Democracy

“Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives” (Harsanyi, 2014). While most believe that the United States is a democracy, considering being the first nation to adopt a democratic constitution, there are many democratic contradictions and inconsistencies of American politics that demonstrate otherwise. Hamilton described the American government as being “in the hands of the representatives of the people” (Federalist…

A democracy is not just a government. It is not merely a system that governs a society, nor is it simply a group of people elected to respond to citizens. Rather, a democracy is a way of living. It is a responsibility that must be observed by both the rulers and the ruled, who are not only united by social contract, but have also pledged to maintain an equitable balance of power. The term "democracy" is derived from two Greek words: "demos" (people) and "kratia" (authority); thus, a democracy is…

Democracy is an American and European idea that does not fit other cultures or civilizations and thus, is always imposed on other societies. Non-western countries, especially the Islamic regimes that have a different religious and cultural perspective and tolerance altogether discard the western outlook. Democracy can only ascend “organically” in a country and requires an extensive period of social, economic…

but Sparta had two kings. This was not a true monarchy. Both kings ruled together, and with powers limited by the Ephors and Gerousia, they were more of figureheads. Arriving at decisions in both a monarchy and a tyranny would be faster than in a democracy or an oligarchy, because that function lies with one man. This can be a weakness especially if a bad decision is made, resulting in a negative impact. In ancient Greece, the Aristocracy was a class of wealthy citizens who had political rights,…

The Athenian democracy operated differently from today’s democracy, but not necessarily more effectively. Finley seems to argue that although the basis of democracy was a good idea, it had many flaws, and was a utopian system, designed for “perfect” people. It was not representative, as it is nowadays, but direct, meaning that all the male citizens over the age of 18 could participate on the decision making, as long as they had not lost their civil rights. However, people could very easily…

2.2.2 PARTICULARISM DISPOSITION OF DEMOCRACY In this section, I discuss the dominant strands of particularism. The particularist arguments enrich our understanding of the cultural and communal underpinnings of political life in democratic societies. According to these perspectives, normative judgments about the development and improvement of democratic practices must only be sought out in reference to particular socio-cultural traditions and configurations. By “particularism” the advocates…

"An educated, enlightened and informed population is one of the surest ways of promoting the health of a democracy." ~ Nelson Mandela, 6 October 2003. Democracy is a system of government for the citizens to choose their leaders and to hold them accountable for their policies and demeanour in office. The saying “laws are made for the people by the people” is true as people vote for candidates who are elected representatives who's job it is to make law. If state and lawmakers are careful in…

Frenchman Alexis De Tocqueville was very interested in American society and democracy. In his book, Democracy in America, he sets an appreciative tone but simultaneously criticizes American democracy. He views democracy as a complete balance between freedom and equality, however, this balance is not sturdy enough. Tocqueville notices both political and social issues that inevitable will emerge and some that have emerged. He takes on Americans who have isolated themselves and their obsession with…

Monarchy & Democracy Have you ever learned about the Monarchy, and the Democracy governments, my Fellow Ambassadors? Well I will like to talk to you about the differences between the two countries. I will give you details, opinions, facts, about the Monarchy and the Democracy government. In a Representative Democracy the citizens have the rights to elect leaders to represent their interest and their rights in the…

this country has the possibility to uphold a legitimate democracy. However, the recent events are raising concern within the population, and the question begins to form is our political system slipping? While Canada has been ranked consistently in the top 10 democracies in the world, we as Canadian citizens still have many unresolved issues that have not been addressed. Throughout this paper the strengths and weakness of Canadian democracy will be discussed. The first issue of discussion will be…