This contradicts a democratic society and is seen as a dictatorship because elections are the cornerstone of a democracy. So if two out of three powers that are running the UK are not elected, this itself questions whether or not we are living in a democracy. Furthermore, having a monarchy is very important yet traditional but not in the same aspects of Parliament, as they have more authority over
This can slow down the political process immensely, and as the government has a mandate to put through such legislation, pressure groups become undemocratic and start to undermine the democratic process. One last reason why pressure groups undermine democracy is the fact that they themselves may be undemocratic, and the leaders of these groups may not truly represent the views of their leaders. This undermines the whole point of pressure groups groups and thus can be seen as the 'politics of self-interest' and can present the public with overbiased and false information. Overall however, pressure groups are more likely to help the democratic process rather than hinder it, as they advance and improve political participation, and as participation is a vital part of democracy, pressure groups are an important part of the UK's democracy. While pressure groups may have unbalanced influence due to varying methods and funds, they are generally good at being a channel of representation between the people and the government, keeping the government in touch with the people.
Some say a dictatorship is better because the people don’t know what is and isn’t good for them. Others might claim that a democracy isn’t necessarily the better option because there could be a lot hidden between the lines that people vote for without a second through. Both can be abused, and both can be
In addition, referendums are a form of direct democracy, consequently giving the public control over decision making. Not only this, but some would say these clear answers to specific questions can in a sense be seen as "pure democracy". To put if differently, democracy is unmediated by representatives. People would declare referendums as a reminder that democratic authority finds its legitimacy in the consent of the people- the social contract. Hence, giving people the power to choose the answer to a decision can be seen as sticking to the social contract.
For some, pressure groups are a fundamental part of democracy. To others, pressure groups undermine the whole principle of democracy. Democracy is a system of government where decisions are arrived at by majoritarian principles with representatives elected at periodic elections where political equality and political freedom allow the voter an effective choice between competing candidates in a secret ballot. How do pressure groups fit in with this concept? In the pluralist model of democracy, pressure groups play an essential role.
People once thought that the greatest obstacles to individual freedom and equality were political. They believed they could preserve freedom simply by changing the form of government from a monarchy to a republic. They claimed that the government that governs least governs the best. But in time, many persons became convinced that some government regulations of society and the economy were necessary to preserve personal freedom and equality, as well as to improve the welfare of the nation. In today’s democracies, the government plays an active role in removing inequalities and promoting freedom for all.
‘A properly functioning democracy requires public deliberation.’ Explore and assess this assertion. This essay will argue that public deliberation is an absolutely essential requirement within a properly functioning democracy and in order to assert this belief this essay will assess and explore the Deliberative and Aggregative models of democracy and the work of the key thinkers in this area of democratic political theory. This essay will also provide definitions of Deliberative and Aggregative democracy and will illustrate the merits of public deliberation by providing real world examples from across the democratic system. Abraham Lincoln described democracy as ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’. For the likes of Lincoln, Pericles and Thomas Paine it is a denial of the democratic ideal to assert that democracy should centre around the activity of political leaders and that, once elected, such leaders should be left alone to take the important decisions on our behalf.
It is in a democratic nation however, that mass media plays a highly important role: Chomsky goes as far as to liken the relationship between democracy and propaganda to that of violence and dictatorship. Thus implying not only that democracy is negatively associated with the use of propaganda, but that it is reliant on it: “The quality of a democracy now depends upon the information they (the media) provide” (Justin Lewis, “The Myth of the Liberal Media”). Free press is generally viewed as an element of a society free to discuss and change issues that people feel are important. This assumption overlooks the vital elements of mass media: encoding and decoding. The propaganda model focuses on who creates mass media, who decides what is 'news worthy' and- most importantly- why.
They provide channels of communication between the government and the governed, making it convenient for both to represent their views and reach conclusions. They seek to represent inarticulate and deprived sections of the society, such as, Help the aged. Moreover, Protective droups, which seek to protect their members as a section of the society, are usually internally democratic, in that memebers elect leaders. Trade Unions especially are representative of
Since the foundation of democracy is based upon the concept of a government that is created by the people to serve the people, the range of participants must not be limited by factors such as social class. In “Pericles’ Funeral Oration,” Thucydides describes Athenian democracy by asserting that their “constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people,” (73). While the wealthy upper class of historical societies have always been dominant in swaying society to their will, democracy serves to make sure that the interests of everyone else have just as much pertinence when it comes to politics. Although elites may believe that the poor should not have a say because their agenda will serve to bring society down, if someone is contributing or wishes to contribute to