Analyse the obstacles to the consolidation of democracy in Colombia.
Analyse the obstacles to the consolidation of democracy in Colombia. Colombia as a country can be seen to be one of the most successful and politically stable countries Latin America . Although, its democracy is threatened by violence and the corruption of the drug lords. Colombia has the reputation as one of the oldest democracies in Latin America. Compared to other countries in Latin America income distribution is mostly unequal. This may be due to the fact that majority of the people live and work in conditions of poverty and uncertainty and in many areas extreme violence. This essay will aim to analyse the obstacles which face the consolidation of democracy in this region. These obstacles may divided into various courses of influence in Colombian society which are its political history, military and paramilitary organisations, drug cartels, guerrilla organisations and the war on drugs. "According to Colombian government statistics by the late 1980's 40 percent of Colombians lived absolute poverty, two million adults were illiterate, 35 percent of the population had no access to health care, and 3 percent of land owners owned more than 70 percent of agricultural land"( CIIR 1992:pg 11).The presence of a bipartisan system based on clientelism may have an effect on the consolidation of democracy in Colombia. Colombia's democracy is made up of two-party systems,
Has Neofunctionalism Been Superseded By A New 'Liberal Intergovernmentalism" As Currently The Most Convincing Theoretical Explanation of European Political Integration?
Has Neofunctionalism Been Superseded By A New 'Liberal Intergovernmentalism" As Currently The Most Convincing Theoretical Explanation of European Political Integration? From an ambitious project originally envisaged to remove the catastrophe of war from such a war-torn continent, the European project has proceeded in 'fits and starts'. Since its inception, there has been much debate regarding what forces drive the integration process forward. Why now, when interstate war in Europe seems impossible, do member states continue to 'pool' their sovereignty in so many areas? Two theories have dominated previous attempts to answer the question of "how and why states cease to be wholly sovereign, how and why they voluntarily mingle, merge and mix with their neighbours, so as to lose the factual attributes of sovereignty."1 Neofunctionalism, the idea that the integration process, once started, develops its own momentum for further integration, saw the height of popularity in the 1960s, following the initial success of the ECSC/EEC and the hugely influential theoretical explanation by Ernst Haas. The second theory, Liberal Intergovernmentalism, surfaced in the 1990s and was championed by Andrew Moravcsik. It saw flaws in neofunctionalist thinking and instead offered an alternative account in which the integrative process was always, and remains, in the hands of national governments;
What is Democracy? In what ways has the concept been controversial in the study of politics?"The notions
"What is Democracy? In what ways has the concept been controversial in the study of politics?" The notions of government and of democracy are independent notions and do not depend on one another. What is likely required for the masses of people, as we see in "modern" world societies, is an established system of government. Where there is a need for an established system of government, it will likely naturally come about; whether or not, it has the consent of the people, real or imagined. Putting aside, for the moment, the arguments of Hobbes and Locke, it can be argued, on the basis of plain historical fact, that governments come about naturally and maintain themselves naturally without the general will of the people; indeed as is with many other long established democratic governments in the world, they did not come about by the general will of the people at all; nor is it necessary that it should it be maintained by the will of the people. One should not conclude, therefore, that democracy is necessary for good government. What is necessary for optimum prosperity is a state of acquiescence is the hallmark of western democracies. It may be, that the only thing needed is but the trappings of democracy. An individual or group of individuals may take and maintain power by the use of coercive force. From history we can see that this is the usual way by which power is gained,
Latin America - Consolidated democracies?
Jean-Marc Freuler [email protected] Introduction to Latin American Studies Professor Lawson TA: Ana Lorena De La O Essay #2 October 25, 2003 LATIN AMERICA - CONSOLIDATED DEMOCRACIES? During the 1970's, countries like Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay experienced a period of harsh military rule. During the 1980s, virtually all of these countries made the transition to something resembling a democratic political system. Drawing on readings and films, discuss the legacies of military rule and the process of democratization in Chile and elsewhere. What were the main obstacles and challenges to democratization? How complete was the process of political transition? What "authoritarian enclaves" remained or remain? Almost 25 years have passed since the political map of Latin America began to change fundamentally. In a region, which in the seventies had been controlled mainly by authoritarian regimes, re-democratization processes finally began to take place. In the course of time reaching the nineties and eighties, nearly all Latin American states adopted a more liberal-democratic rule of law. Today it seems that democracy does indeed prevail in Latin American countries: in Chile, for example, elections take place regularly, and the last three presidents belonged to democratic parties. How close to the truth is the apparent democracy in Latin America? In what respect is
How has political campaigning evolved through history
Introduction This paper will attempt to show that political campaigning has evolved through different stages. However, it will also seek to prove that continuity and consistence is evident and that the change in the campaigning is due to further technology, strategic change and the wider distribution of electioneering material to voters, rather than just an overhaul of the intended goals of electioneering. Although this paper will be focusing mainly on Britain, it will also take a brief look at the development in other countries, namely America, Italy and South America. To follow the changes of electioneering through the three different stages, I have decided to use the three respective phrases of propaganda, media and political marketing suggested by Dominic Wring in the Journal of Political marketing. Propaganda in the pre-modern stage Despite popular opinion, the importance of advertising and being image conscious is something that political parties have been well aware of from as early as 1918. "Persuasive communication is the essence of politics, and has been since the dawn of time". (Fletcher, W. 1994) Before the invention of television and the major use of radio for campaigns, political parties had to rely on word getting round and propaganda techniques. In the UK, a typical campaign between the two World Wars would be the technique of dropping thousands of
How are Supreme Court justices selected and what obstacles may obstruct their confirmation by the senate? Illustrate your answer with examples from court appointments since 1960.
How are Supreme Court justices selected and what obstacles may obstruct their confirmation by the senate? Illustrate your answer with examples from court appointments since 1960. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body and leads the judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice and eight Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate1. Evidence suggests, without hesitation, one of the most important roles of the President is the selection and appointment of the Supreme Court Justices. It is vital that the selection is processed carefully. The President commences the process by forwarding a name of an individual to the Senate, in which the Senate then accept or reject. However the process is not so straightforward. Different obstacles, political and personal, affect the confirmation by the Senate. This essay will explain, using evidence from appointments since 1960 how Supreme Court Justices are selected. The process in which they endure and the obstacles which obstruct their confirmation by the Senate. Justices are appointed for life, which leaves the president with no power as to how many appointments they can make to the court. Presidents must wait until a justice either resigns or dies, for there to be a post for a nomination to be made. Some presidents have more opportunities than others;
An analysis of Edmund Burke's and Alexis de Tocqueville's view on equality, power, and society.
Chris Carrow Political Science 101 Artiom Magum Level is not equal: An analysis of Edmund Burke's and Alexis de Tocqueville's view on equality, power, and society Edmund Burke has long been a touchstone of conservative thought. His writing of Reflections on the Revolution in France quickly became the manifesto of conservative public opinion. The French revolution was a complete revolution where the French tried to change everything. Burke believed that too much change and abstractness could be damaging and have the consequence of putting things into the state of chaos. Burke was a firm believer in epistemology: we know because of the past, and by looking at the past, we are able to know. In his writing it is evident that Burke takes issue with allowing people the right to choose their own rulers, to change rulers who engage in misconduct, and to create a government to their liking. Burke argues that the abstractness of human equality has the potential to be detrimental to a state. Alexis de Tocqueville is a Frenchmen who came to America and published the writing Democracy in America. This text is a two-volume study of American people and their institutions. Tocqueville is a philosopher who looked to culture and institutions shaped by culture as the keys to understanding political and social worlds. His major break through is the distinction between political
Compare the relative success of democratisation in South Africa and one other country.
Compare the relative success of democratisation in South Africa and one other country. There are three phases in the consolidation of democracy. For South Africa and Russia, democratisation is thought to be in between the second phase and the third phase. In the second phase, the new democratic structures or institutions are built and it is a transitional phase. The third phase is the consolidation phase, where these institutions become embedded and their removal is meant to be unthinkable. (Politics 1ah lecture 12/01/2004.) In the case of South Africa and Russia I must keep in mind how embedded these institutions really are and how democratic these countries in question really are. But whether democracy refers simply to a mechanism for choosing a government or rather to a type of society; or whether equal effective political rights might require material equality it is important to be aware that in the real world democracies never conform exaclty to any particular theoretical model. They claim to be democracies, but how far are they in the process of democratisation to be able to claim themselves as democratic states? Comparing the relative success of democratisation is no easy task, as there is no measure of how far democratisation goes. Scholars are not even sure if established democratic states can undergo further democratisation, or whether an established democratic
Are Liberalism and Democracy Compatible?
ARE LIBERALISM AND DEMOCARCY COMPATIBLE? "If you could represent me ideally, you would need so much understanding and knowledge of me and my interests that you would virtually be identical with me, in which case I may as well represent myself" (Goodwin, 1997:292) The above quote shows one of the incompatibilities between liberalism and democracy, despite sounding almost comical and amusing to me, it is, in a sense, very true. These two ideologies are very different yet suprisingly share some basic principles. In this essay I hope to describe and explain the basic background and context to the two ideals. Democracy's ancient Greek origins and founding principles and what it has come to mean today. How liberalism was thought to have been conceived in the ancient world yet wasn't prominent until at least the seventeenth century. I am also going to examine the compatibility of liberalism and democracy. Detailing their shared basic principles and those that contradict one another, and how today we have arrived at a compromise of liberal democracy. I will also conclude by sharing my own views on the compatibility of the two ideals, which are liberalism and democracy. "There are few people nowadays...who do not praise democracy and claim to be democrats" (Ball and Dagger, 1995:23). Democracy today is very popular, both on its own and linked with other
Is Britain part of the old or new EU
Is the UK part of the old or new EU? Hypotheses Conceptualizing Europe has been at the vanguard of academic literature. US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld (2003), famously used the term old Europe when referring to the European countries not offering support for the US invasion of Iraq. This project considers which bracket Britain falls within. The connotations of Rumsfeld's speech suggest Britain is part of the new EU but having become a member over three decades ago this is disputable. This project looks beyond what Rumsfeld implied. The concept of strategic culture is applied. 'Strategic Culture is that set of shared beliefs, assumptions, and modes of behaviour, derived from common experiences and accepted narratives that shape collective identity and relationships to other groups, and which determine appropriate ends and means for achieving security objectives.' (Johnson, J.L. & Larsen, J.A. 2002 p.3) Taking the definition, this project will question the theoretical elements of strategic culture and develop a hypothesis. Examining episodes of the European venture this project aims to categorize the UK of old or new Europe. First an assessment of old and new Europe will be considered at the European level of analysis. Second, in an attempt to overcome analysis problems the concept of strategic culture will be used to categorize old and new Europe and the UK's