Democracy through the Years - Coursework Example

Democracy through years TASK 1 John C. Calhoun was a prominent U.S. statement and spokes-man born in 1782. He was the spokes-man for the antebellum South slave-plantation system. Calhoun helped steer the U.S into war with the Great Britain as a young congressional representative. He also established the Second Bank of the United States of America. He went on and served his county as the secretary of war, as vice president, and later as secretary of state albeit for a very short time (Calhoun, pg. 36). Calhoun faced bitter partisan attacks from his contenders in 1824 when he vied for the year’s presidential elections. This probably made him drop out of the race settling for the vice presidency spot in which he was reelected. Nonetheless, the ascension of Andrew Jackson to presidency isolated Calhoun both in national affairs and politically. He was a staunch supporter of slavery although there was a growing antislavery stance in most parts of America. The current times would not support such ideological sentiments and Calhoun would face some of the fiercest objection. He was a very powerful politician during his time and it is understandable based on the ideas he backed. As secretary of state and a man known as Cast Iron, it is expected that he was not so much inclined to change, such as that that abolition of slavery brought. However, he was said to be warmhearted and a very affectionate man, which belies his support on war and slavery. TASK 2 Communities are hailed due to their efficiency in achieving things that are fundamental to the human race. Social Darwinism is one of social philosophies that have had an in-depth study on the society and issues for instance social inequality. If misused, Social Darwinism may bring more damage to the world than good. Adolph Hitler, for instance, based his notion on this line of thought, that the Aryan race was superior to all the other races. Social Darwinism does not auger so well for the value of the community in that it dwells mostly on the survival of the fittest thus working on eliminating those that are different. The reason scores of the Jewish people were killed. The philosophical basis of the New Deal, on the other hand, also focuses on the greater good of the whole community. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the elected president. He did urge the American people to support him in the New Deal, it focused on stimulating the industrial recovery between 1933 and 1939. The design of the programs and reforms of programs meant to assist victims of the recession, guaranteeing minimal standards of living through the creation of employment opportunities and providing the people with financial stability. In view to the value of community, the New Deal was the way to go (Dallek, pg. 67). TASK 3 Iraq has been through one of the most unfortunate political challenges in the modern world. In every respect of the word, the citizens had been accustomed to the idea of freedom and civility being very hard to come by. The country had among the worst governments on any country just a decade ago. What was most important for the people was relief from the Saddam Hussein governance. In its ideal form, federalism promises equitability in that not a single group is allowed to dominate the fundamental rights of other groups of people. The Shiites in Iraq had been oppressed for centuries and posing a threat to federalism since the group, in one way or another, felt that it deserved to get even with their oppressors for having treated them as second-class citizens for so long. In view of the INC, it is important to understand that it was difficult for the people who were subjected to suffering from the evil regime due their economic under-privilege endorse the INC government. Federation in Iraq depended on the extent of Sunni opposition to the idea of having the Shia dominate in the government. The fact that the Shia also has control over the most important resource in the region, oil, makes the situation even worse. A federal government would be the best for the country, as it will ensure that revenues are redistributed from a center in reason to preset formula. If a given entity tried to gain control over the resources, then the situation would be as ugly as that of the African giant, Nigeria, whose oil has brought the country more harm that could be imagined. TASK 4 Responsible stewardship calls for commitment to ensuring proper human livelihood in terms of natural and financial resources. For this to happen, those working at the center have to ensure responsibility in how they put the funds entrusted to them by the society into use. They also need to protect the environment through passing of laws that support such endeavors. A presidential system governs the United States of America. In comparison to a parliamentary system, both the president and the legislature claim to speak for the people to a point of having contests over basic legitimacy. In the US, this is taken to the extreme as there is the party that claims to be the voice of the people as it won the most recent elections and then there is the head of state who claims to have been voted in by all the people. While both are supposed to have the virtual of responsible stewardship, their tag of war over who represents who is not a good sign. Nonetheless, that works for the best of the citizens considering that in this system, there will be a reelection that the entities have to win, this they do through pleasing the voter. The parliamentary system puts a single party in control and another waiting for the best election giving the party in the helm of leadership every constitution power that could see passing of laws that harm the people. While it gives those in control an easy way around, it may not be in line with the value of responsible stewardship. Based on this argument, the US is better off with its current system of governance. TASK 5 Historical analysis reveals that there is no good example of a country with a stable presidential system. Countries with parliamentary systems, on the other hand, have had the honor of a triple-A system. The US has a presidential system while France has a parliament system but with an empowered president beside a prime minister. Most scholars argue that the parliamentary system is superior to the presidential system in relations to stability (Strøm 270). In a parliamentary system, for instance, both the executive and the legislature are merged so there is no contest for national legitimacy like seen in the presidential system in the US. However, there are a number of things to note concerning the presidential system. Political actors have the incentives to form coalitions in their regimes. Furthermore, the idea that political parties under the system have an irresistible desire to work alone, and that they will not want a part with cooperation or at least support the president besides being a part of the government is farfetched and misguided (Cheibub, pg. 87). The passing of the contentious bills into law by the current government in the US shows that it is not tricky for a president to rally for support as often thought. This means that although there are those who believe that adopting the French strong president model would be better for America, the truth is the current president already enjoys such powers. TASK 6 Civic engagement defines how citizens participate in the life of a community to improve the living conditions for others or to simply help shape the future of the community. While the term is used to refer to every member of the population, it has been used primary for the young people. Looking at how the American electorate relates to each other in terms of partisans of the two different parties running the country affairs, it evident that there has been an increase in polarization. Currently, there has been a string of contentious bills that the Republicans believe should not have been passed yet they were. This has really affected the relationship between the two groups. The value for respect demands that people show appreciation for each other and showing respect for animals, plants, and the environment. The best virtues are that contribute to the greater good of the society and those that affirm the human dignity are derived from the value or respect. It becomes easier to understand why there is so much to say concerning civic engagement and polarization of politics. An issue like recycling is one that affects not only the economy of the country but also the environment. There are the people who see it as not feasible and those that say that the value to the environment surpasses the fiscal issues. Nonetheless, when the matter is politicized, it becomes a recipe for social political conflict. TASK 7 Democracy generally refers to a government by the people meaning that the supreme power is vested on the people and this power is exercised through elected agents under a free and fair election. The US is an example of a state that under democracy. While there are countries that believe that democracy is very expensive and should not exist in a populous country, for example China, the US has done well under the system. People in the country have most of the civic rights of any individual on the planet. There are threats that face any democracy, however. The sources of threats are external and internal. Most democracies in the world cave in to anti-democratic pressures from within the country or outside of the country. Threats to any form of democracy can be either political, military, or economic. Looking at the American case, the threat to the county’s democracy can most likely be economical, political, and not military. Democracy in America can be threated from either the right or the left. In relation to most other countries that have had their democracies threatened, it is right to conclude that the right is the most likely source of a threat to a political system. The pre-World War II Italy is a good example of a country that has seen large-scale replacement of a democratic system. Spain and Germany are also popular examples. Currently, the American society is facing too much problems with its economy. Projections already show that the GDP of the country will soon be overtaken by that of China. A democracy is known to be so due to having several conditions in place. Market capitalism, voluntary citizen participation, private ownership of property, and so on are some of the conditions. These conditions are generally, what is threatened in any democracy. In America, market capitalism has brought about some individuals amassing too much wealth and thus expanding the gulf between the rich and the poor. The US is a capitalist. This makes it vulnerable to those individuals having the perception that capitalism should be done away with. If there are people who would want the country’s system of governance abolished, then it would definitely be those from the left, the anti-capitalists. TASK 8 Climate change is one of the issues that have the greatest impact on every form of life on the planet and one that the whole world is seeking to address before things get out of hand. After the industrial revolution, the levels of greenhouse gases emissions increased in folds and issues such as global warming became important to consider revising. There is so much need in controlling climate change that so many resources on allocation. Unfortunately, whenever money flows in plenty, corruption kicks in. Most people do not see the real connection between the two but the truth is climate change will surely be used as a source of revenue to benefit a few people however glaring it is an issue to the planet. Climate change will lead to emergence of a need to introduce a robust climate governance system. This translates to processes and relationships at the local, corporate, national, and international levels to ensure that investment such as financial investments in private and public sectors. Others perceive climate change and global warming as billion-dollar industries. Efforts to prevent or respond to climate change are usually associated with a huge price tag and what follows is a series of untested financial markets and mechanisms that are supposed to benefit a few individuals. Estimates show that some US$700 billion might go into climate change by the year 2020. The same statistics show that at least US$250 billion per year will eventually flow through new, somewhat uncoordinated, and unproven channels. There are currently pressures to ‘fast-track’ solutions which enhances the risks of corruption even father (Ackerman, pg. 79). TASK 9 Democracy is not a static but a dynamic condition. The founding documents such as Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights formed the first rhetoric and ideals on which the US was founded. Additionally, it is was a base to contemporary debates on issues such as the Iraq war, domestic surveillance, the economic significance of Wal-Mart, the consequences of Hurricane Katrina, and the general meaning of the term, democracy has been changing. The truth is America has been the most effective and efficient country on the planet in having given the people the ‘rule by the people’. While the government has ensured that, it is committed, honest, disciplined, resilient, and courageous- all the values of integrity- it is evident that this trend is bound to change. The recent debate on war on terror where the NIS has been rumored to be carrying out surveillance on citizens and infringing on their rights to private life is among the issues where the government’s value of integrity has been questioned. In twenty years to come, this may no longer be a rumor but democracy will no longer protect the people who ‘rule themselves’. TASK 1O William Graham Sumner wrote an essay in 1881 entitled “Sociology” that focused on the relationship between biology and sociology. In the essay, he looked at two sides of survival of human beings. On one side was the “struggle for existence”, the relationship between man and nature (biology), and on the other side was “competition for life” which he identified as the relationship between man and man (Sociology). He discussed how man struggles with nature to obtain food and then with fellow man to obtain needs from limited supply. He believed that while man could not abolish survival for the fittest, he could interfere with it to produce the “unfit” (Paul, pg. 255). Herbert Croly, on the other hand, saw democracy as a trait that defined the American people. His findings did illustrate that the government was not focused on strict observance of people equal rights. However, it did offer the whole community a share of benefits and responsibility in relation to their economic association. Like nature, the Croly discussed how the government offered people the fundamental rights of the democracy but the struggle between them that resulted to the social difference that exists. This differences would also result to having ‘unfits’. Unlike Sumner’s position, however, Croly sees people with the power to interfere with the government, as it is their own production (O’Leary, pg. 535). TASK 11 The major characterizes of democracy, as a system based on the principle of sovereignty of the people and majority rule. Democracy also seeks to limit the power to those in office have thus preventing despotic rule. Totalitarian rule is characterized by the existence of only one party. The party’s legitimization is not derived from free and fair elections. Furthermore, it has no restriction to power or the will of the people and possesses a religious-like ideology. The ideology is said to not only be ‘true’ but the party in the leadership position enforces it to the people and argues that it is the only way the society can realize any fruits. Lastly, the authoritarian system shares many features with the totalitarian leadership. They are not democratic. This term encompasses many other regimes. Elections exist in such a system, but manipulation is common. Unlike the totalitarian regime, the idea behind authoritarian leadership is to grab and remain in power other than follow a particular ideology. TASK 12 The Russian presidency is a recent development while the American system has had its powers limited since the country gained independence centuries ago. The fact that the American presidency has had a long time to have its functions tested means that the country is not prone to autocracy as if it would happen in a country like Russia where it was introduced after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This means that the country had less time to evaluate he powers of the president resulting to a very powerful entity at the helm of the country’s leadership. Due to this reason, Russia is more prone to instability and dictatorship than America is since the latter is a part of a stable constitution system. Works cited Abramowitz, A. I., & Saunders, K. L. (2008). Is polarization a myth?. The Journal of Politics, 70(02), 542-555. Ackerman, F. (2009). Financing the climate mitigation and adaptation measures in developing countries. UN. Calhoun, J. C. (1987). The Papers of John C. Calhoun (Vol. 17). Univ of South Carolina Press. Cheibub, J. A. (2007). Presidentialism, parliamentarism, and democracy. Cambridge University Press. Dallek, R. (1995). Franklin D. Roosevelt and American foreign policy, 1932-1945: with a new afterword. Oxford University Press. O'Leary, Kevin C. "Herbert Croly & Progressive Democracy." Polity (1994): 533-552. Paul, E. F. (1988). Liberalism, unintended orders and evolutionism. Political Studies, 36(2), 251-272. Strøm, Kaare. "Delegation and accountability in parliamentary democracies." European journal of political research 37.3 (2000): 261-290. Read More