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Politics : Politics of Energy -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bearcatbob who wrote (7824)	4/28/2009 11:28:10 PM
From: koan	Respond to of 86356

>>Charles - a pure democracy sucks. A Republican form of government is what we have that protects the rights of all. Of course as one supposedly concerned for the least amongst us you know that.<< BCB, Republic is a generic name and can take myriad forms. en.wikipedia.org "A republic is a form of government under which there is not a hereditary head of state.[1] In a republic, executive power emanates from an impersonal entity: the word 'republic' comes from the Latin res publica which literally means "public thing".[2] In republics, executive power is not the absolute property of any person and therefore cannot be inherited or sold like a royal title. The source of legitimate power in a republic can be a body of laws, a revolutionary principle, or tradition; both modern and ancient Republics vary widely in their ideology and composition. The most basic definition of a republic is a state without a monarch,[3] but many historical republics contained an aristocratic class with hereditary titles and priveleges. In the Roman Republic, the aristocratic optimates were considered to be the group most favourable towards the republic, while many populares wanted to establish a leader who would not be hindered by aristocratic custom. In other republics, such as the USA and the Republic of France, the executive is legitimated both by a constitution and by popular suffrage; in the United States republic refers to representative democracy as opposed to direct democracy.[4]. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, adherence to the prescriptions of the Islamic clergy is theoretically co-equal with popular suffrage. Communist states such as Vietnam require that their leaders adhere to that ideology and to the line of the Communist party. Military dictatorships such as Burma appoint leaders who are militarily successful. In modern political science, republicanism refers to a specific ideology that is based on civic virtue and is considered distinct from ideologies such as liberalism.[5] In some republics, the impersonal nature of executive power is a legal fiction: in the Roman Republic and the Dutch Republic, the office of head of state became de facto hereditary. Others, including the historical Republic of China, did not go back to a hereditary system. Conversely, the Kings of Rome were called Kings even though their office was not hereditary. Most often a republic is a sovereign country, but There are also subnational entities that are referred to as republics. For instance the Soviet Union was composed of distinct Soviet Socialist Republics. Article IV of the constitution of the United States "guarantee[s] to every State in this Union a Republican form of Government."[6]

To: Bearcatbob who wrote (7824)	4/28/2009 11:35:48 PM
From: koan	Respond to of 86356

Democracy: a form of government where the power is held by the people!! Sounds like the right one to me-lol. en.wikipedia.org Democracy is a form of government in which the power is held by people. It is derived from the Greek d?µ???at?a (demokratía (info)), "popular government",[1] which was coined from d?µ?? (dêmos), "people" and ???t?? (krátos), "rule, strength" in the middle of the fifth-fourth century BC to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens following a popular uprising in 508 BC.[2] In political theory, democracy describes a small number of related forms of government and also a political philosophy. Even though there is no universally accepted definition of 'democracy',[3] there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes. The first principle is that all members of the society (citizens) have equal access to power and the second that all members (citizens) enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties.[4][5][6] There are several varieties of democracy, some of which provide better representation and more freedoms for their citizens than others.[7][8] However, if any democracy is not carefully legislated to avoid an uneven distribution of political power with balances, such as the separation of powers, then a branch of the system of rule could accumulate power and become harmful to the democracy itself.[9][10][11] The "majority rule" is often described as a characteristic feature of democracy, but without responsible government it is possible for the rights of a minority to be abused by the "tyranny of the majority". An essential process in representative democracies are competitive elections, that are fair both substantively[12] and procedurally[13]. Furthermore, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are essential so that citizens are informed and able to vote in their personal interests.[14][15] Popular sovereignty is common but not a universal motivating philosophy for establishing a democracy. In some countries, democracy is based on the philosophical principle of equal rights. Many people use the term "democracy" as shorthand for liberal democracy, which may include additional elements such as political pluralism, equality before the law, the right to petition elected officials for redress of grievances, due process, civil liberties, human rights, and elements of civil society outside the government. In the United States, separation of powers is often cited as a supporting attribute, but in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the dominant philosophy is parliamentary sovereignty (though in practice judicial independence is generally maintained). In other cases, "democracy" is used to mean direct democracy. Though the term "democracy" is typically used in the context of a political state, the principles are also applicable to private organizations and other groups. Democracy has its origins in Ancient Greece.[16][17] However other cultures have significantly contributed to the evolution of democracy such as Ancient India[18], Ancient Rome[16], Europe[16], and North and South America.[19] Democracy has been called the "last form of government" and has spread considerably across the globe.[20] Suffrage has been expanded in many jurisdictions over time from relatively narrow groups (such as wealthy men of a particular ethnic group), but still remains a controversial issue with regard to disputed territories, areas with significant immigration, and countries that exclude certain demographic groups.