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What Is Democracy In American Democracy
Democracies have been around for hundreds of years, dating back to before the word democracy was created by the ancient Greeks. Democracies give
the citizens of the nation power and let them have a say so in politics. Also, the people have many freedoms guaranteed to them unlike other types of
government. The people elect local, state, and national government officials. The local government deals with many different cases. State government
shares most of its power with the national government. Lastly, the national government oversees all the smaller forms of government in the land.
[Thesis] American Democracy fits the definition of democracy because the people are represented fairly through local, state, and national
government. To begin, local government acts on behalf on specific areas known as counties, towns, or districts. We as the people vote on
councilman to represent our county. The councilman vote on and determine how much money our schools can spend. They can also enact on our
counties taxes. Local government can't pass or enforce laws that might put judgment on a much bigger area other than its own. We have a choice in
who we vote for to make sure we are represented fairly. As a person who makes us a part of our county, district, or town. We all want the best for the
next generation for our sons and daughters. The people who we vote on as our councilman decide that. What will our schools be like, if we will have
technology for our children to use in
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Democracy: An Analysis Essay
Winston Churchill once remarked that "democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried". In agreement with his
statement, this paper will examine the problems of democratic governments using specific examples, and compare it to the failure of fascist
governments in Nazi Germany and Italy and communist governments in the Soviet Union and China.
Theoretically, democracy is a stable form of government where power is in the hands of the people. In a democracy, people have the liberty to elect
officials that best represent their interests, and political institutions exist as a result: Benjamin Constant argues in The Liberty of the Ancients
Compared with that of the Moderns that "true modern liberty is...show more content...
During elections in countries with corrupt governments, for example, it has to be decided whether the guarantee of every individual's right to vote or
who wins is more important. (Wong, Lecture, October 24) Moreover, deep divides continue to exist and separate groups in democratic countries by
race, religion, language, and class, resulting in tension and, in some cases, oppression. Thus democracy, despite its emphasis on liberty, equality and
plurality, can still be problematic.
According to Andrew Janos, "the price of economic progress has been political turmoil". (Janos, pg. 21) If the Modernization Theory holds that
countries tend to become more democratic the more they modernize, then political turmoil is to be expected in democracies. Certainly this can occur in
both parliamentary and presidential systems: as Linz argues, the presidential system concentrates too much power on the president, resulting in
"winner–take–all" politics (Linz, pg. 56) and the polarization of political parties. This is evident in the United States, where the president is elected
separately and Congress is divided between the opposing Democrats and Republicans. Conversely, the parliamentary system in Britain, as well as that
adapted by the former British colonies of Sri Lanka and Nigeria, has had its fair share of single–party hegemony and political abuse. (Horowitz, pg. 78)
Democracy is therefore not a perfect form of government when put in practice, and much of its
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Australian Democracy
Research Essay on Democracy and Citizenship in Australia "Australia is an excellent example to the world of a democracy which values the
participation of its citizens in all levels of government. Discuss"
In this essay I will examine the development of Australian society and subsequent rights given to Australian citizens, thus addressing the guiding
question as quoted at the top of the paper.
Australia is run by a democratic system at all 3 levels of government (Federal, State and Local). Democracy means in Greek "rule by the governed". A
democrary has key fundermentals that sustains that type of leadership.
In a perfect democracy every citizen has equal accessible amount of power and freedom. In Australia everyone Australian...show more content...
The Northern Territory Emergency Response was primarily initiated to give the aboriginal children a better and safer future. It is early days on this
initiative, but this may be a starting point in addressing this imbalance in our society.
Australia like many 1st world countries is experiencing an ageing workforce. Couples are having fewer children and later in their life, to assist couples
the government has introduced a Baby Bonus payment, increase Child Care payments and has an immigration policy targeted to supplement the
declining birth rate.
This essay has outlined all the current positive aspects of Australian society, but we need to address the future and the sustainability of our environment
for our grandchildren. The federal government is addressing this issue by introducing a carbon–trading scheme. This carbon trading scheme, where the
tax on carbon producing goods and services go into a positive influence on the environment, for example planting trees. The Australian government is
following leads by other countries in this circumstance.
Australia may have its problems e.g Obesity problems, homeless persons, cost of housing. But these pale into insignificance when compared with
issues faced by countries with civil wars and health epidemics (such as Aids in Africa). Australians give money to overseas charities, a great example of
this was the tsunamis experienced South East Asia. Following this catastrophic event the Charity Organisations were
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Why Democracy Robert Dahl Analysis
Midterm Essay 2 Overtime, democracy in the United States has transformed. Throughout America's rich history, democracy has undergone several
modifications due to the changing of certain institutions. The Greek words "demos" translates to people and "kratos" means power. Putting the two
Greek words generates power to the people, which is the primary statute of democracy. Another definition is "Democracy...means a way of living
together in which mutual and free consultation rule instead of force..." (Tozer, p.125). Democracy is government by consent, meaning that individuals
in a democratic society will be free from coercive force and the right to individual freedom. Robert Dahl, a political theorists and professor, created
criteria for democratic...show more content...
Ferguson was a supreme court ruling that ruled "separate, but equal" was unconstitutional. Before, public segregation was legal and heavily abused in
south. Plessy vs. Ferguson upheld this democratic practice "Only a democratic government can provide a maximum opportunity for persons to exercise
the freedom of self–determination – that is, to live under laws of their choosing" (Dahl, p.60). Obliviously, African Americans in the past did not have
the freedom of self–determination because Whites determined where to sit, where to drink, and where to eat. The government cannot guarantee its
citizens to be happy, but it can provide its citizens to have individual freedom to express themselves. Women's suffrage was a movement that fought off
sexism and years of oppression. Women did not get the right to vote until 1920, with the 19th amendment. Women in early American have been
oppressed since the colonization of North America. African Americans were granted to right to vote before women. Like the 15th amendment, this
violated equal voting and
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Does Democracy Work?
Democracy: a government by the people, in which citizens rule either directly or through elected representatives – the latter description more relevant
to today's societies. Quite evidently, democracy is not perfect; like any other political system, it is subject to a plethora of flaws. For instance, it is no
secret that voters tend to make illogical decisions – not out of sheer malice, but as a result of being wrongly informed. Politicians also make erroneous
choices, whether they do so because they are dishonest or simply out of touch with the true will of their constituents. Further, anyone who has studied
the government of a parliamentary democracy knows gerrymandering can have a powerful say in determining elections. Despite these and...show more
content...
Allowing citizens to choose whether or not they vote, a practice restricted in certain democracies like Australia, can diminish the percentage of people
who vote based on pure passion. Also, it is to be noted that citizens vote based on self–interest, and because governments aim to please the majority of
their citizens, having everyone vote is a helpful tool in determining what would benefit the majority of people.
No matter how flawed, regular elections aid in the production of a variety of consequences that, albeit unintuitive at times, can be beneficial. Having
mass involvement in elections creates a form of psychological pressure on both voters and politicians; without intending to, they allow everyone to
have a voice, which results in voters feeling a pressure to be more involved citizens, and in politicians feeling a pressure to be more effective leaders.
In the case that politicians do not live up to the ideals and criteria they were chosen for, a merit of democracy is that it allows the citizenry to punish
these officials – not necessarily through extreme forms like impeachment, but perhaps by simply electing someone else in the forthcoming election.
While, as previously addressed, not all participants in the election process vote based on truthful information, some citizens do. It must be remembered
that not only those in authority
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We The People: What Is A Democracy?
What is a democracy? When the founding fathers had written the final draft of the constitution, they included the words in large print, "We the
People" (U.S. Const. pmbl.). A democracy is a system of government in which all the power automatically goes to the people. The people are the
ones who vote for presidential candidates, legislators, and even laws. However, there has been a deterioration in voter turn outs since the onset of the
20th century. Typically, educated people between the ages of 45 years old and up are the majority of citizens who vote. This sits well with politicians
because there are less people to please. Some may say that their voices do not matter when it comes to government and politics, and in response engage
in nonparticipation.
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Democracy Essay : What Is Democracy?
What is democracy? To me democracy is the freedom to choose how your country is run. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, it defines
democracy as government by the people1. Democracy gives us the freedom to choose our government officials and political leaders. We have the
right to choose our leaders and the way we live when many others do not have that power. We are privileged as a country; many aspire to be like
us. Our country through democracy, gives us the opportunity to live life how we would like to. This idea is known as the American Dream,
which is different for everyone. The American Dream is most commonly depicted as a good job, making good money, a spouse and children, and
living a good life in general. Outsiders may think the grass is greener on the other side, but in reality it is not. Our country is going downhill and
fast. In ten years I do not know where the U.S. will be, but I hope that we will become stronger and figure out our faults now as a whole. In many
ways, I see our freedoms have expanded, but only to be replaced with new rules that blockade those new freedoms. In the past couple of decades our
country has changed so much. Even more has changed in the past century. Slavery has been frowned upon and thrown out, the equal rights movement
took place and showed that we are all equal at the end of the day. With that being said, there are still some that ridicule others and their races, and
believe that they are superior to the others. Some
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Democracy Essay
Beginning in the early 1600's, America received a flood of emigrants seeking religious freedom, an escape from political oppression and economic
gains. The emergence of Democracy in colonial America can be attributed to the coming about of several institutions and documents. During this time
there were governing bodies, which presided over certain colonies, but no unified system. Many of the laws and freedoms that we possess in America
today were established based on the trials and the statutes that were created because of them. The John Peter Zenger trial is a prime example of how a
trial established a well–known statute of freedom of the press. The General School Act of 1647 was the origin of modern education laws and the
Maryland...show more content...
In Connecticut, in 1639 the Fundamental Orders were established as the plan of government. New England towns also began to grow larger, and so
most of them began to hold town meetings in which local issues could be discussed, which is very similar to our modern local governments. Virginia,
Massachusetts, and Connecticut all had very similar governments, each with a constitution, a governor, and a representative assembly, much like the
US Government today. Our government also guarantees many rights and freedoms, which had their origins in colonial America. Some first amendment
rights such as freedom of the press and freedom of religion were first established during colonial America. The John Peter Zenger trial in the
1730's helped foster the idea of freedom of the press. Zenger was the publisher of a New York Newspaper, in which he published articles criticizing
the governor of New York. He went to trial, but was acquitted based on the fact that what he printed was true. This case also helped form the political
belief in the United States that citizens have the right to criticize the government. The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, although it did not bring about
complete religious freedom, did establish a basis for today's first amendment right of freedom of religion. It was created by the politically powerful
Catholics in Maryland to provide protection
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American Democracy Essays
American Democracy
The American democracy is one of the most peaceful kinds of government in the world although it is a long way from utopia. The democracy in which
we live has many strengths and weaknesses. Neither strengths or weaknesses out weigh one another, but it is necessary to have both due to the varying
definitions. A democracy is a government that is run by the people. The politicians that we elect to run our government are human and they are
susceptible to mistakes based on their own strengths and weaknesses. The strengths and weaknesses they possess are reflected into our government but
at least "we the people" elect them and they are not chosen for us.
We live in a representative democracy that means "we the people"...show more content...
It is kind of like a relationship, you tend to remember the bad more than the good. The same applies to campaigning. When some of us go to the ballot
box we remember certain commercials either on the television or radio. And nine times out of ten, we remember the negative commercials over the
positive.
The campaigns are suppose to educate us and negative campaigns is not a good way to do that. The positive campaigns are the ones that should
educate us. Positive campaigns promote "the will of the people." The "will of the people" want trust, security, someone they can relate to. But with
positive campaigns there is a drawback, it costs more money. Now you have those people who want to reform campaign finance. They feel we
already spend too much money on campaigning. If you have the money supporting you, then you should be allowed to spend the money in whatever
way it best suits your campaigning. More money does not mean a victory, just ask Ross Perot. More money could mean more positive campaigns and
better education about the politicians for "we the people."
Some people feel we should let the newspapers and media inform us about candidates, but the media is the worst critic of all. Journalists are paid big
bucks to see who can find the dirtiest secret one person has done. So, what positive influences could the media possibly provide to us? Our media in
this country is out of control and they inform us of issues we do not need to know about. While
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Democracy Is A Democratic Institution?
While discussing what democracy is, Dahl arrives at the conclusion that every member of an association that is to be seen as a democracy should be
politically equal to everyone, he states that there should be a political procedure, which requires five principles: Effective participation (All members
of the association should have equal and effective opportunities to make their voice heard before policy changes are decided upon), Voting equality (No
one should have a vote that counts more than someone else's vote), Enlightened understanding (Each member should have the same opportunity to
learn about relevant alternative policies and what they may bring), Control of the agenda (The members should have equal opportunity to choose
which matters that are to be placed on the policy agenda), Inclusion of adults (All adult residents should have the rights implied by the first four
criteria). Taking into consideration the above definition of democracy by Dahl, can it be said that the European Union (EU) is a democratic institution?
The EU has gone through different Treaties in order to achieve democratic legitimacy. This includes the Treaties of Amsterdam (1997), Nice (2001), the
"unsuccessful" Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe (2004), and the Treaty of Lisbon (2007). The last two treaties, stirred open debates around
Europe, with critics claiming that the treaties will channel a way for an unelected European super–state, while at the same time, defenders argued that it
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Democracy And The Benefits Of Democracy
The world is changing, and right now there is a great amount of tension between many of the countries. So how do we solve all of this tension? A
democratic government protects the rights of its citizens creating a society where everyone works together to improve the country economically,
politically and socially. Before one can begin to discuss the merits of democracy, one must first answer the question what is democracy? In his essay on
democracy, Robert Dahl explains how democracy cannot exist without protecting the rights of its citizens. Democracy is more than a system of
government, it is also a "system of rights" because rights are "the essential building blocks" of a democratic government (Dahl 100). Democracy
builds off of the idea of human rights to create a system of government shaped around a collection of powers which belong to every citizen. Because
rights provide the foundation for the democratic system, it cannot be practiced without providing a guarantee of personal rights. Cornel West
illustrates how democracy is more than just a type of government, it is a way of life which benefits its citizens. Democracy is a "cultural way of
being" which causes people to become "empowered and enlightened" (West 115–16). Democracy changes the way that its citizens think, in democratic
societies the culture is based largely around how democracy is beneficial. The cultural influence of democracy causes a change in its citizens– they
develop into more sophisticated
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Democracy Essay
Democracy
In the 2000 presidential election, less than 59% of our population saw fit to even vote. 80.5% of those voting were white, that's roughly 60% of the
white population. Of the meager 19.5% of the vote the non–white population represented, less than 51% of non–whites able to vote actually did
(Census). What does this mean? How can democracy – a republic like ours – correctly function without a more complete representation of opinion
from its people? Former UCLA Law professor Julian Eule argued in his essay "Judicial Review of Direct Democracy" that the framers of our
constitution set up the republic to in effect protect us from ourselves, to protect us from this sort of majority rule.(Eule) I believe that this
misrepresentation...show more content...
If the opinions of the people are not reflected by the leader they voted into office, so too may his appointees. By not offsetting the extremist votes with
the statistically more moderate vote of the general populace, extremists are allowed into office to affect their possibly racist ideas upon the public.
Does this rift in the voting population and the legislators themselves necissarily cause the racist legislation and election of racist legislators? Even
the nature of proposed equal rights legislation such as affirmative action and its likes are a point of contention. Supported officially by the NAACP
and its likes, affirmative action has been largely argued as a positive step toward civil equality, it has also been argued that "affirmative action
programs [are] discrimination in disguise."(CNN) The NAACP and ACLU, however, argue that the scope of affirmative action is simply too small to
be effective and thus appears discriminatory in nature. Due to the nature of the issue and the voting habits of the public, the protection of minority
rights cannot be necissarily guaranteed. Evidence of this can be seen even here in texas, where former Governor Bush's policies (in a state with a 29%
minority population) caused a 35% decrease in minority admissions to the UT Law program.(ACLU)"The President loves to opine about his
'commitment to racial justice' but, at practically every turn, he
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Democracy And Its Impact On Democracy
Democracy is a particular form of government the means, "ruled by the people". The Greeks are widely credited for the concept of democracy,
around six B.C. Many political science experts consider the early Greek government, to be a perfect for of democracy. People had the ability to decide
various government issues, and the right to suffrage. Through out time, the concept of democracy was established by many nations. The United States,
is widely credited on making democracy widely used around the world. The democracy we know here in the United States, was not fully defined until
the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly during the time the United States Declaration of Independence was implemented,
followed by the U.S Constitution. The term democracy, evolved to mean a structured government. The separation of powers, religious freedom,
provide basic civil rights, and the separation of church and state. Modern American democracy consist of elected officials, that represents the people.
Rather than, the people represents themselves. Members of the U.S Congress (House of Representatives and Senators) represent the people, by
tackling various national issues. Since the 1950's, America has successfully propagated the democratic form of government the states of the world.
Democracy consist of six principles: Rule of law (no one is above the law, including the creator). According to Stephenson, Matthew. "Rule of Law as a
Goal of Development
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Dahl, on Democracy Essay
Democracy has become the most widespread political form of government during the past decade, after the fall of all its alternatives. During the
second part of the 20th century, the 3 main enemies of democracy, namely communism, fascism and Nazism, lost most of their power and influence.
However, democracy is still only to be found in less than half of this world's countries. China with a fifth of the total population "had never
experienced a democratic government" and Russia still doesn't have a well established democracy. By adopting a democratic perspective, 3 types of
governments emerge, non–democratic, new democracies, and old democracies, and all have a different challenge to overcome: either to become
democratic, to "consolidate"...show more content...
The role of this assembly was to select citizens for public duties. Whereas key positions were selected through election, other public duties were decided
by lottery. Although this is the first record attempt of democracy, many of the ideas of that time have been ignored, when talking about modern
democratic governments. Concomitant with the Athenian system, in the city of Rome popular government was introduced as well, albeit under a
different name, respublica (from "res" В– thing and "publicus" В– public). Consequently the republic was similar with Greek demokratia. At the
beginning only aristocrats or patricians were allowed to participate at the governing act, but "after much struggle the common people [В….] also
gained entry" (Dahl, 1998: 13). Only male patricians, later lower castes as well, were able to govern, meaning that women, same as in Athens, were
denied any political rights. Starting as a city–state, the Roman Republic conquered territories far beyond its initial borders and gave Roman citizenship
to the conquered people. Even though this system might seem sturdy, the impossibility to adjust the institutions of popular government to the
increasing number of citizens and the ever–growing Republic is a major flaw. In order to exert their political rights, the conquered people turned into
Roman citizens had to participate in meetings in the city of Rome, a tedious and expensive effort, which corroborated with the increase in
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Democratic Political Systems
Democracy is typically known as a type of government that is ruled by the people. Active public participation in political matters, free and fair elections,
equality, and protection of basic human rights are at the core of democratic political systems. Individual citizens, organized groups and institutions,
elected officials and governmental bureaucracies all contribute to the democratic nature of these political systems, but the main power resides with the
people. There are generally two types of democracies: direct and representative. Both types of democratic systems have their own unique strengths and
weaknesses but the intended purpose for both is to protect the public and their interests. In addition to protecting public interest, democracies help
prevent the monopoly of authority, but the overall strength of a democratic political system lies with politically and socially educated citizens.
Protecting Public Interests The underlying principle of a democratic political system is that it is governed by the people. In that context, the strength of
democratic political system lies in protecting the public's interests regarding political, social, and economic issues. Three ways this protection can be
accomplished by public participation through voting, civil societies, and elected representation.
Voting
Public participation in the voting is one of the pillars of democracy. Citizens in democratic societies vote on important issues to
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Forms Of Democracy
What is Democracy?
A democracy is a system of government where the citizens have the right to elect government representatives who jointly create a government body for
the entire nation. In a democratic government, people have certain rights that the government can't take away from them; these rights are guaranteed.
The eight main forms of democracy are:
1. Direct democracy 2. Representative democracy 3. Presidential democracy
4. Parliamentary democracy 5. Authoritarian democracy 6. Participatory democracy 7. Islamic democracy
8. Social democracy
Direct Democracy – Direct democracy is when citizens vote for a policy directly. If the government needs to pass a law or policy, then it goes to the
people. The people place a vote on the issue and through their vote, they decide the fate of their country. When the country's population is small and
educated a direct democracy is a good idea. Switzerland has had an extensive history of very successful direct democracy. However, most countries
are too big so it makes it too complicated for a direct democracy to work. In these cases, people choose to elect representatives from their country on
their behalf, instead of voting on every issue.
Representative Democracy– Representative democracy is when the citizens choose to vote for who will represent them in a parliament. Its reputation
relies on defending the rights of most of the people in the state and also the minorities. Australia and New Zealand are examples of countries
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Definition Of American Democracy
American Democracy
It's hard to define something big as democracy in few short words, but president Abraham Lincoln does it best by defining democracy as a
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people" (Bleicherstrasse). The Merriam Webster Dictionary barely scratches the surface of what
democracy really means. It tries to define democracy as "a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting, a country ruled by
democracy, an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights", but democracy is so much more than that. For a
government to be considered true democracy it must support these four key elements "A political system for choosing and replacing the government
through free and fair elections, the active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life, protection of the human rights of all
citizens, a rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens" (Diamond, 2004). If we go by this definition of democracy than
America is not consider to be true democracy.
When we look at Merriam Webster Dictionary definition of Democracy, it's far from perfect. It tries to define democracy as "a form of government in
which people choose leaders by voting, a country ruled by democracy, and an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has
equal rights". By going with this definition it's hard to say the American political system is democratic when so many
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A Democratic Society Essay
A Democratic Society
Throughout time the debate upon which is the best system of government has been an ongoing debate. Somewhere between the realms of democracy,
socialism, fascism, communism, and monarchism lies the answer to the perfect system. Traditionally speaking, North America has always tried to
remain democratic in ruling. The democratic system, unlike it's alternatives, encourages equality and liberty among the people which in modern society,
makes it the most attractive system of government today.
Arguably, equality is the goal of many governments today. But what one must realize is that equality cannot be reached without giving someone else
inequality. While democracy influences equality,...show more content...
Liberty is possibly the most important attribute in American and Canadian society. What people want is the ability to make their own decisions and
go about life with the freedom to do so. In a democratic society, people are able to voice their opinions to government and ultimately play an
important role in the make up and organization of society. To a new nation, these attributes of our society are quite attractive. Many new nations today
are making the switch to democratic government. The problem with this is that most of these nations have never been democratic before. Therefore,
new nations are having great difficulty because such a switch is not easily accomplished. To develop a democratic society it has taken some more
more than an entire century. These new nations tend to rush the change and in the end they become frustrated because such a switch is not as easily
accomplished as thought. The features of a modern democratic state are firstly a society dedicated to the preservation of rights and freedoms. From that,
a government system must adhere to developing a form of government which encompasses the values of a working society. In other words, a
government for the people, run by the people, and a system into which they have invested.
An excellent example of a nation that comprises the rights and freedoms of its people is Canada. As a nation we
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Democracy Essay examples
Democracy
When I think of the word democracy, I think of Government. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people
and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. This means that Government must protect the basic rights, or
liberties, of all people. This is the system of government that United States are base on.
The United States, Cuba, and Democracy
During the Clinton administration, the sentiment has been proclaimed on so many occasions by the president and other political leaders, and dutifully
reiterated by the media, that the thesis: "Cuba is the only non–democracy in the Western Hemisphere" is now nothing short of received...show more
content...
If, despite this record, the United States can insist that Cuba is the only "non–democracy" in the Western Hemisphere, we are left with the inescapable
conclusion that this thing called "democracy", as seen from the White House, may have little or nothing to do with many of our most cherished human
rights. Indeed, numerous pronouncements emanating from Washington officialdom over the years make plain that "democracy", at best, or at most,
is equated solely with elections and civil liberties. Not even jobs, food, and shelter are part of the equation. Thus, a nation with hordes of hungry,
homeless, untended sick, barely literate, unemployed, and/or tortured people, who have loved ones, are being disappeared and/or murdered with state
connivance, can be said to be living in a "democracy". Its literal Greek meaning of "rule of the people" implying that this is the kind of life the people
actually want –– provided that every two years or four years they have the right to go to a designated place and put an X next to the name of one or
another individual who promises to relieve their miserable condition. But who will, typically, do virtually nothing of the kind; and provided further that
in this society there is at least a certain minimum of freedom –– how much
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What Is Democracy In American Democracy

  • 1. What Is Democracy In American Democracy Democracies have been around for hundreds of years, dating back to before the word democracy was created by the ancient Greeks. Democracies give the citizens of the nation power and let them have a say so in politics. Also, the people have many freedoms guaranteed to them unlike other types of government. The people elect local, state, and national government officials. The local government deals with many different cases. State government shares most of its power with the national government. Lastly, the national government oversees all the smaller forms of government in the land. [Thesis] American Democracy fits the definition of democracy because the people are represented fairly through local, state, and national government. To begin, local government acts on behalf on specific areas known as counties, towns, or districts. We as the people vote on councilman to represent our county. The councilman vote on and determine how much money our schools can spend. They can also enact on our counties taxes. Local government can't pass or enforce laws that might put judgment on a much bigger area other than its own. We have a choice in who we vote for to make sure we are represented fairly. As a person who makes us a part of our county, district, or town. We all want the best for the next generation for our sons and daughters. The people who we vote on as our councilman decide that. What will our schools be like, if we will have technology for our children to use in Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 2. Democracy: An Analysis Essay Winston Churchill once remarked that "democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried". In agreement with his statement, this paper will examine the problems of democratic governments using specific examples, and compare it to the failure of fascist governments in Nazi Germany and Italy and communist governments in the Soviet Union and China. Theoretically, democracy is a stable form of government where power is in the hands of the people. In a democracy, people have the liberty to elect officials that best represent their interests, and political institutions exist as a result: Benjamin Constant argues in The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns that "true modern liberty is...show more content... During elections in countries with corrupt governments, for example, it has to be decided whether the guarantee of every individual's right to vote or who wins is more important. (Wong, Lecture, October 24) Moreover, deep divides continue to exist and separate groups in democratic countries by race, religion, language, and class, resulting in tension and, in some cases, oppression. Thus democracy, despite its emphasis on liberty, equality and plurality, can still be problematic. According to Andrew Janos, "the price of economic progress has been political turmoil". (Janos, pg. 21) If the Modernization Theory holds that countries tend to become more democratic the more they modernize, then political turmoil is to be expected in democracies. Certainly this can occur in both parliamentary and presidential systems: as Linz argues, the presidential system concentrates too much power on the president, resulting in "winner–take–all" politics (Linz, pg. 56) and the polarization of political parties. This is evident in the United States, where the president is elected separately and Congress is divided between the opposing Democrats and Republicans. Conversely, the parliamentary system in Britain, as well as that adapted by the former British colonies of Sri Lanka and Nigeria, has had its fair share of single–party hegemony and political abuse. (Horowitz, pg. 78) Democracy is therefore not a perfect form of government when put in practice, and much of its Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 3. Australian Democracy Research Essay on Democracy and Citizenship in Australia "Australia is an excellent example to the world of a democracy which values the participation of its citizens in all levels of government. Discuss" In this essay I will examine the development of Australian society and subsequent rights given to Australian citizens, thus addressing the guiding question as quoted at the top of the paper. Australia is run by a democratic system at all 3 levels of government (Federal, State and Local). Democracy means in Greek "rule by the governed". A democrary has key fundermentals that sustains that type of leadership. In a perfect democracy every citizen has equal accessible amount of power and freedom. In Australia everyone Australian...show more content... The Northern Territory Emergency Response was primarily initiated to give the aboriginal children a better and safer future. It is early days on this initiative, but this may be a starting point in addressing this imbalance in our society. Australia like many 1st world countries is experiencing an ageing workforce. Couples are having fewer children and later in their life, to assist couples the government has introduced a Baby Bonus payment, increase Child Care payments and has an immigration policy targeted to supplement the declining birth rate. This essay has outlined all the current positive aspects of Australian society, but we need to address the future and the sustainability of our environment for our grandchildren. The federal government is addressing this issue by introducing a carbon–trading scheme. This carbon trading scheme, where the tax on carbon producing goods and services go into a positive influence on the environment, for example planting trees. The Australian government is following leads by other countries in this circumstance. Australia may have its problems e.g Obesity problems, homeless persons, cost of housing. But these pale into insignificance when compared with issues faced by countries with civil wars and health epidemics (such as Aids in Africa). Australians give money to overseas charities, a great example of this was the tsunamis experienced South East Asia. Following this catastrophic event the Charity Organisations were
  • 4. Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 5. Why Democracy Robert Dahl Analysis Midterm Essay 2 Overtime, democracy in the United States has transformed. Throughout America's rich history, democracy has undergone several modifications due to the changing of certain institutions. The Greek words "demos" translates to people and "kratos" means power. Putting the two Greek words generates power to the people, which is the primary statute of democracy. Another definition is "Democracy...means a way of living together in which mutual and free consultation rule instead of force..." (Tozer, p.125). Democracy is government by consent, meaning that individuals in a democratic society will be free from coercive force and the right to individual freedom. Robert Dahl, a political theorists and professor, created criteria for democratic...show more content... Ferguson was a supreme court ruling that ruled "separate, but equal" was unconstitutional. Before, public segregation was legal and heavily abused in south. Plessy vs. Ferguson upheld this democratic practice "Only a democratic government can provide a maximum opportunity for persons to exercise the freedom of self–determination – that is, to live under laws of their choosing" (Dahl, p.60). Obliviously, African Americans in the past did not have the freedom of self–determination because Whites determined where to sit, where to drink, and where to eat. The government cannot guarantee its citizens to be happy, but it can provide its citizens to have individual freedom to express themselves. Women's suffrage was a movement that fought off sexism and years of oppression. Women did not get the right to vote until 1920, with the 19th amendment. Women in early American have been oppressed since the colonization of North America. African Americans were granted to right to vote before women. Like the 15th amendment, this violated equal voting and Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 6. Does Democracy Work? Democracy: a government by the people, in which citizens rule either directly or through elected representatives – the latter description more relevant to today's societies. Quite evidently, democracy is not perfect; like any other political system, it is subject to a plethora of flaws. For instance, it is no secret that voters tend to make illogical decisions – not out of sheer malice, but as a result of being wrongly informed. Politicians also make erroneous choices, whether they do so because they are dishonest or simply out of touch with the true will of their constituents. Further, anyone who has studied the government of a parliamentary democracy knows gerrymandering can have a powerful say in determining elections. Despite these and...show more content... Allowing citizens to choose whether or not they vote, a practice restricted in certain democracies like Australia, can diminish the percentage of people who vote based on pure passion. Also, it is to be noted that citizens vote based on self–interest, and because governments aim to please the majority of their citizens, having everyone vote is a helpful tool in determining what would benefit the majority of people. No matter how flawed, regular elections aid in the production of a variety of consequences that, albeit unintuitive at times, can be beneficial. Having mass involvement in elections creates a form of psychological pressure on both voters and politicians; without intending to, they allow everyone to have a voice, which results in voters feeling a pressure to be more involved citizens, and in politicians feeling a pressure to be more effective leaders. In the case that politicians do not live up to the ideals and criteria they were chosen for, a merit of democracy is that it allows the citizenry to punish these officials – not necessarily through extreme forms like impeachment, but perhaps by simply electing someone else in the forthcoming election. While, as previously addressed, not all participants in the election process vote based on truthful information, some citizens do. It must be remembered that not only those in authority Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 7. We The People: What Is A Democracy? What is a democracy? When the founding fathers had written the final draft of the constitution, they included the words in large print, "We the People" (U.S. Const. pmbl.). A democracy is a system of government in which all the power automatically goes to the people. The people are the ones who vote for presidential candidates, legislators, and even laws. However, there has been a deterioration in voter turn outs since the onset of the 20th century. Typically, educated people between the ages of 45 years old and up are the majority of citizens who vote. This sits well with politicians because there are less people to please. Some may say that their voices do not matter when it comes to government and politics, and in response engage in nonparticipation. Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 8. Democracy Essay : What Is Democracy? What is democracy? To me democracy is the freedom to choose how your country is run. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, it defines democracy as government by the people1. Democracy gives us the freedom to choose our government officials and political leaders. We have the right to choose our leaders and the way we live when many others do not have that power. We are privileged as a country; many aspire to be like us. Our country through democracy, gives us the opportunity to live life how we would like to. This idea is known as the American Dream, which is different for everyone. The American Dream is most commonly depicted as a good job, making good money, a spouse and children, and living a good life in general. Outsiders may think the grass is greener on the other side, but in reality it is not. Our country is going downhill and fast. In ten years I do not know where the U.S. will be, but I hope that we will become stronger and figure out our faults now as a whole. In many ways, I see our freedoms have expanded, but only to be replaced with new rules that blockade those new freedoms. In the past couple of decades our country has changed so much. Even more has changed in the past century. Slavery has been frowned upon and thrown out, the equal rights movement took place and showed that we are all equal at the end of the day. With that being said, there are still some that ridicule others and their races, and believe that they are superior to the others. Some Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 9. Democracy Essay Beginning in the early 1600's, America received a flood of emigrants seeking religious freedom, an escape from political oppression and economic gains. The emergence of Democracy in colonial America can be attributed to the coming about of several institutions and documents. During this time there were governing bodies, which presided over certain colonies, but no unified system. Many of the laws and freedoms that we possess in America today were established based on the trials and the statutes that were created because of them. The John Peter Zenger trial is a prime example of how a trial established a well–known statute of freedom of the press. The General School Act of 1647 was the origin of modern education laws and the Maryland...show more content... In Connecticut, in 1639 the Fundamental Orders were established as the plan of government. New England towns also began to grow larger, and so most of them began to hold town meetings in which local issues could be discussed, which is very similar to our modern local governments. Virginia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut all had very similar governments, each with a constitution, a governor, and a representative assembly, much like the US Government today. Our government also guarantees many rights and freedoms, which had their origins in colonial America. Some first amendment rights such as freedom of the press and freedom of religion were first established during colonial America. The John Peter Zenger trial in the 1730's helped foster the idea of freedom of the press. Zenger was the publisher of a New York Newspaper, in which he published articles criticizing the governor of New York. He went to trial, but was acquitted based on the fact that what he printed was true. This case also helped form the political belief in the United States that citizens have the right to criticize the government. The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, although it did not bring about complete religious freedom, did establish a basis for today's first amendment right of freedom of religion. It was created by the politically powerful Catholics in Maryland to provide protection Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 10. American Democracy Essays American Democracy The American democracy is one of the most peaceful kinds of government in the world although it is a long way from utopia. The democracy in which we live has many strengths and weaknesses. Neither strengths or weaknesses out weigh one another, but it is necessary to have both due to the varying definitions. A democracy is a government that is run by the people. The politicians that we elect to run our government are human and they are susceptible to mistakes based on their own strengths and weaknesses. The strengths and weaknesses they possess are reflected into our government but at least "we the people" elect them and they are not chosen for us. We live in a representative democracy that means "we the people"...show more content... It is kind of like a relationship, you tend to remember the bad more than the good. The same applies to campaigning. When some of us go to the ballot box we remember certain commercials either on the television or radio. And nine times out of ten, we remember the negative commercials over the positive. The campaigns are suppose to educate us and negative campaigns is not a good way to do that. The positive campaigns are the ones that should educate us. Positive campaigns promote "the will of the people." The "will of the people" want trust, security, someone they can relate to. But with positive campaigns there is a drawback, it costs more money. Now you have those people who want to reform campaign finance. They feel we already spend too much money on campaigning. If you have the money supporting you, then you should be allowed to spend the money in whatever way it best suits your campaigning. More money does not mean a victory, just ask Ross Perot. More money could mean more positive campaigns and better education about the politicians for "we the people." Some people feel we should let the newspapers and media inform us about candidates, but the media is the worst critic of all. Journalists are paid big bucks to see who can find the dirtiest secret one person has done. So, what positive influences could the media possibly provide to us? Our media in this country is out of control and they inform us of issues we do not need to know about. While
  • 11. Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 12. Democracy Is A Democratic Institution? While discussing what democracy is, Dahl arrives at the conclusion that every member of an association that is to be seen as a democracy should be politically equal to everyone, he states that there should be a political procedure, which requires five principles: Effective participation (All members of the association should have equal and effective opportunities to make their voice heard before policy changes are decided upon), Voting equality (No one should have a vote that counts more than someone else's vote), Enlightened understanding (Each member should have the same opportunity to learn about relevant alternative policies and what they may bring), Control of the agenda (The members should have equal opportunity to choose which matters that are to be placed on the policy agenda), Inclusion of adults (All adult residents should have the rights implied by the first four criteria). Taking into consideration the above definition of democracy by Dahl, can it be said that the European Union (EU) is a democratic institution? The EU has gone through different Treaties in order to achieve democratic legitimacy. This includes the Treaties of Amsterdam (1997), Nice (2001), the "unsuccessful" Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe (2004), and the Treaty of Lisbon (2007). The last two treaties, stirred open debates around Europe, with critics claiming that the treaties will channel a way for an unelected European super–state, while at the same time, defenders argued that it Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 13. Democracy And The Benefits Of Democracy The world is changing, and right now there is a great amount of tension between many of the countries. So how do we solve all of this tension? A democratic government protects the rights of its citizens creating a society where everyone works together to improve the country economically, politically and socially. Before one can begin to discuss the merits of democracy, one must first answer the question what is democracy? In his essay on democracy, Robert Dahl explains how democracy cannot exist without protecting the rights of its citizens. Democracy is more than a system of government, it is also a "system of rights" because rights are "the essential building blocks" of a democratic government (Dahl 100). Democracy builds off of the idea of human rights to create a system of government shaped around a collection of powers which belong to every citizen. Because rights provide the foundation for the democratic system, it cannot be practiced without providing a guarantee of personal rights. Cornel West illustrates how democracy is more than just a type of government, it is a way of life which benefits its citizens. Democracy is a "cultural way of being" which causes people to become "empowered and enlightened" (West 115–16). Democracy changes the way that its citizens think, in democratic societies the culture is based largely around how democracy is beneficial. The cultural influence of democracy causes a change in its citizens– they develop into more sophisticated Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 14. Democracy Essay Democracy In the 2000 presidential election, less than 59% of our population saw fit to even vote. 80.5% of those voting were white, that's roughly 60% of the white population. Of the meager 19.5% of the vote the non–white population represented, less than 51% of non–whites able to vote actually did (Census). What does this mean? How can democracy – a republic like ours – correctly function without a more complete representation of opinion from its people? Former UCLA Law professor Julian Eule argued in his essay "Judicial Review of Direct Democracy" that the framers of our constitution set up the republic to in effect protect us from ourselves, to protect us from this sort of majority rule.(Eule) I believe that this misrepresentation...show more content... If the opinions of the people are not reflected by the leader they voted into office, so too may his appointees. By not offsetting the extremist votes with the statistically more moderate vote of the general populace, extremists are allowed into office to affect their possibly racist ideas upon the public. Does this rift in the voting population and the legislators themselves necissarily cause the racist legislation and election of racist legislators? Even the nature of proposed equal rights legislation such as affirmative action and its likes are a point of contention. Supported officially by the NAACP and its likes, affirmative action has been largely argued as a positive step toward civil equality, it has also been argued that "affirmative action programs [are] discrimination in disguise."(CNN) The NAACP and ACLU, however, argue that the scope of affirmative action is simply too small to be effective and thus appears discriminatory in nature. Due to the nature of the issue and the voting habits of the public, the protection of minority rights cannot be necissarily guaranteed. Evidence of this can be seen even here in texas, where former Governor Bush's policies (in a state with a 29% minority population) caused a 35% decrease in minority admissions to the UT Law program.(ACLU)"The President loves to opine about his 'commitment to racial justice' but, at practically every turn, he Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 15. Democracy And Its Impact On Democracy Democracy is a particular form of government the means, "ruled by the people". The Greeks are widely credited for the concept of democracy, around six B.C. Many political science experts consider the early Greek government, to be a perfect for of democracy. People had the ability to decide various government issues, and the right to suffrage. Through out time, the concept of democracy was established by many nations. The United States, is widely credited on making democracy widely used around the world. The democracy we know here in the United States, was not fully defined until the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly during the time the United States Declaration of Independence was implemented, followed by the U.S Constitution. The term democracy, evolved to mean a structured government. The separation of powers, religious freedom, provide basic civil rights, and the separation of church and state. Modern American democracy consist of elected officials, that represents the people. Rather than, the people represents themselves. Members of the U.S Congress (House of Representatives and Senators) represent the people, by tackling various national issues. Since the 1950's, America has successfully propagated the democratic form of government the states of the world. Democracy consist of six principles: Rule of law (no one is above the law, including the creator). According to Stephenson, Matthew. "Rule of Law as a Goal of Development Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 16. Dahl, on Democracy Essay Democracy has become the most widespread political form of government during the past decade, after the fall of all its alternatives. During the second part of the 20th century, the 3 main enemies of democracy, namely communism, fascism and Nazism, lost most of their power and influence. However, democracy is still only to be found in less than half of this world's countries. China with a fifth of the total population "had never experienced a democratic government" and Russia still doesn't have a well established democracy. By adopting a democratic perspective, 3 types of governments emerge, non–democratic, new democracies, and old democracies, and all have a different challenge to overcome: either to become democratic, to "consolidate"...show more content... The role of this assembly was to select citizens for public duties. Whereas key positions were selected through election, other public duties were decided by lottery. Although this is the first record attempt of democracy, many of the ideas of that time have been ignored, when talking about modern democratic governments. Concomitant with the Athenian system, in the city of Rome popular government was introduced as well, albeit under a different name, respublica (from "res" В– thing and "publicus" В– public). Consequently the republic was similar with Greek demokratia. At the beginning only aristocrats or patricians were allowed to participate at the governing act, but "after much struggle the common people [В….] also gained entry" (Dahl, 1998: 13). Only male patricians, later lower castes as well, were able to govern, meaning that women, same as in Athens, were denied any political rights. Starting as a city–state, the Roman Republic conquered territories far beyond its initial borders and gave Roman citizenship to the conquered people. Even though this system might seem sturdy, the impossibility to adjust the institutions of popular government to the increasing number of citizens and the ever–growing Republic is a major flaw. In order to exert their political rights, the conquered people turned into Roman citizens had to participate in meetings in the city of Rome, a tedious and expensive effort, which corroborated with the increase in Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 17. Democratic Political Systems Democracy is typically known as a type of government that is ruled by the people. Active public participation in political matters, free and fair elections, equality, and protection of basic human rights are at the core of democratic political systems. Individual citizens, organized groups and institutions, elected officials and governmental bureaucracies all contribute to the democratic nature of these political systems, but the main power resides with the people. There are generally two types of democracies: direct and representative. Both types of democratic systems have their own unique strengths and weaknesses but the intended purpose for both is to protect the public and their interests. In addition to protecting public interest, democracies help prevent the monopoly of authority, but the overall strength of a democratic political system lies with politically and socially educated citizens. Protecting Public Interests The underlying principle of a democratic political system is that it is governed by the people. In that context, the strength of democratic political system lies in protecting the public's interests regarding political, social, and economic issues. Three ways this protection can be accomplished by public participation through voting, civil societies, and elected representation. Voting Public participation in the voting is one of the pillars of democracy. Citizens in democratic societies vote on important issues to Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 18. Forms Of Democracy What is Democracy? A democracy is a system of government where the citizens have the right to elect government representatives who jointly create a government body for the entire nation. In a democratic government, people have certain rights that the government can't take away from them; these rights are guaranteed. The eight main forms of democracy are: 1. Direct democracy 2. Representative democracy 3. Presidential democracy 4. Parliamentary democracy 5. Authoritarian democracy 6. Participatory democracy 7. Islamic democracy 8. Social democracy Direct Democracy – Direct democracy is when citizens vote for a policy directly. If the government needs to pass a law or policy, then it goes to the people. The people place a vote on the issue and through their vote, they decide the fate of their country. When the country's population is small and educated a direct democracy is a good idea. Switzerland has had an extensive history of very successful direct democracy. However, most countries are too big so it makes it too complicated for a direct democracy to work. In these cases, people choose to elect representatives from their country on their behalf, instead of voting on every issue. Representative Democracy– Representative democracy is when the citizens choose to vote for who will represent them in a parliament. Its reputation relies on defending the rights of most of the people in the state and also the minorities. Australia and New Zealand are examples of countries Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 19. Definition Of American Democracy American Democracy It's hard to define something big as democracy in few short words, but president Abraham Lincoln does it best by defining democracy as a "Government of the people, by the people, for the people" (Bleicherstrasse). The Merriam Webster Dictionary barely scratches the surface of what democracy really means. It tries to define democracy as "a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting, a country ruled by democracy, an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights", but democracy is so much more than that. For a government to be considered true democracy it must support these four key elements "A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections, the active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life, protection of the human rights of all citizens, a rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens" (Diamond, 2004). If we go by this definition of democracy than America is not consider to be true democracy. When we look at Merriam Webster Dictionary definition of Democracy, it's far from perfect. It tries to define democracy as "a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting, a country ruled by democracy, and an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights". By going with this definition it's hard to say the American political system is democratic when so many Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 20. A Democratic Society Essay A Democratic Society Throughout time the debate upon which is the best system of government has been an ongoing debate. Somewhere between the realms of democracy, socialism, fascism, communism, and monarchism lies the answer to the perfect system. Traditionally speaking, North America has always tried to remain democratic in ruling. The democratic system, unlike it's alternatives, encourages equality and liberty among the people which in modern society, makes it the most attractive system of government today. Arguably, equality is the goal of many governments today. But what one must realize is that equality cannot be reached without giving someone else inequality. While democracy influences equality,...show more content... Liberty is possibly the most important attribute in American and Canadian society. What people want is the ability to make their own decisions and go about life with the freedom to do so. In a democratic society, people are able to voice their opinions to government and ultimately play an important role in the make up and organization of society. To a new nation, these attributes of our society are quite attractive. Many new nations today are making the switch to democratic government. The problem with this is that most of these nations have never been democratic before. Therefore, new nations are having great difficulty because such a switch is not easily accomplished. To develop a democratic society it has taken some more more than an entire century. These new nations tend to rush the change and in the end they become frustrated because such a switch is not as easily accomplished as thought. The features of a modern democratic state are firstly a society dedicated to the preservation of rights and freedoms. From that, a government system must adhere to developing a form of government which encompasses the values of a working society. In other words, a government for the people, run by the people, and a system into which they have invested. An excellent example of a nation that comprises the rights and freedoms of its people is Canada. As a nation we Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 21. Democracy Essay examples Democracy When I think of the word democracy, I think of Government. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. This means that Government must protect the basic rights, or liberties, of all people. This is the system of government that United States are base on. The United States, Cuba, and Democracy During the Clinton administration, the sentiment has been proclaimed on so many occasions by the president and other political leaders, and dutifully reiterated by the media, that the thesis: "Cuba is the only non–democracy in the Western Hemisphere" is now nothing short of received...show more content... If, despite this record, the United States can insist that Cuba is the only "non–democracy" in the Western Hemisphere, we are left with the inescapable conclusion that this thing called "democracy", as seen from the White House, may have little or nothing to do with many of our most cherished human rights. Indeed, numerous pronouncements emanating from Washington officialdom over the years make plain that "democracy", at best, or at most, is equated solely with elections and civil liberties. Not even jobs, food, and shelter are part of the equation. Thus, a nation with hordes of hungry, homeless, untended sick, barely literate, unemployed, and/or tortured people, who have loved ones, are being disappeared and/or murdered with state connivance, can be said to be living in a "democracy". Its literal Greek meaning of "rule of the people" implying that this is the kind of life the people actually want –– provided that every two years or four years they have the right to go to a designated place and put an X next to the name of one or another individual who promises to relieve their miserable condition. But who will, typically, do virtually nothing of the kind; and provided further that in this society there is at least a certain minimum of freedom –– how much Get more content on HelpWriting.net