The Effects of Political Parties on a Democracy Essay...

The Effects of Political Parties on a Democracy There are indeed several aspects in the composition of political parties that threaten democracy in the UK, whilst other aspects may promote democracy. Careful analysis must be done in order to establish to what extent either is true. On the one hand, it may be argued that parties in fact promote democracy for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they assist the electorate by offering them a coherent choice, allowing people to vote democratically. Rather than the electorate having to choose between several members of each party, and having to place votes for central government subsequent to placing local constituency votes, voting is made simple and†¦show more content†¦In 1997, New Labour capitalised on the number of women who were elected, establishing the impression that the party is ‘female friendly’. The Conservative party is also aiming to recruit more women and ethnic minority candidates in time for the upcoming general election in May 2005. It has also given higher platforms to those women already elected: Several years ago, Theresa May was appointed as party chairman. Not only by modernising themselves to represent current populations in Britain, parties also modernise themselves by gen erating new ideas for changing times. The labour party is the most famous for adapting its policies and ideology. Labour changed its name to ‘New Labour’ under the leadership of Tony Blair in 1997, to reflect these radical changes. At this time Labour chose to adapt its policies, and lose a lot of its socialist values. Under ‘Old Labour’ state ownership was held under high regard. But after Thatcher’s privatisation of state businesses, Labour acknowledged that it would be dangerous to radically reform businesses and bring them back under state ownership, thus they modernised their policies adapting them to the New Britain, by sticking to privatisation which had been warmly received. This promotes democracy, as policies are adapted to suit the electorate, rather than parties imposing unwanted, outdated ideologies upon itsShow MoreRelatedTo what extent do political parties promote democracy?1057 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿To what extent do political p arties promote democracy? (25 marks) Political parties have many functions, one of which is to uphold the principles of a democratic political system. A democratic political system is one which involves various features, such as a peaceful transition of power from one government to another, free and fair regular elections, people having open access to independent information, government accountability to the people and representative institutions and that the governmentRead More‘We must recognize that representative democracy has failed, both politically and judicially as1500 Words   |  6 Pages‘We must recognize that representative democracy has failed, both politically and judicially as well as socially. As a consequence, we must return to the fundamental meaning of ‘democracy,’ the power of the demos to govern itself. Just as the dictatorship of the proletariat rapidly became the dictatorship over the proletariat, so modern democracy quickly became a power exercised over the demos. In r eality the people have no power. They neither make the laws no govern.’ – Jacque Ellul (1992)Read MoreElectoral Systems and the Political Parties1416 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction A political party is a political group that is known officially to be part of the electoral process that is able to support a candidate for elections on a regular basis. Political parties as well as elections tend to play a significant role in the politics analysis in countries across the world (especially developing countries) as well as in democratization and consolidating democratic political regimes. Political parties and elections are usually used as a scale for measuring the extentRead MoreDemocracy : A Perfect Democracy1398 Words   |  6 PagesDemocracy at its purest form is a system of government, which allows each and every citizen to participate actively and equally in the decisions being made. In a perfect democracy, the decisions made the government are perfect representations of what the people want. In reality, a perfect democracy is nearly impossible, especially when dealing with a population as large as the United States, but there are still techniques and systems t hat can be implemented into a society in which democracy can beRead MoreIndian Democracy1376 Words   |  6 PagesAbraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America, aptly defined democracy as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America, aptly defined democracy as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. This definition clearly underlines the basic tenet that, in this- form of government, people are supreme. The ultimate power is in their hands and they exercise it in the form of electingRead MoreThe Quality Of Contemporary Chilean Democracy1657 Words   |  7 PagesGeneral Augusto Pinochet. His defeat in the 1988 plebiscite spurred a transition back to democracy. The first presidential election was held in 1990 and the winner, Patricio Alywin, undertook a series of measures aimed at strengthening the country’s democracy. Despite Chile’s improvements, representation of grassroots organizations, women, and mass sectors of society has remained limited. A successful democracy provides equal opportunities and resources for all citizens to be heard and representedRead MoreThe Benefits and Problems of Democracy1750 Word s   |  7 PagesThe benefits and Problems with Democracy In the famous words of Sir Winston Churchill, â€Å"No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.† As a staunch supporter of democracy, Churchill is admitting that although there may be a variety of flaws in a democratic government, it is still a far more suitable choice of governing as opposed to alternate formsRead MoreThe Importance of External Influences in Building a Democracy1315 Words   |  6 PagesInfluences in Building a Democracy In Democracy in the Third World, Robert Pinkney analyzed circumstances that have been important in the past for building a democracy for current democratic regimes. Pinkney studies seven comparatives and their theories for the cause and effect of democracy and identifies their pros and cons. The most important of these conditions stands in the external influences and foreign participation in building the state as a democracy of a non-democraticRead MoreChinese Population And Its Effect On China1700 Words   |  7 PagesIf â€Å"democracy† is a term that sounds so familiar to many Western countries, the concept, on the other hand, does not adhere a same value in developing countries, especially for China. In fact, Chinese population is heavily under the effect of democratization resistance for many reasons, including but not limit to (1) the government’s own definition and version of democracy (2) Chinese’s long historical factors and unique cultures, (3) different political philosophy and (4) whether is developed orRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Democracy882 Words   |  4 Pages Democracy means rule by the people. In democracy citizens exercise political power and express their opinions on the issues facing them. Politicians come from the ranks of the citizenry and represent the best interests of the citizens they represent. The people are the one’s i n control and that means uncertainty is the only thing certain. Western Democracy has a long and proud tradition from ancient Athens to the Roman Republic through the renaissance and into the modern world where liberal democracy