DEMOCRACY - the idea that 'majority rule' is already flawed before we get into the fundamentals. The majority of the people aren't that bright and can obviously be easily manipulated. Therefore whose viewpoint are we listening to - theirs or of a select few that know how to manipulate the majority of the population. Either way the British Democratic system is far from being a proper Democracy that it claims to be.
I agree with Yvonnecia, there's far too much credit which the British Democratic system claims it has. Take voting, what % of the British public vote? More importantly why do/don't they vote? The parties campaigns focus on what people want to hear but when in power are not able to deliver. If it didn't work the last time then they kick the leader off and give the party a face lift. Those who do vote probably don't have a better choice and those who don't are intelligent enough to know it's all a load of rubbish and it really isn't life changing if they did vote.
I give it that the British may have the longest history in this area but even so with different cultures, development and atmosphere among other aspects of a country how can there be 'a model system' for the rest of the world.
The Greeks have the longest history. The word democracy means rule by the people in ye olde greeke. "Democratic sysytem", hmmmm. I'm not sure if we mean the Westminster system, adversarial parliaments, single plurality voting....There is quite a lot going on in this question.
Has it been adopted? well, partly. Elements of our system exist globally but it's patchy - voting systems in India and the USA for example, and the bicameral system in Australia.
Should it be? Our system is deeply institutionalised, imbued with cultural meaning and history. It wouldn't work cross culturally, and why should we expect it to? Democracy is about bringing decision making to the people, not imposing foreign methodology on them out of context. Surely democracy is about asking people, "what kind of democracy do you want?" and then always looking to improve, always asking them what they want to change.
Stat fans should check out the Gallagher Index of disproportionality (oh yes!). We're talking voting systems. First past the post returns representatives with minority popularity. (New)Labour won the 2005 general election with 35.3% of the popular vote, with 61.4% voter turn out. Lib dems got 10% of the seats and 22.3% of the vote. That is, roughly one in 6 people chose your legislature. And if you voted for a candidate who didn't get in, your vote isn't represented in parliament.
No one chose your government though because they come from the legislature (parliament) and are appointed by the PM, who gets his job from the Queen. Some of the government are Lords, so you couldn't vote for them anyway, because the second house is appointed (not by the people at least). Nor can you vote for the PM, unless he happens to be your constituency candidate. So don't worry, you can't wast a vote you don't have.
Perhaps we should discuss alternative voting systems and elected second houses? Where should I develop this thread?
DEMOCRACY - the idea that 'majority rule' is already flawed before we get into the fundamentals. The majority of the people aren't that bright and can obviously be easily manipulated. Therefore whose viewpoint are we listening to - theirs or of a select few that know how to manipulate the majority of the population. Either way the British Democratic system is far from being a proper Democracy that it claims to be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Yvonnecia, there's far too much credit which the British Democratic system claims it has.
ReplyDeleteTake voting, what % of the British public vote? More importantly why do/don't they vote? The parties campaigns focus on what people want to hear but when in power are not able to deliver. If it didn't work the last time then they kick the leader off and give the party a face lift. Those who do vote probably don't have a better choice and those who don't are intelligent enough to know it's all a load of rubbish and it really isn't life changing if they did vote.
I give it that the British may have the longest history in this area but even so with different cultures, development and atmosphere among other aspects of a country how can there be 'a model system' for the rest of the world.
The Greeks have the longest history. The word democracy means rule by the people in ye olde greeke.
ReplyDelete"Democratic sysytem", hmmmm. I'm not sure if we mean the Westminster system, adversarial parliaments, single plurality voting....There is quite a lot going on in this question.
Has it been adopted? well, partly. Elements of our system exist globally but it's patchy - voting systems in India and the USA for example, and the bicameral system in Australia.
Should it be? Our system is deeply institutionalised, imbued with cultural meaning and history. It wouldn't work cross culturally, and why should we expect it to? Democracy is about bringing decision making to the people, not imposing foreign methodology on them out of context. Surely democracy is about asking people, "what kind of democracy do you want?" and then always looking to improve, always asking them what they want to change.
Stat fans should check out the Gallagher Index of disproportionality (oh yes!). We're talking voting systems. First past the post returns representatives with minority popularity. (New)Labour won the 2005 general election with 35.3% of the popular vote, with 61.4% voter turn out. Lib dems got 10% of the seats and 22.3% of the vote. That is, roughly one in 6 people chose your legislature. And if you voted for a candidate who didn't get in, your vote isn't represented in parliament.
No one chose your government though because they come from the legislature (parliament) and are appointed by the PM, who gets his job from the Queen. Some of the government are Lords, so you couldn't vote for them anyway, because the second house is appointed (not by the people at least). Nor can you vote for the PM, unless he happens to be your constituency candidate. So don't worry, you can't wast a vote you don't have.
Perhaps we should discuss alternative voting systems and elected second houses? Where should I develop this thread?