DEMOCRACY

-Rise of democracy in modern national governments.

Pre-Eighteenth century:

In England-Scotland: Magna Carta 1215 limiting the authority of powerholders.

First elected parliament 1265

English Civil War 1642-1651

Habeas Corpus Act 1679

English Bill of Rights and Scottish Claim of Right 1689

-Simon de Montfort in 1265 introduced the idea that powerholders are responsible to an electorate- ( Although only landowners were allowed to vote in 1265 English election )

Renaissance humanism was a cultural movement in Europe beginning in central Italy ( particulary Florence ) in the last decade of the 14th century It revived and refined the study of language, science, philosophy, art and poetry. Their emphasis on art and the senses marked a great change from the medieval values of humility, introspection and passivity.

Humanists looked at ancient Greece and found the concept of democracy In some cases they began to implement it in practice.

Rise of Golden Liberty in the Kingdom of Poland and Polish-LituanianCommonwealth ( 1505 )

The humanist philosophers looked for secular principles on which society could be organized as opposed to the concentration of political power in the hands of the Church.

The Frame of Government of Pennsyvania written by William Penn in 1682. The document gave the colony a representative legislature and granted liberal freedoms to the colony’s citizens.

The Corsican Republic led by Pasquale Paoli with the Corsican constitution in 1755.

1760s-1790s Americans developed and applied concept of Republicanism; basis of American Revolution

-Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776 ( based on the English Bill of Rights )

-United States of Constitution ratified in 1789 and the new United States Bill of Rights.

-1780s : development of social movements identifying themselves with the term democracy.Political clashes between aristocrats and democrats in Benelux countries changed the negative meaning of democracy into a much more positive opposite aristocracy.

From the late 1770’s: new Constitutions and Bills limited the authority of powerholders, many based on the British Bill of Rights ( 1689 )- Polish Constitution of May 3rd, 1791 is widely recognized as the second oldest constitution in the world.

-1791: The Haitian Revolution: The first and only succesful slave revolution, established a free republic.

-1789-1799: The French Revolution

-1790’s First Party System in the USA involves invention of locally- rooted political parties in the USA.

Early 19th century: in Europe rise of political parties competing for votes.

-Extension of political rights to various social classes.

-1850s: introduction of the secret ballot in Australia. 1872- in UK 1892- in USA

20th centuryThe end of First World War was a temporary victory for democracy.

1906Finland full modern democratic rights were implemented constitutionaly.

1917 the February Revolution in Russia.

The terrific economic impact of the GREAT DEPRESSION hurt democratic forces in many countries.

1930s became a decade of dictators in Europe and Latin America 2nd World War was ultimately a victory for democracy in Western Europe, where representative governments were established that reflected the general will of their citizens.

-Many countries in Central and Eastern Europe became undemocratic Soviet satellite states. In Southern Europe ( in Spain, Portugal ), a number of right-wing authorization dictatorships continued to exist.

-Japan- had moved towards democracy during the Taisho period in the 1920’s, but under effective military rule in the years before and during World War II. The country adopted a new constitution in 1946.

-India became a democratic republic in 1950 upon achieving Independence from Great Britain.

World War II also planted seeds of freedom outside Europe and Japan, as it weakened all the colonial powers while strengthening anticolonial sentiment worlwide.

-The process of decolonization in Africa and parts of Asia

-The Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the USA helped to protect the black vote, especially in the southern states.

Democratic Institutions in Europe the Europen Union

The Europen Court of Justice

The Europen Court of Human Rights.

The Europen Parliament