for their representative who speaks on behalf of their constituents. The representative can be re-elected or removed during elections. The success of this model of democracy is also directly proportional to popular control over the government. Three models of democracy:

Majoritarian democracy: The most important goal is maximizing mass participation, and a high mass participation will result in decisions being made that maximize the general welfare. Elite democracy: The most important goal is the general welfare. It requires an elite capable of pursuing the long-term interests of society. It actually values low mass participation. Liberal democracy: The most important goal is protecting individual rights. It does not prefer low mass participation but may be willing to accept it.

Representation usually refers to representative democracies, where elected officials nominally speak for their constituents in the legislature. As a political principle, representation is a relationship through which an individual or group stands for, or acts on behalf of, a larger body of people Democratic Representatives are individuals elected by voters and entrusted to discuss important issues on their behalf and to make decisions about the running of society. A delegate is a person who is chosen to act for another on the basis of clear guidance or instructions. In other words, a delegate is expected to act as a conduit conveying the views of others, while having little or no capacity to exercise his or her own judgement or preferences. Initiative is a type of referendum through which the public is able to raise legislative proposals. Recall is a process whereby the electorate can call unsatisfactory public officials to account and ultimately remove them. An election have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century, and it is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections provide the public with its clearest formal opportunity to influence the political process, and also help, directly or indirectly, to determine who will hold government power. Voting is a method for a group to make a decision or express an opinionoften following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. Democracies elect holders of high office by voting.