Different Systems of Government

Question 1

6 different systems of government/state

Answer 1

Democratic
semidemocratic
non-democratic
auto Cratic
failed states
rogue states

Question 2

DEMOCRATIC STATES: what is a democratic state?

Answer 2

A state with the system of government in which all the people are involved in making decisions about its affairs
Many states claim to be democracies but only around half of the worlds countries satisfy all the necessary requirements
The Economist intelligence unit states that there are only 19 fully fledged democracies in the world
Characterised by free and fair and regular elections in which governments are elected that are accountable to the public they value liberal rights and freedoms and place a high emphasis on the empowerment of individuals a democratic state derives its legitimacy from the popular consent of the people
A government of the people by the people and for the people and everyone is involved in making decisions about its affairs
E.g. USAUK and Germany
The 10 most democratic countries are Norway Iceland Sweden New
Zealand Denmark Canada Ireland Switzerland Finland and then Australia

Question 3

DEMOCRATIC STATES: what is a true democracy?

Answer 3

A true democracy is one where the government is elected by citizens in election is that a free and fair are free for intimidation (a secret ballot) count each person is about the same and have a choice of candidates or parties representing the ranges of interests and ideas in society
This enables the people to hold their representatives on the government to account by allowing them to be replaced by alternatives when they become dissatisfied with them
Democratic states have elected leaders and regular elections which a variety of political parties contest this provides the electorate with genuine choice so the government that is elected has a genuine mandate from the people and therefore enjoys democratic legitimacy
The rule of law means that the rights of all citizens are equally protected and the separation of powers between the executive and legislature and judiciary insures this
as a result the government is expected to act within the law and the judiciary can hold it accountable for legal breaches

Question 4

DEMOCRATIC STATES: what else do democratic states do?

Answer 4

Democratic states also abide by the rule of law
Citizens have various rights and freedoms which can be exercised without interference from the state e.g. citizens enjoy freedom of speech which allows them to criticised a representatives and ensure that there representatives are responsive to them
Have a range of pressure groups allowing people to promote the interests of single issues which is another way to hold those in power to account
Citizens should enjoy protection of the human and civil rights through an independent judiciary
Characteristics: civil liberties and rights constitutional government restricted by rules and regulations free fair and regular elections healthy civil society able to join groups participate in protest etcetera capitalist economy

Question 5

DEMOCRATIC STATES: the UK

Answer 5

UK is the most familiar example of a democratic state as it was the first modern democracy
It evolved gradually from a monarchical System of government to a democratic system of government

Question 6

DEMOCRATIC STATES: the UK

Answer 6

Representation an important element of any democracy emerged in the 13th century with the creation of the English parliament
However it was not until the 19th century that Parliament represented a significant proportion of the people and it took until 1928 for there to be universal suffrage which was somewhat later than other democracies like the USA
Signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 marked the beginning of the recognition of rights and government respect of the rule of law
Elections featured a choice of candidates from the 14th century onwards

Question 7

DEMOCRATIC STATES: the UK

Answer 7

Political parties emerged in the late 18th century with the Whigs and the Tories, Which became the modern day Liberal Democrats and conservatives
They were joined in 1900 by the Labour Party and throughout the 20th century numerous other political parties developed including the Scottish National party 1934 Plaid Cymru 1925 Green party 1985 and the UK Independence party 1993
These parties represent a range of social groups traditionally labour stood for the working class will be Conservative stood for the middle class
They also represent a range of ideas such as nationalism environmentalism and anti Europeanism

Question 8

DEMOCRATIC STATES: the UK

Answer 8

There are also thousands of pressure groups representing many different interests and viewpoints the government frequently change their policies under pressure from such groups
British citizens have their rights protected by the Supreme Court and the European convention on human rights
Elections are competitive and there is regular alternation of parties in government

Question 9

SEMI-DEMOCRATIC STATES: what are semi-democratic states?

Answer 9

Semi democratic states are stable states that contain both democratic and authoritarian elements

Question 10

SEMI-DEMOCRATIC STATES: features of semi-democratic states

Answer 10

Some states that are considered semidemocratic have many democratic characteristics such as elections and representation but these elections may not be free or fair and representation may be skewed to allow one party to dominate the representative assembly
There will be a constitution and the rule of law but the judiciary may not be truly independent on the Constitution may be subverted in whole or in part
In theory there may be freedom of speech and pressure groups may be allowed there will also be a range of political parties but the main media outlets maybe state controlled and political protest may be suppressed

Question 11

SEMI-DEMOCRATIC STATES: The Russian
Federation

Answer 11

For most of its history Russia has had authoritarian systems of government first tsarism and then communism
It became a democracy in 1991 was the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet union
it adopted a semi-presidential system of government in which executive power is shared between a prime minister who leads the Council of ministers and a directly elected president
There is a representative legislature Made up of two chambers; a lower chamber called the State Duma Which has 450 elected representative’s and an upper chamber called the federal Council with two representatives from each of the 89 federal units

Question 12

SEMI-DEMOCRATIC STATES: The Russian
Federation

Answer 12

There are regular elections of the Duma (parliament) And the presidency
However these elections have been subject to allegations of ballot rigging and intimidation (in 2012 many were surprised when Vladimir
Putin was elected as president even though the opinion polls suggested that most Russians had voted for his opponents)
Moreover Putin had already served to terms as president between 2000 and 2008 vet the Constitution stipulates a two term limit for the president so Putin circumvented the rules and serve as prime minister to his protégée Medvedev And then sought election as president again in 2012

Question 13

SEMI-DEMOCRATIC STATES: The Russian
Federation

Answer 13

The Putin presidencies have been accused of press censorship brutal repression of protests and ordering the assassinations of political opponents, orders that came from the highest levels of government
There is a range of political parties Putin is united Russia party dominates the Duma - In 2016 it one 343 seats which is 76% of the seats available

Question 14

NON-DEMOCRATIC STATES: what are non-democratic states?

Answer 14

Non-democratic states are states that lack the essential characteristics of a democratic state
The distinguishing features of non-democratic states or an absence of the most important characteristics of democracy including free and fair elections and the choice of alternative candidates and political parties

Question 15

NON-DEMOCRATIC STATES: why is it hard to find states with no democratic qualities?

Answer 15

In the modern world it is hard to find states with no democratic
qualities
The spread of liberal democracy and the promotion of democratic ideals by international organisations social movements and pressure groups has meant that the vast majority of states are dear to the idea of democracy even if they do not practice it in full

Question 16

NON-DEMOCRATIC STATES: China

Answer 16

China claims to be a democracy there are elections to the 3000 member National People’s Congress and there is some choice of candidates between independents, Communist’s and representatives of one of the eight Communist sanctioned parties created before 1950
However rival political parties and pressure groups are banned

Question 17

NON-DEMOCRATIC STATES: China

Answer 17

Turnout in elections is exceptionally high usually more than 90% but this is not entirely voluntary because failure to vote is seen as unpatriotic and criminal

Question 18

NON-DEMOCRATIC STATES: China

Answer 18

Congress debates issues but before it by the state council but rarely attempts to amend or delay legislation nor does it scrutinise the activities of the State Council rather its purpose is simply to provide approval for government initiatives
Members of the State Council are elected by the Congress but these are not open and transparent elections election depends on patronage political favours and position in the administrative apparatus

Question 19

NON-DEMOCRATIC STATES: China

Answer 19

There is no freedom of speech in China
the media is state-owned and Internet providers are censored
criticism of the regime is suppressed it is taboo to discuss or attempt to commemorate the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 and no figures have been released about the number of people who were killed or imprisoned
World-renowned artist Ai Weiwei Has been censored and detained in what is thought to be punishment for his investigation into the deaths of students in the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, which he blames on poorly constructed student accommodation, as well as his support for democracy and human rights

Question 20

AUTOCRATIC STATES: what is an autocratic state?

Answer 20

And autocratic state is a state that is ruled by single person with unlimited power
Autocracy means rule by a single person or body
it was the normal form of government in the past when it took the form of hereditary monarchy, but there are a few monarchies left, with some notable exceptions such as Saudi Arabia

Question 21

AUTOCRATIC STATES:

Answer 21

Autocrats in the 20th and 21st centuries have been leaders of political movements that either came to power through democratic elections such as Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s or by violent revolutions such as Saddam Hussein in Iraq and
Basha Al Assad in Syria
Some autocracies are led by military leaders such as Colonel Gaddafi of Libya

Question 22

AUTOCRATIC STATES:

Answer 22

Autocratic states ban opposition parties and brutally suppress protest
there may be a political party associated with the single leader but it does not operate in the same way as a democratic political party
Membership of the party may be necessary for holding government office and certain occupations advancement in the party will depend on the patronage of the leader
The leader is not subject to any form of accountability and enjoys cult status which is claimed on the basis of superhuman qualities or divine appointment

Question 23

AUTOCRATIC STATES: Syria

Answer 23

Syria was part of the Ottoman empire before being granted independence from the French mandate in 1945
Syria has suffered a number of military coups
there was a brief union with Egypt in the late 1950s which ended in 1961 and then the Ba’ath Party came to power in 1963, led by Captain Hafez al-Assad Who seized control of the party and became leader of Svria in 1971
On his death in 2000 he was replaced by Bashar Al Assad his son

Question 24

AUTOCRATIC STATES: Syria

Answer 24

Syria maintains the appearance of democratic institutions and representations there were elections to the People’s Council of Svria in 2016 in the midst of the Civil War votes were only held for the 250 seats in government controlled areas
Power still rests with Assad, his family and members of the Alawite Shia Minority that dominate the Ba’ath Party

Question 25

AUTOCRATIC STATES: Syria

Answer 25

Human rights watch and international pressure group declared in 2010 that Syria had one of the worst human rights records in the world
There is strict censorship of the media and education by the Ba’ath
Party

Question 26

FAILED STATES: what is a failed state?

Answer 26

A failed state is a state that is unable to operate as a viable political unit

Question 27

FAILED STATES:

Answer 27

the Fund for Peace, a Washington-based NGO That works to prevent violent conflict and promote sustainable security uses 4 criteria to identity a failed state
The loss of control of a state territory or loss of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force within its borders
A government have lost legitimacy and lacks the authority to make a collective decisions
The inability to provide basic services to citizens such as health care and education and to guarantee the supply of basic amenities such as electricity and clean drinking water
Such a state may rely on substantial external support such as development aid and NGOs to provide basic services as it cannot do so it’s self
The inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community

Question 28

FAILED STATES:

Answer 28

Many states have been identified as failed States most are in sub-Saharan Africa such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea
Liberia Rwanda Sierra Leone Somalia South Sudan and Sudan that state failure has also affected Cambodia Haiti Syria and Yemen
States on very high alert according to the fund of the peace - Somalia
South Sudan Central African republic Sudan Syria Chad Democratic Republic of the Congo

Question 29

FAILED STATES: Somalia

Answer 29

Since 2008 Somalia has topped the fund for peace index as the most fragile state
The government does not enjoy monopoly over the use of force within the country or widespread legitimacy

Following the collapse of the military regime of Siad Barre in 9091 a 10 year Civil War broke out between rival ethnic groups during this conflict warlords seize control of different parts of the country
More recently the country has become a base for Al-Shabab which is an Islamic fundamentalist group linked to Al Qaeda this group is launch attacks on neighbouring countries like Kenya

The provision of basic public services is limited
Children receive on average three years worth of education compared with an average of 14 years in the developed world
Infant and maternal mortality is high and the average life expectancy is only 55 years which is almost 30 years less than in the west

There is extensive foreign intervention in Somalia
And internationally back to government has been in place since 2012
NGOs like Oxfam have provided food aid in recent famines the African union have been providing peacekeepers since 2007 while the EU provides naval patrols of Somalis coast to combat piracy off the horn of Africa which has been disrupting trade and leading to protracted hostage situations

Question 30

ROGUE STATES:

Answer 30

A rogue state is a state that has foreign policy that poses a threat to other states
Considered a pariah by the rest of the international community
This states flout international agreements and shun membership of international organisations or are excluded due to their uncooperative behaviour and hostile attitude towards other states

President George W Bush considered Iran Iraq and North Korea to be rogue states when he declared them to be an axis of evil
Iran has been brought back into the international forward with its agreement to be subjected to inspections of its nuclear weapons program by the International atomic energy agency Iraq is now part of the international community following the removal of Saddam
Hussein from power in 2003
But the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to be shunned by the world

Question 31

ROGUE STATES: North Korea

Answer 31

North Korea has an autocratic Stalinist Communist political system that follows the principle of self-sufficiency
The country is led by Kim Jong-un the grandson of Kim Il-sung Who was the Communist leader who came to power in 1948 in the Russian occupied north

North Korean society is tightly controlled by the workers party and the Kims are venerated as gods
Movement in and out of the country is tightly controlled
The media is heavily censored and mobile phones are banned

Leadership is paranoid about the country security which is a legacy of centuries of Chinese and Japanese imperialism and unresolved
Korean War hostilities ended in 1953 and a truce was signed but there has been no permanent peace treaty
North Korea feels surrounded by enemies with Japan to the east and adjoining South Korea both of which are close allies of capitalist
America which sided with South Korea in the Korean War
Its traditional allies Russia and China have embraced capitalism and
Russia has democratised leading North Korea to feel as if it is the only truly Communist State in the world
North Korea is therefore left with the security dilemma it has developed a nuclear weapons program to deter South Korea and the
US but this has led to US and South Korea to strengthen their own military capability in the area seeing North Korea’s advancements as a threat