...(A) What is a government? The word "government" is defined by the oxford English dictionary like: “the group of people with the authority to govern a country or state; a particular ministry in office”. A government is a very useful tool for organize the human society, because we need an orden system that manages all the efforts of the same for their own benefit and prosperity. The origin of the government lies in the State. In the beginnings, the human’s societies were small and were governed by the law of the stronger. If you could protect your properties, or even rob other, which would be fine because that was the normative. This is the state of nature, or what we call "Natural Law", where people organize themselves around self-sufficiency and self-interest, as well as self-survival. But, when the societies grew, became intolerable this type of behaviors. In a scenario where there is a government, people are organized in a society with rules or laws which govern their conduct. The state was created to protect the physical and material integrity of the members of a society. (B) Utility and functions of a government organized. In the human history, have existed many types of government, and some have been better than others, regarding the division of property and justice among different social strata comprising citizens who form the state, but all have been "organized" in one way or another. From my perspective, an organized government works as a social regulator, handing...
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...Sellis American & Wyo Government Dudley November 12, 2011 How Democratic is the American Constitution Summary Robert Dahl explains in the beginning of the book that he is not proposing changes in the American Constitution, but suggests changes in the way we think about our constitution. In this essay, I will explain the history of this American constitution, what Dahl suggests about the American Constitution, and my opinion about this book. In the history of the United States, there are two factors that mark its constitutional history. For one thing, the rights of citizens were organized through limits to power, linked to a libertarian conception of liberal viewpoint. For another, the original structure of the constitution is influenced by the fear of the "framers" to a popular majority government could oppress the rights acquired as Alexis de Tocqueville considered that the democratic government incorporated elements that endure to this undemocratic, preventing the formation of compromise. The result of this misunderstanding between democracy and fundamental rights did not allow equality. The author acknowledges the obstacles to achieving political equality are related to institutional distortion and sacred morals of citizenship to the constitutional system, which increase the distortion and hope, are two obstacles to any reform. The focus of their criticism revolves around the unequal representation in the Senate. The tension between the need and right to get over...
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...TO WHICH EXTENT DOES PARTY-LIST PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION PROVIDE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF MINORITIES IN BENIN, GUINEA-BISSAU AND NAMIBIA? Pavel Pylypcuk, Alexandra Sidorova Aalborg University 2014 Table of contents 1. Introduction 3 I. PART 5 2. Electoral system 5 2.1. Types of electoral system 6 2.2. Proportional representation 6 2.3. Party-list proportional representation 7 II. PART 8 3. Structure of case studies 8 4. Benin 9 4.1. Historical introduction and the electoral system 9 4.2. Elections to National Assembly in years 1991-2007 10 4.3. Political parties in Benin: profile, electorate and interactions 11 4.4. Conclusion 12 5. Guinea-Bissau 13 5.1. Historical introduction and the electoral system 13 5.2. Elections to National People's Assembly in years 1994-2008 14 5.3. Political parties in Guinea-Bissau: profile, electorate and interactions 15 5.4. The electoral process in Guinea-Bissau 16 5.5. Conclusion 17 6. Namibia 18 6.1. Historical introduction and the electoral system 18 6.2. Elections to National Assembly in years 1989-2009 19 6.3. Political parties in Namibia: profile, electorate and interactions 20 6.4. The electoral process in Namibia 21 6.5. Conclusion 23 7. Final conclusion 24 8. Bibliography 26 1. Introduction Electoral systems are considered as an instrument, which can relatively quickly and effectively...
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...Government & Politics Unit 2 * Constitution * Codified Constitution ✓ * Advantages & Disadvantages * Features * Uncodified Constitution ✓ * Advantages & Disadvantages * Features * Is Parliament Sovereign? ✓ * Arguments For and Against * Strengths and Weaknesses of the UK’s constitution ✓ * Constitutional Reforms – Coalition and 1997-2010 ✓ * What are they? * Are they effective? * PM & Cabinet * Features & Functions of the PM ✓ * What must a politician be to becoming PM * What can a PM do? * Functions of Cabinet ✓ * Factors that affect promotion and resignation of a minister ✓ * Powers and Constraints of PM ✓ * Theories of Executive Power ✓ * PM V Cabinet ✓ * Parliament * Functions of Parliament ✓ * What are they? * How effective are they? * Powers of Parliament ✓ * What are they? * How effective are they? * Parliamentary Reform ✓ * What are they? * How effective are they? * Relationship between Parliament and Government ✓ * Factors that affect it * How the coalition affects it Constitution: 2 Types of Constitution * Codified & Uncodified Codified Constitution * Constitution where the rules are written down in a single document. Example could be the USA...
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...whether Congress should be a bicameral legislature, or whether judges should be appointed for life, or whether the electorate should be able to vote on constitutional amendments. Topics that are not questions of interpretation, but rather, questions of the wisdom of the structural decisions of the Constitution itself, most of which were made way back during the Philadelphia Convention. His purpose in doing so is not so much to answer questions, but rather to ask them. He seldom gives his own positions on the questions that he asks - more so, he wishes to open up the public’s mind about such questions. In order to do so, he seldom uses expert jargon, preferring to explain himself as much a common man (or woman) would. His point throughout the entire book is not to chastise the Framers of the Constitution, but to explain how while decision made back in 1789 were sound in logic, they may not fit the needs of today, and as such, may need revision. Indeed, one of the first topics Levinson discusses is how politicians and the electorate alike rarely look at the Constitution as a flawed document, and more as an infallible one, and how that is a mistake. His ultimate goal is certainly ambitious: to create a new constitutional convention to...
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...Comparison and Contrast between the Evolution of Democracy in Iran and Turkey, from 1900 to the Present. Name: Institution: Date: Please write on top of each of your exams its exact title as its appear below, making sure your answers are itemized (i.e., answer the points ONE BY ONE, and not combine them). ITEMIZE YOUR ANSWERS Mid Term Exam Compare and contrast the evolution of democracy in Iran and Turkey, from 1900 to present. In process of writing your exam, you must provide the following A history of democratization process in (1) Iran (two pages) Comparison and Contrast between the Evolution of Democracy in Iran and Turkey, from 1900 to the Present A History of Democratization Process in Iran Iran has had some important movements that lead towards democracy from the year 1900 to present. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Iran experienced protests and disagreements against the foreign intervention and Qajar. Patriotic opinions of the religious classes established a Constitutional Movement that took place from 1905 to 1911. An alliance consisting of ulama bazaaris and fellow thinkers forced Qajar Shah to pass a constitution to enact a parliament 1906. The introduction of the constitution limited the absolutist rule powers. After the discovery of oil in 1908 in Britain, Qajar Shah Position and military power weakened. Some artists were in Europe to study and master academic paintings and upon their return; they found fine arts academies (Arjomand, 2008). During the...
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...Ethnical and religious cleavages in central and eastern Europe Does Europe exist? Where should be the borders? Russia and Turkey had a big influence on Europe as well. They dispatched parts of Europe for a long time. Of course the path dependency is present in these regions. The process of European integration started later there. European identity is difficult to describe. Distinction between east and west means post-communism (eastern). Central Europe: Czechs feel like being central Europeans (since they don’t want to be part of eastern Europe.) idea of central Europe is based on Austrian-Hungarian-Empire + parts of Germany eg Bavaria. The link is also the way of making decisions, working, doing things, tradition, waking up early (Franz Josef) many similarities. Lot of conflicts in Europe are still connected to events that happened hundreds of years ago. Poland (republic) Linguistic Group: Western Slavic Religion: Catholic (important part of national identity) Ethnical Minorities: German, Ukraine, Belorussian (small and not important) Often divided (Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary) Is called state of wheels always moving We are Poles because we are not Russian, not German religion became very important for their identification. Day 2 Post-Yugoslavia states Tito managed to unify Yugoslavia after WWII and to keep it independent from Russia. self-managed socialism (market orientation). More contact to the west. Authoritarian system but not as closed as...
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...GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS AS LEVEL UNIT TWO GOVERNING THE UK “Never, never, never give up” Winston S Churchill 1874-1965 1 GOVERNING THE UK 50% of AS [25% of A2] UNIT TWO SAMPLE QUESTION Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B in 80 minutes. Spend 40 minutes on Section A and 40 minutes on Section B SECTION A QUESTION ONE PRIME MINISTERIAL POWER “For too long the big political decisions in this country have been made in the wrong place. They are not made around the Cabinet table where they should be, but they are taken on the sofa in Tony Blair’s office. No notes are kept and no one takes the blame when things go wrong. That arrogant style of government must come to an end. I will restore the proper process of government. I want to be Prime Minister of this country not a President (Source: David Cameron, The Times, 5th October 2006) “The Cabinet is the committee at the centre of the British political system. Every Thursday during Parliament, Secretaries of State from all departments as well as other ministers meet in the Cabinet Room in Downing Street to discuss the big issues of the day. The Prime Minister chairs the meeting, selects its members and also recommends their appointment as ministers to the monarch. The present Cabinet has 23 members (21 MPs and two peers). The secretary of the Cabinet is responsible for preparing records of its discussions and decisions”. (Source: From a modern textbook) (a) What...
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...Id;640927 Course; political science Task; term paper Lecturer; Pauline ndungu 1. Table of contents 2. Introduction- definition of democracy 3. Democracy in western states * United states of America-government and politics * Germany - government and politics Democracy in African countries * South Africa- government and politics 4. Comparison and contrast between African and western democracy 5. Conclusion 6. Referees INTRODUCTION Often do we come across the word democracy people are constantly trying to define it but most do not understand it. It has many definitions but what I term best fit is a government for the people and by the people. It is a form of government in which all eligible citizens are meant to participate equally either directly or indirectly through elected representatives or by establishment of laws in which the society is run. There are three main types which include direct democracy, presidential democracy and parliament democracy. Any form of democracy tries in its own way to ascertain the will of the people and to bring public affairs into line with it. This can be achieved by direct democracy or by a body of elected representatives. Within the group of representative democracies the focus may be on a strong president which is the presidential democracy or on a strong parliament which is the parliament democracy. As earlier mentioned the question is never on whether there exist some forms of direct participation or of representation but rather...
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...are the differences between Public Bills Committees and Select Committees? [5] Public Bills Committee is part of legislative process, whereas Select Committee is part of scrutiny process. In the former committee, the bill is examined by line by line to ensure that its wording and language is clear to allow any amendments on the bill. In the latter committee, there are two departments – governmental and non-governmental. They examine government departments’ expeditures , policies and policies. There are between 16 to 50 members in the PBC who are selected by Committee of Selection whose 7 out 9 members are ships. On the other hand, there are 11 members in the SCs and to eliminate “the conflict of interest, all the members are backbench members who are elected using the Alternative vote system. 2a What are the main functions of Parliament and how well does it perform them? [5] < This question is a 20-mark question > 3a What are the differences between direct and representative democracy? [5] In direct democracy, people are directly involved in decision-making processes, whereas in representative democracy, people elect MPs who will represent and form a government in Parliament. For instance, some qualified members of Athenian society were involved in decision-making and a referendum is a limited form of direct democracy. Also general elections are kind of parliamentary democracy, they are held every five years to election a representative and a government. There...
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...Party policies and ideas Elections Pressure groups There is no significance to the order in which questions appear. Each question is divided into three sections (a), (b) and (c). When choosing which questions to do, the following principles are recommended: It is almost certain that you will be better off choosing your strongest question to do first. You should choose questions on the basis of how well you can answer the section (c) part. The (c) part carries 25 of the 40 marks available for the whole answer. Do not choose a question simply because you can do part (a) especially well. The (a) question is only worth 5 marks. It would be illogical to choose your strongest (a) part if you cannot do well on section (c). If you cannot decide between several (c) parts, i.e. you can do more than one equally well, make your choice on the basis of part (b) which carries 10 marks. But remember, it is the (c) parts that will determine most what your overall mark will be. So, when you first look at the exam paper, look at the (c) sections first. Assessment Objectives Each question is divided into three sections, as follows: carries 5 marks carries 10 marks carries 25 marks The way you answer questions should be determined by the way assessment objectives are distributed. Assessment objectives provide the basis upon which examiners award marks. You need to be familiar with them to maximise your marks. They will help direct your revision and with the answers to the questions. A full explanation...
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...platform of government Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano were set to lay down their platform of government in a forum on Thursday (January 7) at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City. In a press conference prior to the event, Duterte revealed some plans he had once elected as president. He said that his administration would be "left leaning" and he has a socialist principle. Duterte said that he would push for an end to the insurgency problem with communist rebels, having direct contacts with the NPA-NDF leaders such as Joma Sison. Duterte also said that he was against contractualization of laborers and would push for reforms in the income tax law which will cover more exemptions such as for those earning below P20,000 a month. The Davao chief executive also said that he would not declare martial law — unlike the "doomsday" scenario painted by his opponents. "But I tell criminals not to push me to go the extreme," Duterte warned. Duterte also specifically said that he would end the problem of illegal drugs in just three to six months into his administration. Organizers and supporters of Duterte said that it would be the first time for the tandem to lay down their platform of government. Duterte: Polls on federalism in 2 yrs DAVAO CITY—Presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte projected a two-year timetable to submit to a referendum his proposal to dismantle the current presidential, unitary form of government and...
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...Why did Russia interfere in the 2005 Ukrainian Presidential election? Ukraine is Russia's largest European neighbour. Regardless of their common history, Ukrainian domestic policies have a significant impact on Russia's perceived interest. Parts of Ukraine have been under Russian rule sine the 17th century. Eastern parts of Ukraine had been continually subjected to dominance from the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union. Western Ukraine did not join the Soviet Union until 1939. The country has a history of fragmentation that continues to this day, this is exasperated Russia's continued desire to meddle in the domestic affairs of former republics of the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union dissolved in in 1991, Ukraine received their independence but there was no great change in policy. Former members of the Communist Party managed to remain power without much difficulty. Opposition parties found it difficult to break their stranglehold on power. In the late Soviet era the Communist Party of Ukraine began to accumulate vast sums of sums of cash.[1] Much of this cash disappeared when the Communist Party disbanded after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However much of this money was reinvested to ensure the same people form the Communist Party stayed in power. Leonid Kuchma was elected President in 2004. he had previously been Prime Minister without much note. However he won the election against incumbent Leonid Kravchuk with 52% of the vote.[2] Due to his election as...
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... But, despite this great variety, it is important to begin by emphasizing one great division: that into religious and secular legal systems. Each side of this split holds quite different views as to law, in its source, scope, sanctions, and function. The source of religious law is the deity, legislating through the prophets. Secular law is made by human beings, and one of its most famous examples begins with the words 'We, the people'. It follows from this difference in their source that religious laws are perceived to be eternal and immutable, while secular rules can be changed by their makers. Religious law tells people what to believe as well as how to behave, whereas secular law deals with our external actions as they affect others. In a religious legal system disputes are usually adjudicated by an officer of that religion, so the same person is both judge and priest. In a secular system, by contrast, the office of judge is separate, and is often reinforced by guarantees of judicial independence. A further difference lies in the enforcement of the laws: in a secular...
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...the rate by which people vote in elections. The simplest way to calculate a given election's turnout rate is to compare the actual number of voters with the voting-age population. “Voter turnout in the United States is among the worlds’ lowest.” (E.S. 371) The graph below taken from an article written for the Huffington Post in 2012, illustrates how poor United States voter turnout has been as compared to other industrialized nations. Our voter turnout is less than half of the turnout in Belgium and Australia for example and it is getting worse. "Starting in the early 60's, the proportion of the population that turns out to vote in the U.S. steadily decreased, to the point where only slightly more than half the electorate voted in presidential elections in the last three decades of the 20th century" (E.S. 370) [pic] Although there are several factors that contribute to low voter turnout in the United States, three factors appear to have the most direct influence. • Voter Registration and Voting Processes in the United States make it more difficult to vote as compared to other nations. • The Decline of Social Capital in the United States • The decline in the strength of our political parties has contributed to voter apathy Voter Registration, the Voting Process and the Electoral System Our registration and voting processes are difficult and inconvenient and we are asked to vote too frequently. The first issue is our registration process...
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