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8 votes
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Why joining a club is good for democracy
11 votes -
Congo’s least bad elections: How a fragile democracy inched forward—and how it can consolidate the gains
11 votes -
The parliament of Imperial Austria
6 votes -
The specter of nationalism – Identity politics has always influenced elections. In 2024, it will pose a serious threat to liberalism—and to democracy itself.
5 votes -
The curious case of the Danish spy chief and former minister may be over, but key questions about secrecy and democracy remain
6 votes -
If you are in the US, that cardboard box in your home is likely fueling election denial
26 votes -
Europe talks to itself in many languages. That’s why English is vital to its democracy
17 votes -
Change will come to Russia — abruptly and unexpectedly
23 votes -
With no dedicated government minister or national representation, the Sámi go to the polls in a vote to elect twenty-one members of the Sámi Parliament in Inari, Finland
12 votes -
Conservative groups draw up plan to dismantle the US government and replace it with Donald Trump’s vision
91 votes -
How the kleptocrats and oligarchs hunt civil society groups to the ends of the Earth
20 votes -
Singapore's Presidential election
8 votes -
Eliminate elections for a better US democracy
25 votes -
Why technology favors tyranny
15 votes -
US progressives in Congress unveil OLIGARCH Act to combat 'existential threat' of extreme wealth inequality
138 votes -
Do you think news media even exists today as a separate pillar of democracy?
There used to be a time some decades ago when media was often touted as a separate pillar of democracy, as in it was supposed to keep checks on the govt of the day. Mass Journalism was a...
There used to be a time some decades ago when media was often touted as a separate pillar of democracy, as in it was supposed to keep checks on the govt of the day. Mass Journalism was a professional branch of study or course in universities (probably still is?) and it used to be highly principled. In fact, being principled was often thought of as a quality of journalism more than anything else!
But in today's world, I see that changing a lot. Most media houses across the world are state controlled media, you can see it from the kind of stories they come up with, etc. More than that, media has directly become a function of electoral politics, you'll hardly find any content which relates to society or the ordinary working class human, as separate from electoral politics.
You'll hardly find any media house vehemently or openly criticizing its own country's govt (though funnily, each will be criticizing other countries' govts and/or based on ideology!). Even when the criticism is there, it's in a very controlled and nuanced form. It's not so difficult to make 2+2 equals 4 here?
This didn't used to happen in earlier decades. When I grew up watching Doordarshan TV, there was hardly any news at all in India - except for that one 9:00 PM news show which came once every day, that was in fact a quiet and peaceful world to live in! This constant bombardment of political news has become a problem. I think, we need news which is people centric and talks about the issues of working class citizens. Do you think such a kind of media will ever evolve?
17 votes -
Democracy is the solution to vetocracy
10 votes -
Brazilian supreme court Minister to take legal action against Telegram
3 votes -
Taxing the superrich
11 votes -
Sanna Marin's human rights legislation for indigenous Sámi fails – Sámi Parliament Act failed to get past the final committee stage in Finnish parliament
3 votes -
US local news outlets need tax breaks to help save democracy, says advocate
3 votes -
An overview of how, and why, Taiwan’s Kuomintang dictatorship willingly embraced democracy
5 votes -
What does an "optimal" democratic system look like to you?
this is kind of an offshoot of this thread which is still going, because i'm noticing an interesting pattern in that thread of reform to the system going beyond just the voting age, and i think...
this is kind of an offshoot of this thread which is still going, because i'm noticing an interesting pattern in that thread of reform to the system going beyond just the voting age, and i think it's worth examining that in much broader, larger details than just being centered around how people respond to the idea of voting age because democracy is very multi-dimensional. here are a few questions to jump off of; feel free to utilize them or not utilize them as you wish.
(let's also assume that there are no constraints whatsoever, for maximum possibility here. essentially, you get to invent a system that is utilized by people on the spot regardless of how things are currently for them.):
- Is this democratic system liberal, like most are (or perhaps illiberal in the service of some greater aim like climate change)?
- What variety of democracy is utilized by the system? (there are a lot of these ranging from classic representative democracy to direct democracy to soviet-style council democracy to sortition to more esoteric things like cellular, grassroots, and liquid democracy. see wikipedia for more)
- What voting method (FPTP, IRV, preferential voting, etc. again see wikipedia), is used by the system, if any? Or are things done mostly or largely without voting where possible, as is true in participatory, deliberative and consensus democracies and similar systems?
- Are formal political parties allowed in this system?
- Is voting in this system compulsory?
- Are certain people in this system (criminals, older people, younger people, certain groups or professions of people perhaps even) disenfranchised?
- Does the government have a hand in educating people on voting in this system, or is it the civic duty of people instead, or is there some in between, or even neither? What does that education look like?
and, if you'd like to get particularly esoteric or wonky, you might also choose to answer or consider some of these:
- Are voters allowed to do things like recall their representatives, or is the will of the people binding for a term?
- Does democracy in this system extend to even things like cabinet positions, which in most systems are determined by the head of state?
- Does democracy in this system include things like amendments to constitutions?
16 votes -
Protesters openly urge Xi to resign over China Covid curbs
25 votes -
The case for abolishing elections
17 votes -
All people are created educable, a vital oft-forgotten tenet of modern democracy
14 votes -
Sanna Marin's Finnish government could collapse, as human rights laws stalled – new Sámi Parliament Act is the right of self-determination
6 votes -
‘These are conditions ripe for political violence’: How close is the US to civil war?
8 votes -
Two powerful unions have come together to fight the right’s attack on higher ed
12 votes -
EU lawmakers declare that Hungary is no longer a democracy
13 votes -
'You are more powerful than you think.' Why one man says it's too soon to write off democracy in America
9 votes -
America’s self-obsession is killing its democracy
11 votes -
Former federal judge warns of danger to American democracy
11 votes -
Why Denmark is voting on its defence relationship with the EU – and what it says about democracy in Europe
5 votes -
The case against the Supreme Court of the United States
15 votes -
The rules for rulers: How dictatorships work, and why Russia is heading towards a coup
15 votes -
America needs a better plan to fight autocracy
12 votes -
So you want to reform democracy (2015, with updates)
2 votes -
Denmark will pull its small military force out of northern Mali after the country's transitional government said no permission had been given for them to deploy there
4 votes -
By 2025, American democracy could collapse, causing extreme domestic political instability, including widespread civil violence. By 2030, the country could be governed by a right-wing dictatorship.
26 votes -
Jimmy Lai among three Hong Kong democracy activists convicted over Tiananmen vigil
7 votes -
Who controls the Internet? And should they?
10 votes -
Hong Kong leader defends election after single non-establishment figure picked for 1,500-strong committee
6 votes -
'Democracy for sale': Analysis ties corporate consolidation to increased lobbying
9 votes -
Democracy should be sentimentalist not rationalist
6 votes -
Hungary formally lost access this week to over €200 million in grants from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein amid growing concerns about the country's democratic backsliding
14 votes -
Japan moves (slowly) toward electoral reform (2016)
4 votes -
Millions in UK face disenfranchisement under voter ID plans
7 votes -
Majority of Florida condo board quit in 2019 as squabbling residents dragged out plans for repairs
19 votes