The Quality of Democracy: An Overview

May combine two claims.

A rule of law cannot be sustained and abuse of power cannot be preempted and contained without strong institutions of horizontal accountability, which also prevent abuse of the electoral instruments of competition and vertical accountability.

“Neither can a rule of law be sustained and the abuse of power preempted and contained without strong institutions of horizontal accountability, which also ensure that the electoral instruments of competition and vertical accountability will not be abused.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Accountability has three main features: information, justification, and punishment or compensation.

“Andreas Schedler suggests that accountability has three main features: information, justification, and punishment (or compensation).8”

• cites [8] 8. Andreas Schedler, "Conceptualizing Accountability," in Andreas Schedler, Larry Diamond, and Marc F. Plattner, eds., The Self-Restraining State.Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Public resources may be too limited, so governing responsibly requires setting priorities and making difficult choices, and even committed leaders cannot please everyone.

“Second, public resources may be too limited.Governing responsibly-as opposed to purely responsively-involves setting priorities and making difficult choices.Even the most committed and well-meaning democratic leaders will not be able to please everyone.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

Participatory citizens who vote and act in organized civil society are the last line of defense against executive efforts to subvert rule-of-law and good-governance institutions.

“At the same time, participatory citizens, voting at the polls and acting in various organized ways in civil society, are the last line of defense against potential executive efforts to subvert rule-of-law and good-governance institutions.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

If citizens mobilize effectively, aspirations for a higher quality of democracy can gradually be achieved, though imperfectly.

“we think the long historical evolution of democracy suggests that if citizens mobilize effectively, these aspirations for a higher quality of democracy can gradually, if still imperfectly, be achieved.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

The eight dimensions of democratic quality interact densely and reinforce one another, ultimately forming a system.

“But as we emphasize, these different dimensions densely interact and reinforce one another, ultimately converging into a system.”

May combine two claims.

Democracy does not require a particular set of substantive social or economic policies, but in practice it presupposes a degree of political equality that is virtually impossible if wealth and status inequalities become too extreme.

“While democracy does not demand a certain set of substantive social or economic policies, it does in practice presuppose a degree of political equality that is virtually impossible if wealth and status inequalities become too extreme.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

The vitality of horizontal accountability depends most on a legal system that allows independent public entities to exercise checks and balances without competing as an alternative to the government.

“The vitality of horizontal accountability hinges most of all on a legal system that provides for the exertion of checks and balances by other public entities that are independent of the government, and not competing as an alternative to it.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

When campaign issues fall on multiple dimensions, a victorious party may find it difficult to infer a clear policy mandate.

“And as Powell explains, when campaign issues fall on multiple dimensions, it can be difficult for a victorious party to infer a clear policy mandate.”

• cites PowellNot matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

May combine two claims.

Electoral competitiveness also depends on fair access to mass media, pluralism in media ownership and viewpoints, some dispersion of economic resources, and enforcement of political rights by an independent judiciary.

“Of course, electoral competitiveness also depends on fairness in access to the mass media, pluralism in media ownership (and viewpoints), some dispersion of economic resources in society, and the enforcement of political rights by an independent judiciary.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

For elections to be genuinely meaningful, free, and fair, a democracy needs some civil and political freedom outside the electoral arena so citizens can express and organize around their political views and interests.

“If elections are to be truly meaningful, free, and fair, there must be some degree of civil and political freedom beyond the electoral arena so that citizens can articulate and organize around their political beliefs and interests.”

May combine two claims.

The main prerequisites for advancing social rights are sufficient affluence to fund social policies and wise strategies to pursue egalitarian goals without destroying the freedom and efficiency that make prosperity possible.

“the main prerequisites for the furtherance of social rights are sufficient affluence to fund social policies and wise strategies to achieve egalitarian policy goals without destroying the freedom and efficiency that make prosperity possible in the first place.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The conditions that favor responsiveness resemble those that support vertical accountability, including a robust civil society and a functional party system.

“The conditions favoring responsiveness are similar to those that support vertical accountability-that is, a robust civil society, a functional party system, and the like.”

May combine two claims.

Fair electoral access requires preventing electoral fraud, violence, and intimidation, as well as subtler denigrations of electoral rights such as inequality in access to political finance and mass media.

“This requires not only the prevention of electoral fraud, and of violence and intimidation against voters, candidates, and parties, but also-as David Beetham argues-the prevention of more subtle denigrations of electoral rights, including rights to (some measure of) equality in access to political finance and to the mass media.”

• cites BeethamNot matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

Political rights make possible vigorous political participation and competition, and therefore vertical accountability.

“These rights make possible vigorous political participation and competition, and hence vertical accountability.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

Political competition and participation are crucial conditions for vertical accountability.

“Political competition and participation are crucial conditions for vertical accountability.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

Leaders seek to maximize their autonomy and shape citizens' perceptions of interest, sometimes in highly manipulative or demagogic ways.

“Leaders seek to maximize their autonomy and to shape citizens' perceptions of interest in ways that are sometimes highly manipulative or even demagogic.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

At least part of current disenchantment with democracy concerns procedures and institutions and stems both from more information about government failings and from higher citizen expectations about what democracy can deliver.

“we still think that at least part of the present disenchantment with democracy does concern procedures and institutions, and stems not only from more information about the failings of government, but also from higher citizen expectations of what democracy can deliver procedurally and substantively, as well as in terms of results.”

May combine two claims.

The most important conditions for developing law-based rule are the spread of liberal and democratic values among elites and the public, strong competent and impartial bureaucratic traditions, and adequate institutional and economic resources.

“The most important conditions aiding the development of law-based rule are the diffusion of liberal and democratic values at both popular and elite levels; strong bureaucratic traditions of competence and impartiality; and adequate institutional and economic means.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

Securing political and civil rights requires many institutional conditions of fairness and horizontal accountability, above all an independent, capable, constitutionally authoritative judiciary and a broader legal system and culture that ensures the rule of law.

“Assuring political and civil rights requires many of the institutional conditions of fairness and horizontal accountability discussed above with respect to participation, competition, and vertical accountability.First and foremost among these institutions is an independent, capable, and constitutionally authoritative judiciary, along with a broader legal system (and culture) that ensures a rule of”

May combine two claims.

Controlling corruption and having strong institutions of horizontal accountability are necessary for such investment.

“This in turn necessitates the control of corruption, and hence strong institutions of horizontal accountability.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

Policymakers sometimes must weigh trade-offs between short-term preferences and long-term citizen interests.

“Policy makers sometimes must weigh trade-offs between short-term preferences and long-term citizen interests.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

Civil and political rights are critical to the vigorous participation and competition of parties, interests, and organizations that produce vertical accountability and responsiveness.

“Civil and political rights are thus critical to the vigorous participation and competition of parties, interests, and organizations that make for vertical accountability and responsiveness.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

The dimensions of democratic quality are closely linked and tend to move together, either toward improvement and deepening or toward decay.

“the various dimensions are closely linked and tend to move together, either toward democratic improvement and deepening or toward decay.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

None of this is possible without a rule of law in which an impartial judiciary affirms rights and penalizes and prohibits violations of the institutional safeguards for vertical and horizontal accountability.

“But none of this is possible without a rule of law, wherein an impartial judiciary affirms rights and penalizes and prohibits violations of the institutional safeguards for vertical and horizontal accountability.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

Efficiency requires that available resources go as much as possible toward physical infrastructure and especially human capital such as public health and education, which raise the productivity of the poor over time.

“Efficiency requires that the available resources go as much as possible toward investments in physical infrastructure and especially human capital (public health and education) that will raise the productivity of the poor over time.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

Strong horizontal accountability is helpful for responsiveness.

“Strong horizontal accountability will obviously be helpful.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

There is no objective, a priori way to decide which electoral system produces a higher quality of democracy.

“There is no objective, a priori way to determine which system produces a higher quality of democracy”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

For the system of horizontal accountability agencies to work, it needs institutional capacity, training, and capable, vigorous, and responsible leadership.

“if this system is to work it must have institutional capacity, training, and leadership that are at once capable, vigorous, and responsible.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

Good democracies balance and integrate democracy, liberalism, and republicanism through distinctive mixes and institutional designs, so democratic quality is a flexible and pluralistic concept shaped by society's normative choices.

“Good democracies balance and integrate these three distinct traditions.Yet they do so with distinctive mixes and institutional designs, reminding us that democratic quality is a flexible and pluralistic concept, shaped by the normative choices of society.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

Civil society monitoring, questioning, and demands for justification require freedom for these groups and a rule of law that protects them from intimidation and retaliation.

“The ongoing process of monitoring, questioning, and demanding justification through the work of civil society (the media, interest groups, think tanks, and so on) requires freedom for these groups to function and a rule of law that protects them from intimidation and retribution.”

May combine two claims.

If voters cannot turn dissatisfaction with incumbents into support for the opposition, or if one party overwhelms opponents with superior funding and media access, the electoral dimension of vertical accountability may be undermined.

“If, because of the accumulated unfair advantages that the ruling party enjoys, voters are not able to convert their dissatisfaction with the incumbents into electoral support for the opposition; or if any party (ruling or not) overwhelms its opponents and drowns out their messages with vastly superior funding and media access, the electoral dimension of vertical accountability may be vitiated.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

Horizontal accountability agencies can be used as weapons against political opponents, but doing so may undermine the credibility of the whole institutional network.

“Like the law itself, the agencies of horizontal accountability can be used as a weapon against political opponents, but only at the possible cost of undermining the credibility enjoyed by the entire institutional network.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Democracy involves competition and choice, so losers are bound to be dissatisfied at least temporarily.

“Democracy is about competition and choice, and losers are bound to be dissatisfied, at least temporarily.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

Vertical accountability requires political competition and power distributions fair enough to allow genuine electoral alternatives and to produce turnover or at least a serious prospect of it.

“vertical accountability requires political competition and power distributions that are fair enough to allow for genuine electoral alternatives at the various levels of government, and that can produce turnover or at least a serious prospect thereof.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Powell identifies three links in democratic responsiveness: structuring citizens' policy preferences into coherent national choices offered by competing parties, aggregating electoral preferences into a government of policymakers, and translating policy stances into actual outcomes.

“Powell sees three links in the chain of democratic responsiveness.First, choices are structured in a way that distills citizens' diverse, multidimensional policy preferences into more coherent national policy choices offered by competing political parties.Second, citizens' electoral preferences are aggregated (by varying means from one country to another) into a government of policy makers.And”

• cites PowellNot matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

May combine two claims.

Responsiveness is similar to vertical accountability and affects how satisfied citizens are with democracy and whether they see it as legitimate.

“Responsiveness is akin to vertical accountability (and hence to participation and competition), and in turn influences the degree to which citizens will be satisfied with the performance of democracy and view it as legitimate.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

In the current era, news and information reach citizens with unprecedented speed and competition for attention, generating sensationalism and negative exposure in mass media, which makes democratic failings appear more scandalous and frequent than in earlier times.

“we live in an era when news and information reach citizens with unprecedented speed and competition for attention, generating a tendency toward sensationalism and negative exposure in the mass media.This makes the failings of democracy appear more scandalous, more often, than they would have in a previous era.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

Because society contains many different interests that can aggregate in many ways, government cannot be responsive to all interests and concerns.

“With so many different interests in society, capable of aggregating in so many different ways, it is impossible for government to be responsive to all interests and concerns.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

Citizens do not always know which policies will produce outcomes that nearly everyone agrees on, such as economic prosperity and stability with near full employment.

“citizens do not always know what policies will produce even the sorts of outcomes that all tend to agree on, such as economic prosperity and stability with something close to full employment.”