It also means that generally we are governed by one party, which increases stability; for example, since 1900 there have only been three coalition governments in power. This also means we are represented by one set of policies rather than two different sets. However, the first-past-the-post system can be seen to distort the results, as the government in power will almost never have the majority of votes. For example, in the 2005 election Labour had 35.2% of the votes and they still won, because they had more seats than the other parties. Furthermore, the actual turnout was only 61.4%, so they were only representing around a third of the population.
However, ethnic minorities are still under-represented in congress, whites still register and vote more than any other ethnic group and unemployment is high amongst minorities. Despite this, Asians are one group which achieve the American dream to a large extent. A key part of the American dream is democracy. This includes the right to political participation. Ethnic minorities are using this right to an extent since voting turnout rates increased between 2004-2008.
How democratic was Britain by 1928? Democracy is a System of government “of the people, by the people, for the people” (Abraham Lincoln). In 1851, Britain was not a very democratic country since the vast majority of its adult population were disenfranchised. However, a number of reforms were passed which gradually helped Britain meet the 7 “hallmarks” of democracy. These include the franchise, a fair voting system, accountability, a choice of party, access to information, a national party system and participation – the right to stand for election to parliament.
Furthermore, minor parties which secure a large number of votes, Liberal Democrats, will command a more reflective percentage of the seats in the Commons as each vote cast will be viewed with equal value over the whole country meaning a minority vote could no longer decide which party dominates the Commons. Overall, it will make the House of Commons more democratic but also at the same time making it more legitimate and giving it greater authority as the people votes actually reflect more in the government of the day. However there are some who do not like the idea of Proportional representation as they believe that by giving minority parties a greater representation will reduce the chances of one party dominating, as to some
In the 1912 election the SPD polled 4,250,000 votes and became the largest party in the Reichstag with 110 deputies. Although the Reichstag could be dissolved by the Kaiser, it could not be dissolved completely and it has the right to hold elections after is dissolution. This shows that the Reichstag would always have a voice over political issues in Germany even if the Kaiser elected to dissolve it, showing that Germany was a parliamentary democracy to some
If a party gains a majority it will be offered the chance to form government by the Queen. The MP is then responsible for representing all constituents, even those who didn’t elect the member. For example in 2005 George Galloway received only 18.4% of his constituents but was still elected MP for Bethnal Green and Bow. [1] This high proportion of constituents who didn’t vote for Galloway is not a unique anomaly, during the 2005 election only three MPs secured more than 40% of their constituents votes. It may be argued that voter apathy has a large influence on this
Prof. Kubik "Debating the Issues" April 7, 2013 Is Obama a Transformational President? What does it take to be considered a transformational president? Is it turning the economy around after a recession or is it changing the way Americans live their daily lives? In the history of the United States of America, there have been 44 presidents, including Barack Obama. Out of those 44, most Americans consider only a couple to be truly transformational.
than as being motivated by principles of direct democracy. At the time the labour party was very divided on the issue, causing the prime minister the problem of a divided cabinet, a problem contained through the use of a referendum as members of the cabinet would agree to the outcome of a referendum. In 1975 electorate voted roughly 2 to 1 ‘Yes’ in favour of remaining in the E.C. on a turnout of just under 65%. This was the first ever nationwide referendum.
Voting for Our Future “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union,” must vote. Americans have more power than they think they have, but only if each and every individual exercises his or her right to vote. The problem is that on an important day such as Election Day, only about 58 percent of the population votes. Why is that? Citizens bicker, complain, and protest; yet do not vote.
An example of this can be seen in the current MP for Hertfordshire, Peter Lilley who is a member of the conservative party. He comes from a family where his parents were both important figures in the BBC, meaning that he went on to study at Cambridge. This trend in parliament has fuelled arguments that the general public are not being equally represented in parliament, despite the fact that after the 2010 election, it was noticed that a record breaking number of 27 newly elected MPs were from backgrounds of ethnic minorities. Gender Balance in Parliament It key issue that has been debated in