construct a 2-3 page, double-spaced. Remember to provide analysis and examples a
ID: 357832 • Letter: C
Question
construct a 2-3 page, double-spaced. Remember to provide analysis and examples as well as correct information, not personal opinions. Identify, with examples, the main features of a consociational democracy. Compare the set-up of a consociational democracy to the form of democracy in the United States. Identify, with examples, the features of a federal system. In what ways are legislatures designed to represent their public? How does political participation affect the way that legislatures function?Explanation / Answer
Consociationalism is a stable democratic system in deeply divided societies that is based on power sharing between elites from different social groups. Consociational democracy can be found in countries that are deeply divided into distinct religious, ethnic, racial or regional segments.
The two central characteristics of Consociationalism are government by grand coalition and segmental autonomy. Government by grand coalition is the institutional setting in which representatives of all significant segments participate in common decision making with regard to common concerns. In all respects, Consociationalism contrasts profoundly with majority-rule democracy.
Consociational democracies can be found everywhere in the world but were developed more in Europe. Hence, Switzerland is characterized by Consociational democracy since 1943, Belgium after world war 1, Austria from 1945 to 1966 and Netherlands from 1917 to 1967. Where Consociationalism has ended, it often did so not because of its failure but because of its success, it worked so well that it was no longer needed. India, Columbia, Malaysia, south Africa can be considered successes from a normative view. Cyprus and Lebanon’s experiments ended in civil war.
Comparing the Consociational democracy to the democracy present in the United States:
There are 3 characteristics of a federal government. They are as follows –
Design of Legislatures to represent their public:
A legislature is a deliberative assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity. Legislatures form most important parts of a government; in the separation of powers model, they are often differentiated with executive and judicial branches of government. Laws enacted by legislature are known as legislation. Legislatures observe and steer governing actions and usually have exclusive authority to amend the budget or budgets involved in the process.
In a democracy, legislators are most commonly popularly elected, although indirect election and appointment by the executive are also used. Legislatures vary widely in the amount of political power they wield compared to other political players such as militaries, judiciaries and executives.
Some political systems follow the principle of legislative supremacy which holds that the legislature is the supreme branch of government and cannot be bound by other institutions such as the judicial branch or written constitution.
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