Participation as a Tool for Democracy - Coursework Example

Participation rather than Depoliticizing as a Tool for Democracy This paper deals with an analysis of the various aspects of democracy and the participatory role has affected democracy to deepen its roots, rather than a process of depoliticizing. To begin with, it is imperative to understand the concept of democracy. Democracy has been best defined as "of the people, for the people, by the people." It is a phenomenon that arises out of the various contextual realities that people represent in various walks of life as well as the socio economic strata of individual countries. To qualify as a democracy, a country must fulfil the following criteria: " - political standing; quality of life; explanation." (Tilly, 2007; Pp 6) History is still often seen as the presentation of facts from the past, so that learning involves the mere memorization of the facts. What makes history so interesting and stimulating, however, are the debates that emerge over the facts. From an early stage, the middle passage inspired moral outrage among those opposed to the slave trade, who often treated it as the most horrific part of the whole slave experience. Recently some scholars have argued that such moral outrage has led to a "melodramatic" rather than a "historical" account of the middle passage. I have tried to present an argument that we need a more balanced and less moralistic account of the middle passage from the perspective of the changing values and challenges thrown up by industrialization. (Breen T. H; 1997) In the course of this paper, I have examined a plethora of facts, chosen the ones that are important, and determined their meaning. In the study of history, one has to make choices, develop explanations, and find meaning in whatever records of the past they can find. One also evaluates and challenges the choices, explanation and meanings developed by other historians. Making and debating interpretations, finding new sources, deriving new meaning from documents that others have used, all make the reading and writing of history challenging and exciting. It was believed that the nation had passed through perhaps the single most significant transformative period in its history by those who lived through the Civil War and Reconstruction. The great questions of slavery, sectionalism, and national supremacy that had plagued the Americans for nearly eight decades had been resolved through a combination of the force of arms and the constitutional and legal change made possible by military victory. Irrespective of the fact that most Americans believed that these issues had been permanently resolved, this period posed new challenges to American values and assumptions. Three intertwining themes define this period: (i) industrialization - the rise of the industrial economy and of accompanying issues of law, governance, and public policy; (ii) urbanization - the dramatic growth of the nation's cities as focal points for population growth and demographic change, and as centers of commerce, culture, education, news, and politics; and (iii) immigration - the effects on American identity, politics, and culture of the great waves of immigration from eastern, central, and southern Europe and from Asia. The interaction of these themes added richness and complexity to late nineteenth-century American history. (Harrell et al, 2005) The Economic integration of the European Union has been a long drawn process that has been witness to various changes and the emergence of trends. These include an explosion in the mobilization of sub national actors in Brussels as well as an attempt on the part of intergovernmentalists to devise a rational choice explanation for the materialization of a "third level" in EU politics. In this regard, regional representation has blossomed from two regional offices in 1985 to 165 in 2000. What does this imply and where is it leading the EU - towards convergence through the structuring of an appropriate platform for the sharing of ideas and resources; or towards divergence through the creation of separate regional identities bas far as participation is concerned' Let us find out. To start with, we must define the objective that has spurred the nature of economic integration. The primary objective of having or creating a (regional) economic integration is for the said union to form an agreement among its member countries to reduce and remove tariff and non-tariff trade barriers to the free flow of goods, services, and factors of production (i.e. labor, capital and entrepreneur); and also, to attempt to achieve economic gains from the free flow of trade and investment between its neighbouring countries. Third world countries are those under developed countries where the realities of life for most people are hunger, acute poverty and unemployment, among a variety of other factors. This paper seeks to answer the question of whether or not democracy can survive in these third world countries. (Tilly, 2007) There are various questions that need to be raised in this context which are as follows: Does democracy help when people are dying of hunger' Are human rights a more important concept for these countries' Can democracy quench the thirst of frequent social movements' Is nationalism lost in the cause of supporting poverty' Are the elements of democracy and legislative mechanisms any promise for development and progression' In order to answer these questions, it is imperative to discuss the various elements of democracy. Further, if one is take a closer look at the policy making process as far as ignoring the national interest to pay more attention to the character of local interest was concerned, it will be clearly seen that the Iraq war was one such instance where the national interest was hardly paid heed to. In the name of "democracy", the Bush government went all out to satisfy the instigations of a personal set of Republican lobbyists. If instead of the theoretical pretense of "democracy" (as in "exporting democracy to Iraq"), one were to closely examine the actually existing practice of "democracy," it would have been more accurate to say that what we have today is oligarchical rule by and large for a plutocracy -- so-called "conservatism" in theory (small government, fiscal conservatism, isolationist foreign policy) boils down in practice to no-holds-barred greed - pursued where possible in an authoritarian manner. As far as influencing Congressional behaviour goes, this was a definite departure from the Democratic style used in the past before the Republicans took over. Context of Nationalism Nationalism is that phenomenon which stems from complete loyalty and love for one's nation. Under the influence of nationalism, a citizen forms his personal sense of identity in context of the broad characterization of the nation. This consequently leads to mass identity along the same lines when like minded persons get together - a phenomenon better described as national identity. Reversibly, the identity of a nation is formed by the sentiments, attitudes and broad cultural assimilation under which its people function. The theories of nationalism and national identity are complementary to each other, and these inspire entire generations. (Tilly, 2007) Two strong factor that influences nationalism is a legacy of colonisation along with the ethnic groups. These factors, when combined provide a series of influences on the culture, historical experience and other such aspects of a nation or a state. This is due to the fact that the effect of colonisation is most seen on the evolution of ethnic groups. This is of special importance when studying a state in a third world country, where ethnic groups and tribes are of paramount importance in the basic structure of the demographics. Third world countries have seen the ravages of colonisation and are still attached to strong ethnic sentiments, in most cases. This makes for a strong context for nationalism. Yet, the character of nationalism and national identity is not enough for the survival of democracy. Democracy requires the strong footing of policy in order to support development so as to maintain a focus on nationalism and not just fighting poverty and hunger. Participants in Public Policy Public policy may be defined as that state of things or action where the public authorities exercise their freedom of choice in order to deal with certain issues. The tools or mechanisms used to deal with these issues are known as public policy. Public policy may also be defined as a set of decisions that are interrelated to one another. These decisions in turn, are taken by political parties, or other individuals involved in social service, with the broad aim of selection of certain goals that will fit into the situation at hand. Public policy may be implements to various aspects of one's public and domestic life, including welfare, health, justice, feminist policies, and interest group conflict, among various others. (Dye, 2001, p. 4 to 7) In this context, the participants in the public policy process may be segregated into two categories. The first are the official participants comprising of government officials, authorities as well as political players. On the other hand are the non governmental or unofficial participants who come in the form of social workers, individuals lobbying for the interests of certain pressure groups, and even the average citizen. In the course of this paper we will try and differentiate between these two groups of participants in the policy process. To do so, we will start by delving into the various aspects of the policy process. When embodied in a person's life as a profession, the policy process becomes a matter of drawing on statistical information and basing decisions on various kinds of analysis before arriving at the factors that will influence the elements to be included in a certain policy. Considering the fact that this will greatly influence a normal citizen's life in various ways, the policy maker has to be doubly sure of the facts as he is responsible for a lot of people. In this context, an unofficial participant comes in where a reaction is required in order to point out any deviation from the larger aim, from the official participant's end. Also, when proposing the nuances of the issue to be dealt, the unofficial participant may put forward his views on how it should be dealt with in respect of the particular interest or group he is representing. It depends on how the official participant decides to make use of these views in the policy process. But the fact remains that in today's world, the unofficial participant's voice has greater reach due to globalisation and the rise of the public sphere through the advent of the media, which further lends significance and forces the official participant to pay attention to the needs represented by the unofficial participant. (Anderson, 2002, p. 2 to 10) Further, while the official participant might seek to primarily set up a coordinated framework for dealing with the issues at hand, the unofficial participants simply choose the inroads that it may take in reaching its suggestions and views to the official participants. Another important difference is the fact that the official participant might follow the lawful method for reaching a goal, while the unofficial participant might adopt more creative methods and make use of the media, coalitions, etc, for reaching the same goal. In third world countries, public policy and its participants need to stay focussed on the raising of issues that will benefit the very core of its socio economic make up apart from catering to all section of this structure. The public sphere needs to be used a mouthpiece of the interests of the lowest class in the socio economic structure for democracy to survive. Concept of Federalism in Public Policy Making Federalism is essentially a concept surrounded by political philosophy. According to this concept, a nation that follows federalism is one that believes in binding it various people, from diverse corners of the world, together. Federalism is that system which brings people together under the able guidance of a representative who puts forward their issues without an iota of partiality. Under federalism, the nation looks at each of its citizens as equals and as brothers who are bound together geographically as well as in respect of national sentiment. The nation that follows federalism is one that follows the principles irrespective of age, caste, creed, race, origin or colour. From the concept of federalism have come various other schools of thought, which have culminated into sub concepts in their own right. One of these is the concept of dual federalism according to which the best option before any government or nation is to organize itself into separate yet equal branches of government so as to divide the state and national government in various spheres of functioning and significance. According to this, the state government may exercise sovereignty within its own boundaries while the national level authorities will be slated to have exclusive and enumerated powers. Another concept that has branched out from federalism is that of cooperative federalism. According to this school of thought, the best course of action is to establish a strong network of consumer cooperative societies through which cooperative wholesale societies will be formed in order to undertake the purchase of farms and factories. According to federal cooperatives, the proceeds and profits thereof would be paid as dividends to the member cooperatives instead of the workers. (Anderson, 2002, p. 2 to 10) Having studied the various aspects of federalism, it would be imperative to state that the public policy making process is greatly influenced by the concept of federalism. To start with, one must understand that the public sphere is an important tool in today's world of growing awareness and even greater media influence. In this regard, through the proponents of federalism, the role of political players as well as official participants in the public policy making process is clearly etched out with mass public representation. Federalism not only binds people and their efforts together, it also provides a platform where issues can be addressed and solved. This gives impetus to the process of following the correct direction in public policy making. Finally, it is crucial for federalism to continue to grow as an important factor in the public policy making process so as to make sure that there is sustained growth and development of all sections of the society and nation as a whole. Federalism as a concept is an important mechanism in the healthy functioning of the public sphere where decisions are made and affected for implementation in the public policy making process in Third World countries. For a healthy survival of democracy, it is imperative to apply federalism in mechanism of public policy at the very grassroots level as far as the effects of such policies is concerned. This will garner better support for democracy in the public sphere in Third World countries. (Dye, 2001, p. 4 to 7) Character of Socio Economic Movement A wide variety of new historians has linked the past more strongly to the present. According to this new breed, the past is unknowable. History reflects the need of historians to make sense out of their own worlds. Opening the practice of history to groups previously excluded from the profession has demonstrated the validity of the recent views. Views of the past vary with generations and because of divergent experiences from the historians sex, ethnicity, class, and race. When we read history, we are reading a particular historian's encounter with the world. The historian is devoted to the facts. He or she spends years of his or her life studying the archives. The historian believes that his or her story represents reality. Historians can be characterized by nationality, school of thought, or theoretical and methodological preference. Ethnic groups have been described in the study of history and anthropology as the indigenous people of a certain geographical location. These people are the precursors of the particular national identity as well as the ethics, culture and elements of sub culture that have come to dominate an entire race and country. In fact, the word 'Ethnic Groups' signifies people who have lived in a certain place 'from the beginning'. These people are the ones who render religious and cultural significance to long standing rituals practiced even today. (Morris, 1984) The study of culture and evolution of the human ethics and lifestyle can be studied through an analysis of ethnic groups and society. The above words demonstrate the fact that colonisation has been the root cause of creating a rift between traditional beliefs and the evolution of human culture in the ethnic society in various countries, especially those belonging to the Third world sphere. The evolution of myths and other such practices into the beginnings of a more modernised society was brought to a halt by colonisation, which quashed any scope for imbibing the traditional values into the evolution of a more modern society in Third World. While the lack of traditional values renders any society incomplete, it may also be seen, as depicted in the above words, that the full stop to the this activity rendered the values and ethics of the Ethnic Groups in Third World countries as irrelevant for times to come. A social movement is one that is punctuated with a highly idealistic environment with realistic parameters that set the stage for immediate results and emergence of future trends that will go onto dominate the structure and functioning of that particular society for generations to come. Issues like principles, revolutionary change and personal strength and a search for identity of a group of people or society, are synonymous with social movements. (Morris, 1984) For the measurement of success of any social movement, factors like skilful organisation, optimum use of resources and the identification of opportunities, are vital indicators. Literature has always been a strong medium to convey the ideas that are contained in social movement. These theories are of special importance when speaking of democracy in Third World Countries, and the survival of the same. The colonial experience in most Third World countries has been such that it has given rise to a variety of political and social outbursts. The political motives have been a major influence on the social campaigns in various Third World Countries. This has a strong implication as far as the survival of democracy is concerned. This has a strong nexus with the character of colonisation that has marked the state. Of late, though, it may be seen that the slump of the economy and the rise of factors like hunger and poverty have prompted the social movements to take on a more humanitarian character. Colonisation leaves any country or state in a slump. Like any newly independent state, a Third World country too is struggling to overcome difficulties in understanding and linking matters of constitutional importance with those of hunger, poverty, unemployment and many other such factors. The human rights angle is another one that has caught the country in its grip following the rise of ethnic tantrums in the wake of identity crises that have risen following independence. A social movement does not end merely after gaining a certain result - the after effects are felt for times to come. (Auyero, 2001) This has been the case in Third World countries. After the fight for independence, it has had to take a stock of its resources that were heavily depleted in the social movement so as to make the best of the situation in terms of providing basic amenities. In this regard, as is the case with most countries and states, there were a number of losers in terms of entire communities. Thus, the cause of human rights in terms of real freedom for people suffering from these after effects has been sought in recent times. (Auyero, 2001) Purpose and Advantages of Instigating Partnerships: Placement of the right man at the right place, at the right time. A study of the motions and material handling practices within the organization or situation, so as to find the fastest and easiest way of carrying out an activity. The implementation of cost accounting in all areas of operation, tactical and strategic activities. De centralization of responsibility and authority so as to place a group of men under the supervision of one commander per area of operation. To create room for four to eight functional officers who will take care of various aspects of the overall task, so as to ensure that each sub task is carried out as regards minimum motion and cost per person. (Ervitt et al, 1994) The creation and use of partnerships in an effective manner can be furthered through adequate training and development tactics even when there is no incident. This can be done as follows: ( i ) Definition of specific knowledge requirements - this stage to examines the skills and knowledge level that is required to be developed within the overall social system in order to meet the new objectives identified by the training needs. This helps the management gain perspective as to which kind of training strategy will be the most effective one when adopted for the situation at hand. (Lsdc, 2006) ( ii ) Planning process - This includes paying special attention to the training techniques that have been used in the past and their effectiveness. This helps show any deviations and how they may be modified or discarded entirely. Further, in the planning stage, one also decides on the locations of training, which is generally based on the model being followed to meet training needs and objectives as well as other learning requirements. (Lsdc, 2006) ( iii ) Trainer Competence - For competence in partnerships one has to depend on the competence of the volunteers. Thus it is crucial to have the right mix of all factors. One of these factors includes the trainer. While the organization itself may have a training department, it may also source its training projects to external trainers. These trainers are sent by training companies who conduct sessions over a period of a few weeks depending on the situation at hand and the employee requirements. Therefore, in choosing a competent trainer, the partners makes sure that they get the best of development as these trainers know the knack of basing their training on the availability of suitable training methodologies and the degree of responsibility within the partnership and area of responsibility. (Lsdc, 2006) ( iv ) Evaluation of training - this is where the planners evaluate the training needs and prioritize them before carrying out a similar process of evaluation for the training strategy they have in mind so as to link the strategy with the needs and reach certain projections regarding success or failure of the partnership. This helps bridge numerous gaps in the implantation stage and is thus extremely important and beneficial for a smooth sailing process of combining volunteers and resources. Through this process, there is also an increased focus on the specific training objectives so as to zero in on the best strategy, which will produce the scope for improvement and enhance the effectiveness of training. (Lsdc, 2006) ( v ) Implementation process - In this regard, the assessment of the existing methods are taken into consideration so as find the best option for making use of the strategy in terms of development of individual areas of the individual partners within the planning process of activities and projects. This helps save time and cut cost besides rendering a certain amount of effectiveness and authenticity to the whole process. (Lsdc, 2006) Policy Measures: There are a number of recommendations that needed to be adapted by the policy makers with the primary aim of the creation of a cultural state of things where respect and protection will be normal things to attribute to the various ethnicities that are a part of a region. In this regard, the Government needs to follow these guidelines as consideration to formulate apt policies that will create the scope for the people to enjoy partnerships that fuel sustainable development: (Elsdon, 1998) - The government needs to give special attention to the formulation of a strategy that is aimed specifically at the partnerships formed amongst the NGOs, in context of the projections as well as those plans that are being currently implemented by various agencies. (Lsdc, 2006) - The government, in its policy considerations, need to give priority to the development of strategy that will revolve around partnership building in context of encouraging individual agencies to take to sustainable development as a tool to imbibe discipline and an organized way of living in the area. (Lsdc, 2006) - The ethnicities of this area are excepted and need to be treated accordingly due to the history of communal and other kinds of events that have marked the horizon of their backgrounds in general. Therefore, they need to be given similar rights as everyone else when it comes to legal protection within the activities of the partnership. (Lsdc, 2006) - In this regard, the safeguard functions of the Area Development Committees need to be made stronger so as to take on a more assertive role as far as protecting the newly formed partnerships are concerned. (Lsdc, 2006) - As for the effective management of the various systems that govern the operations of the various agencies and authorities, there needs to be a better form of knowledge management as well as acquisition through stronger legislative arrangements for the functioning of the partnerships. This can be promoted through better cooperation and information exchange patterns between various agencies. (Lsdc, 2006) - - The various agencies as well as authorities must make use of the information and knowledge that is first hand to them by converting the same into relevant statistics and reports that will act like well being indicators for goals like sustainable development. - Through a better legal and security framework, the government must ensure that there is an appropriate structure to combat threats to the partnership. (Lsdc, 2006) - The government must also invest more in a wide range of partnership related services. (Lsdc, 2006) Inter-Agency Co-operation A conjoined effort by a variety of organizations and authorities is a prerequisite for the success of the plans that have to be implemented in terms of the agreements between these agencies. (Ervitt et al, 1994) There is also a need for a more concerted effort to coordinate and plan activities and events that first and foremost help these agencies interact with other, and then formulate plans as to how people and areas facing a threat or hurdle to sustainable development can be helped. In this regard, it is imperative to note that these activities must be presented as platforms where there is a raising of awareness regarding the issue and the policies attached to the same. (Lsdc, 2006) Further, these events must be places where volunteers come together to interact and help each other. Also, the need for specialist services is imperative to make sure that there are guidelines that dominate the operational spheres of each of these agencies with respect to tools like local forums as well as the conditions of the services offered. (Whelan, 1999) Following International Standards: The best way for agencies in a partnership to formulate relevant and cohesive policies and operational guidelines, is to follow the example of various countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, when it comes to tools of dealing with issues involved in the use and protection of social capital. These tools include the use of police, legal protection, health and social care as well as specialist services through voluntary and development policies. (Lsdc, 2006) The work in socially backward areas, in this regard has special relevance when compared to the work within a s0ecific region in general in terms of laying down benchmarks for the creation of an appropriate knowledge base and knowledge management system with proper recoding and transmission practices. This kind of comparison in formulating policies will help a region gain zero tolerance in cultural terms where abuse of social capital is concerned. (Elsdon, 1998) Conclusion The discussion of the above elements will reveal that the survival of democracy is crucial for the transition of Third World countries to developing countries in terms of the donor receiver relationship. The basic finding of this paper is that for the survival of democracy in these countries, there is a need to focus resources and policy changes on the basic human rights. This will intensify the support for democracy. This must be done through the use of official and non official participants in the policy making process, besides the use of mechanisms like federalism in order to reach out to maximum number of people in every strata of the socio economic make up the Third World Countries. Another important aspect of the survival of democracy in these countries is the able leadership of a party or a person who can best represent the interests of all classes of society. A major aspect of the survival of democracy in such countries is to start by eradicating class barriers and making use of constitutional mechanisms to create a more equitable society. (None, 2004) As far as the role of the public sphere in our lives is concerned, the media has projected it as that element of communication which basically operates in the public sphere. This public sphere or space where mass decisions are made, has come to trigger various changes apart from supporting those transitional factors which have their genesis in globalisation, post modernism, culture and multiculturalism, with deep rooted encouragement from the information age - one which is booming with each passing day. Further, the public sphere has come to function in the context of the global village concept. While this may raise the question of "cultural imperialism", one has to realise that in the interpretation and evaluation of its various methods of display and communication, the public sphere has become a strong purveyor of the idea of opening up societies to each other besides a relevant model upon which various studies like those of consumer patterns, may be based. References T. H. Breen. (1997) "The power of words" Documents in American History, Volume II: From 1865. Harper Collins College Publishers. Harrell, David Edwin Jr;. Gaustad, Edwin S. (2005) Unto A Good Land (A History of The American People) Eerdmans Publishing Co. Whelan R (1999) Involuntary action: How voluntary is the voluntary sector' Institute of Economic Affairs, London Everitt A and Gibson A (1994) Researching in the voluntary sector: Making it work ARVAC, London Elsdon K (1998) Studying local voluntary organisations: purpose, methods and findings Community Development Foundation, London London Sustainable Development Commission Annual Report 2005 - 2006. URL: http://www.londonshealth.gov.uk/PDF/NWRDAvisitjan06.pdf (Accessed during: October, 2008) Bagdikian, B. (1992). Media Monopoly. Beacon Press. Boston Chomsky, Noam & Herman, Edward (1988, 2002). Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. Pantheon. New York Habermas, J. (1962), The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. Polity Press. Cambridge Hamilton Peter, Thompson Kenneth (2002). The Uses of Sociology. Oxford, Blackweel. Fourth Edition of the Open University. Oxford Reinicke, W. The Other World Wide Web: Global Public Policy Networks, Foreign Policy, Winter 1999 - 2000. New York Robins, B. (Ed.) (1992). The Phantom Public Sphere. Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota Press. New York Schuler, D. (1995). "Reinventing the Media" developed as a response to "The Future of Journalism" conference. Thompson, J. (1995), The Media and Modernity. Pluto Press. London. Anderson, James E (October, 2002) Public Policy Making: An Introduction (6th Edition). London: Houghton Muffin Company. Dye, Thomas R (June, 2001) Understanding Public Policy (11th Edition). London: Prentice Hall. None, George B. (2004) New Frontiers of Leadership. USA: Information Age Publishing Inc. Morris, Aldon D. (1984) The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement. Collier Macmillan Publishers, London. Auyero, Javier (2001). Poor People's Politics. Duke University Press, London. Tilly, Charles (2007) Democracy. Cambridge University Press. Read More