Political Institutions

A short note on the process of legalizing Brexit and the people vs. the judiciary. Best used as a study tool alongside lecture notes.

In the US, we take it for granted that there are 3 branches of government... but not everyone thinks the same way. In Seminar 2, we discuss the possibility of a fourth branch of government, and what implications that would have for modern democracies.

In seminar 1, we discuss the 5 criteria for a pure democracy, and how well those criteria fit into the three broad categories of 'advocacy', 'representative', and 'direct' democracy.

In lecture 3, we can see the theory of democratic constitutionalism in practice, in one of the most unique democracies in the world: France (with a semi-Presidential-Parliamentarian model). But France hasn't always been this way (had 18 constitutions!), and it's important to consider its history when analyzing its modern political landscape.

In lecture 2, we discuss various viewpoints of the key democratic principle of separation of powers (according to Montesquieu, no separation of powers is equal to an authoritarian regime!).

A look into the theory and definition of democracy amidst its various forms: representative, direct, and deliberative, and the subdivisions that follow.