Democracy as a political system first emerged in ancient Greece and Rome. It encourages the participation of citizens in the election of their representatives in government. Democratic countries also observe human rights. In most democratic countries, power is balanced between various arms of government in order to promote checks and balances. In addition, many of these countries have a constitution that they adhere to. For example, the American constitution enables the balance of power through the executive, the legislature and …show more content…
the judiciary.
In authoritarian governments, power is controlled by a select few and the population has no say in government construction. The citizens of these countries have no freedom of speech and those in the opposition are often intimidated through imprisonment, torture, persecution and death. Those in power control relations with other states, military and economic policies. Many authoritarian countries are controlled by dictators who have no desire to relinquish power. Totalitarianism is the worst form of authoritarianism. Examples of such countries are Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Saudia Arabia and Cuba.
The third form of political system is monarchies. In a monarchy, the government is headed by a king or queen whose rule is hereditary. Today’s monarchies are either constitutional or absolute. In a constitutional monarchy, the royals have limited powers in the running of the government. Although the king or queen is the head of state, the political functions are performed by the prime minister. This distinction enables the ceremonial and official functions of the monarchy to be separated from the influence of political parties. Most constitutional monarchies are found in Europe such as Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.
Absolute monarchy, on the other hand, is where the monarchy has absolute power. This type of system is a form of authoritarianism as the monarchy wields all political power and there are no checks and balances. Absolute monarchies are hereditary by nature in most circumstances. Unlike constitutional monarchies where the constitution is used to provide a legal guideline checking the powers of the monarchy, the same cannot be said of absolute monarchies. There are few countries which still practice this form of political system. Examples of these countries are Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Swaziland, Brunei, Saudia Arabia and Oman.
Social systems
The concept of social systems exists throughout human society by their very definition.
Social systems, also called human systems, begin in a simple form and can become progressively more complex. A family is a basic unit that extends to the community, municipality, region and nation. Social systems are in existence because they help serve a certain role for example an education institution or an industry. A college campus is its own social system. People belong to different social systems all at once.
The characteristic of social systems is the sense of a shared duty no matter how it is expressed. As a result, a different and shared set of values, features, and behavior are created. For example, the type of regime of a particular country creates a social system which has its own standards. From the early to the mid years of the twentieth century, the United States and the Soviet Union had differences in culture and societal make up.
History of Human
rights
Human rights are the rights that all people have by virtue of being human beings. They stem from the understanding of the inherent dignity of the human person and are enshrined in various international and national legal instruments. The concept of Human Rights gained prominence in the 17th century in Europe, but its roots can be traced to ancient times. Most cultures created their own traditions and responsibilities to protect members of those communities and ensure a better living. Murder, rape, and other violations were punished in various ways by the different cultures. The use of human rights in politics was realized in different documents such as the English Bill of Rights (1689) and the US constitution Bill of rights (1791) and all encompass human rights. However, these were not universal laws but national laws. Moreover, they promoted discrimination of different groups plus slavery.
Human rights have become universal and their history is in many struggles all over the world. Those opposed to slavery, commonly referred to as abolitionists, ended slavery in the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. The colonial struggle against colonialism took place in the 18th century in America while in Africa and Asia it was during the 19th and 20th centuries. The fight for women’s equality in Europe and the US occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries. Workers have not been left behind and still continue to fight for better wages and improvements in their place of work. The fight for human rights in many circumstances was marked by violence and resulted in many deaths. It took the First and Second World War, in addition to several deaths, for human rights as we know it to become recognized.