Liberal Democratic Model in the USA - Essay Example

Liberal Democratic Model in the USA Different political ideologies that guide political leaders are important in understanding the politics of a country. Liberal democracy is a political ideology that comprises the ideals of democracy and liberalism. Democracy allows participatory power, while liberalism concepts include protection of basic human rights, right to own property, voting rights, right to political and economic competition, and constitutionalism. There exist different versions of liberal democracy adopted by countries. Using case study, this paper will address the concept of liberal democracy in the United States of America. Freedom of speech, elections, and separation of power, are components of democracy, which will be analyzed using the liberal democratic model to determine how USA embraces liberal democracy. The concept of democracy dates back to Aristotle’s era. He was the first Greek philosopher to explore this concept. Later, Christian thinkers related democracy with the worship of God, that all human beings are equal before God. The American Revolution was first to introduce components of liberal democracy. Slavery and other discriminatory practices were abandoned, as Americans embraced a more popular rule. This marked a new beginning of liberal democracy in America. Today, liberal democracy is associated with the American political philosophy (Vanberg, 2011). Components of liberal democracy are dynamic. For instance, in the 18th Century, liberalism protected citizens from the government. However, in 20th Century people started to consider governments as source of protection from social crimes. In the USA, the human rights activists rely on government authority to develop programs that enhance human rights. The government is no longer a threat to its citizen’s freedom, but a positive force (Neal, Douglas, Simon, and Joseph, 2012). The liberal democratic model encompasses three views, political pluralism, the elitist theory, and the Marxist view of power. As we shall see, political pluralism is deeply rooted in American politics. Pluralism theory holds that multiple groups, and not few individuals, run a country. These groups are; trade unions, environmental groups, and civil rights bodies, among others, which influence a country’s policymaking process. In pluralism, political power is distributed differently among the groups. For example, the Congress addresses tax issues, the president sends the USA army on missions, the Supreme Court passes the death penalty, and a police officer stops a motorist for over speeding. In the USA, of all the multiple groups, no single elite group dominates. Some of these groups are well funded, organized, and have more influence, while others are not. They also vary in size, are politically autonomous, and exercise their right to participate in the politics. Freedom of speech is an element of democracy, which characterizes a pluralist society. In democratic states, freedom of speech ranks above all liberties. In the US, freedom of speech is provided in the constitution’s First Amendment of the Bills of Rights, and in different state and federal laws. Individuals and organized groups, including the media, are free to air their opinions on political decisions, thus indirectly controlling political leaders. Individuals have the right to gather information and hold meetings. However, in the US, restrictions are put on child pornography, obscenity, and lawless acts, among others. Separation of power is another element of democracy present in a politically pluralist society. In the US, state power is divided into three parts. These are: 1. The legislative power (the Congress) 2. The executive power (the president) 3. The judiciary power (Courts) The US constitution authorizes the legislative to makes law, the executive to enforce law, and the judiciary to interpret law. In democratic states, two main government systems exist, the “parliamentary regime” and the “presidential regime.” A state may adopt one system that suits it. In parliamentary regimes, the government comprises the parliament, which has members elected by the public. The parliament is responsible for passing bills. In addition, different political parties exist. The opposition plays the role of controlling the power exercised by government. This parliamentary regime is exercised in Germany and Great Britain. According to an article in the Economist Intelligence, the United States of America is the best example of the presidential regime form of government. There is separation of legislative power from executive power at different institutional and technical levels. The president represents the executive power, while the congress represents the legislative power. Congress has no power to destitute the president, regardless of being found guilty of an illegal act. The president cannot dissolve the congress neither can he make laws. Here, political parties play a less significant role. Legislative and executive powers are separated to carry out reciprocal control effectively. The main advantage of power separation is that, state power does not lie wholly in the hands of one individual or a specific group of people. Elections are an important pillar of democracy that exists in politically pluralist states. In democratic states, electoral laws govern elections. These electoral laws are passive or active. Passive electoral laws apply to contestants, while the active laws apply to general voters. In the US, the constitution provides for democratic elections. Individuals vote for leaders of their choice, and this is confidential. Elections are fair, transparent, and public (Hoffman, 2009). In the election process, two distinct systems exist, the absolute majority votes and the proportional votes. In absolute majority system, which the US has adopted, the polling area comprises different constituencies, depending on the number of seats contested. Political positions are assigned to candidates with majority votes. In the proportional system, political positions in parliament are assigned, based on percentage of total votes obtained by political parties in different constituencies. Depending on the system a state chooses, each presents challenges and benefits. Elements of freedom of speech, separation of power, and election, all point to a political pluralist society. This makes the US an ideal example of a political pluralist country. Political pluralism in the USA is also evident through the case of the B-1 Bomber. This involved a policy to design a B-1 Bomber. This was debated for more than 25 years until the 1980s. Different groups such as environmentalists, the political class, professional bodies, grassroots organizations, and financial bodies, participated in making the conclusion. These groups freely expressed their opinions on the issue, and voted for the solution. This took a long time to conclude, meaning that no group was dominant enough to decide on behalf of the others. A closed group or an individual did not make the final decision (Vanberg, 2011). Using the liberal democratic model, it is evident that elements of freedom of speech, elections, and separation of power in the US, show that it is a politically pluralist nation. Works Cited Hoffman, J 2009, Critical Companion to Contemporary Marxism, Science & Society, vol. 73, Introduction to Political Science.” 3rd edition. Sage. Neal R, Douglas W., & Joseph, R 2012, “The challenge of Politics: An no. 3, pp. 411-413. “USA Politics” 2006. The Economist Intelligence Unit, New York, Vanberg, V.J 2011, Liberal constitutionalism, constitutional liberalism and democracy", Constitutional Political Economy, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 1-20. Read More