Egypt and USA: Democracy - Term Paper Example

Democracy in Egypt and USA Democracy in Egypt and USA Introduction Democracy may be one of the most familiar vocabularies around the globe, but it is also one of the most misunderstood as well as misused concepts. It has created a global divide of west and east, where some countries are pro-democratic, and others have no room for democracy and democratic institutions. Pro-democratic governments are those that embrace the views of all regardless of their political affiliation and encourage multi-parties. It is an all-inclusive government that upholds and respects all institutions. Countries that are anti-democratic are characterized by single-party regimes and control of power was gained through military coups. In addition, governments and other institutions are run by dictators and leaders are characterized by with nepotism and favoritism. Democracy is a word that is enshrined to the very early civilization of mankind. It is derived from two Greek words, ‘Demos’ which means people and ‘Kratos’ which means power. A composite of both is translated as ‘People’s power’ or the ‘power of the people’ (Ober 2007: p. 2). People attach different meaning to democracy. For instance, Abraham Lincoln famously described a democratic government as, ‘a government of the people, by the people and for the people. In some countries, it is exercised directly by the citizens, this form of democracy is known as direct democracy. In other countries, it is exercised through elected agents or what is referred as indirect democracy or representative democracy. The paper is set to compare two different countries and how each of them institutionalizes the aspect of democracy. Comparison of Democracy in Egypt and USA The Constitution The Constitution and its amendments remain the product of a process that is deemed fair and just and reflects the consensus of all factions of a political divide. It protects the freedoms and liberties of all citizens, both the majority and minority. USA The USA constitution was adopted in 1788. It was the first modern blueprint for modern democracy in the world. Elections were held in 1789, and George Washington was elected unopposed and again for a second term in 1792. The U.S.A has remained stable and progressed politically due to a stable constitution. It provides for institutions such as the judiciary run by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the executive, and Congress. The constitution is also the backbone of counties, states, congressional and national elections. It defines who the American people are, their duties and responsibilities to the state. It promotes equality to all without discrimination of race, gender or physical ability. In the U.S., it is the citizens who make the law, they implement it and they inform of a jury issue retrospective justice for people who break it. Like all countries with a pro-democratic constitution, it is the majority that gain leadership positions and govern the country (Tocqueville, 1835: p. 278). Egypt The Egyptian constitution can be traced back in 1919 during the Egyptian revolution. The citizens were trying to wrestle the country from its colonial masters. The county’s first constitution was promulgated in 1923. It provided for a monarchical system of governance. The king was designated as the head of the executive. It embodied and advocated for freedom of its people, demanded education and right to privacy. However, it gave the executive too much power. The king could dissolve parliament, and adjust the laws. It did little to empower the people. The undoing of the 1923 constitution paved the way for reprisal known as the Free Officers Revolution. It did away with the monarchical system and founded a republic that was governed by elements of the military. In 1980, a constitution adjustment was made to have the laws built on the foundation of the Islamic law, a presidential system was also adopted, and multi-parties incorporated. However, this was soon ratified by the single party state. Egypt reverted to the multi-party state in 2007 after the Mubarak administration made amendments to the constitution. In 2012, democracy was violated, during the Arab spring; people were abused by the government. The military then overthrew a democratically elected government and president and began a process of writing a new constitution (Azzam 2012: p. 4). In July 2014, the constitution was passed by an overwhelming 98%. It enshrined a more democratic government, powerful judiciary and more rights to women (Kingsley, 2014). Elections Elections are under the electoral laws of a country. They should be fair and just and free of election malpractices. Fair elections are a reflection of a democratic society that respects the views of all parties. USA Since 1788, the USA has been a representative democracy. Leaders are elected to offices in local governments, States, House of Representatives and the Senate. Most of the elections are held in even-numbered years including presidential elections, but some states normally hold their elections in odd-numbered years. Presidential elections are held at an interval of every four years with the president allowed a maximum of two terms. House of Representatives are elected every two years while Senate elections are six years. The U.S. holds two elections; Primary and General elections. Primary elections are for the nomination of party candidates and are before the general elections. In the U.S, voters must register before they participate in the event. Another point to note is that voting is voluntary, not compulsory. However, in Presidential elections, though the people vote for their preferred candidate of choice, they still have to be elected by an electoral college to determine the winner. The U.S. has often been hailed as the worlds greatest democracy. However, it has been constantly been faulted on its political system due its two-choice system. Voters are either republicans or democrats (McKinnon, 2012). Egypt For the period 1984-2005, Egypt exercised three electoral systems. List Proportional Representation system, Parallel system, and the Candidate-centered system, still practiced today. The different system had varying results and participation. Voters were reluctant to participate. It was attributed to illiteracy, mistrust within the commission and government promises and suspicions of vote rigging as well as faulty tabulation methods. There was also a host of cultural misconceptions especially when it came to voting for women (Mustafa, Shukor, and Rabi 2003: p.13). After the 2012 coup, different systems were proposed for the new constitution. They included; party-list system and individual candidate system. Conflict sprung on the system; the interim government supported the individual voting system since they would have the influence on who entered parliament. At the same time, the political parties had established greater control in a country ravaged by protests and were in favor of the party-list system. Political Parties and Participation For democracy to thrive, effective political parties are a necessity. By contesting in elections, representing its constituent interests, vetting government and providing alternatives to a public policy they facilitate participative democracy. Some parties, however, fail to honor their promise and public confidence in them decline. It results in the suffering of the democratic process (NDI). USA In the USA, politics functions on a two-party system. There are two major political outfits. Democratic Party recognized for its liberal views and Republican Party, which is associated with conservative views. They dominate in most elections in terms of voting blocs, and their candidates are elected to offices. Election of candidates receives donations and endorsements based on the popularity of the party in their region. However, though the Democrats and Republicans are the popular political outfits, there have been third party candidates. These are other parties apart from the big two in U.S. elections. At some point, the parties have had some influence in swaying of votes. For instance, the Socialist party at one point was a big party. Progressive party sponsored Theo Roosevelt Presidential bid in 1912. Current third parties include; Constitutional Party, Green Party, and Libertarian Party. In a democracy such as the U.S., political parties should be deeply rooted in facilitating democracy (NDI 2001: p. 4). Egypt When the late President Gamal Nasser overthrew the monarchy in 1952, he banned all political parties and established the Socialist Union as the sole political organization in Egypt. The party was used as a vehicle to express the popular will and rig elections. When his successor, Anwar Sadat ascended to power, he allowed only three political parties to be formed. In 1981, after some political agitation by radical Islamists, he suspended all political parties. Mubarak maintained the single-party system though he allowed some few opposition parties. The opposition was weak; its oversight was limited to a few institutions. The weakness allowed election rigging to thrive. It was a mockery of democracy. After the 2012 protest, the multi-party state was restored, and more than 80 parties were registered. However, only the Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafi Nour Party enjoyed majority support. The electoral laws in Egypt have been criticized for inhibiting the creation of a true democracy in the country (Dawoud, 2014). Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression Democratic governance allows for information spread without efforts to censor it, and people enjoy access to all information available. In a democratic country, governments do not have control over media houses, they do not terrorize or capture journalist when some anti-government piece is aired. They allow a free press to pass the available information (Lever 2014: p. 1). USA The U.S. has many radio and T.V networks. Freedom of the press has thrived in the country. Reporters are free to air, discuss and even print their political opinion. Newspaper articles openly criticize the wrong and report the right. The freedom of expression is embraced in the United States. However, everything has its limits, if one accuses another due to ill motives, they may be charged for libel or defamation and to some extent have their license cancelled. Therefore, it is imperative to maximize the freedom of the press and expression with care. People are free to use social media to speak their views without retribution. Egypt Draconian laws have hampered the nurturing of a real democracy. An amendment known as the Law on the Union of Radio and Television put media houses under government control. The opposition was locked out of trying to sell a good image to the public. State-owned newspapers were placed under the control of the Shura Council. The government has monopolized media houses and mass cultural activities. They sell the policies they want people to listen to and see and censor the ugly part (Mustafa, Shukor, and Rabi 2003: p. 48). However, during the 2012 mass protest people reverted to a digital revolution. Social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter served as the mainstream media for the protesters. Conclusion Democracy is a requirement for modern governance. To stay true to it and its people, governments must respect the very foundations of its institutions such as; the Judiciary, press, and public policy. Countries such as Egypt and others have found themselves being victims of an Arab uprising, which demands change and progress. Democracy should be cultured within us to express best values to society. Even to pro-democratic countries such as the U.S., it should be known to them that democracy is not a destination, it is a journey. They must keep improving in offering best governance to its citizenry. Reference List Azzam M., (2012). Egypt’s Military Council and the Transition to Democracy. MENAP, London. Pp.4 Dawoud K., (2014), Egypt’s Parliamentary Elections Law: A Setback for Democracy. Retrieved from http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/egyptsource/egypt-s-parliamentary-elections- law-a-setback-for-democracy on 08.05.2015 Lever, A., (2014). Privacy, Democracy and Freedom of Expression. Cambridge University Press. Pp. 1 Kingsley P., (2014), Egypt’s new constitution gets 98% ‘yes’ vote. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/18/egypt-constitution-yes-vote-mohamed-morsi on 08.05.2015 McKinnon, M., (2012), US elections: Why does the world’s greatest democracy offer just two choices? Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9276206/US-elections-Why-does-the-worlds-greatest-democracy-offer-just-two-choices.html on 08.05.2015 Mustafa H., Shukor A., and Rabi H.A., (2003). Building Democracy in Egypt. Tydells Tyckeri, Sweden. Pp.13-48 NDI, (2001), Political Parties and the Transition to Democracy. Washington. Pp. 4 NDI, Political parties. Retrieved from: https://www.ndi.org/political-parties on 08.05.2015 Ober, J., (2007), The Original Meaning of Democracy: Capacity to do things, not majority rule. Stanford University. Pp.2 Tocqueville, A., (1835), Democracy in America. Liberty Fund, Indianapolis. Pp.278 Read More