In this essay the mass beliefs and attitudes of the Norwegian society will be portrayed and
compared to the “democratic character” of people defined by political scientists.
Beforehand, a short description of the degree of democracy measured by the Freedom
House serves as an objective insight into the conditions of the country.
Lasswell (1951) developed several indicators which signalize a “democratic character”, such
as an open ego, a multi-valued character, confidence in human potentialities and, above all,
freedom from anxiety. According to Almond and Verba (1963), psychological orientations
towards the political system have a crucial impact in terms of stability of the state and its
political objects. Postmaterialist and self-expression values represent additional criteria for a
democratically mature society. All those will be taken briefly into consideration in order to
examine the main question that is tackled here: How “democratically compatible” is the
population of Norway?
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- INTRODUCTION
- MONITORING NORWAY: THE FREEDOM HOUSE REPORT
- POLITICAL INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION OF THE PEOPLE
- POLITICAL ORGANS AND THEIR PERCEPTION
- SUBJECTIVE FEELINGS AND POSTMATERIALIST VALUES
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay examines the democratic character of Norway, comparing the mass beliefs and attitudes of the Norwegian population to the characteristics of a democratic society as defined by political scientists. The essay utilizes various data sources, including the Freedom House report, World Values Surveys, European Social Surveys, and historical election data, to analyze the extent to which Norway’s population is compatible with a democratic system.
- The degree to which Norway exhibits characteristics of a democratic society, as measured by Freedom House
- The political interest and participation of the Norwegian people, including electoral turnout and engagement in civic activities
- The perceptions of political organs and structures by the Norwegian population, including their views on authority, political parties, and the justice system
- The subjective feelings and postmaterialist values of the Norwegian population, including their sense of happiness, trust in others, and environmental concerns
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- INTRODUCTION: This section introduces the topic of Norway's democratic character, highlighting its rapid economic growth, robust welfare state, and unique position as a non-member of the European Union. The essay outlines the use of various indicators to assess the compatibility of the Norwegian population with a democracy.
- MONITORING NORWAY: THE FREEDOM HOUSE REPORT: This section focuses on the Freedom House report, which demonstrates Norway's high ranking in terms of political rights and civil liberties. Examples of these freedoms include press freedom, peaceful assembly, an independent judiciary, and special rights granted to the Sami minority. The section also highlights Norway's low corruption levels and the promotion of gender equality through legislation.
- POLITICAL INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION OF THE PEOPLE: This section analyzes the political interest and participation of the Norwegian people. It highlights the high level of political interest, although slightly declining in recent years, compared to other European democracies. It also points to high participation rates in civic activities, such as signing petitions and participating in peaceful protests. The section also discusses the high electoral turnout in Norway, as evidenced by historical data.
- POLITICAL ORGANS AND THEIR PERCEPTION: This section examines the Norwegian population's perceptions of political organs and structures. It reveals a strong aversion towards authoritarian structures and a preference for democratic systems. The section analyzes data regarding confidence in the justice system and the perceived necessity of political parties. It highlights the prevalence of postmaterialist values, which emphasize environmental protection over economic growth, and the importance of trust and freedom from anxiety in a democratic society.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key themes and concepts explored in this essay include: democracy, political rights, civil liberties, mass beliefs, attitudes, political participation, civic engagement, electoral turnout, trust in authority, postmaterialist values, freedom from anxiety, and the Freedom House report.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2007, Assessing Mass Beliefs and Level of Democracy in Norway, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/175313