Preview

Notes for: When did Britain really become a democracy

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
5969 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Notes for: When did Britain really become a democracy
American and British democracy

On the surface both Great Britain and America fulfil all the basic requirements of democracy, they have universal suffrage, and both governments are regularly held accountable to the people. However, when it comes to judging which is the most democratic, you have to look at how each system works. When looking at the governmental systems up close it is easy to see them both as being less than full democratic. In both the UK and USA any citizen, be they male or female, black or white, has the right to vote in elections, as long as they are over eighteen years old. This universal suffrage is something that is desperately needed if a country is going to be democratic, for if some citizens are excluded from the right to vote then a government is obviously not democratic because not everyone who lives in that country is getting a chance to say how they want it to be run. Similarly, the fact that both governments are regularly held accountable to the people makes them democratic, however, looking more closely at the details means that, in this instance, America is slightly more democratic. In the US the date of elections are fixed for every two, four or six years, the candidates are elected in November and inaugurated in January, and those dates cannot be changed. But in the UK, the Prime Minister can set the date of the election himself, as long as it does not exceed a five year gap between elections. This means that the election can be set to coincide with good publicity for the PM and their Party, or to avoid bad news. This facet of elections means that America is slightly more democratic because their politicians are more accountable, they cannot be shielded from their fate, and have to stand before the electorate, no matter what. America’s democratic claims are also reinforced by the strict separation of powers that is stipulated in the Constitution. The Executive has no direct influence in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The United States’ form of government is a controversial topic in this modern era and has been for decades. The big question “Is the United States a democracy, a republic or something else?” According to the article On Democracy in Our Republic by an unknown author, there is a logically reinforced thesis that the United States is a republic and not a democracy.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The thirteen colonies in America began early on to develop democratic features. Today we have many rights we are entitled to follow. We have the freedom to do many things such as religion, speech and many more! Back in colonial times we were just working on these features. In colonial American, colonies had democratic and undemocratic features that made democracy a work in progress.…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    How democratic is the UK

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages

    It can be argued that Britain is both democratic and undemocratic; this can be shown via a range of issues relating to British politics and the society in which we live. The generally accepted definition of a democracy is a form of government in which the major decisions of government and the direction of policy behind these decisions - rests directly or indirectly on the freely given consent of the freely given consent of the freely majority of the adults government. There are two forms of democracy but the UK is run through an indirect or representative democracy as opposed to a direct democracy, which relies on referendums and would be difficult in a large, modern society. Furthermore, the UK is a parliamentary democracy, the government and representatives are intermingled meaning that the UK does not have separation of powers, meaning that the executive, legislative and judicial courts all work together unlike the American Presidential system which could create a lack in communication. In this essay, I propose to argue both for and against and eventually come to a conclusion whether the UK is democratic or not and give a comparison between the UK and the US in terms of democracy.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Growing up as kids we were taught the design of our democracy and the constitutional principles. According to the Webster Dictionary a democracy is “ government in which people choose their leaders by voting, and where they are treated equally and have equal rights.” The definition does not capture what the United States feels it's a democracy. The United States is believe in the democratic ideology is, but is best known as a representative republic. In The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001: "Traditionally a republic is distinguished from a true democracy in that the republic operates through a representative assembly chosen by the citizenry, while in a democracy the populace participates directly in governmental affairs. In actual practice,…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Charter of Rights and Freedom guarantees the right and freedoms set out by law to justify in a free and democratic society. This included every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election. Therefore, it remains very popular in today's evolvement into a nation. Before this, voting was heavily restricted to those who met the requirements. Women weren't allowed to vote, Different ethnicities besides White weren't allowed to vote.…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In a democracy, people choose their leaders by voting, and everyone is treated equally. Democracy revolves around rule by the majority. In my opinion, colonial America was on its way to democracy, but far from being a true democratic society. Only a small portion of the people were able to make the decisions, so government did not revolve around the majority.…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The political elements played an enormously important role during the time period 1820-1840. Between the presidency of both Thomas Jefferson in 1800 and Andrew Jackson in 1828, American culture and politics were transformed as democracy appeared to suffuse every aspect of them. The growth of democracy caused a significant political consequence; the expansion of suffrage to include virtually all men by the removal of property requirements. The removal of property requirements proved to be controversial as it became a debated issue among many (Keene, 228). Many states were expanding suffrage to non-property owning white men, but stripped away voting rights from property owning African Americans as well as making new restrictions on them. For…

    • 1277 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Democracy in Colonial America which was a work in progress, had both democratic and undemocratic features. When colonist got to America, they had to make their own laws. They immigrated to America to get away from England’s laws. Not all of the new laws were great, they needed to make them better but never made laws, so didn’t know how to make them where it benefited everyone.…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Colonial America was democratic. Documents, agreements and other representative actions are a proof of the establishment of a democracy in the colonies. England was not democratic, and the colonies purpose was to separate themselves as much as possible from the Crown and their undemocratic flu. They had freedom of press and religion and were getting accustomed to doing things their way.…

    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    American democracy is one of the very calm kinds of government in the world while it is a long way from ideal. The American democracy in which we exist has several strengths and weaknesses. Neither strengths or weaknesses out weigh one another, however it is important to have both due to the changing definitions. A democracy is a government that is run by the people. The politicians that we elect to run…

    • 1637 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Expanding Suffrage Dbq

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In a democracy a country’s people partake in the involvement of the nation’s decision making with the ability to cast their vote for someone who they feel will best represent their beliefs and opinions in government. A person’s suffrage seems like a large privilege- the ability to influence what happens in government. Yet who gets to be granted this right? Everyone, or only a certain group of people who the government feels deserves to be able to vote? In present-day America, every U.S citizen 18 years of age and older, male or female, is allowed to vote, yet this was not always the case. Over the course of a few-hundred years, the United States’ requirements to vote changed several times. At one point, only a white man who owned land could vote. At another time, all man could vote. Eventually, women were granted the right to vote as well. These changes all happened over time and this course of events began with President Andrew Jackson’s period in office. During the Jacksonian Democracy, it was believed that there should be little governing over the people, and whatever governing was to be done should be by the people themselves. Taking this into account, a large debate arose of whether or not suffrage should be expanded.…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    The United States was founded with the intent that class distinction and rigid social structure were the things left behind in the old world. Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness were the basis that created the American dream from the very beginning. The state where people face promise of political democracy, wide range of civil liberties, opportunity for economic prosperity, and equality between each and every citizen. “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people” was the belief that led the Founding fathers away from oligarchy and self-managing systems.…

    • 3373 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Text of the US Constitution does not contain the word “democracy”. The U.S. Constitution was not a perfect document. Originally it contained provisions that are can be recognized as ambiguous. "The US Founding Fathers" did not create democracy in the modern sense of the word, but the republic. They did not fully trust the wisdom of the American people and their ability to make sound decisions. For many years America was considered to be an ideal democratic country, however in recent years the situation has drastically changed.…

    • 1593 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the United States, we have the privilege to vote. This privilege was given to us through the constitution and its amendments. Today, every citizen of the United States has the right to vote. When the Declaration of Independence was signed, the right to vote was limited exclusively for white protestant men who owned property. In 1792, New Hampshire was the first state that discarded the property requirement to vote. Maryland became the last state to eliminate a religious restriction on voting. This allowed almost every white man to have the right to vote. In the years of 1869 and 1870, the fifteenth Amendment was passed giving all men the right to vote, no matter their race or color. The years 1919 to 1920 were big years for women. The Nineteenth Amendment was passed by congress, giving all citizens the right to vote no matter their gender. Then in 1971, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment enforced the national voting age of eighteen and older.…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since the beginning of history in United States, voting has been something that was not an equal right. White American men were granted the voting right in 1789, when president George Washington won the election. At that time in the U.S, neither woman or African-Americans share the right to vote. Woman’s started claiming their right to vote in 1848, and the movement went on for 70 years. In 1920 they won the battle and got what they fought for a long time, the right to vote. Voting equality was not complete, because African-Americans did not have the right to vote. Finally, in 1965 the 15th amendment was passed. Granting African-Americans the right to vote after a long period of protesting. That’s not it ,18 years old felt like they were old enough to vote. They did all that was necessary, until this right was granted to them in 1972. Our Ancestor fought hard for the voting right that now we have, and many take for granted.…

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics