Is Democracy the Right Thing For All Nations? No, Democracy is Not Right For All Nations.
Merriam-Webster defines the word Democracy as a government by the people, rule of the majority, a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. It is a government designed for the peoples choice for their ruling of themselves and others within their community or even nation over political, economic, and matters for the well being of their survival. A democracy is a great thing that can be perfected with a perfect nation, unfortunately a perfect nation is as hard to build and come by as a banana
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Robert Kagan, from "Democracies and Double Standards" states that “democracy has taken root in many nations that never had it before, in large measure due to American intervention, with desirable consequences for American security and prosperity.”(336) Kagan also asks “Can anyone doubt that the spread of democracy has been a good thing for the world?”(338) The answer is yes, yes we can doubt that the influence of America on third-world countries with the adaptation of democracy has been a good thing. The nations who have adopted this form of government are not strong enough, not developed enough, not economically adequate for the standard that a democracy entails. As Robert D. Kaplan, influential writer of “Was Democracy Just a Moment?” and educated scholar at the University of Connecticut explains “In this respect, democracy sets a high standard that many nations may not be able to meet.”(337) The economy has to be good enough to withstand a democracy. In most cases, the economy of these third-world countries cant even hold the straw that broke the camels back let alone the entire famished weight of its own people. These countries, at this moment in time, do not with have the education or economic cultivation needed to survive “successfully” in a democracy. They are used to being told what to do and how much to eat and what to wear so it would be a total atomic culture shock to be transformed into a full democracy. A
Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, and is one with representative institutions and a rule of law.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Democracy is defined as a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. This definition is accurate in
Democracy for many years has been trumpeted and hailed by many as the best way a government can truly reflect, respect and represent her citizens. Having a great deal
Democracy and respect for human rights have long been central pieces of U.S. foreign policy. Supporting democracy not only promotes such American values as religious freedom and worker rights, but also helps create a more secure, stable, and prosperous global arena in which the United States can advance its national interests. In addition, democracy is the one national interest that helps to secure all the others. Democratically governed nations are more likely to secure the peace, deter aggression, expand open markets, promote economic development, protect American citizens, combat international terrorism and crime, uphold human and worker rights, avoid humanitarian crises and refugee flows, improve the global environment, and help human
Democracy, as it is used today, means “ the people rule.” A democracy is a form of government ruled by the people of the country through elections and representation. A democracy is really a form of republic known as a democratic republic. A republic is a government where officials elected by a small group of people that make the important decisions.
According to a survey on Debate.org, 20% of the people that voted say the United States has a moral obligation to promote democracy. The remaining 80% say that the United States does not have that obligation because, “the world can decide for itself.” I also agree, I feel like our government is not responsible for other countries, let alone the whole world. Our government should worry about its people first. Not every country shares the share belief, nor do they want to. “The effort
Democracy is the freedom for the citizens to be a part of the governments decisions. Although many do not like the decisions made within a democracy they do not understand that they are part of the reason why they are living with the laws or rules that they have within a country. While democracy was first brought about by the Greeks many Americans wanted to live within a democracy because they had the idea that being under a democratic government was going to make their lives better because they could put their say within the laws and rules made. As the Britannic Library explains “The Greeks were also the first people to think about the nature and value of democracy in a logical and systematic way.”
Second, I completely agree with Berman’s arguments. A stable democracy is not going to happen over night. Democracy takes time. Look at the United States as an example. Yes, we are a democracy (or a Republic), but that does not mean that this country did not go through some hard times to get to where we are. In the beginning, we were apart of the British empire. Then after a lot of unrest will the British monarchy, its legislation, the quartering of troops within homes, etc. the colonists fought a war to gain its independence. Still the hardships did not end there. Our country broke apart because of its difference and had to fight another battle to
As Mahatma Ghandi once said: “I understand democracy as something that gives the weak the same chance as the strong”.
A democracy is a government by the people, in which the power is vested in the people themselves. The people then elect representatives who conduct their power in a free electoral system. The Declaration of Independence, which says that all men are created equal, was written on the premise of a democracy.
We must question to what extent democracy relies on external factors of stability in order to be accepted as legitimate. I would very much argue that the wealth and stable economy of each democratic country plays a large part in its citizens accepting democracy as a legitimate governmental system. Let us first look at the UK, Britain has always had a strong democratic nature to the country and relies on the electorate to vote for the MP’S in the House of Commons. However in late 2010 the London riots shocked the world and showed how the legitimacy of democracy relies on prosperity of the economic situation of a country and when this does not exist it creates a social backlash devaluing the legitimacy of the democracy. Similarly grease one of the oldest democracies in the world has also felt this effect and now the government there has all but collapsed all due the financial support of the democracy failing sending the country into mass chaos.
Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Democracy allows eligible citizens to participate equally—either directly or through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. It encompasses social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination.
Democracy is considered as a peaceful entity and the world without war. American president Woodrow Wilson, for example, believes that democracy is inherently peace desiring and consequently contributes to the world peace, replacing war-like political regime (Gat, 2006). Democracy is a system of government, consisted of four key elements. Firstly, it is a means of choosing the leaders of the citizens and replacing the government, if they do not achieve their commitments, through free and fair election. Secondly, people actively participate in the public and civic life in democracy. Democracy depends on the participation of the citizens, and it must be peaceful, respectful of the law, and tolerant of the different views of other groups and individuals. Thirdly, every individual has the certain rights, which the state cannot take away from him or herself in democracy. In other words, the human rights of all citizens is protected by the democracy. Finally, democracy is a system of rule by laws, not by individuals, and the rule of law protects the rights of citizens, maintains order, and limits the power of government. Every person is equal under the law (Barkawi and Laffey, 2001). Further, Democracy is largely supported by liberal thinkers such as John Locke and Immanuel Kant, and liberalism is the main theory, which supports democracy and identifies the crucial aspects of democracy.
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
Finally, democracy is the best form of government thus far because it is susceptible to change. The role of high courts, and equal rights makes change possible. For example, if the majority impedes on a minority groups’ rights, over time, the legislature will adjust, enumerating those who were previously attacked. Overall, democracy makes the necessary refinements needed to keep up with societal developments.