Civics Fundamentals: Political Systems, Democracy, and Elections
Civics Summary
Basics
Political System: Relations between government institutions and the nation.
Democracy: A form of government where the people exercise state sovereignty.
Dictatorship: A form of government where one entity imposes its authority, violating the population’s rights.
State: Legal and political organization formed by the unit of territory, governance, and sovereignty.
Sovereignty: The ability of a people to determine their own form of government.
Delegate: An act by which the people of the state vest power in their representatives through voting.
Citizen Representation: Delegation of the popular will through the electoral process.
Social Organization: The process involving the formation of groups in society.
Citizen Participation: The process of making decisions for voting and meeting objectives.
Citizenship: Rights and duties that allow us to influence public decisions through voting.
Political Control: A mechanism used by political actors to define certain areas.
Accountability: It compels acting with honesty and transparency in public.
Authority: Power or control of the government to ensure good governance.
Characteristics of Democracy
- Ensures the extension of government periods.
- Government is based on the electoral process.
- Existence of at least two political groups competing for power.
- Guarantee for all citizens to cast a single vote.
- Periodic elections to appoint representatives of the executive and legislative branches.
There are two types of democracy:
Representative Democracy: The people rule through elected representatives periodically.
Participatory and Direct Democracy: Citizens gather in assemblies to make decisions and exercise political control.
Dictatorial Regimes
These are undemocratic forms of government based on the unlimited power of a ruling group that relies on force. This usually consists of military and political elements.
Types of Dictatorship
- Totalitarianism: When a single-party system uses oppression.
- Preservative: Intends to preserve the status quo against perceived dangers of change.
- Authoritarian: Use of traditional coercive power, politics, and the military.
- Revolutionary: Aims for a radical attack on the old social and political order.
Main Dictators: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Josef Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung.
Types of Rights
In Costa Rica (CR), there are two types of rights:
Individual: Rights given to humans for implementation in society.
- Life, property, correspondence, communication, freedom, opinion, transfers, and equality before the law.
Such rights are defended by resources such as:
- Habeas Corpus: Defending the right to freedom.
- Amparo: Protects all rights except freedom.
- Unconstitutional: Defending the principles of the Constitution.
Social: The state has the obligation to create better living conditions for citizenship, including:
- Protection of the family, environment, health, employment, and education.
Suffrage and Electoral System
Suffrage: Election system by voting to elect representatives.
Electoral System: A set of rules and procedures that each nation sets.
Electoral Propaganda: Reforms were established related to this.
Debt Policy: The economic contribution the state gives to political parties.
Electoral Reforms: Changes made by the Electoral Government to ensure a reliable process for citizenship.
Types of Votes
- Indirect: The president was chosen through representatives.
- Public: Exercised openly.
- Restricted: Only men with political and economic power could vote.
Entitled to Vote
- Women: From the beginning of the twentieth century, thanks to the Feminist League.
- Indigenous People: Granted the right in the nineteenth century by decree.
- Foreign Residents: Granted this possibility in 1949.
Supreme Electoral Tribunal: Organizes, manages, and monitors the electoral process in the country. Calls elections and appoints election members.
Civil Registry: Maintains the Central Registry of civil status and prepares the lists of electors. Issues identity cards and the electoral register for voting.
TSE: Convenes popular elections to appoint members of electoral boards and makes the final vote canvass.
Statutes of the Parties
- a) To respect the constitutional order.
- b) The quorum required for holding sessions.
- c) The number of votes necessary for approving agreements.
- d) The internal structure of their organizations, people, and alternates.
- e) The mechanism that ensures the participation of women.
Term to Attend a Party: Electoral Reform states party registration can only occur in the 8 months prior to the election. Along with the application form, the executive committee chairman must submit the following documents:
- The Certification Affidavit
- The list of members of the Senior Executive Committee.
Political Parties
These groups allow the participation and involvement of civil society and are important for the consolidation of democracy. In Costa Rica, various political groups have gained political importance:
- National Liberation Party (PLN): Origin goes back to addressing national problems. Founded in October 1951 as a reformist alternative. Ideology is Social Democrat, advocating for freedom and social justice.
- Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC): Born in 1976 with the Pact of Ojo de Agua. Their ideology is Social, based on the Social Doctrine of the Church. Aims for a life of dignity in work, fair wages, and family welfare.
- Citizen Action Party (CAP): Founded on December 3, 2000. Participated for the first time in the 2002 election. Their ideology is based on progress and social democracy. Its main objective is to defend freedom and the common good.
- Libertarian Movement: Emerged on May 25, 1994, as an option to address the economic crisis. Their ideology is liberal, aspiring to power not as an end in itself, but to exercise it according to liberal philosophy.
Financing of Political Parties
The state provides economic support to political parties to encourage participation and promote democracy. The debt policy is only given to parties that manage to get 4% or more representation. Expenses covered by this contribution include:
- Rent of real estate.
- Advertising.
- Public Deadline.
- Costs for water, electricity, phone (proven as disbursements made by the party).
Concepts of Elections
Electoral System: A set of principles, rules, and technical procedures legally established.
Electoral Code: A set of laws governing elections in the country.
Ideology: A set of ideas and values regarding political, economic, and social issues that guide collective behavior in the struggle for power.
Programs of Government: Strategic work plans submitted during election campaigns.
Choice: Decision-making process used in modern democracies.
Participation: Social or political action to influence the decision-making process directly or indirectly.
Campaign Election: A set of organizational and communication activities conducted by political candidates to win votes.
Propaganda: Articulated set of messages to disclose anything to influence opinion and behavior.
Two-party System: Political system with the predominance of two parties competing for power or taking turns.
Abstention: A situation that occurs when the right to vote is not exercised.
Pluralism: Recognition and promotion of the expression, organization, and dissemination of differing ideas, interests, and opinions among political actors.
Multiparty System: Party system in which constituencies are fragmented.