This document discusses different concepts and events related to democracy including definitions, ideologies, important historical events, models of democracy, and variables that influence democratic systems. It also examines debates around topics like globalization, the role of markets and states, and whether Marx would agree with economists like Friedman and Hayek on issues related to capitalism and socialism.
The Barrier of Establishing Democracy in BangladeshIwate University
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The Barrier of Establishing Democracy in Bangladesh
The term democracy is derived from the Greek words, demos and Kratos, the former meaning the people and the latter power. Democracy thus means power of the people. It is now regarded as a form of government in which the people rule themselves either directly or indirectly through their representatives. In the words of President Abraham Lincoln, âDemocracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the peopleâ. According to Bryce, âDemocracy is that form of government in which the ruling power of a state is legally vested, not in any particular class or classes but in the members of the community as a wholeâ.
But what is the present status of democracy in our country???..
We have passed about forty-one years since independence but our achievements in the spheres of democracy and development are not noteworthy. In Bangladesh every political leader or party, civil or military, popular or unpopular, big or small, in or out of power, talks about democratic incessantly. Even so the nation has failed to put it into practice. Parties voted into power to strengthen democracy have all failed to encourage its values. Taking advantage of this situation, military leaders intervened to practice their own version of democracy, which only exacerbated the crisis. The country today is riddle with numerous problems threatening the very development of democracy.
What is the reason for this???..
The Barrier of Establishing Democracy in BangladeshIwate University
Â
The Barrier of Establishing Democracy in Bangladesh
The term democracy is derived from the Greek words, demos and Kratos, the former meaning the people and the latter power. Democracy thus means power of the people. It is now regarded as a form of government in which the people rule themselves either directly or indirectly through their representatives. In the words of President Abraham Lincoln, âDemocracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the peopleâ. According to Bryce, âDemocracy is that form of government in which the ruling power of a state is legally vested, not in any particular class or classes but in the members of the community as a wholeâ.
But what is the present status of democracy in our country???..
We have passed about forty-one years since independence but our achievements in the spheres of democracy and development are not noteworthy. In Bangladesh every political leader or party, civil or military, popular or unpopular, big or small, in or out of power, talks about democratic incessantly. Even so the nation has failed to put it into practice. Parties voted into power to strengthen democracy have all failed to encourage its values. Taking advantage of this situation, military leaders intervened to practice their own version of democracy, which only exacerbated the crisis. The country today is riddle with numerous problems threatening the very development of democracy.
What is the reason for this???..
it is good for the college and school students who wants to describe the basic terms of democracy aspects why it is necessary, kinds of democracy, devices of direct democracy merits and demerits etc
it is good for the college and school students who wants to describe the basic terms of democracy aspects why it is necessary, kinds of democracy, devices of direct democracy merits and demerits etc
Every industrial revolution had its pluses and minuses. The fourth industrial revolution has its own dark side. It's up to the global thought, business, and government leaders to minimize them.
Explaining the rise of anxiety, discomfort, and stress over the fourth industrial revolution, which represents the dawn of another significant era that will revolutionize our civilization to the same degree as the first two revolutions. The first two revolutions took humans away from the agrarian lifestyle and launched the industrial era and lifestyle. 4IR will have the same impact as we are entering an era of high tech. It's called The Digital Era, but it's more than that.
2. Ideologies
⢠Democracy or the Free Market?
⢠Communism: Stalinism, Revisionism,
Eurocommunism or Marxism?
⢠Islam: Sunni, Shia, Shariat or Secular?
⢠Anti-colonialism, Neo-colonialism
⢠Feminism
⢠Trotskyism, Anarchism and terrorism
3. What is Democracy?
⢠Regular, contested elections
⢠Alternation of Governments
⢠Rule of Law
⢠freedoms: speech, association press, etc.
⢠pluralism/polycentrism/civil society
⢠Privacy
⢠Separation of powers/checks and
balances
4. Important events
⢠Death of Socrates: Plato blames democracy
[399BC]
⢠The Roman Republic [SPQR]
⢠Anglo-saxon and Viking ideas of warrior
community [Dark Ages]
⢠Magna Carta 1215
⢠Glorious Revolution 1688
⢠American Revolution 1776
⢠French Revolution 1789
5. âModernâ Events
⢠Chartists and 6 demands:
⢠Universal Suffrage [well, male]
⢠Equal electoral districts
⢠Payment for MPs
⢠Abolition of property qual. For MPs
⢠Vote by ballot
⢠Annual parliaments
6. Even more modern events
⢠Struggle for decolonisation
⢠Russian revolution 1917
⢠Chinese protracted revolution
⢠Globalisation
⢠United Nations
⢠European Union
⢠Collapse of Communism and Westphalian
settlement
⢠Idea of Universal Human rights
7. What sort of democracy?
⢠Participative
⢠Peopleâs Democracy
⢠Representative
⢠Liberal
⢠Free market?
⢠Eurocommunist?
⢠Totalitarian /Rousseau-style General will
⢠Fabian one-party
9. Variables
⢠Electoral system and party system
⢠monarchy or republic
⢠uni- or bi-cameral
⢠fusion of executive and legislature
⢠separation of powers
⢠President and prime minister: 4th or 5th
Rep
⢠ministers in or out of Assembly
10. Choosing a system 1:
legislature and executive
⢠Presidential or parliamentary?
⢠British model?
⢠US model?
⢠French 4th Republic?
⢠French 5th Republic?
⢠Other European?
⢠Asian?
11. Choosing 2: electoral system
⢠PR or first past the post?
⢠Constituency size: whole country, German
model or multi-member?
⢠Qualification for representation: what
proportion of electorate?
⢠How do we want to fix the result? CPs
thought single-member constituencies
would benefit them. Turned out differently.
12. Choosing 3: Presidents
⢠Direct or indirect election?
⢠How much power?
⢠Relationship with Prime Minister
⢠Can Prexy dissolve Assembly?
14. Marx [or was it Engels?]
⢠âThe state will wither
awayâ
⢠Was this the state as
âexecutive committee
of the bourgeoisieâ?
⢠Or as an instrument
of class oppression?
⢠Or did he really mean
what anarchists
mean?
15. Globalisation
⢠Are we moving to a
single global market?
⢠Does that mean
forget national and
regional markets?
⢠And does that
demand global
governance, rather
than regional or
national?
16. Would Marx agree with
Friedman and Hayek?
⢠Capitalism is supposed to create the
conditions necessary for socialism
⢠The revolution is an international one
⢠So capitalism must presumably create an
international state for the proletariat to
overthrow.
⢠âMan creates his own history but in
conditions not of his own choosingâ
⢠So F and H may be friends of Karl!
17. Friedrich Hayek
⢠Austrian, 1899-1992
⢠Chicago after 1950. Previously at LSE
⢠Anti-Keynesian/ free market economist
⢠Law Legislation and Liberty 3 vols 1973-9
Keith Joseph gave a copy to all civil
servants in DTI when he became sec of
state in 1979
18. Milton Friedman
⢠New Yorker 1912-
⢠Theoretical Economist
⢠Monetarist
⢠founder of âChicago Schoolâ
⢠Governments should not intervene in the
workings of the market
⢠Studies in the Quantity Theory of Money
19. The Market
⢠Hayek
⢠recognises the
existence of market
failure
⢠specifically to provide
collective goods
⢠Friedman
⢠that the market can
be relied upon
⢠to generate not only
the best world but the
best of all possible
worlds
20. Fairness and Justice
⢠Hayek: the market
and therefore
inequality is
justifiable
⢠individuals do not
deserve their lot
⢠market can be cruel
and unfair: hard
work and bright
ideas not always
rewarded
⢠money is not a
⢠Friedman
⢠the distribtion of
income found in a
capitalist society is
just
⢠in that it reflects the
different talents
abilities and efforts
of the people in that
society
21. The State
⢠Hayek
⢠state has a role in
licensing
⢠quality must be
guaranteed
⢠services must be
contracted out
⢠Friedman
⢠State should be kept
to a minimum
⢠market will guarantee
quality
⢠services must be
privatised
22. Issues
⢠Pollution
⢠Can government prevent deforestation?
⢠The safety-net
⢠caveat emptor?
⢠How do you form an army?
⢠Or: if the state no longer has a monopoly
of coercive force, is it a state?
23. In conclusion
⢠Is the nation state withering away?
⢠Is Marx about to make a come-back?
⢠Is there an era of regional superstates
around the corner, or a world state?
⢠Or is the term âstateâ redundant?
⢠âThe executive committee of the global
corporationsâ what will it look like and what
power will it have?
