1. Watch the "Systems of Government Explained through Two Cows" video located at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIPDJ1Cc_uw.
2. Identify two new things you learned from this quick review (Note- you're not "dummies", the post title is a reference to the popular " For Dummies" book series and probably a tag that helps the video get more hits.)
3. Select and read ONE of the articles below based on your reading level and what interests you most.(listed in order of decreasing sophistication - C being the most challenging, B at grade level and A being most straight forward)
C) "What's so Good About Democracy Anyway?: An Audience with the Last Dictator of Europe" Eugeney Levdev, The Independent: October, 2012.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/whats-so-good-about-democracy-anyway-an-audience-with-the-last-dictator-in-europe-8218912.html
B) "The Trouble With Freedom" - Jane Jackson, BBC News: August 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19372177
A) "Is Democracy Best for the Poor" Vanessa Humphries, UK Guardian: November 2012.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/15/africa-democary-poverty-relief
4. Summarize the news article. According to the author, what are the advantages and disadvantages of democracy? Does he / she believe democracy is the best form of government? Explain using evidence from the text.
5. In your opinion, is democracy the best form of government? (Explain using evidence from our class work and the text/video.
Your post should be no less than 250 words and include a response to one of your peers (unless you post first.)
Nancy Che E-Block
ReplyDeleteHonestly put, the video made it rather difficult for me to understand with the cow and milk reference. From what I was able to grasp, I learned that Fascism is corrupt in the sense that the government will give you some privileges/benefits (hire you to take care of the cows), but there is a negative side to it all (you have to buy the milk which can be more than the pay). According to this video, China is not defined as a pure communist country because a pure communist country is depicted as quite harmonious. Russian and Cambodian communism was included separately which shows that a pure communist country is hard to obtain due to corruption.
The article “The Trouble with Freedom” by Jane Jackson expresses the hidden realities of a democracy. It appears that almost everyone associates freedom with democracy, but older generations think not. As a result of more experiences, members of older generations, such as Bertrand Russell, has witnessed first-hand what it is like before and after political changes, mainly in England. Freedom doesn’t always follow after the overthrowing of a dictator or a tyrant; sometimes there would be chaos and further corruption. Everyone wants liberty and freedom, but it is difficult to have even in a Democracy. In a democratic rule, the power is within the people, but though the elected representatives. Jackson refers to United States’ Bill of Rights as an example of ensuring the people’s rightful freedom against political intervention, but it has been evident that politicians can get around it such as with the use of the Elastic Clause. She emphasizes the importance of freedom and liberty by reflecting how everyone has their own values and opinions that can be voiced in collective decisions. However, what majority views can be against yours. The author points to the downsides of democracy as he refers to nations like Mexico and Iraq where freedom is threatened by organized crime, ethnic conflict, militant sectarian groups, and fundamentalist groups—prevented or restrained as a result of a weak state or religiously excessive controlled politics. Democratic nations are seemingly weak and prone to ill-influence. Jane Jackson refers to some democracies as “toxic” indicating their corruption by nationalism and xenophobia. Democracy and freedom does not go hand-in-hand together all the time. Many believe that tyrants and dictators stand in the way of freedom. She re-emphasizes that freedom doesn’t follow the fall of their rule, but it is unpredictable.
Having only experienced a democratic government, I believe a democracy is most preferable over governments like Chinese/Russian/Cambodian Communism. However, for certain, it is not the best government. It all depends on who is in power. Politicians can be just as corrupt as tyrants and appeal to the public with a façade; in the end he/she may or may not fulfill what they promised. As a result of having elected officials, democracies can actually further limit freedoms and liberties. Minorities will often not be heard. Discussed in class, governments like Communism provide basic necessities for everyone. Meanwhile, in a democracy, there will be disparities between the wealthy and the poor. These disparities and inequalities take away from our freedoms and liberties. They are the factors to all the different life aspects that we’d experience such as different education qualities which may affect the jobs we are eligible to get. I agree with what the author says regarding democracies—they’re prone to ill-influence; pure freedom and liberty is hard to obtain as a result of “toxins” such as inequality and ethnic conflicts between the majority and minorities. Democracies are not perfect and I believe all forms of government can be considered successful as long as they’re flexible to the changing times. Only those who have experienced political change like Bertrand Russell can truly determine and judge whether the transition to democracy was truly beneficial, and whether liberties have expanded the way they hoped it would have.
I agree with what you are saying when it all depends on who is in power because it is true that politicians can be just as corrupt as tyrants. All systems could be bad if the one in power is corrupt.
DeleteI agree with Nancy when she explains that democracy not always works for everyone especially if you have someone running a nation with a leader that is corrupt.
DeleteI agree with what Vincent agreed about what Nancy's said about political power that it can be used such as a Corrupt government to use the man labor to be able to only assist themselves.
DeleteI agree with Nancy that inequality between the rich and the poor can take away our freedoms and liberties.
DeleteJOE GLESSING-
DeleteI agree with Nancy on how freedoms can change based on social class. A rich person is more likely to have a say in government then a poor person would. Some countries/governments can work under democracy, others cannot due to this social class difference.
Pamela Tsetsakos- I agree with Nancy that the type of government thats best for a nation depends on the ruler and how he uses his power to govern the people.
Deletei agree with Nancy that even though Democracy may not be the best form of government, it is the closest to freedom and we are treated better than those who experienced the rath of the Cambodian Communists.
DeleteLast comment- Nick mastropiero
DeleteI agree with Nacy's opinion about democracy and I even included this in my own respose. There are flaws in just about any type of government which proves how democracy is not the best form. It also depends on the circumstances such as who is in power. Another thing that must be taken into cosnideration is that there is not and has never been a true form of democracy or any kind of PURE 100% only one kind of government used in a country. Nancy's response is very thought out and I caught myself nodding in agreement. It very much relates to what I wrote in my own response.
DeleteTwo new things I learned from the video is what Bureaucratic socialism is and how the cow and chicken farmers are switched to take care of the others animals. The other thing I learned is also from Bureaucratic socialism is that when most governments return your “milk” it is labeled as “as much as the people or you need”. In the Bureaucratic socialism way it’s as much the “government says you need” which could seem quite fishy but different. I read “The Trouble with Freedom”, In this article basically the author is trying to say that democracy and freedom look like they tend to go hand and hand, but not in all situations. The author gives examples on how over throwing a tyrant doesn’t always lead to liberty. In some cases when a tyrant is thrown over there is more chaos because of the lack of leadership and confusion within the government. This leaves some counties with the fear of anarchy. Also if your country is transitioning over to democracy the freedom others have might restrict you to your decisions. The author gives examples such as the corrupt Mexican government and the drug cartels. Another example of restricted so called freedom is if you’re an Iraqi woman and you don’t follow your religious role you’re a candidate of violent attacks. Some advantages of democracy are that your desires can be achieved through voting. If freedom does come with democracy then you better make sure your peers agree or at least don’t care of your future desires. Democracy is also good because majority rules with electing leaders and the head of state. Some disadvantages to democracy are if your country is transitioning to it then it could be a slow recovery and many could disagree with the new laws. Electing new leaders with new laws can become difficult and confusing to people who are afraid of electing a new person to represent them. In my opinion the government is here to be an overall voice of the people so that countries can make decisions together with trade and world decisions. A good way to see who we want to speak for our country is a vote. Democracy does have flaws as well as other political systems but if a country is run and is able to see what the people want in a fair way then that seems fine. Democracy is a good political system and I don’t think many Americans want to switch over to any other system. I do like the freedom and opportunity America offers and I don’t feel restricted due to my peers like other countries. I don’t think Americas government is that corrupt to where the people want to overthrow anyone so I’m not afraid to live here or pursue any dreams I desire. Finally, I think democracy is a good political system for me but I don’t know or have enough evidence to deem it the best of all others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Vincent's belief that democracy is a good political system because it is able to see what people want. This allows a government to make decisions that will best benefit most of the citizens and the country as a whole.
DeleteI agree with Vincent when he says democracy has its flaws but as americans it is the best system for us because of all the opportunities it gives us and also the freedom and the ability to vote on what we prefer having and what we think is best for our country
DeleteThis video has taught me a lot about the systems of government. I’ve learned that in a pure communist society, everyone is equal and owns the same amount of goods because the cows are shared among all your neighbors. Also all of your neighbors share the responsibility of taking care of the cows and then share the milk that comes from the cows. This means that everyone in a pure communist society must basically own the same amount of things and be economically equal. I’ve also learned that the Russian communist society is very different from a pure communist society. In a Russian communist society, you take care of the cows, but the government takes all of your milk. This means that the government acts superior towards its citizens and takes advantage of its citizens. The Russian communist society seems to be corrupt because the government takes away all of its citizens’ hard work. The citizens are definitely considered inferior to the government in a Russian communist society.
ReplyDeleteI read the article “The Trouble With Freedom” by Jane Jackson. This article explained that democracy is not as simple as it seems. Many people think that with democracy comes freedom, but that is not always the case. A disadvantage of democracy is that democracy does not always bring liberty. In a democratic nation, you can only get what you want if the majority of the nation agrees with your opinions. Also the government can usually find a way to go around the law and take away your rights, if the government wants to. This is seen in Iraq where although they have a democratic government, citizens can be killed for simply being gay. Sometimes though a corrupt government is not the problem in a democratic nation. Sometimes if people have too much freedom, other citizens can take their rights away. This is seen in Mexico where people are more afraid of drug cartels than a corrupt government. Although democracies have disadvantages, they also have advantages. The corruption that democratic nations face is just a phase. Eventually these corrupt governments will grow into a freedom-loving democracy that is seen in established democracies such as England. Many freedom-loving democracies that are seen in Europe today all went through a time of being democracies with restricted freedoms. The author seems to believe that freedom-loving democracies are a good form of government, but other democracies may not be the best form of government. She explains that some democracies are “toxic” and that they can prevent freedom just as much a tyrant can. She seems to believe that democracies as a whole may not be the best form of government, but freedom-loving democracies may be the best form of government.
In my opinion, democracy is the best form of government. Allowing citizens to participate in government is the only way to ensure that they have some type of control in their lives. Democracies allow people to have freedom to achieve their goals. Although some democracies, especially transitional democracies, may restrict citizens’ freedom, eventually those democracies will work out their problems and give their citizens the freedom they deserve. Democracies make political decisions based on the needs and wants of their citizens, unlike dictatorships, which only do what is best for the ruler. No system of government is going to be able to make every citizen happy, but democratic governments do what they can to make the majority of their citizens happy. A democracy will try to ensure happiness of its citizens by holding elections to listen to the wants of them. This is why democracy is the best form of government.
I agree that democracy is the best form of government. Having a say in what goes on is a big privilege to have.
DeleteI agree with Jessicas opinion that no system of government can make everyone happy but democracy does help the majority and tries to ensure happiness.
DeleteI agree with Jessica in that democracy lets people have a chance to voice their opinion and say how they feel.
DeleteBriana Cotugno
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- From this quick review I learned that in feudalism the government gets some of the peoples profit. You can see this by the lord taking some of the persons “milk”. Another thing I learned is that the government in libertarian capitalism the people pretty much have freedom. The person was able to sell one cow and buy a bull therefore profiting in the long run. This is a profit because one they aren’t giving anything to the government and two the cows can reproduce and that person will have more milk and meat, which can bring in even more profit.
- In the article, “A Point of View: The Trouble with Freedom” by Jane Jackson democracy was analyzed and exposed as something that isn’t as good as it is supposed to be. The author also states that freedom and democracy are thought to go hand in hand with one another. Unfortunately that is not always true. Bertrand Russell warned that democracy didn’t always mean freedom and in some cases he can be considered right. Places like Iraq have a democratic government, however, not everyone has freedom or equality for that matter. Women for example can get attacked from fundamental groups if they don’t live a lifestyle that follows or meet their religion standards. Even gay people are at risk of being hunted down and killed. Iraq is democratic but they definitely don’t have much freedom. This article talks about how revolutions don’t always fix things. For example Russia had a revolution that replaced Tsarism with Communism. The country lacked freedom even more under Communism then it did with Tsarism. There is far too much corruption in politics and unfortunately it can result into things that are supposed to make things better, like a revolution, or a new form of government, actually get worse instead. Democracies can be beneficial in the way that the people are able to have a say in government. Democracies are also supposed to provide the people with the freedom to obtain their goals in life. However, like all governments there can be corruption, and like most others the politicians can promise the people one thing but then not go through with it. Overall democracy isn’t always the best form of government because there can be corruption in which case the government doesn’t function as it should and people can have less freedom then they are supposed to.
Being that I have never experienced any other type of government I do feel that a democracy is best especially after seeing a lot of the governments that are around the world where women have very little to no rights at all. One benefit of a democracy is that people are given a chance to have their voices heard. I agree with what Jessica was saying about how democracies give people the freedom to achieve their goals. Based on examples like these democracies seem like the most beneficial form of government, that is however when it is run properly.
Jackie Armao
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From watching the video I learned that a Bureaucratic Socialism government takes your belongings along with everyone else’s and makes you look after it. Once the government has possession of it they will give you as much as you need. I also learned that there are many forms of Communism. The Russian Communism lets you keep what you have and allows the people around you to care for it with you as long as you all share it.
The article “The Trouble with Freedom” expresses the idea of different view points on democratic freedom. Many people believe that in a democracy you are allowed all the freedom because power comes from the people. What this article talks about is that many people don’t realize the government gives you less freedom than you know. Older generations that had gone through governments switching over to democracy have seen little change in the way people were told to live their lives. In Iraq you are frowned upon if you are a women who choses not to wear the traditional clothing or killed if you are gay. Both of those situations don’t seem to allow either party to exercise their freedom the way they should. Freedom is only defined by what the government wants you to be able to do. According to the author the advantages of democracy is having the right to freedom. Although she believed this, the disadvantages she describes as not getting the chance to use the freedom the way you want it but having to use it the way the government wants you to use it.
In my opinion I believe that democracy is the best form of government when it is practiced fairly. Democracy, to other people in different nations seems like it is the best choice because in their countries they are so limited. It allows for people to have the power and make choices for themselves. A Democracy looks out for the needs of its people and makes decisions for them. I think that we are lucky to live under a government that allows us the freedom to use our voices and have a say in our lives. Those who live under a Dictatorship or Tyranny are usually unhappy with the government but can’t speak up against it because they will be punished. Under a democracy we have the power to speak up.
I agree with Jackie, I also think Democracy is one of the best forms of government because it allows people to develop and express their own views, and speak up about how they want to be governed and who governs them.
DeleteSharon Martinez
ReplyDeleteE- Block
2) In the video Political Systems Explained for Dummies this showed examples in Government using cows. I was able to understand how government works through this because the examples were easy to follow. One thing I learned in the video was the Cambodian Communism takes everything a person owns that benefits the government and then kills the person. In the Libertarian/ Anarchy- Capitalism you give the government what you have and then you buy another thing that you need.
4) In the article “A Point Of View: The trouble with freedom” by Jane Jackson is about her opinion on democracy. People believe that democracy comes with freedom, it isn’t what really occurs. One disadvantage that comes with democracy is that democracy doesn’t always have liberty. In a democratic nation only the majority rule is able to be complied. The government finds loop holes since not all governments are perfect. Human rights are changed in order to be able to do what they feel is best for the nation. There are places in Europe that went through a phase in which democracies are restricted. In democracies there is also corruption seen through nationalism and xenophobia. Places that have corruption are seen in Mexico for an example since there are crimes and bribing in the police force. Sometimes in Democracies freedom does not always see eye to eye since people think that tyrants and dictators don’t allow freedom.
5) I feel like democracy is not always the best form of government. Many nations go through different phases in order to get to democracy eventually. Some regions work best under different ruling like when Hitler took over dictatorship. He used this form of government when Germany was in need for a better government so they would try to help their nation. In Iran Theocracy is seen because the majority has one religion they follow. So as seen sometimes democracy is good for a nation and sometimes it doesn’t work for them.
Emily Camacho
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By watching this video I learned that there are significant differences between all types of political parties for example in Fascism the government can take your things, give you money to work then sell you back to materials you would of made for free if the government hadn’t taken your belongings in the first place. In Russian Communism the government allows you to keep your belongings and care for the animals but they take any goods produced by them, which means that the government takes advantage of its citizens and is unfair to them.
In the article “Is Democracy Best for the Poor” researcher Colin Poulton believes that democracy in rural and economically disadvantaged countries is not as simple as it looks. Poulton states that if these underdeveloped countries became democratic then the government could become corrupt and focus more on the social and political control to get people to vote rather than really helping the issues in the country. In his research he focuses mainly on African, Ethiopian and Rwandan policies and debates that the government seems to be wanted to make change in agricultural aspects but when the policies are further studied it seems like the governments are just transferring greater control to individuals, which can then influence votes, cause corruption and ignore the needs of the people. Poulton also mentions that just because a certain policy works in one part of the country doesn’t mean it will benefit another part. Governments tend to apply the same policies to all parts of the country but instead they should be evaluating the needs of the people and come up with a policy to best help the country both economically and socially.
In my opinion I do believe that democracy is the best form of government because it allows for people to get involved in the government and assures individual freedom, when practiced fairly. Democracy allows for a feeling of control and works to benefit the majority of people. I do feel that sometimes people feel that the government may not be the best but in most cases our government helps and protects us.
I agree with Emily about how she thinks that a democracy assures individual freedom when practiced fairly. A democracy is meant to please the people so by granting God-given freedoms to every citizen, it keeps the majority content with their lives.
DeleteSarah Tallaksen
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2) In Fascism the government will pay for your property, make you take care of it and then sell you the products. In Russian Communism a person can own a business or property but the product of the business will then go to the government without reimbursements.
4) “A Point of View: The Trouble with Freedom”
At age seven Isaiah Berlin watched as the last of a police regime was marched down the street on the snow. He spoke a lot to the author of the article about the contrast of optimism at first then the darker atmosphere later on. In the 21st century many believe that democracy can expand once tyranny is overthrown. This has led to the justification o trying to impress ideas of democracy on other countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. However older generations realized that democracy and freedom don’t always come one after the other. Liberal John Mill in the 19th century claimed that “personal liberty would shrink once governments could claim to express the will of the majority.” Bertrand Russel agreed with Mill’s, his Godfather, after observing that England after WW2 was more democratic it lacked freedoms. Both believed that liberty was one thing, democracy another. Freedom to the author means “the absence of obstacles to living as we choose” although this belief has faced criticism. Freedom is needed because people goals are different and vary from the people around us. Democracy is a good thing to have but if the majority does not agree with you then problems may arise. Now some will argue that people are protected but politics seems to find ways around the law creating anarchy in some cases. Freedom is not only repelled by tyrants but also failed attempts in which the main threats to freedom come from organized crime, ethnic conflict and militant sectarian groups. According to the author democracy has few perks. It is more helpful when one is part of a majority vote however it allows for the discrimination of others groups. Politics also almost always leads to corruption to the author. The author does not believe democracy is the best form of government. It has many flaws and doesn’t necessarily protect people’s liberties. For example the author states that Iraq has a type of democracy but the government fails to protect the people from majority attacks against women, other religions or sexuality.
5) Democracy is the best form of government. It attempts to include the voices of all the people even minorities. However it is not to say that the system is perfect. There is corruption and everything is simply black and white but is better than most other governments. It does control what a person does or says but gives them opportunities and choices. How a person makes those choices may determine what they can get out of their government, good or bad.
From the video, I learned that in a Pure Communist nation, the milk is shared by those in the community, even though people may have helped you with taking care of them. I also learned that in a Cambodian Communist society, the government literally has the power to do whatever they want to you. They take all of your cows and then shoot you. In the article, “The Trouble With Freedom”, by Jane Jackson, It shows how people of the older generation don’t necessarily believe that freedom and democracy go hand in hand. When a tyrant is overthrown, it doesn’t always lead to liberation. The advantages that democracy has is that people have the chance to have a voice in collective decisions and express how they feel. The downside to that is democracy won’t protect your freedom if the majority becomes hostile to your opinion. An example of this is modern day Iraq. Iraqi women are at risk of violent attacks if they choose to live a lifestyle that is outside of an interpretation of religion. Also, If you are known to be gay, you may be hunted down and killed. Although, democracy give you a chance to speak freely, those who don’t agree would make you suffer consequences. The author believes that democracy is the best form of government, but only if it comes with freedom. I feel that democracy is the best form of government. It gives people the chance to have a voice and say how they feel. People have the power to vote who they want for president, however majority always wins. Although democracy isn’t perfect, it gives people away to reach out and have an opinion. It also gives people a chance at freedom, if they choose to do the right thing.
ReplyDelete2. I learned that (a.)communism has many different interpretations depending on “where” it is. The Cambodian communism is portrayed as despotic in the film and not really “communist“ because there isn‘t actually any collective ownership. The Russian communism is portrayed as unfair rather than fair (which is what communism is meant to be). (b.) Pure democracy and representative democracy are relatively the same concept. In the clip, the only difference was that “the neighbor” (leader/government/one in charge) had a representative (other neighbor) tell the cows owner (us/the people) that he was taking the owner’s cow.
ReplyDelete4. In the news article “What’s So Good About Democracy Anyway?” (article c), the author interviews Belarus’ president, Alexander Lukashenko. Throughout the text, the president exalts leaders like Saddam Hussein and talks about how the “west turned on his old Iraqi confidant.” Alexander Lukashenko doesn’t regard Democracy highly, especially western Democracy (more specifically the United States). He says Democracy is a “ ‘double standard’”, he feels Americans strive to create Democracy everywhere just because they want to prove they can, rather than actually wanting to help other nations obtain freedom and equality . He also says that Democracy is" bandits. Democratic bandits. You've destroyed thousands, maybe millions of people [in Iraq and Afghanistan]." He feels that Democracy is a hypocritical force that preaches benevolence and equality, but will treat anything ‘not democratic; with scorn and use violence in order to change the ‘not democratic’ ways.
The interviewer in the article, Evgeny Lebedev, feels differently about democracy from Lukashenko. He discredits Lukashenko’s ethos by saying “Google Lukashenko and the prefix you find most given is "Europe's last dictator””. He says this so readers will realize that Lukashenko doesn’t understand the concept of democracy because after all, he is a dictator, so what does he know about protecting citizens? Democracy protects a majority of rights in Lebedev’s view. He notes how under Lukashenko’s ‘dictatorship’, Lukashenko has desecrated people’s rights. He notes from the interview: “I asked how many journalists had been arrested in recent years and the answer was "no idea". But what about the case of Iryna Khalip, a campaigning reporter for Novaya Gazeta, the crusading Moscow newspaper supported by my family? She has been held in Belarus under forms of house arrest for two years. When I first raised the issue, Lukashenko denied knowledge of the details of the case and how she could not leave for Moscow, saying "this is the first time that I've heard that".”
Lebedev feels the Democracy is relatively good. It protects people rights and allows people to choose who they want as their leader. Lukashenko feels democracy has a lot of cons like being hypocritical, and violent due to its partisan views on how governments should run. Overall, democracy has flaws, but not as many flaws as other forms of government.
5) Democracy is one of the better governments. In class one day, we had to choose a quote about government and decode its meaning. One of them was about Democracy and how it is the lesser of all evils. Democracy, like any other from of government is flawed and has corruption, but it is less corrupt than others. There is more freedom and allows people more choice in their own lives. For example, a theocracy only allows one religion for everyone and it intertwines piety with law. So there is no freedom of religion, and people must circumscribe their speech in order to protect themselves from being considered a heretic/insurgent. Democracy allows more freedom, although people aren’t completely free to do as they please. But if people were allowed to do whatever they wanted, it would be an anarchy and that too, would not work out well.
Juliana Zaloom
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There were several interesting ideas raised in this video. The first thing that I learned was that in a Pure Socialist government, the government has the right to take your possessions away from you. On top of that, they can assign you a specific job, even though it might not be the job that you necessarily wanted. In return for assigning you a job, they supply you with the things that you need to survive. In Russian Communism, you can own means of production but the government has the right to take away the goods it produces. In both of these forms of government, the people don’t have the freedom of owning what rightfully belongs to them.
When it comes to political systems, there are always advantages and disadvantages which influence the way a country is governed. In article A, “Is Democracy Best for the Poor,” the author shows that there are specific circumstances where a democracy isn’t the best form of government for a country. In African countries, there are many reasons why democracy isn’t the best option for their people. For example, because there are so many issues involving poverty, hunger, and other short-term solutions to be made, political leaders would not be able to focus on long-term goals, such as infrastructural development. This idea is supported by the following quote from the article, “So voters are getting something in exchange for their vote, but it tends to be small — a long way from a coherent agricultural policy — and it certainly neglects medium- to long-term investments in public goods, such as research, extension or building the capacity of state agents.” In addition to that, the government would not be able to please the higher social classes and the lower classes at the same time because in a lot of African countries, there is a small or even nonexistent middle class. Although the people in impoverished democratic nations don’t get much from their vote, at least they have some say in how their government is run, unlike systems in communist or other autocratic nations. The author of this article does not really offer an opinion on whether or not Democracy is a good form of government. To make up for the lack of opinion offered by the author, the interviewee explained that poorer countries do not benefit from a political system like democracy.
In my opinion, there is no perfect form of government but compared to other political systems, democracy is one of the better ones. Every country needs a different form of government based on their political, economic, and social preferences. In the United States, the presidential democratic system we have seems to be working out pretty well. For over 200 years, the American people has maintained a relatively sound government because the needs of the citizens fit in best with the safety, assistance, and political guidance that a democracy supplies.
I agree with Juliana's idea that each country's political, economic and social aspects affect which form of government will best fit that country's needs.
DeleteElizabeth Seijo
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When watching this video I learned that every government is very different and some don’t treat their people fairly. This video really helped me understand how all of these political systems worked by showing me simple examples.
According to the article “ The Trouble With Freedom” by Jane Jackson many people believe that democracy is something that everyone should be entitled to but thats not always the case. Democracy is not something that comes easy to most people in countries all around the world. Another thing the article talks about is that even though most people think that freedom and democracy go hand and hand they really don’t. The advantages of democracy is that people can be free and governments don’t control everything that people do. The disadvantages of democracy is that just because you live in a country with a democratic government, that doesn’t mean that you are really free. Places like Iraq have a democratic government but if they find out that you are gay there is a chance that you might be hunted down and killed. To me that is not freedom at all if you have to worry about being killed because of your sexual preference. I don’t think that the author of this article believes that democracy is the best form of government. I think this because the countries that she mentions that are supposed to be a democratic government really aren’t as free as they should be.
I don’t think that democracy is the best form of government because reading this article and hearing about how people are killed in Iraq for being gay sometimes democracy is not really freedom at all. I feel that democracy is something that can be achieved by a country over a period of time. It definitely is not something that happens right away.
Diana Estrada D block - i agree with Elizabeth that the video's examples did help to clear up what each form of government does for its people. She made a valid point in stating that democracy develops over a great amount of time and that democracy is not as much freedom as it may seem from a distance
DeleteIn the article “The trouble with freedom”- by Jane Jackson, talks about the democracy and freedom as two separate thing and we as the people must difference. The use his experience from his earlier childhood event to compare his political system to the one he has now, being from Russia havering different political system, and then later on moving to the states his more appreciative how the freedom he has. To understand the prose and cons of democracy we must first know what is democracy, Democracy is a political system in which it allow complete power to it citizen, this mean you are give opinion in the roles of governing great sense involvement in government decision citizen are given right to which one allows you to vote to elect government official. Equality for all citizen meaning greater opportunity for all. The disadvantage of democracy is that the right of people can always be restricted to oppress the minority it was benefiting, minority could be overruled government could only look out for their own interest ahead of the country communication tool are not all equal what someone is trying to say could defiled as something else some say democracy is often slow and change is slow. Not all government member are accountable for their own actions as two that the minority wanted.
ReplyDeleteIn the article Jane Jackson believes in the proformas of democracy because he mentioned the bill of right as a united states unrolled law of the land. He also believes political system of democracy only works when those of government official follow through on it responsibility, to it's people first. I believes that democracy is the best form of government there are only mall group of nation how can excursive their right of power, individuality and freedom of expression. But watching the video I agree with the examples of the cows, to how government can turn out without regulations and restrictions government could be easily corrupted, From loopholes and rewarding bad behavior.
Paul Montanaro- A Block
ReplyDeleteThere were several things to learn from the short video, for me the two biggest things I learned were that in essence when you have a representative they make decisions for you. Secondly I learned that Russian Communism isn’t true communism, most people hear the words Marxism or Communism and relate it to the former Soviet Union but in fact they are a subset of the system.
I read article B from the BBC. This author thinks that democracy and freedom are separate all together. The author Mr. Grey gave several examples of countries that had a bad ruler of some kind and moved to a more democratic way of thinking yet minorities are still looked upon in a negative way. For these reasons the author doesn’t believe that democracy is the best form of government instead he believes that all forms of government are tragically flawed.
In my opinion there are no good forms of government just ones that work the best for a period of time. As of 2013 democracy is the most highly functional government of the modern world. There have been dozens of former types of rule that rose, dominated, than fell. Also I agree with Julianna Zaloom because there is no universal form of government because each country has different needs that are addressed by separate forms of rule. In countries such as Iran a religious ruler is able to hold power due to the overwhelming majority. Thomas Jefferson saw this as a possible problem that he addressed in his Inaugural address in 1801 and in a way he is right. Even in a system like the United States’ with checks and balances a majority in the house that holds the same party allegiance as the head of the Executive branch can force very controversial policy.
I agree with Paul on how he stated that when most people think of communism they automatically think Marxism and relate it to the former soviet union coming to the conclusion that all communism is evil. But in reality they are different.
DeleteBy Robert Urbanski
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the YouTube video I decided that I didn’t get from the middle area of the film to the end so I watched it again, but still found it pretty confusing. In the beginning I was able to get that feudalism is when the person in charge of your country or location they take everything you make, no further questions ask they just take it for themselves so your working to give them a better life. Another was pure socialism, which is when the government takes what your skills would be and uses them to help out the country, and what ever the product is that you have created they are given to you as well for free. I choose article B to discuses, because I found the title very interesting what someone could mean that there could possible be a sense of trouble with freedom. The author mostly talks about Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed and they begin to switch to become a democracy. This brought forward some tough times for the people of Russia because they have been use to how they use to live! Now they have more freedom, but growing up with less freedom then being offered it seems good, but the people of Russia weren’t ready for such a change. I feel this may have happen due to the people of Russia almost being cared for all there lives, and insured all were being treated the same way because you can’t have your own personality such as when the government itself is controlling how your whole life to play out! After the Soviet Union was finished and democracy took over their Communism ways this was an example of how people could react. This could be looked at as if you are learning to ride your bike and your father/mother lets you go there is chance that you are going to fall, and then there is also the chance you begin to learn how to ride your bike! The Russia’s were falling in the sense, because they never had the options to have their own opinions about how to live their lives.
Rachael Chan
ReplyDeleteE Block
2.) This video had an interesting way of interpreting and explaining political systems. It helped me to further my knowledge on political systems; for instance, the video introduced three different types of communism: Pure Communism, Russian Communism and Cambodian Communism. In a Pure Communist political system, every citizen is considered equal. In the video, the man had to share the milk with his neighbor after taking care of the cow together. In a Russian Communist political system, the government is more involved. After taking care of the cow, the government takes the milk. In a Cambodian Communist political system, the government takes the cow and shoots the man. Unlike Pure Communism, Russian and Cambodian Communism contain more government involvement. I also learned that pure anarchy contains no government regulation. As seen in the video, the man has many options as to what he can do with the cow. Government does not get involved in economic or personal affairs.
4.) The news article, “The Trouble with Freedom”, Jane Jackson offers her perspective on the relation between freedom and democracy. Today, we form the idea of an inseparable relationship between freedom and democracy. Older generations seem to disagree about the connection between the two. Bertrand Russell claims that after World War II, Britain was more democratic since he was a child, in which he felt was less free. Older generations thought of freedom as a lack of restriction on how we can act. To be free meant to have no obstacles to living as we choose. As seen in the article, there are many advantages and disadvantages of democracy. An advantage would be having a voice in collective decisions. Through events such as press conferences, we are able to communicate with the government in ensuring our needs are met. The disadvantages to democracy may be the state’s inability to prevent assaults on freedom. The article uses the country of Iraq to illustrate this point. If an Iraqi woman fails to choose a lifestyle in which the interpretation of religion was met, she would be at risk of being attacked from fundamentalist groups. Freedom was not enhanced for everyone in Iraq once the dictator had been removed. Through similar examples, I don’t think the author believes that democracy is the best form of government. Jane Jackson mentions many European countries as another example. Many of these nations use its rights to attack minorities.
5.) Having only experienced life under a democratic government, I believe that it is more preferable than other political systems such as dictatorship or anarchy. As the article had previously stated, I believed that in many cases, freedom and democracy were closely related. With democracy comes government involvement, but unlike dictatorship and pure communism, the government does not have complete control over the nation. Like many other political systems, a democratic government can also be corrupt. The leader and his/her decisions can either benefit the entire nation or cause chaos within the country.
I agree that although democracy does seem to be the best form of government, it is still up to the leader and their decisions as to whether a democratic government will benefit or harm the people
DeleteI agree on a democratic government being corrupt. The leader's decisions could possibly cause chaos.
DeleteLucinda S. Martinez
ReplyDeleteBlock A
Honestly, I have no idea what sort of message the video was trying to convey to its viewers. I didn’t understand the how the ‘Two cows’represent the structure of government. I felt that it was just too vague and simplistic. I would’ve liked it if it has more information, and gave better examples for each political system. Although I didn't find this video to be helpful I did manage to learn a few things about political systems. According to the video, Bureaucratic Socialism is when the government claims your property as its own and shares it among the people. However, the government gives jobs to people that are unqualified or lack proper training. Fascism is when the government takes away your property, and hires people who are qualified to work specific jobs. However, the in a fasicist system the government requires its people to pay for goods and resources that they themselves created. In a dictatorship the people are drafted into the military and their property is taken away from them. Democracy is when a leader is elected to govern the people and create laws to benefit the majority. Personally, I didn’t like the video and it actually confused me even more about the difference between each political system.
In the article, “The Trouble with Freedom” by Jane Jackson, the author discusses the idea that freedom isn’t necessarily a positive thing. If a government is weak than its people’s individual freedoms are in jeopardy as a result of internal and external conflicts. The government might not always be able to protect the rights of its civilians from threats such as criminal activity, military corruption, and disputes between religious officials. In order to provide security and stability, the government must decide whether it should take action by suppressing people’s freedom or allowing people to have these rights, but have their lives in danger. Some people take advantage of their individual freedoms, and use to harm others. There is no such thing as real freedom, because to have total freedom would mean complete chaos and anarchy. The government should maintain people’s liberties to an extent, so that others are not impacted negatively as a result. Even though some people might not agree with this concept, it is necessary to oppressed people’s freedom in order to provide a safe environment for everyone.
Two new things I learned from this video were that when a government has a right to take possessions from you, it is considered a Pure Socialist government. Also, when the majority around you picks a person to relay a message (representative) as to who will receive your belongings, it's referred to as Libertian/Anarcho Capitalism.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the article "The Trouble with Freedom", there are different perspectives on freedom in a democratic country. Author Jane Jackson points out that democracy isn't all that appears to be on the surface. For example, many view the idea that a majority rules in a democracy as being a good thing. Also the advantage of different voices being heard makes it seem fair enough. However, if you're not in agreement with the majority, your beliefs could be left out. An example supporting this argument is the women of Iraq. If they are known as gay, they risk being hunted and/or killed for that reason. Also, if your lifestyle isn't alongside interpretation with religion, as an Iraqi woman, you face the risk of violent attacks from fundamentalist groups. When the majority takes on hostile views, a democracy can either fail, or led to national hostility, something people should fight to avoid. The author agrees that a democracy is a good thing, if the majority fights for freedom for the right reasons, but once they begin to get violent and the majority rule causes more chaos than stability, it's viewed in the author's eyes as unrighteous.
In my opinion, it is best for a country to have a democracy. A democracy may not meet each specific need, however, it is does satisfy the majority of the people. For the minority, they aren't always at their happiest, but their ideas are respected just as much as the majority. The majority covers most of the views of the people living in that particular place. The article opened my eyes to the positive and negatives on democratic governments throughout the world. A democracy should be chosen as a government for an area if the people in that democracy have the right intentions.
Chris Morabito- I agree with Alyssa,while democracy may not be perfect it is the closest thing we have. The minority may not always be represented to the same extent as the majority, but there is still more of a chance than in other systems
DeleteThe Video was highly confusing. However, the video did explain how different governments function in a simplistic and exagerated way. For example, in democrocy no one tells you what to do with your earnings however your neibors and you decide which laws are in place. In Cambodian communisum I doubt all the citizens are looted from and murdered. The video did instill the basics of each system well in an easy to understand, humourus manner.
ReplyDeleteMy article was an interview with "Europe's last Dictator" Alexander Lukashenko. Lushenko believes that authoritariaism is a superior form of government to democracy. He cites the American desire to spread Democracy as malicious. He also states that his government does not require water cannons to stop riots like democrocys have in the past. His memory was razor sharp on these topics, however, Lukashenko's memory degraded when he was questioned about human right violations. He complained that he was able to get the results of an election a month before the public but did not complain about the inconsistancy in his own election which was boosted by over 30 percent.
I believe that democracy is the best political system of those currently available. Democracy does have faults but unlike Lukashenko's government there are no glaring inconsistancies like suspended right to trial. Democracy does use neibors as the base of the system. I still believe that democracy is the superior system because all the others are far inferior.
Salvatore Sicilia 0-block
ReplyDeleteTwo things I learned from this video is that fascism explained through the cow and milk theory seems very bad for the people. The government taking what is already yours, hiring you to take care of your own animals and to charge you for the products they make which in reality is already your is ridiculous. That doesn’t seem fair to the people. Pure Communism actually sounds very beneficial to everyone. If you have two cows and your neighbor helps you take care of them, you share the milk. This is a very simple and effective way to deal with things without conflict and government intervention.
In the news article B "The Trouble with Freedom" - Jane Jackson, BBC News: August 2012.
In this news article the author believes that whenever freedom expands tyranny is overthrown. In the article the author quotes “We believe that freedom and democracy are inseparable”. This means that in order to gain freedom democracy will be gained along with it. But democracy did not always mean more freedom as Bertrand Russell said. Advantages of democracy are of course the people can vote for what they want and what suits their needs. Disadvantages of democracy are that sometimes the majority that vote don’t know what is right for people. This in many ways can hurt the people. Democracy is a good form of government but it isn’t perfect.
In my opinion democracy is the best form of government. From a basic point of view, what the people want is what they will get. What the majority of the population wants and thinks will suit their needs they will have if that’s what they vote for.
from mark magrone
ReplyDelete1. I watched the video.
2. I am shocked that bureaucratic socialism would make people that aren’t qualified for a certain job do that job (i.e. cow farmers taking care of chickens from the video). Pure socialism makes more sense, as you do a job that you are qualified for. I am also surprised to learn that in pure democracy, you don’t necessarily get an incentive for your work (i.e. your neighbors deciding what to do with the milk from your cows in the video). Side-note/question: Surrealism isn’t a real form of government, is it?
3. I read article B: “The Trouble With Freedom” by Jane Jackson
4. In the article, “The Trouble With Freedom” by Jane Jackson, the author states that when democracy is force fed onto a country (i.e. The United States imposing democracy on Iraq and Afghanistan) war between the countries will most likely occur. The author also tells of how democracy, although not always, can make your country less free. Bertrand Russell, agreeing with his grandfather, said that Britain was essentially more free before World War II. However, Britain was more democratic after World War II. Freedom is, as stated in the article, “the absence of obstacles to living as we choose” while democracy is a form of government that is run “For the people, by the people”. Therefore, it can be said that democracy makes some people have less freedom than others, depending on how they want to live their life.
5. Democracy is not the best form of government. It is unjust and unfair to some people. As Paul Saunderson said, “Democracy is the rule of the mob.” We elect officials based on votes. This causes one candidate to win based on how much of the “mob” agrees with him. Said candidate will to try to get his ideas into the government.. However, not everyone thinks as the elected candidate. Nancy Che Stated that there is a disparity between the rich and poor in our government I agree, and that’s why I believe, to some extent, pure socialism would be beneficial in this economic downturn we are experiencing. Everyone should be appointed with jobs they are qualified for and give the government what it needs to provide for its people. This would make he disparity between rich and poor lessen because more people would have the tools they need to survive.
Brianna Slyman
ReplyDeleteA Block
Two new things I learned from the video is that: 1. In Bureaucratic Socialism, the government only gives its people goods based on what the regulations made by the government says they need instead of basing it on what the people themselves say that they need. 2. In Fascism, the government is basically selling to its people what was once their own property before the government took it away from them.
The news article "The Trouble With Freedom" speaks about the different ways in which democracy and freedom seem to intertwine and how both aspects effect people. While democracy seems to have the ability of granting more freedom to the people, it also has the ability of harming its people at the same time. However, it seems to all depend on how the government is run and how the people react to it all. There are many countries that are more concerned about the chaos occurring within their country rather than the fact that their government is so corrupt. Mexico faces ruthless drug cartels, Iraq faces discrimination towards their women, and many European countries use their own rights to attack minorities. According to the author, the advantages of democracy is that it forms a more stable government for the people, there is no dictatorship involved, people have more say in decisions being made, and there is a great amount of freedom granted to the people. However, the disadvantages that the author believes may come with democracy is organized crime, ethnic conflict and the formation of military groups. The author seems to believe that democracy is the best form of government. In the article the author states that "we believe that freedom and democracy are inseparable, so that when a dictator is toppled the result is not only a more accountable type of government but also greater liberty throughout society." Therefore, the author seems to believe that democracy helps to form a more stable government, also granting more freedom to its people.
I believe that democracy is the best form of government. It seems to give the people just the right amount of freedom to include them in making decisions, but also have standards and does not give the people full control. This seems to be the best form of government because it provides stability which is key to having a successful government. In the news article "The Trouble With Freedom," the author states that "having a voice in collective decisions - the basis of democracy - is a fine thing, but it won't protect your freedom if the majority is hostile to the way you choose to live." This shows that the people do have a voice in a democracy, however, there are some restrictions and standards which are meant to help and protect the people.
Christopher Morabito
ReplyDeleteE Block
I thought that the video illustrated a very interesting interpretation of different political and social systems. I found it very informative and learned a great deal. For instance, this video showed me that Socialism and Communism are relatively similar systems. In both systems there is no true ownership and a sense of equality in provisions. Additionally this video taught me that the political systems in Russia and Cambodia are corrupt. This shows that often a government system can be drastically different than the ideal version of that system.
According to Article B, “A Point Of View: The trouble with freedom,” the meaning of just what it is to have freedom has changed over the past century and a half. People used to view freedom as the ability to live the life that is desired by the individual; this meant being able to make choices for yourself and not being restricted by the government. Today, many people view democracy as the ultimate source of freedom- to topple a dictatorship and replace it with a democracy is seen as the greatest way of gaining freedoms. However, the article points out two flaws with this. The first problem is that, as the article states, “when a tyrant is toppled, we can't know what will come next” (Gray). The article talks about one instance in Russia after the fall of the Tsar where former police members were being brought to a fate that is still not known today. The article states that just because a country is democratic in nature does not necessarily insure freedom to the people, stating fear of Mexican drug cartels as one of many examples of how freedom can be denied in a democracy. Another way that this occurs is due to the fact that a democracy only represents the will of the majority; while democracy exists to support the ability to make individual lifestyle choices, if ones desired lifestyle goes against what the majority view to be correct it can often be denied.
No system of government that currently exists can be said to be perfect; there can be no system that provides all needs to all citizens. Currently an ideal democracy is the best form of government that we have to this. As Winston Churchill famously stated, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.” While no system of government is perfect, an ideal democratic system provides the most opportunities for freedom compared to other systems.
I agree with Chris's last point technically there can't be any perfect form of government however democracy appears to be the system that offers the most stability or freedom for certain nations.
DeleteKeirra Smith
ReplyDeleteIn this video I learned a few things. I learned that Fascism is corrupt in the government , they will supply you with benefits but in actuality as told in the video you buy the milk which turns out to be more then the actual pay.In the video, China wasn’t a pure communist country , in the other countries like Russia this differed due to its difficulty with staying pure communist.I also learned what a Bureaucratic socialism is. This was described as the government wanting you only when they needed you.
In the article “Democracy is not necessarily good for the poor” I learned several things.There is a lot of voters in the world but still in rural countries citizens are economically disadvantaged.Democracy has made a bigger impact on people , it just wasn't the idea of voting it was the aspect of planning for the future.The article also talks about Ethiopia and its current government.Broad-based benefits were given to prevent anymore damage from occurring.In countries like Ethiopia and also Rwanda, the need for rapid rural growth is the strongest, help and participation by other regimes are driven to do so by threats to their survival. Without these types of survival skills the countries would have little help.
1- I have learned a few things from this quick review video , one idea is that you can describe multiple governments by using just two cows. Other ideas that I have gathered from this video are that there are different variations on all types of governments and that they are basically all variations of each other.2- In article A “Democracy is not necessarily good for the poor, research finds”, researcher Colin Poulton explains that voting in other countries may not be as democratic as we think. Colin Poulton researched African democracies and to share his research he was interviewed by Vanessa Humphries. In Africa politicians give out something in exchange of a vote. Poulton’s research as shown that in Africa their economy is mainly based on agreculture, Poulton believes that this is a great disadvantage to democracy. Because, of the focus on agriculture other things such as education are neglected. An advantage is that it helps the majority of the people. He supported democracy because he wants people to understand the importance of their votes. In my opinion democracy in a great form of government but, isn’t always the most reliable. Voters may elect the wrong person for reasons such as bribery or intimidation. Unreliable leaders are most commonly found in transitional democracies because voters ,for lack of a better word, do know any better. These leaders most commonly do whats best for the minority, not the majority.Democracy is great in theory but if not excited correctly then it could be disastrous.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Molinari D-Block
John D’onofrio A Block
ReplyDelete2) One thing I learned from the video is Cambodian Communism. That system of government seems it would be horrible to be a part of. A second idea I learned is that a bureaucratic government has a low rate of efficacy.
4) The interview begins with Alexander Lukashenko – President of Belarus speaking about his autocratic friends, such as Colonel Gaddafi. The president begins to bash democracy saying the United States came to him asking for his false testimony about WMD’s in Iraq, in exchange for financial support. He believes democracy to be false ideal, and dislikes the west’s forceful democratization of his nation. The article recounts the story of Belarus's previous dictator. Lukashenko, was a political mastermind who became a near autocratic through clever political schemes. Despite opposition in his 2010 election victory, where rioters broke down the door to a government building, and the president only called in the riot police with batons and special forces to maintain the peace. Lukashenko argued that a government's main duty is to keep the peace, and he did just that. an example would be the riots resulting from the collapse of the soviet union. Russia became an anarchic state, while Belarus through a strong government rule, prospered. A Belarusian survey company found that the president did win in the majority vote, however he still doctored the figures. Journalists also point out that many citizens were arrested for public opposition, or students were thrown out of university for criticizing the government. Evgeny Lebedev then asks about another journalist who was restricted from travel, and when pressed the President says he has decided to lift the ban. “No president would do that”, Lukashenko states. The author then begins to compare the nations capital Minsk to pre soviet union times. The comparisons are not only cosmetic, but true in the government as well. Despite his nation’s success, the recent global economic downturn hit his nation hard. Economic hardships such as devaluation currency and a rise of inflation has caused protests to become slightly more common in Belarus. When asked, Lushenko said he feels his nations pain, believes he has a right and power to rule, and takes credit for not making any mistakes in his two decade long rule.
5) “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!”- Patrick Henry I believe Democracy is the best form of government. One reason is that the freedom to choose what we feel is best for our lives is a basic human right, and in my opinion, a key to being happy. The majority’s ruling is sure to serve the greatest amount of people, and is an ideal way of life for me. Citizens should have a role in their government. Not be treated as servants to a strong armed ruler, with only his or her best interest in mind. Democracy is the best form of government because most of the current world leaders are democratic, with a few exceptions of course, but you never let the exception dictate the rule. People have the right to be responsible for themselves, and democracy is the best because it allows them to do just that.
Sara Fischman
ReplyDeleteD Block
Two new things I learned from the video, “Systems of Government Explained Through Two Cows” are that A) The communism that Russia once had was not a pure communist country. And that B) Only in Libertarian/ anarcho-capitalism can a person decide what to do with their cows.
“The Trouble With Freedom” by Jane Jackson is an article that argues that democracy and freedom do not go hand in hand. Democratic governments, more than others, can claim that decisions they make support the will of the majority, and personal liberties can shrink. With this example a person can argue that democracy can restrict freedom. It is commonly believed that once a tyrant is overthrown more freedom for the people will follow. Today most people believe that having freedom “the absence of obstacles to living as we choose”. Democracy does not protect the freedoms of the minorities, since these minorities have to face obstacles in the way they choose to live. In countries like Iraq where tyrants have just recently been taken out of power, minorities still fear for their lives. Jackson believes the advantage to democracy is that the majority of people get what they want. She also believes democracy is very fragile, and does not give minorities freedom, since many of them face daily obstacles in the way they choose to live. Jackson gives examples from European countries where people use their rights to attack minorities. She writes, “ toxic democracies based on nationalism and xenophobia could emerge in a number of countries and be in power for long periods.” This quote supports her idea that freedom is fragile, and not always brought by democracy. Although I agree that democracy does not support the freedoms of the minority, I still feel that democracy is the best form of government. No form of government can make every citizen happy, and no form of government that I have heard of can realistically equally protect the rights of every citizen. There will always be laws that some people are displeased by; things that they see as obstacles, that many other people will support. When group decisions are made, there will always be people who get the short end of the stick. I support Lucinda’s opinions. She discussed an important detail when she said “There is no such thing as real freedom, because to have total freedom would mean complete chaos and anarchy.” If there is government, then total freedom will never exist, and government is very necessary.
Tiffany Eng
ReplyDeleteA Block
2)The video “Political Systems Explained for Dummies” uses two cows to show the different political and social systems. Two new things I learned from this video are Bureaucracy and Pure Anarchy. Bureaucracy is when the government regulates you on what you can and cannot do with your belongings. They give you money in exchange for your belongings. Pure Anarchy is when you’re expected to sell your belongings for a fair amount to neighbors or you get killed.
4)Vanessa Humphries states the advantages and disadvantages of the poor in “Is Democracy Best for the Poor”. The advantages are women being able to input their opinion and voting in national elections. The political actions help pro-poor countries. Countries like Ethiopia and Rwanda might possibly gain land-tilting programs that increase farmers security and land investment. There has been a great investment on agricultural extension services The disadvantages are democracy not being the best form of government for Africa. People expected to see a democratisation to have a greater impact. Voters are only receiving something small in return.
5) In my opinion, there is no form of government that is the best. There will always be problems with certain people not agreeing with their government. Democracy not the best but it does provide some positives for their people. Democracy provides the needs of people but not fully. This form of government is not good for the poor. Although many voters in African countries have a say when voting.
Samantha Escobedo- I agree with Tiffany about how people were expecting more out of the government when they voted for a candidate that best addressed their issues. This is commonly still seen even today in the US. People end up voting for someone because of their political views and promises to change things, however, when they get into office not everything that was promised is able to be addressed within their term.
DeleteLeo Krkuti
ReplyDeleteA-Block Government
1. After watching the video, I can say that the references made did confuse me a little bit. Besides being confused, I was still able to pick up on a few of the comparisons. In one part of the video, Fascism is explained by government taking away the cows, hiring you to take care of them and then selling back the milk to the consumer. Fascism is known to control all aspects of life, here, it is doing just that by controlling work flow (jobs), pay roll (salary) and consumer goods (the milk). This was the best representation throughout the video, I believe. I also learned that in pure socialism, you have two cows, the government places those cows in a barn with everyone else’s, they then give you as much milk, as you need. Basically, socialism is an economic theory that agrees with all terms and means of production, exchange and distribution, and that all these factors should be owned and regulated by government.
2. After reading Jane Jacksons "The Trouble With Freedom”, it is saved to say her views on government are that freedom and democracy are ideas that are inseparable. She feels that democracy and freedom shouldn’t always go hand and hand. She explains that in past generations, they viewed freedom as an absence of obstacles to living as they choose. She agrees firmly with this opinion, as do I. Advantages and disadvantages are inevitable in government and democracy. For instance, an advantage in democracy is being able to decide the countries future with a single vote, or a piece of legislation, this helping us respond to the government and communicate with them about the needs of citizens. The disadvantage to democracy goes back to todays lesson in class where we discussed legitimacy in government. Is the government really going to do what we ask? Legitimacy in government is how much citizens of a country believe in their government. Also, efficacy, is government really going to do what its citizens ask? These questions come up in the negatives and positives in Democracy. In the article, they used references to Iraq and women’s lives. If you opt for a lifestyle that doesn’t meet the standard with some influence of religion, you become at risk of being attacked by fundamentalists groups. She states that the country has a type of democratic government in place, but the state is too weak to protect those types of assaults on an individual’s freedom. It is safe to say that Jane Jackson does not think democracy is the best form of government because with democracy, freedom is always closely associated and it is not the case.
3. I must say, before reading this article my view of democracy being the best form of government, was yes. Now, my thoughts have changed because I too always associated freedom and democracy. After going overseas to Europe in 2007, I felt that a majority of the world lived like the United States because of the similar political system used. But I was young minded and naïve at the time, today, I understand that all countries political systems are different. I do believe that democracy is best to be used in countries that are just developing and transitioning to a new government. This gives the citizens a chance to speak on the change and what should happen with the government/political system in the next few years. I personally wouldn’t know though, because I have never lived under a non-democracy political system. Besides not going hand and hand with freedom at all times, I do believe that democracy gives its people enough without causing havoc and chaos.
Samantha Escobedo
ReplyDelete2. One new thing I learned is that in Fascism, the person’s “cows” are taken away by the government, however, the government agrees to pay for them to take care of the cows. Although, in the end, the person has to pay for the finished product of the cow even if they were the ones taking care of it.
Another new thing I learned is that in pure communism everyone is seen equal and everyone shares with one another as in the example. The cows are taken care by two people, but in the end they must share the productivity between both of them.
4. This article talks about how Africa is considered high in poverty, especially when a majority of the people are within agriculture. Agriculture is their main source of income and they are struggling to get by. Vanessa Humphries starts off the article by explaining how the majority of people are within agriculture, however the government forgets that many are living below poverty. She suggests how many might think that democracy is the best choice of a government system for the poor people of Africa, however, Vanessa seems to think otherwise. She continues her article by writing a series of questions and answer in an interview with Colin Poulton who thinks democracy isn’t a good idea for the poor. Vanessa doesn’t blatantly say that democracy wont work for this issue that Africa faces, but by only writing about Colin’s point of view, you can assume she’s taking his side on the issue. The article reveals that although democracy involves voting and peoples “voices” being heard, this won’t affect the poor. The government is giving farmers the tools they need and certain policies pertaining to the labor, but the long-term affects are limited so the money is still an issue in the end. Some advantages of democracy are that people are able to vote for the candidate that best represents their needs. They have a “voice” within politics and economics/ society. However, a disadvantage is that when the candidate gets to be leader, the return for their vote is small. Most of the time their needs aren’t fulfilled.
5. Democracy forms part of the “best form of government”. I believe that a government shouldn’t just rely on one system such as democracy to be able to run well. Government should be run on several, having a piece of certain governments to make up a whole one. While democracy might lack in one thing, the combination of another government can make up for the downfalls of democracy. A government system should be compiled with several types of governments alike to make up one strong government for a given nation. For instance, the United States is considered to be a decently well-run government. However, not only do we stand for democracy but also a Republic and Presidential Democracy. There is diversity that makes up the government as a whole.
I agree with Samantha. The point she makes about how other political systems may make up for the downfalls of a democracy is very valid. The United States might not function as well as it does if the political system was just a democracy and not other political systems, as well, or vise versa being just a republic and not a preseidental democracy.
DeleteI agree with Samantha. The type of democracy that is presented in the U.S is the best form of government since it has taken the shape of more than one political syytem and adapted to changing times.
DeleteSarah Sietz
ReplyDeleteA Block
2/12/13
2. After watching the video titled “Political Systems Explained for Dummies,” I learned new things about political systems. I learned that there are three types of communism that are each different. These political systems are “pure” communism, “Russian” communism, and “Cambodian communism.” I thought that the most important part of communism was that everyone in the society is socially equal, but according to this video, these three systems have specific differences. Pure communism, for example, would be when farmers take care of their cows together and all get to share their milk. Russian communism involves a farmer taking care of his/her own cows and then having their milk taken by the government. Cambodian communism would involve the government taking a farmer’s cows and then violating them, or just not caring. This was interesting to learn because I didn’t realize that there were several forms of communism. I also didn’t think that the different types of communism would each be so different. Another thing I learned from the video “Political Systems Explained for Dummies” was how a democracy can be either “pure” or “representative.” In the video, pure democracy was represented by a farmer’s neighbors deciding on who will get his/her cows’ milk. Representative democracy was represented by farmer’s neighbors picking someone to tell the farmer who will get the milk. This reminded me of previous political systems/terms we’ve learned, such as presidential democracy and parliamentary democracy. Pure democracy is similar to presidential democracy because the majority makes the decisions, while representative democracy is similar to parliamentary democracy because the majority makes the decision on who will make decisions for everyone. “Political Systems Explained for Dummies,” taught me many new things.
4. In the article titled “A Point Of View: The trouble with freedom,” written by Jane Jackson, the concepts of always having more freedoms and greater liberties in a democracy were discussed. The article started with a quote, “We've come to believe that freedom is the natural human condition, which only tyrants prevent everyone from enjoying - but when a tyrant is toppled, we can't know what will come next, says John Gray.” I found this quote very important because it introduced the idea of democracies and tyrants. A democracy is defined as a political system in which all citizens of a society have an equal say in making decisions that will affect their lives. A tyrant is defined as a cruel, absolute ruler of a society. This quote suggests that when a society is ruled by a tyrant, there is no democracy within the society. However, it also suggests that even when there is no tyrant, there still may not be a democracy. For example, tyrants being removed as the ruler is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean good will definitely come afterwards, or that a democracy will become the new political system once a tyrant is removed. There are many advantages and disadvantages of democracy that are mentioned in this article. Some of these advantages include everyone having a voice in making decisions and decisions that involve more of what each individual wants, goal and freedom wise.
Democracies are the voice of the people, where the decisions that are made are usually what are best for the majority. However, there are disadvantages to democracies, as well. The article suggests that even if a nation is a democracy, that doesn’t mean they are freer, or rather have more freedoms. Rather, democracies, although in the hands of the majority, may forget about the minority. There may always be specific people who are left out or who don’t get what they specifically want in the end. In a democracy, even though the majority is happy and content, the minority may not be. In the article, it states “We believe that freedom and democracy are inseparable, so that when a dictator is toppled the result is not only a more accountable type of government but also greater liberty throughout society.” Jane Jackson is suggesting that democracy and freedom come together. Based on her writings, I think she believes that democracies are beneficial and one that has the most freedoms for its people. Throughout the article, the majority is mentioned a lot and I feel Jackson believes that as long as the majority are content with their lives, the minority will eventually have their goals met and be happy, as well. However, she suggests that a nation with a democracy may be weak and fractured, which is a downfall to a democracy. In Jane Jackson’s article, “A Point Of View: The trouble with freedom,” she discusses ways in which democracies have advantages and disadvantages, but that overall it is a benefiting form of government, even with some downfalls.
ReplyDelete5. In my opinion, democracy is the best form of government. A democracy is one that is run by the people, doing what they feel is best for themselves and for others. The majority is happy in a democracy, even if the minority is unhappy, which may not always be the case because everyone might be content in the end. Democracies have a downfall for this reason, which is mentioned in both the video and the article. The people make decisions, but there will always be someone who doesn’t agree with what most people believe or want. Other political systems, such as fascism, which has too much control, and anarchy, which has too little or no control, have several downfalls that add up to be much more negative than just the one downfall of a democracy. Fascism may cause riots and everyone to be unhappy for not having choices and being under too much control and anarchy may cause chaos for there being no control at all. Democracies are overall positive and good, though, because the people always have a choice and always have a say. In my opinion, democracy is the best form of government because there isn’t too little or too much control, people will always have choices, everyone can make decisions or have a say in what they want, there is tolerance in all aspects of society, and the majority will always happy.
Kathy Cuevas
ReplyDeleteD Block
2) Two things I learned while watching the video, "Political systems Explained for Dummies" is that there are different branches of Communism and that with most governments the people have very little control over their lives and belongings. Most of the governments either take your things or tell you what to do with them.
4) In the article, "The Trouble with Democracy", the author mainly talks about how having a democracy and having freedom/liberty aren't always the same thing. Just because you have a democratic government, doesn't mean that you have as much freedom as you originally thought. The author states that many people think that only a tyrant can deny you your freedom, and that if you had a democracy you would have tons of freedom. This is not necessarily true. An example that the author uses frequently uses for this idea is Russia. The people overthrew their tyrannical monarch only to have that rule replaced by one far worse. The author doesn't really talk about whether they think democracy is the "best form of government", only that having a democracy doesn't guarantee freedom and liberty.
5) I can't really say whether I believe democracy to be the best form of government. It all depends on the needs of the country itself. Sometimes democracy isn't always the perfect solution.
Skyler Malchiodi D-block
ReplyDeleteA- This video is about the different governments demonstrating using cows. I learned that the best type of government demonstrated in this video in my opinion is communism is because you have the best way of making money. The other system is Libertarian, the trade off seemed fair, because even though you lost a part of something you earned, you gained something equally as efficient or better back.
B- In the Article-A Point Of View: The trouble with freedom, it is viewed that once you obtain freedom, you obtain democracy and that rules over anything else in the political world. Even though many believe that democracy and freedom are meant to go hand in hand that is not always the case, because aspects become complicated and difficult when dealing with the two. And even though freedom is important, what does a person do when they obtain to much. Also, even though we may have democracy, that doesn't mean that you won't have struggles in your life. Sometimes even though we may have democracy and freedom, we realize as citizens of a nation that a tyrant in a particular country may not be the only obstacle we are facing. Things have changed over the years and now the old ways aren't sufficient enough anymore, and things need to change.
C- That is a tough question, because it all depends on the nation. Different nations need a different type of government. What may be best in the United States may not be best for Cuba, Democracy in a country like Cuba would not work, based on the fact that because they are so controlled now, doing a complete one eighty would not be best for them. Freedom is a big part of government but there are also different parts as well. Based on the video we needed to watch for this blog, communism seemed to be very appealing to me, even though it may not be to others, different types of governments are made for different people.
Diana Estrada Dblock
ReplyDeleteTwo new things I learned from the video is that Bureaucratic socialism takes it’s people resources but then supplies them with as much as they need of the product from the recourses. Also the video made it clear what Fascism is when I thought the example was showing me communism!
The article “Democracy is not necessarily good for the poor,” speaks about how politicians in Africa depend on ethnic and social alliances to help secure votes in government. The article made a point that handouts are what kick start votes, things such as seed vouchers and subsidies are given out to encourage voting. I feel that this method may sometime attract the wrong type of voter. Someone who wants to just vote for the favor and not put as much consideration into what they are going for, I do not believe that the person questioned in the article feels that democracy is a good thing. They think that much more research is needed and that votes may not matter to certain classes.
I believe that democracy is the best form of government. Despite its flaws and slow growth it gives the governed an opportunity to speak through vote. Whether or not a good or amazing leader is chosen it is chosen by a majority of people and not born into the position or taken the position by force. It also helps other choice to be made by the governed and not just decided over night by the government themselves. The video helped me feel this way by using the cows to show me such governments as fascism and communism in a picture example and helped me create an idea of its function in my mind.
Shantel Rowe
ReplyDeleteD- Block Government
2) This video clip was a basic explanation of several government systems for the average viewer. A few political systems were described which put a simple twist on the definition of these systems. One new thing I learned was that in bureaucratic socialism leaves civilians pretty dependent on government for resources as the government acts as a supplier and the people are laborers. I also learned that in a Pure Democracy, the interest of a group as a whole outweigh personal gain or interest.
4) Article C "What's so good about democracy anyway? An audience with the last dictator in Europe" explores the ruling of Alexander Lukashenko, who has been the President of Belarus for the last 18 years. Lukashenko appears to have a strong opinion as to the role he serves for his country and his style of ruling.In this article Lukashenko criticizes some of the motives of the West(America)because of their portrayal of democracy. Lukashenko paints a picture of American democracy as more of an aggressive force to change traditional systems rather than a way to unify a nation. Lukashenko believes that the governments main responsibility is to provide stability which the author reinforces in away. The author points out the need for democracy as an advantage through the hope for free and fair elections. However Lukashenko is credited for Belarus doing well economically and remaining one of the top-performing former Soviet states in the United Nations' Human Development Index. These accomplishments seem more fitting to democracy however the negatives such as restriction on the media seem to outweigh Lukashenko's efforts.As the author points out several incidents of undemocratic rulings such as Lukashenko being the only member to vote against the ending of the SovietUnion in 91 and the violent death penalty administration in Belarus. The author's critiquing of the leader makes it apparent that he thinks Lukashenko is a bit delusional and democracy is a more neutral system to follow.
5)In my opinion I feel like democracy is better fitter depending on the nation. For example in Belarus, Lukashenko's rulings don't necessarily favor the people because his ruling is reminiscent of a dictatorship. However if a democracy was put in place, perhaps transitional, the citizens would be able to establish basic rights through media,social systems, gender equality etc. In a country like America democracy works because there is a balance in power in which every citizen has the opportunity to use their voice, it's just a choice whether they do or not. Democracy is intended to offer choices to people without resulting in a unstable, unequal government. Therefore it is a very reliable form of government.
I agree with Shantel in regards to her views on democracy. If democracy has the right leader and the nation is represented correctly, a democracy can provide much for its nation and be very reliable.
Delete^ Joseph Rodriguez E-Block
DeleteKaitlyn Conroy
ReplyDeleteA-Block
After viewing the video I learned about different political systems and what roles governments play within them. I thought it was interesting how Communism wasn’t labeled as just Communism rather, there were several variations of it, being Russian and Cambodian Communism. Both systems of Communism in my opinion seem unpleasant to live within, since all property is considered as property for the state, rather than the people. According to the article “The Trouble with Freedom" there are different ideas on how and what freedom should be like in a democracy. Even though we associate the word democracy with freedom, democracy is truly not all it is made out to be, which Jane Jackson emphasizes. For example, in a democracy the majority rules. However, what if you’re part of the minority? Your beliefs and views may be heard, but they may not take action in government. For example, gay marriage is controversial because many have varying opinions about it. Gay marriage only is allowed in the US within certain states due to federalism. This supports the idea that majority rules within democracy, because if the majority of people in a state are against gay marriage, there is a slim chance of gay marriage being allowed, since the minority is out numbered as citizens and potentially within the house of representatives. Overall Jane Jackson agrees that a democracy can be considered a good thing for the majority, but can become chaotic because of this. In my opinion democracy is one of the best political systems. It allows people to have a say in government and grants citizens civil liberties. Even though the minority may be somewhat neglected, the majority is allowed to come to an agreement, which fits most people’s needs and allows the country to perceiver as a whole. At the end of the day, everyone will have a different opinions, and democracy allows these opinions to be heard.
Joseph Rodriguez E-Block
ReplyDeleteThe cow and milk references were interesting ways to explain and reference the different forms of government. Throughout watching the video I learned that there are different forms of communism. I previously have known about the existence of different forms of democracy; however, the concept of having different forms of communism is new to me. The video showed that there are two different forms of communism in Russia and Cambodia. Furthermore, I learned that a dictatorship seems to be a dangerous and corrupt form of government. The video portrayed someone selling milk and then getting shot as a result; not a very pleasant reward.
‘Is Democracy the best for the Poor?’ had many interesting ideas and feedback on democratic government and how it affected much of the poor in Africa. Primarily, according to the article, it was assumed that with an increase in democracy, politicians with anti-poverty measures and policies would be favored. After much research and analyzing, this idea was proven to be wrong. Instead, competitive ‘clientelism’ with different groups competing to give information to voters was found. According to the article, the rural threat to a regime has the strongest influence on pro-poor policies. Regimes in countries such as Ethiopia and Rwanda are driven to make change for rapid rural growth due to threats to survival. Policies and regimes such as this are more common instead of anti-poor policies. According to the author, advantages of democracy would be in everyone being able to have their input and opinions heard within the government; however, disadvantages include not being able to help the poorer nations due to needs of survival from more advanced agricultural policies. This is a huge problem occurring in Ethiopia today. They cannot become wealthier and less poor because their leaders tend to focus on improving the agricultural policies being that their primary need is to survive and not retain more money.
In my opinion, I do believe that democracy is the best form of government that exists in this world. I feel that if the nation has the right representation by their leader, anything is possible. In a presidential democracy, the citizens of its nation elect a president/leader indirectly. If the elected leader has a strong motivation to improve the policies for the agriculture as well as the poor, the nation can be greatly helped.
Kaila Camara A Block
ReplyDeleteThis video was a very clever illustration that explicated political systems and how they function. Through this video I learned and found it surprising how cruel Cambodian Communism is and how brutally the people are mistreated. I also learned that there are many different types of Communism, some more harsh than others. Overall, this video definitely helped my understanding of the different political systems.
"The Trouble With Freedom" by Jane Jackson of BBC News speaks of the beliefs and ideas of philosophers from various years on the topic of freedom and democracy. Apparently older thinkers believed that freedom and democracy did correlate with each other. They had a perspective of freedom's negative connotation - "they thought of freedom as a lack of restriction on how we can act. Being free meant simply the absence of obstacles to living as we choose". It's as if they thought that freedom was "overrated" by the people in a way. I understand the older group's ideas on freedom and democracy, because it is true. If you give the people freedom and you incorporate that with democracy it could definitely backfire in society and the nation as a whole. Once people are given the liberty to choose how they want to live and are given the freedom to voice how their beliefs should be put into democracy... it then criticizes freedom, because their views may be different from the next person, which could control how people should live according to the majority rule.
Jane Jackson definitely supports freedom and democracy. As she states, "We need freedom because our goals and values are highly diverse and often quite different from those of the people around us. Having a voice in collective decisions - the basis of democracy - is a fine thing, but it won't protect your freedom if the majority is hostile to the way you choose to live".
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePamela Tsetsakos A Block
ReplyDelete2. One thing I learned from the quick review is that anarchy doesn’t necessarily mean that there is no government in a nation, however that it is a chaotic government which doesn’t know what its doing. Another thing I learned is that the theory of pure communism sounds idealistic, however in practice the government doesn’t always regulate things fairly.
4. Article B- The article is about how freedom and democracy go hand in hand and one cannot exist without the other. The author states that, “freedom and democracy are a package that can be delivered anywhere in the world.” Freedom is the biggest advantage of Democracy, however usually the majority has the freedom and the minority gets stuck with nothing. Old reformers though don’t put democracy and freedom together and see the package as an unfashionable view. The older generations viewed freedom as no limits on we can and can’t do, with minimal government interference in our personal lives. We need this type of freedom in order to become a happier more successful nation. With the freedom that democracy brings people have more choices and opportunities to create their own version of a happy and successful life. Everyone’s views on happiness differ; therefore the freedom to choose what you want is favorable to many. However some peoples opinion of a happy life may include them being involved in organized crime and other conflicts, which is the main flaw in democracy. Politics tend to be swayed and usually find a way to bend around certain laws under the right circumstances. The author definitely views democracy as one of the better systems although it has its flaws.
5. Democracy isn’t a perfect system it has its flaws. However, in practice it is definitely one of the more safer and equal systems. I don’t believe it’s the best possible government we can come up with, considering how good communism sounds in theory, but it’s the better in practice out of all the ones currently in place.
Tati Hernandez A Block
ReplyDelete2. Through the video, “Systems of Government Explained Through Cows,” I learned better what an anarchy is. One can have economic freedom until the people decide that they are abusing their power. I also learned that there are different forms of communism and socialism, not just one main ideology that whichever country practices it, has the same exact practices.
4. Article A explains democracy in African countries and how the author mainly views it as a disadvantage for the citizens in the countries. Most of the land is rural and many people work with agriculture, being their main source of income. The author explains that these people care about keeping their current income and benefitting themselves according to what is best for their farming jobs. Therefore, when voting for new policies, farmers will vote to benefit themselves in short-term manners, instead of things that can help them long term. There is also corruption in the voting. Many people working with the voting offer people resources in exchange for their votes. This bribes people to vote for things that may not be the best for them, just to have short-term benefits from the bribes. A positive for democracy is that voters may possibly choose the best candidate to be their leader, since they have the power to do so. All that the author says is directly correlated to these African countries, where she believes because of their conditions, democracy is not the best form of government. 5. In my opinion, democracy is the fairest form of government. The people have a say, therefore it can be agreed upon that whichever decision has been made, was a compromise. I understand the way some other forms of governments are, and they can be so unfair where the government decides everything and leaves the people devastated. There are times where the government decides good things and makes life the best possible for the people, but the risk factor in that isn’t worth it. I believe democracy is a privilege for all people. Pammy T wrote in her response that democracy isn’t perfect but it’s definitely safer, which I agree to completely.
Brianna Harrell
ReplyDeleteA Block
2.) In the video, “Systems of Government Explained Through Two Cows”, I learned that in the political systems such as socialism, bureaucratic socialism and fascism, the government has a widen control over your goods, hence how you have two cows and the government takes them from you, dictating how many rations you specifically need and such. Another thing I learned was in a society run on pure communism is one that is pleasant because neighbors help one another gain wealth and together they share the gaining amongst each other.
4.) C.) In the news article, “What’s So Good About Democracy Anyway: An Audience with the Last Dictator of Europe” by Eugeney Levdev challenges the role and true purpose of democracy. The article explores the regime under the rule of Alexander Lukashenko, the President of the country Belarus for the past 18 years with who is interviewed for this article. Lukashenko is highly opinionated when it comes to the subject of democracy, how he rules and the role of government plays in the peoples’ lives. He rules as a dictator-president and says that “government's most important responsibility was to preserve stability.” In the article it states, "It's a double standard. Americans want to make us democratic. Go make Saudi Arabia democratic! Do we look like Saudi Arabia? Far from it! Why not make them democratic?” The author includes this quote from Lukashenko to show his views on democracy and to prove there are other ways to succeed in government, including his regime. He has led Russia to become one of the top-performing former Soviet states in the United Nations' Human Development Index for the UN. The author points out that under Lukashenko, the people signed a “social contract” in which the people traded in political rights for best healthcare, security and education that state could offer. It’s here where Lukanshenko’s corrupt ways and slick trading off becomes a problem and the author clearly points this out. According to the author, the advantages of democracy are fair elections, equal rights and the right to speak out about the government. The disadvantages, however, seem to be the need to spread democratic views to other Eastern countries that might not want to change their political ways and people might not know what’s exactly best for them. The author, at the end of the day, seems to think democracy is the best suited for a country.
5.) Democracy, when practiced faithfully, could indeed be the best form of government; the government fully serves the needs of the people and the people tell the government what they need and such. Just like we elaborated in class, the majority’s rulings in a democratic nation serves the greatest amount of people and is a pretty fair way of ruling in regards to the voice people have in their government. Democracy provides the acknowledgement of natural, civil and human rights, all of which many other systems don’t exactly guarantee for the people. In a democratic nation, anyone has the opportunity to climb high on the social and economic ladder and create a better life for themselves and generations to come. Although no system can be the “best” because humans all make mistakes, democracy seems like the best out of the rest.
2) Two new things i have identified after watching this video,"system of governments explained through two cows" was that no one is in complete control of their own life. Our definition of freedom is really far from free. I noticed that even the democratic forms of government found a way to take either the cows or their milk away from the rightful owners of the cows. This surprised me because i thought that some of the democratic forms of government would allow the cow owners to be free and do as they wished with their stocks.
ReplyDelete4)The article i chose was,"the trouble with freedom". The author of the article believes that even though democracy isnt the best form of government, democracy and freedom and "inseperable". Yet the beliefs of the authors are that democracies are controlled by the people with the financial means to run for office and are actually able to pay for a campaign. They are not always thinking of the people sometimes its more of their best interest.
5) My opinion on democracy is that is it not even close to being the best form of government. Democracy does not hold the same values as it did back when this country was first founded. People of the small towns were actually being represented by politicians who were in it for the people and also for the country. Today politicians want what is best for them. The only good form of government in my opinion is Libertaianism because i feel that it is the only form of government that allows the people to feel more closer to freedom than democracy would. Liberals allow the people to create their own future if you will and be able to fully own what is rightfully theirs without any government interference, unless it is a big issue. This is my opinion on Democracy.
- Nick mastropiero
DeleteAlexa Marchese 0-Block
ReplyDeleteTwo new things that I learned from this quick review was Fascism and Bureaucracy. Fascism is when the government can take something of yours, makes you take care of it, but the government just sells you back to make more money. Bureaucracy is when the government can only tell you what to do with something and when to do it. After all that then the government pays you not to do something. The government then can take something, shoot one of the things and then do whatever it wants with the other. Then after all of that is done the government will demand you to fill out some type of papers.
The article that I picked to read was “ Is Democracy Best for the Poor” by Vanessa Humphries. In this article, Vanessa Humphries asks questions about democracy to Colin Poulton. As Colin goes on about his research, he also explains on why democracy is good for some countries and why it’s not good for some countries. Some of the countries that Colin speaks about are Africa, Ethiopia and Rwanda. Apparently in Ethiopia and Rwanda, their rural growth has been the stringing, but the regimes are driven in there for their survival. The Ethiopian regimes are willing for policies, whiling letting a mechanism go out of control. Colin believes that the research that he has done is important because it will help build awareness among rural populations and how powerful their votes mean. One advantage of having democracy is that everyone would be able to have a say in something.
I think that democracy is the best type of government because it lets us be able to show how we about certain things. We’re able to get involved with the government and have a say in what the government should be doing.
2) Through the video, I've learned that there are multiple types of governments that different areas of the world practice. Also, I've learned that there is more than one form of communism. for example, the video spoke about Russian Communism and Cambodian Communism. Both of these governments are similar in that the government has the most control over people's lives.
ReplyDelete3) A) In Article A the author believes that the best form of Government for the people in Africa is not Democracy. The author says that there are some advantages to democracy in Africa. For example, people would be allowed to express their own opinions to the Government. Although this is a good advantage, there are some disadvantages that would lead democracy to not be the best form of Government in Africa. A huge disadvantage would be the corruption in Africa. People are sometimes bribed with resources to change their vote.
5) In my opinion, I believe democracy is the best form of government. In a democracy, the people have a say in government. A President is elected by the people in order to avoid political disagreements and controversy. If a controversy is present, the people have the right to protest. A democratic government is broken up into three branches, legislative, judicial, and executive. Each branch is able to check on another branch to make sure there is a balance of power in the government. Also, in a democracy people are open to much more opportunities that other forms of government do not provide.
Angela Guarino
I agree with Angela when she said that a democratic government is good because it allows for checks and balances. This balance between the three branches means that no branch is able to overpower another, making Democracy a more stable form of government.
DeleteTwo new things I learned from this quick review was, one; contrary to my original knowledge, socialism is heavily-government orientated. Another thing I learned was that the different types of communism are very different (i.e. Pure Communism & Cambodian Communism).
ReplyDeleteI chose the article “Democracy is not necessarily good for the poor.” This article highlights how politicians in Africa, in particular Ethiopia depend on ethnic and social alliances to help secure votes in government. I think an interesting point the article made about democracy was when Colin Poulton stated "what we found instead was competitive clientelism." This directs the reader to the negatives of the nature in democracy, and how democracy doesn't necessarily help the poor. However, we find out in the article that pro-poor agricultural policy comes not directly from democratic elections, but from economic dependence on the agriculture sector and perceived rural threats to regime survival. So it seems, at least in this article, democracy is on the right track… where just not quite there yet.
I personally believe out of all the existing systems, democracy may be the best. Although, I always thought a very subtle mix between mostly democracy and some socialism would be best, although this was never done successfully in the past by any nation (those who have tried used too much socialism). The video posted seems to have a very biased view on not just socialism (which I disagree with), but with just about all the systems. The creator was very black and white about the subject matter and the surrealism at the end sort of points out the videos humor and non-literal point of view… hopefully.
Hector Torres A block
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Democracy is not the worst form of government although it isn't that great. The types of government that we have in this world today are all corrupt and are all selfish, and one thing that the government is great at is giving to us broken promises and waves and waves of lies. When it comes down to it, the government rules only on what they believe is right every single time. They give their citizens the feeling that they are doing something when they are really just subject to change. None of our opinions matter and the reason is because it is impossible for all people to have the same opinion on something, which is the only way to ensure that the government will hear us. Breaking up riots with police brutality and gunshots isn't exactly the best way to handle things. It's not like the people are launching a direct attack on their government officials. The people in this world are drama queens and people with authority and supreme power such as the government, take the crown as the world's most annoying and selfish people. Governments always involve themselves in affairs which they have no control over, and although Democratic countries such as the United States try to help Rwanda and Ethiopia, they cannot be repaired as we want them to be. This is the same concept as trying to change another person. It is not possible, and the only one capable of changing a person, is strictly that person. All in all, governments are extremely corrupt and the fail attempts that they make in trying to better their country and the other ones around them, are only getting worse.
I agree with Juliana that there is no perfect form of Government but Democracy is most beneficial to people's lives.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it was rather hard for me to grasp the concept of the video, I learned two new things from it. Bureaucratic Socialism allows the government to take away what belongs to you and everybody else. Then they put an unexperienced person in charge of caring for that belong, in this case an ex-chicken farmer caring for cows. The Government then give you the amount of milk and eggs they feel you need. Another form of Government I learned about was Fascism. In Fascism the government takes away your cows and hires you to care for them. In return, they sell you the milk that those cows produce, which could possibly be more then what you are being paid.
ReplyDelete"Democracy is not necessarily good for the poor, research finds"
Democratization was expected to have a stronger impact then it actually had on Africa. Since they’re a lot of short-term problems, such as poverty, it’s takes away from the long-term problems also being solved. Voting became very corrupt because of competitive clientelism. DIfferent groups competed in order to achieve votes by giving handouts, such as input subsidy programs for fertilizer or seed vouchers. This gives the voters something in return for their vote, which takes away from long-term investments. Even though, democracy gave the people the right to vote for what they wanted, it wasn’t necessarily the best path for their country.
In my opinion, Democracy is one of the best forms of government, for my country. Other countries may not benefit from it as much as the United States does. It allows the people to have a say of what goes on in the government and their own lives. It is also a Democracy’s job to do what is best for the people and to safeguard them and their rights as people. In other governments, people have little to no say at all and are severely hurt due to the fact that the ruler does what is best for themselves.
I agree with Amanda when she says it democracy allows the people to have a say of what goes on in the government and their own live. I think that is a very good analogy.
DeleteI agree with Amanda, Democracy has rights for people and that a democratic government is suppose to make the best decisions for the citizens.
DeleteThe two things i learned from this video is that Russian Communism and Cambodian Communism are very different from each other. Another thing i learned from the video is that there are many branches of communism and they people don't have much control over anything.
ReplyDeleteThe article i read was "The Trouble With Freedom". In this article the author talked about freedom and democracy. She said that democracy isn't the best type of government and that freedom and democracy are "inseparable".
In my opinion i do think democracy is the best form of government if it is better for the people. If the people don't like that there government is a democracy that they will have to change it because that can cause many problems for the nation.
I had a much longer answer but everything i said got deleted, sorry about that.
The way that Buerocratic governments were presented in this video did not show it any positive light. Countries that have beurocratcic governments seemed to be very corrupt and unfair, being that the example given in the video didn't favor the citizen in any way whatsoever. Another thing I learned from the video is that there is a vast difference between Communist governments and the Russain-Communist government. The way that Communist governments were presented in the video were very helpful to the citizens of the country, while Russain-Communist government was unfair and possesive.
ReplyDeleteThe author of the article "Democracy Is Not Necessarily Good for the Poor" shows how democracy is viewed from other nation's standpoints. The title of the article speaks for itself when it says "Democracy is Not Necessarily Good for the Poor".
There are so many types of Government in the world because one type of government, or one type of anything for that matter doesn't meet the needs of a diverse population.
In regards to which government is best for the United States, my opinion is that Democracy is the best type of governemnt. In comparison to a lot of contries, our government is very efficient. In some parts of the world, a democracy may not be the best type of government for a large set of reasons, therefore I do not think that every country that is suffering from a war, or a governemtn overthrow should transition to a democracy.
I agree with Hetcor's post because democratic governments are the best for or country, there is still some problems with the way that they run.
The video “Political Systems Explained for Dummies” wasn’t as informative as I thought it would be. I felt that the examples used would have been perfect to further my understanding if they explained it more. Maybe after using the cow examples include historical examples. However there were some things I learned from this video. First, I learned that although there is an ideal outline for how each form of government is supposed to look, people don’t always follow that. This is portrayed in the portion of the video called Russian Communism. I also learned that there are different variations of the political systems, for example the different types of socialism listed in the video. In the article, “The Trouble With Freedom,” John Gray is expressing that although freedom is most often associated with democracy, getting to that point is harder then it seems. He claims that older generations recognized that democracy and freedom do not go hand in hand. Afghanistan is just one example of that argument. Their efforts to be a democracy have not brought along freedom. Many people in that country, and others like it, have no freedom. They have no voice in their government or their own lives. The turned to Democracy because they wanted freedom, however it isn’t happening. The article also expresses the problem with corruption. When governments are in transition, different political groups are fighting for power. The people of the country do not know who to trust. It is not only tyrants preventing people from getting what they want, different “failed and enfeebled states in which the main threats to freedom come from organized crime, ethnic conflict and militant sectarian groups.” I think those are the most important parts of the article. Creating a democracy is hard work and achieving the freedom democracy can bring is even harder. I think democracy is the strongest form of government because it benefits the citizens. It creates freedom and opportunity. I agree with Jessica Dunn. Democracy is the best form of government and when you give people a voice in their own lives, they won’t feel the need to corrupt others lives.
ReplyDeleteTwo things i learned from the video "Political Systems explained for dummies" video was that Pure communism was not viewed as a bad thing. in the video they said that you have two "cows" that your neighbor helps you raise and everybody shares the milk so it seems more fair than i would have expected. I would have thought because it is communism there would be a more strict controlled regime. This compared to Cambodian Communism which seems to have a more violent unfair ending.
ReplyDeleteIn the article “Democracy is not necessarily good for the poor, research finds” it is explained mainly how its harder for more rural countries that are economically struggling like Africa to build a democracy. Even though the officials that that are fighting to be elected are supporting anti-poverty policies and their motive to increase agriculture is true but elections are not all that honest and fair. Democracy can thrive by chance if it is spread more widely to the nation the importance of their votes.
The person being interviewed in this article believes that democracy can thrive if they pushed more for it in their nation
I personally think that It could work out. If they strive for votes and support agriculture more , because Africa is a great place that agriculture thrives, then they will be able to win the votes of farmers . Its all about getting votes and making a change for the better for the people in the end.
My Response To Gabby Marsh's Post: I agree with Gabby and her post becauseeven though Africa is a poor third worl country and needs a lot of help they can pull themselves through it. Slowly within the years they have been progressing little by little and that has to count for something. I'm sure within more years and help from other nations and donations they will be able to pull themselves up and become a provinced nation compared to how they are now.
DeleteWhat I got from the video was that your own preference of the government you live under or wish you lived under could cause u to perceive another government in the wrong way. This video seemed communism seem like the greatest government to live by, while shunning democracy. It all lies on what you believe in or personal preference. As an America citizen learning about communism in U.S. History makes me believe that communism was and still is a bad thing because we tried to stop it for many years, however if I knew the true facts about communism maybe I could possibly be wrong. I read the article "whats so good about democracy anyway?" and I was a little confused because the author kept jumping from one subject to another but it seems as if Mr Lukashenko truly believes that democracy is some sort of evil and shouldn't be allowed in the world. He talks about trying to convince Lukashenko to "confirm" that there are missiles in Iraqthe and he refused saying that the US seems corrupt and too quick to defend or attack. As an American citizen who lives under democracy I have no right to judge any other system because I don't know the true facts about them, but I like living under a democracy. It gives us several opportunities and different ways to live. Some people believe it doesn't favor the poor citizens but President Obama and Congress is trying to fix this problem. Many people don't agree with welfare because it influences tax increases but the constitution this country lives under states that all men (people) are created equal, and its true they should be given equal opportunity. America is the most socially diversed country in the world for good reason, it is he land of opportunity. When do you ever here about several Americans leaving to Mexico, China, or Russia to live a better life and chase better opportunities?. It is extremely rare because we are given the best opportunities in the United States.
ReplyDelete- I learned from the video is that in Anarchy although its fair game what you do with your property, it’s also fair game for what other people do to you property and to you for all intents and purposes. Another thing I learned from this review on political systems is that in feudalism no matter what you do with your property, the lord always takes some of the profits or end results, such as the milk from the cows in the video.
ReplyDelete- In the article “A Point of View: The Troubles with Freedom” BY Jane Jackson, there is an overall theory that democracy isn’t what it’s cracked out to be. Jackson states that people living in more modern societies believe that freedom and democracy go hand in hand. She also expresses that people from older generations don’t necessarily see the connection between the two, to them, once the will of the majority is in the judgment of the government, personal liberty ultimately decreases. Jackson states that there is a widespread belief that when a tyrant or a dictatorship type government is overthrown, it doesn’t automatically mean people will be granted personal freedom. In the article there are many examples of how there are societies in other areas around the world that aren’t being necessarily being repressed by their governments but by the organized crime around them. This is shown in the example of the drug cartels in Mexico who are controlling people’s personal liberties through fear. Overall this article shows that although there is some sense of freedom under democracy it’s not an absolute thing and it’s not true freedom, and in other cases where the political system is not democracy that freedom is not always guaranteed after the government or tyrant topples.
- In my personal opinion democracy is one of the better political systems. There is some level of equality in democracy and at the same time there is regulation and limits to the amount of freedom an individual gets. In class we discussed the different types of political systems; to me all the other options seem too black and white. Either a government has all power one way or another, or there is no government altogether.
While watching this video I was able to gain a better understanding about different forms of government. Seeing the way the cows were used and taken from the farmers enabled me to understand which government seemed most fair and which gives more freedom. I realised that communism is based on the wellness of EVERYONE in the country and that communism, if practiced correctly, is actually a good thing. Another thing I learned by watching the video is that most governments are currupt and unfair. Instead of following a certain kind of government all countries just blend 2 or 3 togather.
ReplyDeleteI read article B which explained how a democracy does not promise freedom. The downfall of tyrants does not guarenty more libral lifestyles. In the article the auther uses examples to reenforce his ideas and beliefs. I agree with what the author is saying because it always depends on the country and its historical backround as well as the current political leaders.
I do not believe that democracy is the best form of governemnt although I do feel that because I have grown up with it I do have more of a lean towards it. The most appealing thing about a democracy is that you are able to vote for issues that effect you. But one must also realize that you do not always get your way and there is not always a vote before the government makes decisions.
After watchoing the video "Political Systems Explained for Dummies" I was suprised to learn about the brutality of Cambodian Communsim and how they take the cows and kill you while pure communism seemed to be the most fair in that everyone shares all the milk that everyone makes together
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Whats so Good About Democracy Anyway?An Audience with the Last dictator in Europe" the Belorussian president Alexander Lukashenko says that his people gladly accept his regime in exchange for personnel freedom and economic prosperity personnaly I can agree with this philosphy because if having a voice meant an ineffective goverment that left me with no job no money and a constant fear of being hurt or killed i would gladly accept surrendering my say in goverment for all those items
Block-D
ReplyDeleteTwo things i learned from the video "Political Systems explained for dummies" video was that it represented Pure Communism as having two cows and your neighbors help you take care of them and everyone all shares the milk. That is exactly what Pure Communism was like, because everyone would have the same necessities and would share things and help each other out. The second thing that I had learned from the video was when they used the analogy of the two cows being taken by the government and then having the people drafted for dictatorship. Dictatorship is a government and/or country that is ruled by a dictator who is very controlling and dominating.
The article that I chose and read was called "The Trouble with Freedom" by Jane Jackson. In this article John Gray had stated, "We've come to believe that freedom is the natural human condition, which only tyrants prevent everyone from enjoying, but when a tyrant is toppled we can't know what will happen next.' Jane Jackson included this quote by John Gray and I agree with him and his statement. The reason why I agree with his statement is because i believe he is trying to say that people that are born into a specific type of democracy that is not over ruling believe that freedom is in fact their natural human condition but some people try preventing that from everyone. For example a communist country. In some sense it serves as a good thing where as on the other hand it serves as a bad thing. Just like a dictatorship country because the people are denied their human rights and freedoms. In this article, the author talked about freedom and democracy. She had stated that democracy wasn't the best form of government in her opinion and that freedom and democracy was inseparable. From what I had read about her beliefs on democracy she basically felt that they are controlled by the people with the financial means to run for office and are actually able to pay for a campaign. They are not always thinking about the people but simply looking out for themselves in the end.
In my opinion, Democracy is one of the best forms of government. The United States follows Democracy and we benefit from it in a positive and good way. Unlike some countries that have a different form of government and do not have the freedoms and rights that we have. For example, we have the right to bare arms, we have the right of freedom of speech, we have the right to wear whatever we want, we have the right to follow and practice and faith/religion that we want plus many other freedoms and rights that we have. In other governments, some people are not that lucky simply due to the fact that they will have little to no say at all and are brutally hurt or sometimes are even killed for speaking their minds or going against their government and their rules.
1. Watch the "Systems of Government Explained through Two Cows" video located at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIPDJ1Cc_uw.
ReplyDelete2. Identify two new things you learned from this quick review (Note- you're not "dummies", the post title is a reference to the popular " For Dummies" book series and probably a tag that helps the video get more hits.)
Two new things I learned from this review were Fascism and Dictatorship. Fascism, as described in the video means you have two cows and the government takes them, hires you to take care of them and sells you their milk. As a proper definition, Fascism is a type of autocracy where the government has fuel power and economic control. Dictatorship, as described in the video means you have two cows and the government takes them and drafts you. As a proper definition, Dictatorship is a government in which it is ruled by a single despotic (all powerful) leader.
3. Select and read ONE of the articles below based on your reading level and what interests you most.(listed in order of decreasing sophistication - C being the most challenging, B at grade level and A being most straight forward)
B) "The Trouble With Freedom" - Jane Jackson, BBC News: August 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19372177
4. Summarize the news article. According to the author, what are the advantages and disadvantages of democracy? Does he / she believe democracy is the best form of government? Explain using evidence from the text.
The article, “The Trouble With Freedom,” by Jane Jackson, is about the bond of freedom and democracy represented in the minds of humans, and if freedom and democracy are legitimately the same thing. As Jackson proves her points, she recalls the words of the 19th Century liberal, John Stuart Mill. According to the article, he was a life-long campaigner for greater democracy, but he also worried that personal liberty would shrink once governments could claim to express the will of the majority. Jackson forms a negative option of the democratic government with a direct quote from her article, “We need freedom because our goals and values are highly diverse and often quite different from those of the people around us. Having a voice in collective decisions - the basis of democracy - is a fine thing, but it won't protect your freedom if the majority is hostile to the way you choose to live.” This, in my words, means that though we need freedom, democracy will not protect those rights.
5. In your opinion, is democracy the best form of government? (Explain using evidence from our class work and the text/video.
Because the though of democracy and freedom follow each other, one may feel as though democracy is the right choice. In my opinion, democracy is not the best form of government. Using the video as an example, in a democratic government, if something is yours, the president chooses whose it is, which in my opinion is not pure freedom.
2. After watching the video about political systems I learned more about what each different system actually meant. One thing I learned from this video was that in a fascist government things can be taken away from you, but than they will pay you to take care of them. But in the end when there is a product produced it is given to the government and the consumer has to purchase it. Another thing I learned from the video was that Communism is being equal to everyone with everything. There is no person under communism government that has more than another person.
ReplyDelete4. After reading the article “Democracy is not necessarily good for the poor, research finds” I realized many different interesting points. The author of the article says that there would be some positive outcomes of democracy but that would also come along with negative ones. A positive aspect would be that people would be able to voice their opinions and have a say in the government. However, the disadvantages would be that democracy is not able to help all of the needs of the poor since they are mostly based on agricultural needs. Another disadvantage is the possibility of corruption. The author discusses both the positive and negative aspects of democracy for the poor.
5. In my opinion democracy is the best form of government used in the world today. I feel that since the country is able to vote on their leader and have a say in the law making people are happier and less likely to revolt against their government. Democracy is a fair system that is for the better of the people.
PHIL CEPARANO
ReplyDeleteA Block
This video shows the explicated political systems and how they function. This video taught me how cruel Cambodian Communism is and how brutally the people are mistreated. I also learned that there are many different types of Communisms, some more harsh than others. Overall, this video definitely helped my understanding of the different political systems. I feel that the best form of government is a democratic government. I feel this way because the people who live in a certain area or country have more of a say and there opinion is enforced more. I agree with Jeff that a democracy is the best form of government because it is very beneficial to the people.
Fiona Jung
ReplyDeleteTwo new things I learned from the video:
First I would say the video is very straight forward and is defiantly for dummies. One thing I learned watching this video was that in Federalism, you have to share some of the property to the lords.Another thing I learned in this video was that there are many types of communism's like Russian Communism which is when you give all your earnings to the government.
I chose article A: “Democracy is not necessarily good for the poor, research finds.”
The article was about how a lot of Africa’s voters are rurally and economically disadvantaged and how democracy affects Africa and some poverty nations. It said an increase in democracy can be good for politicians who favor advocating anti-poverty. When Vanessa Humphries spoke with researcher, Colin Poulton, he stated that an increase in democracy isn’t always good for politicians. He argued that as long as the government has a chief on their side, the votes can be influenced.
I feel that democracy is the best form of government because it provides order and support to a nation. Unlike other forms of government, democracy gives citizens a chance to vote for a leader. Democracy provides equality and trust. Throughout history, democracy has been a major change because before only wealthy whites were allowed to vote. Now, whites, blacks and woman all have a say in major decisions. There is a large amount of mix races working for the government and I feel that it’s a form of diversity and diversity brings change.