Democracy and Electorates in Australia - Essay Example

Democracy and Electorates in Australia Name of Student Instructor Institutional Affiliation Date of Submission Introduction Democracy refers to governance made by the people and for the people in a given state. Australia practice representative form of democracy. The Australian citizens elect leaders whom they think can represent them well in the national assembly from a multi-party perspective. The power of these elected leaders is a subject to the law thorough a well-structured constitutional system. However, despite the freedom experienced in a democratic country there are a number of challenges therein. The paper will examine a comprehensive study on whether they must be informed and engaged electorate and its importance on democracy, whether the governance should be left to those who are conversant with democracy through study on the Australian electoral process. Democracy Electoral process is an important component of any democratic process. According to Ellis (2009), understanding democracy should be a priority to every citizen. The United Nations recognizes 193 states of which 123 are democratic. Such information shows that, over half of the countries in the world have a form of government that recognizes the will of people. Understand is that, democratic form of government where the will of the people is respected and allowed to manage their priorities. It entails the governance where the will of people is at the heart of the nation’s agenda. Some of these interests include basic human rights, access to information, access to government services and an environment that allows individuals to make their contributions and concerns[Pau08]. Concepts of Election Election is a critical pillar of democracy. To ensure that the best leadership takes over after the election, it is important to understand the role of an electorate in a democratic governance. The electoral process is controlled by well-structured rule of law that defines every element of the process. These laws are grouped as active and passive depending on their application. Among the few countries in the world, Australia has a compulsory voting system. The citizens have a right and duty to vote the leaders of their wish. In 1911, the federal parliament introduced a law on compulsory voting. According to the Australian constitution, an election has to be held after every three years. Election has a direct effect on the expected results in development and future determination for the society[Fer99]. Informed and Engaged Electorate in a Democracy Democracy requires the will and desire in acquiring knowledge and competencies that help the individuals to exercise their democratic rights. It is true that informed and engaged electorates are of importance in order to promote the interest of people in the country. There are several reasons that engaging the people who are informed of their democracy and its concepts. To ensure compliance of the citizens, it is important for the citizens to be informed and engaged. Therefore, there is urgency for the electorate to acquire knowledge on election, its importance, their democratic rights and engaged fully to ensuring that the election process and regulations are adhered to. During the era of advanced technology, an electorate can learn the electoral process and requirements pertaining to the election. For the electorate to understand their democratic rights and importance of participating in the election, information must be provided. The relevant information regarding the electoral process may be got from media, electoral campaigns and online across the social media. According to Ferejohn (1999), politicians who serve informed and engaged society members tend to be more accountable than those serving those who are not aware of their democratic rights. According to Bullock (2011), democracy in the states requires an informed society that can identify flaws in the governance and create a remedy. The study on the need for having an informed and engaged electorates is central as the issues raised by the majority in the democracy affects all members bound by such issue. When the society lacks education and engagement, that society is taken over by the elites. The results are always devastating since it paves the way for marginalization and disenfranchisement. Information and engagement have led to awareness of the citizenly role, respect for the rule of law and impeachment of morals and stereotypes that cause divisions in the society. An informed electorate is free from the attachments such as tribe, religion or race. For example, throrugh democracy literacy, Australian leadership can be more accountable on their promises and honour their agendas to the society[And09]. The opposite of marginalization is empowerment, an enlightened society is determined and empowered to ensuring that they are able to advocate for their legal rights and services that the leaders are accountable to. In a democratic state, the electorates are likely to have more than one options of the leaders they have. However, education plays a critical role in the identification of the best leader who can serve the people effectively. Such variation can only arise when the community members and well informed and committed to their engagement with leader. Leaders who serve and enlightened and informed society tend to contribute to their interests and engage them in managing their welfare in service delivery. The citizen’s right to elect their leaders from a group should only be efficient and effective when the electorates are aware of their constitutional obligations. Democracy can be real when the electorate is rational and informed. Information and engagement to electoral process is a major player to arriving at an empowered generation. With the availability of learning resources and different social forums across the network, the aspirants may get an opportunity to pass their agendas to many people. On the other hand, the citizens too creates a platform with their leaders to pass their contribution to the leaders in a democratic way. Education and literacy have experienced expansion across Australia with the society to an ocean of ideas. According to Pandey (2004), with the economy being the most important aspect considered during the Australian election period. In the developed countries, there is the fear of economic misfunction due to poor leadership. For this reasons, economic analysis and financial literacy does not only help them in their personal life but also in the identification of potential leaders who can deliver the best services to the people. A democratic regime is characterised by three main features, these are constitutionality, participation and rationality. There has to be a good set of laws that regulate the way people ought to behave in a democratic country. Any form of abuse to the constitution has penalties that helps in restoring peace and development. A good electoral process should conduct civic education to ensure the population is conversant with the electoral process and able to make rational decisions by being accountable despite the democracy they have. Participation or engagement is a critical process in democracy and election. It ensures that the relationship between participation and democracy has to be accompanied by enlightening the society. Only when one risk involved directly to the democratic process that they enjoy the fruits therein. It this relationship that lead to the emergence of bourgeoisie. Denying someone to vote is a crime that many democratic nations believe should not be done as it denies freedom of choice. With most of developing countries experiencing difficulties in conducting free and fair elections, the actual democracy suppressed. Rationality is another crucial consideration that associates electorates to their democratic roles in an election. The ability of a citizen to practice their democratic practices effectively is important to the electoral process. Hochschild (2010) aruges that having an informed electorate, is an essential step to good democratic practices. It is the citizens to know who or what they are choosing and create a justification for their chices. It appreaciates the value for public funded education system, free expression of interests and opinions and deliver their challenges to their leaders. Dangers of Leaving Governance to the Informed and Educated (Democratic Elites) Democracy should be accessible to the learned and those who are not. However, to achieve such a state one ought to acquire literacy and engagement in what democratic understanding and electoral process. Oriana & Gilat, 2010 argues that leaving power to the elite poses a greater to development and representation of the people. It will create social class gaps to widen that may expose the country to hatred in the society. For example, the intense gaps that had escalated in Rwanda, lead to genocide when conflict emerged with the poor attacking the rich on the claims that they had stolen from them. Australia has experienced growth due to encouragement of the citizens to participate effectively in their governance[Pau02]. Australia as the most egalitarian societies in the world has been able to integrate people of different cultural background to create a multicultural society. Having an environment where the society is under governance of the elite minority poses a great challenge. According to the argument created by Karsedt (2014), explains on the issues that arise associated with a society where the governance is controlled entirely by the elite (informed and engaged). These evils are classfied into crimes and inequalities challenges. These two evils are treated as evil due to their result experiences where the social gaps in the society continue to enlarge. It creates hate between the groups where the lower class feels isolated and denied their rights. In addition, they view the higher members as the causal of their suffering. Tit is clear that inequalities and social disunity poses political, economic and social va.riations that are enermies to cohesion in the society. Einequality was one of the major contributors to the conflict that arose in post-war Britain. It weakens social integration and sense of communinty feeling that lead to crimes and violence. Han, Janmaat, Hoskins, & Green (2012) aruges that inequality in the society inequality link to mny other challenges in the society such as crimes, violence, terrorism, unneccessary competition and dislusioned hopes. Such expereinces result to mistrust among people of different status in life. Emotinally, people from the lower class in the society face psychological problems that may cause them behave in a way not acceptable such as terrorism with a view of killing those on the higher ranks. Such mistrust result to disunity, violence, death and unequal distribution of resources. Han, Janmaat, Hoskins, & Green (2012) aruges that, london which is one of the most unequal cities in the world expreiences a population of about 10%of the people earning who are 273 times richer more that the rest. With such variations in a consumeric society, there are those who feel excluded from development the rest of the society. It is accounted as due to this variation that there cases of riots and rooting. The situation wrsens on the issues relating to education, health and wellbeing. It creates challenges that are not easily brought into control. Conclusion From the arguments made, there is consistency between different author who evaluates democracy and electoral information and engagement to the citizens. It is true that an enlightened society is a better positions to unite and constructively engage in leadership roles and opinions that transform the society in a democracy. Through evaluation of different cases highlighted, it is argued that society members should ensure they are engaged to national interests and are informed and engaged to the electoral process and are able to exercise their democratic rights effective for the benefit of the entire society. Leaving the society under the rule of the elites may create challenges related to inequality and widened social class gap. Such separations may interfere with the interest of the residents in a democratic nation. Democracy is leadership by people and service to the people for the societal benefit. The discussion proves that an informed and engaged” electorate is important for democracy and promotes good governance. In addition, governance should not be left to the informed and educated ‘democratic elites” since it poses challenges in all aspects of life. References Pau08: , (Becker & Raveloson, 2008), Fer99: , (Ferejohn, 1999), And09: , (Ellis, 2009), Pau02: , (Magnarella, 2002), Read More

During the era of advanced technology, an electorate can learn the electoral process and requirements pertaining to the election. For the electorate to understand their democratic rights and importance of participating in the election, information must be provided. The relevant information regarding the electoral process may be got from media, electoral campaigns and online across the social media. According to Ferejohn (1999), politicians who serve informed and engaged society members tend to be more accountable than those serving those who are not aware of their democratic rights.

According to Bullock (2011), democracy in the states requires an informed society that can identify flaws in the governance and create a remedy. The study on the need for having an informed and engaged electorates is central as the issues raised by the majority in the democracy affects all members bound by such issue. When the society lacks education and engagement, that society is taken over by the elites. The results are always devastating since it paves the way for marginalization and disenfranchisement.

Information and engagement have led to awareness of the citizenly role, respect for the rule of law and impeachment of morals and stereotypes that cause divisions in the society. An informed electorate is free from the attachments such as tribe, religion or race. For example, throrugh democracy literacy, Australian leadership can be more accountable on their promises and honour their agendas to the society[And09]. The opposite of marginalization is empowerment, an enlightened society is determined and empowered to ensuring that they are able to advocate for their legal rights and services that the leaders are accountable to.

In a democratic state, the electorates are likely to have more than one options of the leaders they have. However, education plays a critical role in the identification of the best leader who can serve the people effectively. Such variation can only arise when the community members and well informed and committed to their engagement with leader. Leaders who serve and enlightened and informed society tend to contribute to their interests and engage them in managing their welfare in service delivery.

The citizen’s right to elect their leaders from a group should only be efficient and effective when the electorates are aware of their constitutional obligations. Democracy can be real when the electorate is rational and informed. Information and engagement to electoral process is a major player to arriving at an empowered generation. With the availability of learning resources and different social forums across the network, the aspirants may get an opportunity to pass their agendas to many people.

On the other hand, the citizens too creates a platform with their leaders to pass their contribution to the leaders in a democratic way. Education and literacy have experienced expansion across Australia with the society to an ocean of ideas. According to Pandey (2004), with the economy being the most important aspect considered during the Australian election period. In the developed countries, there is the fear of economic misfunction due to poor leadership. For this reasons, economic analysis and financial literacy does not only help them in their personal life but also in the identification of potential leaders who can deliver the best services to the people.

A democratic regime is characterised by three main features, these are constitutionality, participation and rationality. There has to be a good set of laws that regulate the way people ought to behave in a democratic country. Any form of abuse to the constitution has penalties that helps in restoring peace and development. A good electoral process should conduct civic education to ensure the population is conversant with the electoral process and able to make rational decisions by being accountable despite the democracy they have.

Participation or engagement is a critical process in democracy and election.

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