Making Democracy Work

of a representative democracy is flawed and will continue to be flawed because someone’s opinion will be left out. This does not mean however, that representative democracy cannot work. Many countries, including the United States, have managed a representative government quite well. It is only now that people are talking about changing the system of representation because a state of gridlock is occurring. Both major political parties in the United States are refusing to work together to solve…

concept of democracy, lay it down on an operating table, cut it open and look around inside, I do not believe any one part would be significantly larger than the other. A grotesque image perhaps, but a most fitting one. Democracy is dying, and it is about time we, as a society, analyze its inner parts and remove what has been slowly killing it ever since its birth. Much like Charles Mills’ criticism of racial liberalism, this is not meant to be an attack on the idea of democracy. Rather,…

the decision of the chair that this bill has been passed, and it has” (rap rap), or “It is the decision of the chair that this bill has failed, and it has” (rap rap). Thus, it is a commonality among students to call these gavel wraps “the sound of democracy.” For, in order to reach a ruling on a bill’s passage, it must first undergo extensive debate and a vote within the…

complex problem. People often define democracy in different ways. Howard Zinn and Sidney Hook, both famous historians, are two of those who define it quite differently. Howard Zinn chooses to define it as a set of criteria that examine the quality of life of our citizens, whether that is access to information, or equal pay. Hook on the other hand chooses to examine it in a more procedural nature, focusing on the criteria that categorize a procedural democracy, whether that is majority rule or…

Our current representative democracy gives citizens the right to vote under a free electoral system. Frequently seen as right rather than an obligation, not all citizens take part in the election. Therefore, not making an appearance can dramatically effect our political system causing an unfair election. Other countries to avoid unfair democracy have obtained for compulsory voting; eg. Brazil, Australia and Austria. This essay defines our current voting system, analyzes the compulsory system and…

to lower the voting age to 16. In Canada, to be eligible to vote an individual must be 18 years of age, and also be a Canadian citizen. This paper will argue that lowering the voting age would have a positive impact on democracy in Canada. This paper will assess the impact of lowering the voting age by examining countries who have already lowered the voting age to 16, the correlation between eligible Canadian voters and voter turnout and methods of ensuring…

rationally thought out vote. However, this argument gives the American citizen the benefit of the doubt. The reality is that the average American citizen lacks the necessary information and motivation to successfully fulfil their jobs as citizens in a democracy. Literature Review Samuel L. Popkin’s book, The Reasoning Voter, argues on behalf of the average American citizen. Popkin believes that sufficient information is provided through conversation and the common daily activities of Americans.…

one of the more famous of his student was Plato, Plato was one of Socrates’ greatest pupils that very much like Socrates also has a remarkable effect on democracy. In 399 B.C. Socrates was put to death for “not accepting the gods of Athens and corrupting the young” by the very thing he loved, Democracy. 2. The Republic by Plato was a written work of Plato’s political views and Socrates’ teachings. The main purpose of The Republic is to portray Plato’s political views and his version of an…

countries, like the fact that they have both a President and a Prime Minister, the people aren’t allowed to vote for either of them (only for the parliament), the power of the people is limited and many other reasons (Glauco). Italy is known to be a democracy, where there is popular sovereignty and where the power resides with the people rather than with the government. The country of Italy has both a President and a Prime Minister present. Although, unlike the President of the United States,…

government will be accountable. They want reliable mechanisms to ensure there will be no misuse of power (Follesdal & Hix, 2006). Secondly, they stress that Moravcsik underestimated the importance of the deliberative and pluralist conception of democracy. Voter’s preferences are not always fixed, so it is imperative that there always be a meaningful communication between the decision-makers and citizens. The lack of citizen connection to the EU policies results in the lack of mobilisation…