Athenian democracy

Direct democracy is a system where people decide on and vote on policy initiatives and laws directly, using several instruments like referendum, initiative and recall. Referendum mainly implies that a bill that has been passed in the legislature will be obliged to be set for a popular vote. This essentially means that the public can veto on a bill passed by the legislature. The instrument of Initiative lets members of the public propose/suggest a bill or a constitutional amendment, which will…

discuss the idea that - though the theory of Constitutionalism qualifies and limits democracy, it is not incompatible with democracy, as a Constitution derives its authority from the People who are sovereign. This essay discusses this idea in the light of democratic theory and in relation to the constitutional development of the United States of America. In doing so, this essay briefly discusses the concepts of ‘Democracy’ and ‘Constitutionalism’ and highlights the distinction between…

As seen throughout todays politics, political parties and interest groups both play expansive roles in all levels of government. Such similarities between political parties and interest groups are that both form organized groups of people in order to achieve a certain task and goal in the government and be able to effectively promote, and raise money for these goals. However, while both political parties and interest groups strive for closely related goals and have some similarities, the amount…

America is the land of the free and the home of the brave and has been since our founding fathers established this great country. What makes America great is the ability of the people to do what they want without infringement of the government. This natural right to freedom of choice is what keeps the people satisfied with their government. Voting in the United States should not be mandatory because it would take away some of the people’s freedom, would not force uneducated or ignorant people to…

County Governments in Kenya The counties of Kenya are geographical units thought about by the 2010 Constitution of Kenya to form devolved government units. County government is local government which works best when local residents are involved and active. The local government provides local government services. What is a county? A county is a geographical region in Kenya used for administrative or development purposes. What is devolution in Government? Devolution in Kenya is the…

According to the dictionary, the First Amendment states that people have the right to express their opinions publicly without government interference, subject to the laws against libel, incitement to violent, or rebellion, etc. The first amendment was written by James Madison, with help from other “Fathers of the Constitution.” Over time, it has been reflected on, challenged by many centuries of wars, withstood cultural shifts, and has gone through many legal challenges. George Washington said…

Although known better for their differences, Malcom X and Martin Luther King had some similarities in their rhetorical style. Both men were respectful toward the law. King does not use the word “respect” so broadly, aimed at government and the law. Instead, he focuses more on people, writing that we are our brother’s keepers. I believe that he meant to show by this that people must give their oppressor’s the right to see for themselves that they are making mistakes, and guide them away from…

The American Revolution led to the birth of a new nation when the thirteen American colonies achieved their independence. However, some colonists believed that the new nation required a central government which led to the ratification of the Constitution by the states. The Constitution embodied Montesquieu’s beliefs of checks and balances by the creation of the three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Most importantly, the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in order to…

to "invoke what is fair and right” and to allow them to remain neutral, declaring it unfair for the Athenians to want to force their rule over them. The Athenians, however, cared very little about their ethical and seemingly rational prepositions. Despite the Melians’ argument for fairness and righteousness, the Athenians responded: “you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what…

American Exceptionalism "refers to the special character of the United States as a uniquely free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty". (wordpress.com) We see the effects and results of this philosophy in several ways in our government. For example, just the other night during President Obama's State of the Union Address, he went to great lengths to emphasize the powerfulness and control that the United States has in the world. This is true in a lot of cases, and American's are…