...How powerful is the UK Parliament? The Westminster Parliament is the UK’s highest political institution, making decisions on issues important to citizens throughout Britain. The Houses of Commons and Lords are responsible for passing legislation, scrutinising the government and debating issues. Retaining a high level of sovereignty despite devolution, seating dominating majority governments and possessing unprecedented constitutional flexibility, the UK Parliament wields a great deal of power. Political scientist Arend (Lijphart, 1999) first branded democracies as ‘consensual’ or ‘majoritarian.’ The UK parliament is said to be majoritarian, with a strong governing party and Cabinet, a lesser presence of small parties, minimal decentralisation,...
Words: 1638 - Pages: 7
...Amendment Essay Twenty-seven amendments have been ratified since the original signing of the Constitution, the first ten of which are known as the Bill of Rights. The Amendments to the United States Constitution have had a major effect on American life. A major feature of the Constitution is the capability of changing the document in order for it to become accustomed to the changing times and conditions. There are a few methods in order to change the Constitution. An amendment proposed by 2/3rds vote in each house of congress could be approved by either one of two ways. It must be either ratified by 3/4ths of the State Legislature or by the Constitutional Conventions in 3/4ths of the states. To approve an amendment proposed at a National Constitutional Convention it must also be ratified by 3/4ths of the State Legislatures or by a Constitutional Convention in 3/4ths of the States. The First Amendment, freedoms, is one of the most known and the most important of all. A historical event that led to this amendment was that the new American settlers brought with them a desire for democracy and openness after the American Revolution. They left behind a history of tyranny and official control of information. Using this experience as their guide, the constitutional fathers wrote into their new Constitution a Bill of Rights, which contained the First Amendment. This Amendment was created so that the people would have the freedom to express themselves without worrying. Disagreement to...
Words: 549 - Pages: 3
...The Basic Law or Grundgesetz for the Federal Republic of Germany was approved on 8 May 1949, and, with the signature of the western Allies of World War 2 on 12 May, came into effect on 23 May. The authors also ensured that human rights and human dignity was made the central and core part of the Basic Law. Key concepts in the basic law are principles of democracy, republicanism, federalism and social responsibility. These principles are constitutionally entrenched and they cannot be removed or repealed by the normal amendment process. Firstly this essay will look into what lead to the development of the new Basic Law and how the new parliamentary democracy was put into place with separation of powers into different branches of government. Secondly the essay will examine what were the specific changes from pre-1945 Germany and if which areas these changes were most visible. Here it will be important to look at the fundamentally differences from the Weimar Constitution, but also what the new Basic Law chose to keep from the Weimar Constitution. And why the authors of the Basic law felt that this was the safest way to construct a good state for all Germans where the sins of the past would never be repeated. In 1948 the three Western Allied military governors met in Frankfurt with the chief executive of the various states and “recommended” the calling of a constituent assembly by September 1, 1948, which was to draft a constitution for the three Western zones. None of the state...
Words: 1494 - Pages: 6
...American Government Essay 8/17 Many different things have had an impact on the development of the United States. One of the U.S. biggest developments is its government. It has been brought up by different ideas and concepts in documents, like the Magna Carta or the English Bill of Rights, and people like Thomas Hobbes or John Locke. A few of the most influential concepts in the development of the U.S constitutional government is the freedom of the people, freedom to petition, and the separation of powers. The freedom of the people has been a key factor in the development of the U.S. constitutional. In this form of democracy, the people have the power. This was important to the development of the government because it gives people the hand in the way they want to live. They vote on who they choose to lead them, different laws they want to follow so they don’t feel like they are being controlled by the government or one appointed ruler. Another concept that was influential to the constitutional government of the U.S. is the freedom of petition. This is another way that the people have freedom. It was written in English Bill of Rights that that citizens had the right to petition the king without fear of arrest. It gives people the freedom of speech, to speak their mind without worrying about being arrested and prosecuted. When adding this to the constitutional government, it gave more power and freedom to the people. The separation of powers is the final key concept in the...
Words: 325 - Pages: 2
...Constitution represented a moderately conservative reaction against the democratilizing effects of the Revolution and the Articles of Confederation. The American Revolution was not a radical transformation like the French or Russian revolutions, but it produced political innovations and some social change in the direction of greater equality and democracy. The American Revolution did not overturn the social order, but it did produce substantial changes in social customs, political institutions, and ideas about society and government. Among the changes were the separation of church and state in some places, the abolition of slavery in the North, written political constitutions, and a shift in political power from the eastern seaboard toward the frontier. The first weak government, the Articles of Confederation, was unable to exercise real authority, although it did successfully deal with the western lands issue. The Confederation’s weakness in handling foreign policy, commerce and the Shays Rebellion spurred the movement to alter the Articles. Instead of revising the Articles, the well-off delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a charter for a whole new government. In a series of compromises, the convention produced a plan that provided for a vigorous central government, a strong executive, the protection for property, while still upholding republican principles and states’ rights. The Federalists met strong opposition from Anti-Federalists, especially...
Words: 3481 - Pages: 14
...7 9. References 7 10. Discussion Questions 8 1. Abstract This essay is about the role of middle class in the democratic reforms in Asia. It briefly discussed significance of middle class with many examples of democratic transitions in the region. 2. Introduction A question that is commonly raised about the democratization is that who make and strengthen the democracy, whether it is consolidated by elites or middle class? Many studies have given much emphasize to the role of elites in creation of democracy but the reforms happened in last two decades in Asia suggests that the contribution of middle class to the process of democratization can never be overlooked. In Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea we cannot imagine the completion of democratization if we ignore the role of middle class although it is mostly seen in supportive role but successful democratic transition was only possible with its active participation. 3. What is Middle Class? Middle class is relatively vague concept as it has different meaning for different people. According to World Bank (2007) the middle class is constitute of all those who have their annual income, in terms of purchasing power parity, from $4000 to $17000. 4. Democratization (Democratic Reforms) The process of transition to a democratic system is called democratization. It can be a transition into a perfect democracy or semi-democracy from a dictatorial system. 5....
Words: 1222 - Pages: 5
...FOUNDATIONS OF LAW 2010 Combined Law Essay Critically analyse the Australian Government’s proposed reforms for protecting and promoting human rights for the more vulnerable groups in Australia. A bill of rights alone will not protect the rights of the people. But nor will a majoritarian democracy. Contemporary democracy stands for more than just the primitive notion of according full power to the popular majorities of Parliament by the vote. It requires the recognition of Parliamentary sovereignty, and furthermore it calls for the preservation of the principles of rule of law, judicial independence and more importantly the rights of all individuals. Although the Government’s recently launched National Human Rights Framework promises a selection of human rights protection mechanisms, in light of its failure to provide a bill of rights that many Australians want, it is an inadequate attempt at promoting and protecting the more vulnerable groups. Even though the Framework claims that it reserves the function of statutory interpretation for the courts, in reality it empowers the Parliament with the capacity to “guide”[1] the courts into enacting legislation. The Government’s downplay of judicial influence cannot be ignored and this points to a discussion of whether Australia needs a bill of rights. The role of the courts also need to be evaluated with respect to the other branches of government, the legislature and the Executive, in an effort to attain a healthy balance between...
Words: 3956 - Pages: 16
...concepts have not kept pace. In the words of an author of the book reviewed here, reflecting on the concept of ‘the state’ and the problem of sovereignty: in political as in constitutional legal theory, we still need to cut off the King’s head,1 as we are still entrenched in the philosophical and constitutional language of the 19th century.2 But recently, with European integration and globalisation, change has also occurred in the traditional concepts of public law such as “state” or “constitution”. The book edited by Bamforth and Leyland is about this change over the last thirty years or so.3 “Public Law in a Multi-Layered Constitution” is a significant contribution to a better understanding of how public law is transformed, in Great Britain and elsewhere. The title of the book as well as its introduction (pp. 1-26) state that its central theme is the transformation of the British constitution into a “multi-layered constitution.” This is meant to refer to a constitution that “contains multiple, but inter-connected and sometimes overlapping European and national layers”,4 where “power (both legislative and political) has been spread away from the Westminister Parliament, both ‘upwards’ to the European Union and ‘downwards’ to the devolved assemblies.”5 The editors’ claim is that this restructuring of the constitutional architecture of the United Kingdom is occurring while there is also a rebalancing of the roles of the courts and parliament in holding the executive accountable, an alteration...
Words: 4828 - Pages: 20
...Democratic peace theory, in its wider interpretation, is the empirical observation that democracies rarely, if ever, fight one another and it is this empirical dyadic observation that that has been described as the “closest thing we have to empirical law” in international relations. [1] Although what is meant by democratic peace is contested, and indeed as its validity as this essay will explore, the theory has been previously under Woodrow Wilson and more currently the Presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, a significant conceptual factor in the formation of American foreign policy.[2] Our aim is a democratic peace, a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman. America acts in this course with friends and allies at our sides, yet we understand our special calling: this great republic will lead the cause of freedom. In light of this statement, ongoing U.S. policy and its likely persistence an examination and understanding of the democracy peace proposition is clearly with merit. This essay will look at the democratic peace proposition at a several levels of analysis: at the monadic level of interstate war on whether democracies generally are more peaceful and whether transitional democracies are more inclined to war; and at the intrastate level as to whether democracies experience more or less civil war. It will examine the validity of the proposition(s), reasons for is occurrence and postulate on what implication there may be for...
Words: 5527 - Pages: 23
...were given to us by our founding fathers under the United States Constitution, which included: freedom of speech, freedom to practice any religion, the right to have weapons, the right of trial with a lawyer, and many more. These rights were opposed due to the fact that the Americans did not want to be controlled by England king any more. They wanted a country that would not be controlled by the country like many other countries around the world they wanted to be different and have the freedom to develop their own right and regulations. The Bill of Rights was written to provide all the people equal rights and freedoms to do as they please, yet they must obey the laws given to them in the United States Constitution, and “the peoples constitutional rights cannot lawfully be denied by government officials” (Patterson, 2011, p. 43). The freedom that was guaranteed to me in the first amendment that is relevant to my personal self is freedom of religion. As states by Thomas E. Patterson, Freedom of “religion: you are protected from having the religious beliefs of others imposed on you, and you are free to believe what you like” (Patterson, 2011, table 4-1). I personally can relate to this specific freedom, since I came of a country that has been in conflicts about who the land of Palestine (Israel) belongs to and which religion should take over. The way I see is that in Palestine (Israel) the Jewish people and the Arab people are not to befriend or talk to each other since that would...
Words: 981 - Pages: 4
...Activism is nexessary for survival of democracy freedom after a long struggle and formed a great constitution for making the country a welfare state bringing liberty, equality, fraternity with a view to make its citizens feel free and safe. It has to be ensured that the said values are not dying and the necessity of their healthy growth is being monitored for the survival of a free and vibrant society. Law and practice are different Our constitution clearly mentions that every citizen- regardless of gender, caste, creed- shall be equal before law and no discrimination shall be made on such grounds. But the daunting realities have contradictory stories to unfold. India – with its thousands of sub-castes stands divided on the basis of social divisions at every nook and corner. People, children, women are suppressed. MBA Essay topics: Need of Activism The need of social uprising arises here. These are the activists who raise a voice against the atrocities and let the world know about the same. They educate the people, garner their support and try to get the wrong doings rectified. This is the fear of activists that corruption and corrupt practices are catching the attention of people at large. The irregularities committed are being highlighted. Those who are under the watchful eye of activists – which can be media, social networking, NGOs etc. will think twice to go for any corrupt practices. Activism in fact is the activity that awakens the sleeping people about something...
Words: 511 - Pages: 3
...The Treaty of Lisbon: An Analysis After more than 50 years of European integration, the Treaty of Lisbon is a new step forward but also a deeply contested concept. This essay begins with an overview of how the new Treaty came about and why it was seen as necessary, followed by an analysis of its new developments structured into four parts. Firstly, it considers how the LT is supposed to increase the EU’s effectiveness through more qualified majority voting, the co-decision procedure and through institutional changes including the creation of new leadingpositions.Secondly,democraticvaluesaremoreclearlydefinedandrolesof theEuropeanand national parliaments are reinforced. Thirdly, the LT has attempted to improve citizen’s rights, for example by the new citizens’ initiatives, as well as by making the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding. Fourthly, the LT has introduced several political changes, including more cooperation on the common foreign and security policy and how to combat external threats as a global actor with a single voice. Moreover, this essay considers how the LT differs from the Constitutional Treaty, arguing that although no longer a formal constitution, it does maintain constitutional elements. It then looks at some specific issues; in particular, whether legitimacy, transparency and accountability have been improved, and takes the view that while this is the case to some extent, there remains much room to f urther improve. Finally, it also f ocuses on the...
Words: 3778 - Pages: 16
...constitutions; for example, the ‘right to bear arms’ amendment, which basically gives registered citizens the right to keep and bear arms. The topic of amending this constitution is very controversial, however due to the constitution being codified the process is very difficult, as is it entrenched and has been a part of the US culture for centuries. In this essay, I will be analysing the strengths of the British constitution and comparing it to a codified constitution, Some of the arguments for retaining the uncodified system are that; codification produces ‘judicial tyranny’, uncodified constitutions are more flexible and lastly that an uncodified system has worked well in the UK for many years and broadly speaking not many people have protested against an uncodified system. On the other hand arguments against retaining an un-codified constitution are that; a codified constitution would clarify the nature for the political system to citizens, codified constitutions can better safeguard the citizen’s rights and lastly that introducing a codified system in the UK would bring the UK in line with most other modern democracies, especially with the European Union....
Words: 924 - Pages: 4
...Abstract This paper seeks a philosophical insight of democracy in general and American democracy in particular by unfolding the paradoxes entailed to whittle a credible conclusion. It attempts to explore contradictions of democracy whether democracy is a best system of governance? Is true democracy possible? Has it to be moral in character? Why other systems of governance tend to challenge the basic fabrics of democracy? Why democracy has turned out to be more productive than other forms of government? Then focus shifts to paradoxes entailed in self evident truth of American democracy. Is American democracy a representative of a true democracy? Does it cater the smaller factions of society? Has the democratic system fostered the rights of liberty, justice, life and pursuit of happiness to good effect for masses once challenged by terrorism, racism, poverty and recession? What good it has brought to its people? Why does America deserve to lead world community? Finally, conclusion is inquired about by addressing the question that How American dream can be pursued in its true democratic meaning? Isn’t it strange that few render democracy as the bludgeoning of the people, by the people, for the people? On the other hand, for some, it is a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people; a government after the principles of eternal justice, the unchanging law of God; the idea of freedom. Idea of democracy as rule of people traces its expression from Athens...
Words: 2171 - Pages: 9
...“How can UK democracy be enhanced?” Democracy is a political system where decisions are made in the interests of the people by decision-makers who are elected, accountable and can be got rid of peacefully. There 2 types of democracy: direct and representative ones. In the UK there is a direct democracy which gives every citizen the right to participate, the opportunity to express their views, thoughts and where voters determine specific policy outcomes. There is a constant debate whether the UK is a truly democratic country or not and to what extent. It is believed that nowadays Britain has a massive issues: the electoral system is totally unfair, there are unelected political members and the lack of parties, Civil Rights are in danger, citizens no longer have a wish to participate in elections, the media is prejudged and, finally, the UK is not representative. This essay will evaluate how to make the Great Britain more democratized. The major point is that there is a low rate of political participation in the UK that might lead to an arbitrary and autocratic government. It is significant element because it makes the government more accountable. There are some ways which can prevent this undemocratic style. Firstly, the UK government can introduce the compulsory voting which is nowadays enhanced in Australia. This method would force citizens to affect the outcomes of elections and make them more politically aware of issues. The second way is to increase the use of referendums...
Words: 1432 - Pages: 6
