The Political Reform Of A Democracy Essay - 1909 Words

The basis of a democracy goes back as far as 507 B.C. It was introduced by Ancient Athens’ first leader Cleisthenes. His primary mean was to ensure equality among his people; however, Cleisthenes’ â€Å"equality declaration† only spread so far and accomplished so much. Only forty thousand men over the age of eighteen were allowed to be part of Athens’ political affairs. This Athenian democracy was separated into three parts: â€Å"the ekklesia - a sovereign governing body that wrote laws and dictated foreign policy; the boule - a council of representatives from the ten Athenian tribes; and the dikasteria - the popular courts in which citizens argued cases before a group of lottery-selected jurors.† Cleisthenes’ democracy only survived for two centuries. However, his political reform of a democracy is one of Ancient Greece’s best contributions to the entire world. Democracy is defined as â€Å"a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people, and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.† It is also defined as a â€Å"state of democracy characterized by formal equality of rights at privileges.† In short terms, a democracy is ran for the people, by the people. It is primarily focused on the equality among people, and those same people are able to control who holds the power in their economy. We, the United States, run as a democracy. Though, the electoral votes are those that are only accounted for in the election, our voteShow MoreRelatedThe European Union ( Eu )1339 Words   |  6 Pageshas a variety of methods to promote democracy beyond its borders. It is the contention of this paper that EU democracy-promotion policies are more significant in the context of a pre-accession conditionality. The success of EU democracy promotion is contingent upon the degree of bargaining power the EU possesses vis-à  -vis ‘third countrie s’ (third countries being those which seek EU membership, and are prepared to make the necessary political and economic reforms). In the context of pre-accession conditionalityRead More The Rise of Democracy in Britain Essays1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe Rise of Democracy in Britain The dynamic course of the nineteenth century set off a revolution within the realm of British politics. Foreign influence and domestic transformation created a situation where individual interests were forced into the public sphere for political reconciliation. The shift towards democratic government was largely unscripted because Britain had no written constitution to guide its path. Thus, Britain’s pursuit of democracy was not prescribedRead MoreModernization Of The Nation s Government And Democracy Essay1478 Words   |  6 Pagesgovernment and democracy, through the first two decades of reform after Chairman’s Mao death. These major reforms that redefined and shaped the nation’s government and democracy include†¦ Revitalization of State Sector and Socialism As previously mentioned, Chairman Mao had commenced considerable transformation of China through the Cultural Revolution and socialism a decade before his death. During the post-Mao era, one of the major reforms that transformed China’s government and democracy was an initiativeRead MoreThe Political System Of Democracy Essay1697 Words   |  7 PagesThe three words that make up the political system of Democracy that has existed since the days of ancient Greece. When applied to the United States of America, two forms of Democracy are presented that clash together in their principles. This is of course, Elite Democracy and Popular Democracy. Through the analysis of the process of the Electoral College, the actions of politically charged people, and various reforms throughout history, we can see how Popular Democracy pales in comparison to the superiorRead MoreThe Future of Freedom1075 Words   |  5 PagesHistory The Future of Freedom In his book, The Future of Freedom, Fareed Zakaria writes that we must make democracy safe for the world. The American democracy sets the standard around the world for liberal democracies, but transitions across for other countries across the world toward a liberal democracy is often difficult and with poor decision making, close to impossible. Liberal democracies are the systems in which people choose their government and live in an environment of freedom. In ZakariasRead MoreEssay987 Words   |  4 PagesSurveys of Political Scientists.: Alarming results Carey et al’s â€Å"Report,† alarmed me for two reasons: the lack of importance attached to women’s representation by the American Political Science Association’s members and the lack of country knowledge or experience of the electoral reform consultants. The first, I will rationalize out as realistic, even if I disagree at a fundamental level; and the second, I will criticize as a problem that should be addressed by future electoral reform consultantsRead MoreIs Myanmar A Greater Risk Of Political Violence?785 Words   |  4 Pagesthis memo I argue that Myanmar is likely to be a greater risk of political violence. From the theoretical perspective, there is a curvilinear relationship between the level of democracy and political violence; from the empirical perspective, the problems with legislation system, minority and religion, and natural resources lead to aggravation of violence. Before 2010, Myanmar experienced the transition from Autocracy to Democracy. In 2010, the Union Solidarity and Development Party in MyanmarRead MoreWhat Changes Did The Transition Of A Democracy?931 Words   |  4 Pagesinto fighting for a democracy; however, it takes more than that. Like the saying,â€Å"Actions speak louder than words,† Suu Kyi needs to realize that words alone do not have such a big impact on people. It is great that the people are more educated and know that unification would provide a better outcome. It is important to implement new policies and new laws. Any forms of political transition in Burma are inevitable. The question is when and how. The longer it takes for the political transition to startRead More The Future of Freedom1081 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In his book, The Future of Freedom, Fareed Zakaria writes that we must make democracy safe for the world. The American democracy sets the standard around the world for liberal democracies, but transitions across for other countries across the world toward a liberal democracy is often difficult and with poor decision making, close to impossible. Liberal democracies are the systems in which people choose their government and live in an environment of freedom. In Zakaria’sRead MoreWhat Is The Real Impact Of Geographical Factors On Political And Economic Reform?829 Words   |  4 PagesResearch Design In examining the empirical data of post-Communist reform, I hope to exhibit the real impact of geographical factors on political and economic reform in an effort to abandon conventional explanations of this discussion. My intent with this research is to introduce the notion that spatial issues can be as much of a determinant of state behavior, as any other factor. This is not to prove that certain explanations are better than others, but rather to underscore the validity in geographical