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  • Essay / What is a functioning democracy and its specifications

    A functioning democracy is defined by various characteristics, such as freedom of expression, equality, human rights, state of law and many others. When autocratic rulers or monarchs were in power, these achievements of modern society were obviously not guaranteed. They could even have temporarily respected these rights, but since they could not be held responsible for their actions, they could simply fire them without further consequences. This is why the responsibility of political agents in democracies has become of great importance. But what exactly is accountability? Much literature assumes that simply holding free and fair elections is the best way for citizens to hold their political representatives accountable. So, if the voter is not satisfied with what the elected official has provided, they simply turn to another political candidate in the next election. Another problem is that of unelected agents in the public sphere. The main reason they are a complication is that they cannot be held accountable by the voter since they are not elected. If the voter is unhappy or disappointed with their results, they cannot express it by voting for an alternative. Accountability is first of all a relationship between two groups of actors (in reality, the main thing is not between individuals, but between organizations) in which the first agrees to inform the other, to explain or justify his actions and to submit to any prerequisites. determined the sanctions that the latter can impose. This is the definition proposed by Philippe C. Schmitter and Karl Terry. From a political point of view, this means that the elected official remains responsible to the voter. In other words, the voter has the possibility of getting rid of his previous elected representative in another election. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The latter who have become submissive to the former must provide information, explain how they are or are not obeying, and accepting the possible consequences. Thus, accountability, when it works, is not a linear relationship but rather a mutual exchange of responsibilities and potential sanctions. Information may be selective and biased, justifications and explanations may be diverted to other actors, sanctions are rarely applied and may simply be ignored. The definition of responsibility can be applied to different areas: it can be linked to ethical behavior, financial probity, social esteem, functional interdependence, family obligations, patriotic duty. We want to focus on the political accountability that goes hand in hand with the exercise of asymmetric power. (promises and rewards). The main question is how to tame and harness the power of institutions, especially those that hold a monopoly of power over a given population and territory, i.e. a modern state. All stable political regimes have some form of accountability. Military dictatorships have their juntas and other arrangements to resolve conflicts. Even absolute monarchies were supposed to be accountable to God, but they also had to take into account more earthly aspects like dynastic and martial concerns. The main difference between these regimes and democracy is that the latter has citizens. Who have rights and obligations. Citizens must rely on the representatives they have elected to speak on their behalf. These..