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.
ADVANTAGES OF REFERENDUM The main reason referendums have become so popular is because they are seen to boost democracy among citizens. The making of law and important decisions that affect the state is not a
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
(c) Assess the arguments in favour of introducing a codified constitution for the UK. (25 marks) Draft A constitution is a statement of how the political system works and contains the limits to government power and the rights of the citizens. Britain does not have a real constitution but we do have an unwritten, uncodified constitution. There are many arguments for having a codified constitution for Britain. The first one is that our rights are not well enough protected.
A voter could switch from voting for the Conservatives to vote for the Labour Party at the next election because they decide according to single issues. In general the public today is not really aligned to parties anymore. I would say that party allegiance is something which is nearly vanished in Britain’s voting behavior. There are still groups which are strongly related to one or the other party but that is not as common as was in the 50s and 60s. The important things today are which party has at the moment the right promises for the single voter and which party is better in delivering policy goals.
The general liberty of the people must not be in danger especially of the government power. Therefore, the judicial review plays one of the most important roles among the government even though their power might seem weak as Alexander Hamilton says. Judicial review as way of surveillance over legislature and executive branch and as protection of the people from political threats is the main factors for the necessity in the checks and balances system. Moreover, the importance of the judicial review can be proved by the fact that the judicial review establishing the
Citizens should be encouraged to embrace their citizenship, and not merely as a duty, but as a meaningful opportunity to participate in their own government for the sake of common good and in building the culture of life. In addition, it is an exercise of significant individual power. Now, most Americans will tell you that our politicians have all the power, but I disagree. Although it is true that our politicians do make the laws, here in the United States of America, the people have the authority. If an individual does not vote, then that individual cannot argue or comment on the outcome of what our politicians do.
They complement and add to electoral democracy in two main ways: first, by providing an important mechanism by which citizens can influence government between elections; and second by enabling opinions to be weighed as well as counted. Pressure groups improve the quality of government. Consultation with affected groups is the rational way to make decisions in a free society. It makes government more efficient by enhancing the quality of the decision making process - the information and advice provided by groups helps to improve the quality of government policy and
This would encourage public involvement in politics and act as an improvement to our democratic society. If people know their rights and freedoms and understand how the government works it would dissolve the problem of political ignorance and apathy. This argument shows that a codified constitution is of greater benefit than an uncodified constitution because it will lessen political apathy, however, one could argue, how much better of an understanding would the public have of politics if the constitution was codified than if it was uncodified? Our basic rights and freedoms are common knowledge, and our human rights are codified as they are part of the EU which has a written constitution. Manifesto’s for political parties, such as Labour, are also written and campaign projects clearly set out
Democracy respects the human rights of the individuals, better than any other form of government. Without going into confusing arguments, let's stop and think for a moment. If you are a leader of a democratic nation and you are abusing your power or using your power in the wrong way to restrict or violate somebody else's rights, what will happen? There are two possible outcomes. You can be blamed or voted out of your position, both of which ensure the removal of the leader from abusing society.