Public Elections of the First Heads of State in the Austrian Political System - Essay Example

? Do you think it is right the election of governors heads of s (in Austria political system) by publicin the future? Evaluate this argument positive and negative sides include your opinion. Introduction The political system in Austria became a model of stability since the restoration of democracy in 1945. During the interwar period, domestic rivalries in the political arena as well as foreign intervention brought to a standstill the government system set out by the 1920 constitution. After the Second World War, a parliamentary democracy was reestablished; this functioned under what came to be termed as the Second Republic. After the postwar period, the politics of Austria appeared unique in many aspects. From 1945 to 1966, the country came under a grand coalition rule, which comprised of the two key parties that included the Austrian People’s Party and the Socialist Party of Austria. Austria is a federation consisting of nine provinces, each led by a provincial government, which a Governor heads (Sully1990, p. 38). Discussion To some extent, the Austrian government system models that of the United States. For instance, in terms of delegation of powers of the legislature and executive, power is divided equally among the states just like in the United States. The federal constitution of Austria, which came into being in 1920, also models the United States governance structure. The legislative assembly of Austria comprises of the bicameral parliament, with one house holding legislative authority known as the National Council. One hundred and eighty three members of this house include members of the party and hold office for a term of four years. The other house consists of the Federal Council, which comprises of four members whose election is carried out by the state legislature. The Federal Council plays the role of reviewing legislation, with the legislation passing through the National assembly before its enactment. The people of Austria elect their president for a presidential term, which lasts for six years. The president presides over the session of the parliament; in some instances, the president has the powers to dissolve the members of parliament. The Federal Chancellor and Vice-chancellor conduct the affairs of the government (Sully1990, p. 40). In the Austrian political system, it is crucial for the public to be involved in the election of the heads states for a number of reasons. The positive impacts of the involvement of the public in the election of the head of state and governors cannot be belittled. The participation of the public in the election of governors and the heads of states in the future will enhance democracy. In Article 1 of the Constitution of Austria, the country is defined as a democratic republic whose laws come from the people. As such, the involvement of the people in the electoral process can be regarded as the most vital act in the political decision making of the nation. The public participation in the election of the head of state and governors heralds an exercise of their democratic right. This will ensure that the constitution does not infringe the rights of the people of Austria. It is also right the election of heads of state as well as the governors be elected by public in the future since each of the provinces in Austria has its constitution. The constitution of each of the provinces prescribes how the government of the province will be organized. Governors and councilors should be elected by the provincial legislature. In each of the provinces, the public should have the mandate to elect the governors who will represent the entire province. This will ensure that the elected leaders represent the will of the people and they are not appointed by the provincial legislature. Governors should be persons elected by the public; this will ensure that they can be held accountable for their actions by the electorate (Gunter 1993, p. 55). Another reason why the election of the head of state and the governors should be done by the public stems from the powers vested on the provinces. According to Article 15 (1), matters that may not be reserved to the federal government can come under the jurisdiction of the respective provinces. In addition, the provinces have massive powers on matters relating to housing, primary education, health, locale police, as well as environmental protection. This calls for a need to vest the powers of electing the governors to the public. Public election of governors will ensure that they can appeal to the Constitutional Court on matters relating to governance. This will benefit the people positively since they will have the mandate to challenge the leaders (Sully 1990, p. 41). Another advantage of allowing the public to elect the head of state and governors in the Austrian political system encompasses the enhancement of stability. The public will be at peace and learn to live without petitioning the government when they know their leaders represent the people’s choice. This serves to reduce massive tensions, which may be experienced in the governance structure of the nation. In addition, allowing the public to elect the governors will ensure that the government runs efficiently. The executive, judiciary, as well as the legislature will be better placed to implement the constitution effectively. Efficient running of the government will ensure that all sectors of the economy realize development, which will be of benefit to all (Rolf, Gunter & Michael 2002, p. 23). The other positive effect of allowing people to be in charge of the election of the heads of states and governors includes creating a sense of belonging. By giving the public the mandate to elect governors and the head of states, they will feel as part of the governance process. As a result, the public will be more willing to take part in the governance process and the day to day running of the government (Rolf, Gunter & Michael 2002, p. 26). In most instances, people cherish a government when they know that they elected it in power. Therefore, the public will develop a belief that the heads of states represent them when they get involved in their election. Consequently, the various states and provinces in Austria will feel the need and significance of their governors and heads of states. The public should also take part in the election of the heads of states and governors since this will help in the reinforcement of their regional governments. Involvement of the public in the voting in of governors and heads of states indicates that the leaders should be accountable. It will be easier for the public to hold the leaders accountable for their actions and their ways of governance. Therefore, the elected leaders will be answerable to the questions asked by the public. This will enhance transparency as the leaders answer to the questions raised by their electorate. In addition, the governors and heads of states will be required to address the concerns of the public without any delay. The appointment of governors and heads of states may make them reluctant to be answerable to the public (Rolf, Gunter & Michael 2002, p. 27). Another notable reason why the public should take part in the election of governors and heads of states is because the era of appointments is coming to an end. With many nations of the world moving towards the enhancement of democracy, appointments into positions of the governor and heads of states have become rare. Austria should demonstrate an example of a nation, which has embraced the trend of elections into political positions instead of appointments. As such, the governors and heads of states should be elected by the public and not appointed. After election by the public, the governors and heads of states will be more likely to serve people diligently than when they get appointments to their positions. Based on this, there is a need that governors and heads of states be elected by the public in the Austrian political system (Rolf, Gunter & Michael 2002, p. 29). Democratic practices in the modern world dictate that officials to hold public offices such as governors should be elected into office. This should be done through free and fair elections, which should be conducted after a specified period. As such, the public in Austria should have the mandate to determine who will be their governors and heads of states. This stems from the fact that the appointed governors may not represent the people's interest. Instead, they may represent the interest of the political parties, which put them into office. In addition, such governors and heads of states may represent their allegiance to the president and his allies. Another reason why the public should elect governors and heads of states is to portray pride in their provinces and their respective governments. The public would feel at liberty when they elect their own representatives (Gunter 1993, p. 56). Another positive reason why the public in Austria should be involved in the election of governors and heads of states emanates from the need to express sovereignty. Involvement in the election of such leaders in Austria would portray whose wish provides the basis for legitimacy. In addition, involvement in the election of public officials such as governors and heads of states form part of international human rights. Competition for political power in Austria should be exercised through the conducting of fair and free elections of governors and heads of states (Sully 1990, p. 42). Although the election of governors and heads of states by the public may have numerous positive benefits, there may be negative impacts that may be posed by this action. One of the challenges may include the difficulty in adjustment, especially in terms of the electoral process. The provinces are not used to electing their governors and heads of state; hence, the election of governors and heads of states would herald a massive shift from the normal leadership structure. This would pose difficulties in terms of adjusting to the new structure with which the people and the entire nation lack familiarity. Therefore, it would take time for the nation to get used to the new governance structure, which would face a new arrangement altogether (Gunter1993, p. 57). Another challenge that could be experienced from the election of governors and heads of states by the public includes the high cost of implementing the policy.  Elections involving the public cost the government a lot of money. Financing an election diminishes part of the budget money, which may have been set aside to cater for some other government expenditures. The provinces that make up Austria will be forced to form election bodies, which will preside over the election of governors as well as heads of states. Finances will be spent in the hiring of election officials and catering for other materials needed during elections (Gunter 1993, p. 58). Involving the public in the election of governors and heads of states will also mean that the status quo will be affected. Before Austria gets used the system of electing governors and heads of states, it may take a long time. This may cause instability and low levels of development in the respective provinces. The structure of governance will also be altered significantly, meaning that the nation will be forced to develop new ways of running the government. At each provincial level, it may call for the establishment of new political structures and new officials who would work with the governors elected by the public (Gunter 1993, p. 60). While concluding this study, it is worth noting that, resulting from the Federal Constitution of 1920, Austria became a federal, as well as parliamentarian republic. In 1945, the nine states of the Federal Republic came into being. The president is the head of state and is directly elected through a popular vote. The president then appoints the Federal Chancellor who chairs the Federal Government. Involvement of the public in the elections of governors and heads of states would mean that people will exercise their right to vote. The governors and heads of states elected by the public will also represent the interest of the public. This is opposed to when the governors are elected by the legislatures; in such a case, they may only represent the interests of the president or their respective political parties. However, the elections of governors and heads of states by the public may pose challenges in terms adjustment to the new system. References List Gunter, B. (1993). Austria in the New Europe, New Jersey, Transaction Books. pp. 55-60. Rolf, S., Gunter, B. & Michael, G. (2002). Austria In the Twentieth Century, New Jersey, Transaction books. pp. 23-31. Sully, M. A. (1990). A Contemporary History of Austria, New York, Taylor & Francis. pp. 38-43. Read More