Kazikli Bey

As i was day dreaming the other day during my Politics Tute, the question arose that given the overwhelming dominance of the LDP in Japan, can Japan still be considered a democracy? And i started wondering, COULD a country that is democratic be considered democratic if one party stays at the top for an extended period (say 20 or more years)?

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LiveUninhibited

Democracy doesn't really exist anyway...

Svante

democracy d o exist but it i s lot of work. i f people dont work for democracy then you are right, it will not exist. this happen i n Sweden and Canada.

ResidentAtheist

As long as there are still free elections theres still somewhat of a democracy there. democracy doesnt say you have to constantly change political ideas, but the moment, say, that party stops elections and enforces illegal rules and restrictions on its people, than yes. we can say goodbye to democracy.
But...like Liveuninhibited said above me, democracy doesnt really exist to a ful 100%, theres always an exeption.

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africanhope

WEll Kaz, I stuggle wit hthis a lot. In SA the ANC has 65% of the votes, and almost do basially damn well what they want, as long as it is within the confnies of the constitution. It is silly to expect that they will loose any election in my lifetime. I neighbouring Namibia, the ruling SWAPO has 80% of the votes, and ca neven change the constotution to suit them, and they too will rule for a very long time.

I think these are struggling democracies. For democracy to show its benefits, you need a strong oppostion, else it just does not work proparly.

Another example of a long ruling country is ofcourse India, where the same party has been in power since independence.

then there is also Botswana, also ruled by the same party since independence, but it is generally viewed as the most stable country on the continent.

AH

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libertarian0507

Yes. The deciding factor in wether or not a nation's political system is democratic or not, is not how often the people change thier minds or policies , but thier ability to do so. I live in Southern Japan, and enjoy discussing politics with my Japanese freinds, and from these discussions it is easy to see that democracy is not dead here. (And you should see how much they protest :P)

Harry dison

I can picture a world in which all governments are democratic and in which no totalitarian regimes or other tyrannical forms of government will be permitted to exsist. Can I post my views on this?

Shiva_TD

Fortunately the United States is a republic and not a demcracy....

otr500

Democracy certainly exists. The exact definition of democracy, and what a lot of people and even many governments consider to be democracy, is contrversal.

The United States is refered to as a Representative democracy. Because, as the name implies, people elect representatives to run things for them.

A direct democracy would be, if it actually worked, the best form of government and called a true democracy. Actually having each individual voter to vote(decide) on all matters, especially on a large scale, just simply would not work. It never has. The idea is great but practically it has many flaws.

A fantastic true democratic process of citizen-initiated votes are guaranteed in only 24 states. A citizen-initiated voter recall is allowed in 18 states. 21 states have Statute law initiatives.

These allow citizens to initiate a vote, over turn an election, or change a law directly. Slowly it is gaining ground.

Note; while on the subject of democracy there are two other items that are great.
1)- Electors- It should be required of all states that the electors of that state follow popular vote. This would end a country voting by majority for one person to run our country and finding out that the electors appointed another. Some states have initiated some forms of this.

2)- Line item veto. This is something that every President should have had. Many states have it. It would help fight against pork barreling. Congress can over ride a veto. Congress will not give the President this right to protect their interests. An outcry could bring about change or the 24 states with voter-initiative could support it, with the right President behind it, and change would happen.

Dreams? maybe, but it could happen.

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Kazikli Bey

I think we are digressing from the point. The question is, do you consider a country to be democratic if one party stays in majority for an extended period?

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