Transparency in Democracy - Research Paper Example

? DEMOCRATIC LIFE In this paper we analyze the integral role of democracy in the political situation of the world by looking at the positive and negative aspects of the system and then prove the imperativeness of the democratic system in the political context. Defining Democracy Human beings have searched for a proper political establishment system from time immemorial; however, in the course of the last two centuries, the enlightened age has given the right mix of establishment in the wake of political upheavals. That right mix of establishment is certainly named democracy - a type of government where the ruling party is chosen by the people, for the people from the people. This concept has epitomized the need for human freedom and political involvement of all the citizens of the society. Through this system, all citizens are granted equal rights and privileges and the society starts to run on a self correcting mechanism. Today, the most popular form of democracy is the parliamentarian form of democracy where the public takes part in the elections via voting procedures and chose a representative to rule them. Another form of democracy that is not very popular is the direct democracy where the public directly elects the executive governing members rather than a parliament (Foner, 58). Developed Countries and Democracy Since its inception, the democratic system of governance has proved to be very beneficial for the countries that have adopted it. No wonder all the developed economies are democracies. The economic social and political success of the west can all be associated to democracy. The social context has changed a lot in the last century. The standard of living of people has been improved and also the vices of the society have also popped up such as slavery, child labor, feudalism, infanticide etc. In such circumstances, it is important that the society get empowered as a whole and the uplifting of each member of the society will result in a much prolific society. This democracy is the best policy. Freedom The success of democracy lies in the opportunity of freedom that it encompasses. Democratic states give an opportunity of freedom to the citizen while the case is totally different in case of autocratic and anarchic states. People in democratic states enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of rights and freedom of expression etc. They have the freedom to choose who rules them by voting. Consequently they have the freedom to decide and choose how they will be ruled- the status quo - the policy of their nation and what the government should chose as policies. Democracy also gives people freedom of expression and speech and they can even criticize their own government. Power Lies in the Hands of People Democracy is often considered to be totally people centric. Its proposition of being for the people and from the people and for the people is a universal phenomenon. As a result the people themselves become the agents of the change when they bring about the change through their own choices. Democracy also becomes more holistic when it encompasses even the most trivial member of the society. It empowers him and makes him equal to the elitist person of the society in terms of the power to vote. Transparency in Democracy Democracy unlike other unconventional forms of government inculcates transparency in the social and legal format. Each and every person of the society becomes accountable for his conduct and also becomes a supervisor who looks after the activities of the other people. Hence we can also say that democracy is a self correcting mechanism and a more authentic one. The checks and balances that occur in the system make a more prolific and accountable society as compared to other forms of government. The autonomy that is given to the state institutions such as media, court and law enforcement agencies is phenomenal and therefore a feeling of empowerment prevails in the society. Respect for Human Rights Democracy is also the most humanitarian system of governance on earth. As a result, the element of sensitivity to human rights is innate in democracy (Dudziak, 12). Through democracy, all facets of human rights are addressed carefully. It empowers the people to speak for their own rights thereby making the people aware of the rights of individuals and the establishment. State subjects like education and economic health of the country is also improved through democracy (Welna and Giraldo, 215). This is the most unique point of democracy that is not present in any other system. The balanced mix that the system creates is helpful in the nurture of good societies (Ludden, 248).    The Flip Side However, at the same time, the concept of the entire democratic system to be angelic will create a huge paradox. On the very basics the entire democratic system rests on the assumption that the majority of the citizens in the country are aware of the fundamental rights and processes. They know the attributes of potential candidates and elect them. We also assume that the public is educated enough to tell the difference between the right and the wrong. On a very practical scale, this is certainly not what actually happens. The people are not aware of their rights at all and are therefore unable to assert their voting power. Research related to the field of politics reveal that the fundamental of human psychology does not support this notion. In fact, political leadership chosen through democratic outlines is mediocre most of the times. The technocrats are lacking in most of the democratic systems (Ludden, 418). A renowned psychologist David Dunning has conducted a research concluding that most people are affected by uncountable biases and perceptual errors that lead them to choose ineffective leaders as they have a totally inadequate political prototype in their minds (Dewey, 258). Most of the common people of the society lack technical knowledge of political system. They don’t know about the tax system and the economic functioning of the state. The lack of knowledge and awareness in this field leads them to make inadequate decisions and hence they chose inadequate political leadership for ruling them (Zakaria, 98). The researcher and his associates also argue that people are ineffective judges of themselves. They do not have a clear idea of their self concept and intellectual skills. They are often overwhelmed by their abilities that they might not even possess. As a result, it easier to deceive people and there are various techniques to do it. So it all comes to the influence and charisma of the political candidate to make people think the way he wants them to think. Thereafter he can be elected from the same supporter population. We can easily identify that in this case the population is only being fooled and nothing else (Moyers, 198). Another argument proposed by the opposition of Democracy is that a democratic system is not a true representation of the society. In fact it is a very small segment of the entire population that determines who will govern and who will not. The influential people in the democratic system form their political base at the executive level and never let the other representatives trespass their influence, even if the political candidate is the representative of the population. These people go on to rule the countries for decades through a system that becomes legal which is in fact unethical. Once they are into the system, they ensure that the policies of the government support their interest and their influence. Conclusion Democracy is becoming increasingly popular. Churchill said "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." In case of political systems, people have no other choice but to choose for the satisfying decision. In comparison democracy is truly a better option than any other system of government. All other political systems have real potential problems and as a result democracy turns out to be a potential messiah for the people. A potential example to support this fact is Botswana. The country leads the polls as Africa’s best run country. The country is rich in resources and governments have husbanded these resources for a long time. It is due to democracy that the average income of the population has tripled in a matter of decades, so much so that the country exceeds Mexico in economic terms. India can be another potential example of a democratically successful country. The country is the largest democracy on earth and has a rich legacy in it. The country has gained such potential benefits from democracy that it is considered as the beacon of democracy. In conclusion, the world history is replete with examples of how countries have benefited from democracy. Over the years several criticisms have also been posed onto the system but the practicality and proposition of the system has made the system invincible and prolific. Annotated Bibliography Dewey, John. Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education. New York: The Free Press, 1966. Print. John Dewey (1859-1952) believed that learning was active and did not agree completely with the idea of schooling. In this source, he explains the concept of democracy through various examples and how the system actually works. Dudziak, Mary L. Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 2000. Print. The author has portrayed the impact of the Cold War on the civil rights. He has explained that the cold War served as a boost for improvements in the social sector including social reconciliation. The main benefit for the people who were a part of the civil right movement was owing to the fact that the government wanted to improve its international stand and hence it did not strongly oppose this movement. Foner, Eric. The Story of American Freedom. New York: W.W. Norton, 1998. Print. Eric former presents an open ended history of accomplishment and failure. He talks about the numerous sacrifices of Americans who have struggled for freedom. In the process he defines some of the major forms of democracy and highlights the pertinence of each in the context of America. Guha, Ramachandra. India after Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy. New York: Ecco, 2007. Print. The book is like a narration of the journey of pain and struggle of the world’s largest and least likely democracy. The book discusses the root elements in the path towards democracy and the ramifications of such a path. Ludden, David E. Making India Hindu: Religion, Community, and the Politics of Democracy in India. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print. The book examines the different conflicts present in India and the efforts made to create the India we see today as compared to the one since 1980.The book also examines the success of democracy in India. Moyers, Bill D. Moyers on Democracy. New York: Doubleday, 2008. Print. The author is the famed broadcaster and one of the nation’s most admired public figures. The book captures the best of the American spirit. Some of the topics discussed include the place of religion in public, environmental crisis, political manipulation through television and radio, the culture of corruption etc. Welna, Christopher, and Giraldo G. Gallo?n. Peace, Democracy, and Human Rights in Colombia. Notre Dame, Ind: University of Notre Dame Press, 2007. Print. The author traces the history of democracy and human rights in Colombia and talks about the different political and social struggles in the region. He explains the context of democracy and the success and failure in the region. Zakaria, Fareed. The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2003. Print. This book explains the role of democracy in helping to shape the political, economical and all the important sectors of the countries across the world. It also explains the drawbacks of democracy and portrays the changes that democracy would undergo in the future. 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