...the Electoral system used in general elections in the UK be reformed? The election system that we currently have in the UK is a lot like marmite, you either love it or you hate it… There are many different arguments for and against this system, however people forget that within getting rid of the First Past the Post system, you will then need to then replace it. This then poses the vital question of which is the best fitting system and should we really change tradition? First past the post is a simple plurality system which requires the plurality of votes to win: that is one more vote than the second candidate. There is no requirement to obtain the votes cast. In contests involving three or more candidates, the winner may fall well short of an overall majority. MPs are elected in a single member constituencies. Each of the 650 constituencies in the UK elects one representative to the House of Commons. There has been a long running debate on this issue, as there are other electoral systems being currently used I the UK for other things for example the Supplementary vote used the elections of the London Mayer. People argue that one of the other electoral systems could replace the First past the Post, in May 2011 a referendum was held asking the public if they would want to change to the system to AV. This was a resounding ‘no’, which makes the question of a possible reform purely hypothetical at this moment in time. Was this because people do in fact like the FPTP system or because...
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...Assess the various measures, other than electoral reform, that have been suggested to improve democracy in the UK. The other measures to improve democracy in the UK are: having more referendums, lowering the voting age, making voting compulsory and finally the use of digital democracy. And this essay will assess all the measures and also it will determine which measure is the best to improve democracy in the UK. The first measure, which has been suggested to improve democracy in the UK, is the use of more referendums. A referendum is a popular vote where the people are asked to determine an important political or constitutional issue directly. A referendum has pros and cons. Firstly referendums are a device of direct democracy, which gives the general public direct and unmediated control over the governments decision making, this ensures that the public’s views and interests are always taken account of and are not distorted by politicians who claim to “represent them”. Another advantage is that referendums actually help to create a better informed, more educated and more politically engaged electorate, which gives the members of the public a strong incentive to cast there vote. Also another advantage is that referendums reduce the power of the government, because the government has less control over their outcome than it does over parliament, and therefore citizens are protected against the danger of over mighty government. And a final advantage to referendums is that there...
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...Assess the various measures, other than electoral reform, that have been suggested to improve democracy in the UK. Democracy in the UK has declined since the post war dramatically, this is shown in many ways. Participation levels have fallen majorly in the past years and mainly due to the reason that people feel their votes are wasted and so they're not being represented in society and this is the main way that democracy has fallen this has clearly been shown in statistics whereby the norms for general election turn outs was at a high 75% however in the year 2005 it has dropped considerably to 60%. The first, most effective way of improving democracy is to increase the use of the referendum. through this strategy, it will ensure that the public is educated about the political issues at hand and therefore will be more willing to vote in political matters as they understand the question given. Also, through the use of referenda it will increase the legitimacy of the government as the people have given their consent through their vote, especially as the referendum is the most direct form of democracy. This has been shown to be a positive and effective way of increasing participation levels as in the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum when the participation rate was up to 87% which is the highest turnout since the 1950 general election. This would make the UK more democratic as it would include all parts of society whilst having all views expressed. Improving democracy...
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...(1998), XLVI, 572±588 Parties, Party Systems, and Satisfaction with Democratic Performance in The New Europe CHRISTOPHER J. ANDERSON1 Introduction Political parties and the party systems they form constitute the major channels of interest aggregation and citizen input in contemporary democracies. They are the vehicles through which political elites supply policy alternatives, and they constitute the major route for citizens to organize the demand for such alternatives.2 Parties also play a crucial role in the nature of democratic governance because they help legitimize the state. After all, free and fair elections in which parties compete for oce are a prime criterion for whether a system should be considered a democracy in the ®rst place. Outside of elections, political parties also have long been the most important mediating institutions between citizens and the state, in particular as parties have taken on the roles as simultaneous agents both of the state and its citizens.3 While virtually all democracies have political parties that compete for oce, political systems dier in a number of important ways with regard to how they go about channeling inputs or providing policy alternatives, and with regard to the roles they assign parties in this process. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, the ways in which political institutions condition the formation, functioning, and development of political parties and party systems varies as well. While there is an...
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...appreciation that only credible election can consolidate and sustain the country’s nascent democracy, over the years, Nigeria continues to witness with growing disappointments and apprehension inability to conduct peaceful, free and fair, open elections whose results are widely accepted and respected across the country (Ekweremadu, 2011). All the elections that have ever been conducted in Nigeria since independence have generated increasingly bitter controversies and grievances on a national scale because of the twin problems of mass violence and fraud that have become central elements of the history of elections and of the electoral process in the country (Gberie, 2011). Despite the marked improvement in the conduct of the 2011 elections, the process was not free from malpractices and violence (National Democratic Institute, 2012). Thus over the years, electoral processes in the history of Nigeria’s democratic governance have continued to be marred by extraordinary display of rigging, dodgy, “do or die” affair, ballot snatching at gun points, violence and acrimony, thuggery, boycotts, threats and criminal manipulations of voters' list, brazen falsification of election results, the use of security agencies against political opponents and the intimidation of voters (Bekoe, 2011). Despite the vital place that election holds in democracy in this 21st century, the organization of free and fair elections remains a real challenge for new democracies in West Africa, particularly Nigeria...
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...Examiners’ report 2011 Examiners’ report 2011 265 0020 Public law – Zone A Introduction As in previous years, the quality of papers ranged from First Class to poor Fails. In this report the Examiners will discuss what constitutes a „good‟ answer and what does not. Extracts from candidates‟ examination scripts are included in relation to Questions 1 and 4, both of which were statistically popular with candidates. Please note that spelling errors and other linguistic problems have been left as they were on the examination script. General remarks As in previous years, irrespective of the actual questions on the examination paper, there are a number of common problems which detract from the quality of the answers given. The first relates to understanding and correctly interpreting the question. Although a number of the same topics will appear on the paper each year, candidates must appreciate that this does not mean that there is a standard answer which will be adequate for the particular question. It is extremely important that you take care in interpreting what the actual question is asking, and adapt your knowledge of the topic accordingly. The Examiners can spot a „rote-learned‟ preprepared answer and it is rarely adequate for more than a bare pass, if that. A related issue concerns relevance. One of the main purposes of the 15-minute reading time is to enable candidates to read and reflect on what the questions require, and a correct interpretation is crucial for success...
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...Testing Theories of American Politics 2 Abstract Each of four theoretical traditions in the study of American politics – which can be characterized as theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy, Economic Elite Domination, and two types of interest group pluralism, Majoritarian Pluralism and Biased Pluralism – offers different predictions about which sets of actors have how much influence over public policy: average citizens; economic elites; and organized interest groups, mass-based or business-oriented. A great deal of empirical research speaks to the policy influence of one or another set of actors, but until recently it has not been possible to test these contrasting theoretical predictions against each other within a single statistical model. This paper reports on an effort to do so, using a unique data set that includes measures of the key variables for 1,779 policy issues. Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence. The results provide substantial support for theories of Economic Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism. 2 Gilens and Page Testing Theories of American Politics...
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...Recovery ......................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Evidence........................................................................................................................................... 3 3 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PERFORMANCE OF DECENTRALIZED SERVICE PROVISION...................................................................................5 3.1 The Political Framework................................................................................................................ 5 3.1.a Constitution and Legal Framework......................................................................................... 5 3.1.b Political and Electoral Systems ............................................................................................... 6 3.1.c Unitary vs. Federal...
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...Services to fulfil the will of Parliament, as formulated by the Cabinet – i.e. the Cabinet works out the policies of the Government. The Civil Services see that these policies, when duly approved by the Parliament, is faithfully executed, so far as this is humanly possible. Their main job is to assist the Government in policy formulation and then implementing this very policy on ground in most efficient manner. Civil Services keep identifying new areas of societal concerns, inform the political masters and help them design the potential solutions, in form of various schemes and progs. They keep taking feedback of performance of these schemes and bring required modifications in them. It is the civil services, which is in constant touch with citizens at all levels of government – people interactions. Therefore the efficiency and attitude of civil servants will reflect upon the people’s confidence and faith in the governance system of the country. Highlighting the importance of civil services, Joseph Chamberlain (British politician) said to a group of civil servants, “You can do without us (political representatives), but I am fully convinced that we could not do without you.” A government can be conducted without Parliament for sometime or even without ministers, but it would be impossible for a society to manage its affairs without a well organised, efficient and honest civil service. We are laymen/amateurs having broad/breadth of vision, but not the intensity of gaze (in depth/detailed)...
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...ASSESSMENT O DEVELO F PMENT RESULTS E V A L UA T I ON OF UNDP CONTRI BUTI ON ZAMbIA HUMAN DEVELO PMENTeffectiveness CO RDINAT O efficiency CO RDINATIO ANDPARTNERSHIP sus O N NATIO O NAL WNERSHIP relevance MANAGINGFO sustainability MANAGINGFO RESULTS responsiven R AN DEVELO PMENTresponsiveness NATIO O NAL WN NATIO O NAL WNERSHIP effectiveness CO RDINAT O efficiency CO RDINATIO ANDPARTNERSHIP sus O N NATIO O NAL WNERSHIP relevance MANAGINGFO sustainability MANAGINGFO RESULTS responsiven R HUMAN DEVELO PMENTeffectiveness CO RDINAT O ASSESSMENT O DEVELO F PMENT RESULTS EVAL UATI ON OF UNDP CONTRI BUTI ON ZAMBIA Evaluation Office, February 2010 United Nations Development Programme REPORtS PUBliSHED UNDER tHE aDR SERiES Afghanistan Argentina Bangladesh Barbados Benin Bhutan Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Bulgaria Burkina Faso Cambodia Chile China Colombia Republic of the Congo Ecuador Egypt Ethiopia Georgia Guatemala Guyana Honduras India Jamaica Jordan Lao PDR Libya Maldives Montenegro Mozambique Nicaragua Nigeria Peru Philippines Rwanda Serbia Seychelles Sudan Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Turkey Uganda Ukraine Uzbekistan Viet Nam Yemen EvalUatiON tEam team leader team members EO task manager EO Research assistant Erik Lyby Honorine Muyoyeta Jorry Mwenechanya Urs Nagel Zembaba Ayalew aSSESSmENt OF DEvElOPmENt RESUltS: malDivES Copyright © UNDP 2010, all rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. The analysis and recommendations of this...
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...IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 19, Issue 1, Ver. X (Feb. 2014), PP 01-08 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org Home Video Films and Grassroots’ Relevance in Nigerian Political Process 1 1,2 Alawode, Sunday Olayinka (Ph.D), 2Sunday, Uduakobong AdebolaAdegunwaSchool of Communication, Lagos State University, 21 Olufemi Street, Off Nathan St, Surulere - Lagos Abstract: The Nigerian home video films have been used to address a myriad of existing and emergent problems because of its distinctiveness and popularity;as a popular art in Nigeria, this study was undertaken to investigate the consideration of the grassroots in the Nigerian political process from the eye of the home videos. The theoretical framework employed was agenda setting with content analysis as the method of research. The results reveal that the grassroots are not given credence as a key factor in the films except as means to justify the ends of the political class and players in the political process. The roles of the grassroots in the political arena are mostly depicted significantly as thugs, assassins, villains, prostitutes and others who are involved in different kinds of undesirable practices and vicious acts. Such portrayals could be contributory to politics often being described as ‘a dirty game’ with the grassroots increasingly having apathy to political processes and creating the divide of ‘them’ and ‘us’; where ‘them’is the political class and ‘us’...
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...BA 529 FINAL EXAM MAHESH REDDY MURAKA BA 529 Final exam Schiller International University Dr. Harris 1. What is the greatest challenge to a company that decides to set up a branch in another nation? Online auction site eBay is one of the world's best-known firms, boasting 157 million active buyers and reporting just shy of $18bn (£11.4bn) in revenues last year. Yet when it first tried to launch in China it failed. The difficulty of competing with local rivals meant that in 2006, a mere two years after entering China, it was forced to admit defeat and shut down its main website in the country. Instead it formed a joint venture with a local partner to help operate an online auction business in the country. Critics say it failed to recognise that having a strong US brand would not automatically translate to success in China. And eBay is not the only firm to struggle with transferring a successful business model overseas. Tesco reportedly spent a decade preparing for the launch of its Fresh & Easy chain on the West coast of America, with its top executives even spending time living with Californian families to observe the way they lived and ate. Yet six years after it opened, it announced it was pulling out - costing the firm a hefty £1.2bn. Similarly one of the world's best known brands, US giant Starbucks, was forced to close almost three quarters of its shops in Australia just eight years after it opened them, after it struggled to win sales from local competitors...
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...WOMEN IN POLITICS AND PUBLIC LIFE IN GHANA By Beatrix Allah Mensah AUTHOR: Beatrix Allah-Mensah Department of Political Science University of Ghana, Legon ISBN: 9988-572-87-5 © Copyright Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, Accra Published in 2005 Printed & designed by O´Mens Graphix, Accra, Tel.:021-238098 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to acknowledge the contribution of all those who made this project a success. First, I give glory to the Almighty God for bringing me this far in my academic and professional pursuit. Secondly, I express my thanks to all my lecturers in the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, who have nurtured me onto this path of professional and academic life. Thirdly, I am grateful to all our key informant interviewees from all the institutions/ministries/political parties who gave us their time and valuable information used for this study. Fourthly, I wish to sincerely acknowledge the contribution of my research assistants, Alfred Appiah and Nimingah Beka, national service personnel of the Department of Political Science for their dedicated service during the data collection. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) for commissioning this study and giving me the opportunity to carry it out with financial and institutional support. I would like to state that, except for quotations or references which have been dully acknowledged, this is the result of a research I conducted personally. God Bless all...
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...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 is potential danger that decision-making mechanisms...
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...Contents 1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 2. Definition………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 3. History…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 4. Analysis of Current Situation……………………………………………….……………………………………. 5 5. Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses………………………………………………………………....... 6 A. Strengths……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...... 6 I. Representing the Nation at Home and Abroad………………………........................................... 6 II. Neutral and Worthwhile Political Role………………………………............................................... 7 III. Uniting and Stabilizing the Nationality……………...……………….............................................. 7 B. Weaknesses…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 I. An Obsolete and Non-democratic Institution………...……………………………………………... 8 II. Obstructing the Future Development of the Britain…….………………………………………. 8 III. Expensive……………………………………………...…………………………………………………………. 9 6. Comparison to American Head of State…………………………………………………………………… 11 7. Recommendation……………………………………………..……………………………………………………. 11 8. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12 9. References……………………………………………..……………………………………………………………… 14 1. Introduction Monarchy was the primary government form for a majority of European countries before 1914 (Bogdanor, 1995). However, in modern Europe, few countries retain the monarchies. The United Kingdom...
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