Lack of Democracy in the Third World - Research Paper Example

Lack of democracy in the 3rd world Summary The purpose of this report is to portray and examine the methodology of democratization and additionally to discover purposes behind the lack of democracy and increasing dictatorship in the Third World. Most of the third world countries are claiming for a democratic system while in reality they are forced to carry out dictatorships. In this report, we will get introduced to different types of democracies that are common in third world countries. The paper will also provide information about third world countries who are still dominated by military government, personal dictatorship and one-party regime. The paper will also provide information about third world countries that are claiming for a democratic system by conducting free elections but still authoritarian tendencies and political violence persists. An audit of the main components of a democratic system will also be part of this report. We take a gander at human rights, the arrangement of government and common society noting in specific the dynamic evolving nature of these elements. The report puts light on the reasons of the failure of the democratic system in third world countries. The interrelationship between democracy, legislation and development is discussed about next. Legislation is seen as a subset of the democratization process. Great legislation helps development and advertises democratic system. Here we also address the factors that could contribute to the sustainability of democratic system as well as will also discuss major development issues caused by the dictatorship. It will also provide an insight to the reasons for which democracy has failed or succeeded in different countries, however, it is not possible to narrate the whole story. At the end of the report a conclusion will be added to support all the findings regarding the lack of democracy and dictatorship in the third world. Overview The democratic government is an institutional arrangement that permits participation through the elections or electoral process. The democracy is focused around two standards: political participation and political contestation (Dahl 1998). Political participation obliges that all the individuals who are qualified to vote can vote freely. Electoral processes must be free, reasonable, and focused. When the votes have been cast and the winner reported, power must be calmly exchanged starting with one individual then onto the next. These criteria are to be reproduced on a regional, state, and national level. Contestation alludes to the capability of individuals to express their discontent through the flexibility of the discourse and press. Individuals ought to can meet and examine their perspectives on political issues without apprehension of mistreatment from the state. Democratic governments that ensure both discretionary opportunities and social equality are alluded to as liberal democracies. Dictatorship is the opposite of Democracy where one individual or a party or a small group has outright power without compelling constitutional limits. Dictators normally depend on energy or extortion to gain authoritarian political force, which they keep up through the utilization of intimidation, dread, and the concealment of fundamental civil freedoms. They might likewise utilize procedures of mass promulgation so as to manage their open backing. However, modern dictators, look like tyrants of the ancient times as opposed to ancient dictators. Panama, Chile, Burma, Poland, Tibet, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Afghanistan are fewer of those countries living under a dictatorship (Bailey 2013). Studies have shown that third world countries are at the hit list of dictatorship where democracies are nil or are in its weakest form. There are a number of reasons behind the lack of democratic system in third world countries. The lack of democracy in third world countries caused several issues for the countries and its natives and it could be assumed as the major cause of poverty and violence in these regions. Types of Democracies Common in Third World Democracy has two common types that are popular all around the world however; these types are totally different in third world countries. The two common types are as follows. Direct Democracy: Direct democracy puts all force in the hands of the single person. At the point when political choices must be made, all parts of a country come together and people cast a vote. Theoretically, this sounds like the perfect manifestation of government. There are no intermediaries in such type of democracy. Every individual is dealt with as an equivalent, and every individual is given a shot to specifically impact the policymaking methodology. In practice, however, this framework is hard to actualize. This is a very complex type of democracy which is never implemented in any third world country. In developed countries, Switzerland is the only country that is practicing direct democracy. Representative Democracy: The second significant sort of democracy is known as representative democracy. This political plan builds a delegate political body as an actor between the individual and the policy yields of the state. Through a process of election, one individual or a group of individuals from different parties are chosen and allotted with the task of making decisions for the benefit of the citizen of a state. This is the most common type of democracy that is implemented in different regions across the world. In the third world, however, this type of democracy is also not implemented in its full essence. In many third world countries, representatives are elected true a fraudulent electoral process where the most powerful party use unfair means to get a dominant position in election. The so called representative democratic system then uses their own policies and frameworks just for their personal advantages. Representative democracy has further two types: Parliamentary democracy and presidential democracy. Both types of democratic systems are common in west. Countries that are living under dictatorship With the passage of time, democracy has been evolved however, still there are a number of third world countries that are living under different types of dictatorships. Common types of dictatorships include military control, one party or one person control over the country with the help of extensive use of power. Currently, there are a number of third world countries that are experiencing the worse situation of dictatorship. North Korea, Syria, Equatorial Guinea, Cuba, Belarus and Burma are the few names of third world countries that are completely under the control of dictators. On the other hand, there are some countries that are claiming a democratic system, but in reality they are not following all the rules and principals of a healthy democratic system. As a result, political and domestic disputes and terrorism are common in those countries and both democracy and dictatorship governs the country over time. For example, In Pakistan, Egypt, Philippines, and Thailand, democracy and dictatorship are common and there is no difference in both types of governments there (Sørensen 1991). Many of these countries have claimed the implementation of a fair democratic system, but in real the system is not as fair as it should be and as a result violence and terrorism are common issues in these regions. People are not satisfied with the electoral processes and as a result, they force the government to re-conduct elections. One of the biggest reasons behind the failure of the democratic system in the third world is the lack of law and order and its proper implementation where it is not possible for the high command to conduct a fair electoral system. Components of Democracy and of a Sustainable Democratic System The democratic system has some components that are making it sustainable and effective. Unfortunately, in most of the third world countries all or some of these components are absent, making it difficult to implement a strong democratic system (Sørensen 1991). Political and Civil Freedom: Political and Civil freedom include various rights, for example, individual security rights - the right to life (no synopsis execution), right not to be tormented, right to due law process, individual outflow rights - right to talk, gathering and so on. -, and political interest rights - right to vote, run for political office, etc. In a democratic society these rights must be equally implemented for all the citizens of a state regardless of the race, ethnicity, caste, religion and social status, etc. Under this component every citizen has equal right to access good education, healthcare, security and security of the community. Unfortunately, in the third world, most of these rights are limited to certain groups and social classes. As most of the third world countries are experiencing poverty and terrorism, therefore, it is not possible for the majority of the population to access their rights. Devolution of Government: Under a fair democratic system, the governing party must devolve their power to small groups and parties. Big government or the power in just a few hands cannot fairly implement democratic system. Devolution of power to small group can improve the responsiveness of a government to meet the needs and requirements of the people. Unfortunately, in third world only big parties become dominant after an electoral process and they keep power in their own hands. Most of the dominant positions are assigned to their party members and to their relative regardless of merit. When other political parties and citizens realize that there is a so called democratic system, they start protesting. Civil Society: Civil society is characterized as all intermediary associations that lie between the essential units of society, for example, people, families, groups, ethnic gatherings formal legislative organizations and establishments. The overall system of private (not state supported) associations, including political parties and the different private organizations working voluntary constitute common society. Common society is a vital, however, not sufficient element of a democratic system. Civil society cannot exist if there is a great inequity in economic and social terms. In the third world, there is a lack of social and economic equalities therefore, it is hard to establish a civil society. All these components are crucial enough for a strong and sustainable democracy, however, in most third world countries all or some elements are absent. As a result, these countries become unable to resolve their domestic as well as foreign disputes. When the situation became worse, military forces have to interfere. Democracy and Development Many people believe that democracy is essential for development in a country, however; studies have shown that democracy alone is not sufficient for development. Pakistan is the biggest example of democracy and dictatorship rules but it is clear that the country has not developed under a democratic system both economically and socially. Similarly, Sub Saharan African countries experienced a very low development and economic growth under democracy (Olson 1993). There are many other examples available in the world, especially in the third world, showing that democracy is not necessary for development. Saudi Arabia is an example of a country living under dictatorship, but has peace, good economic condition and social development which mean that not all dictatorships are posing threats for countries. Conclusion On the basis of the research data, it can be concluded that the reasons behind the lack of democracy in the third world is its inability to create a healthy society where people have equal rights and access to their needs. Moreover, the lack of democracy in the third world is the root cause of many issues such as economic growth, law and order situation, terrorism, violence, and protests. Though, there are some examples of dictatorship in third world countries that are far better than democratic countries of the region, such as Saudi Arabia. Compared to dictatorship, democracy is far better but if applied on its full extents. Bibliography Bailey, Diane. 2013. Dictatorship. 1st ed. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest. Dahl, Robert A. 1998. On Democracy. 1st ed. New Haven: Yale University Press. Olson, Mancur. 1993. Dictatorship, Democracy, And Development.. American Political Science Review 87 (03): 567--576. Sørensen, Georg. 1991. Democracy, Dictatorship And Development. 1st ed. London: Macmillan. Read More