Modern Democracy and Development - The Pr6cis of Facts and Realities In recent times, political regimes of all kinds describe themselves as democracies but it has not always been so. The HRD 20OZ defined the goals of good governance as respect for fundamental rights and freedom, accountability of the rulers, fair rules institutions, and practices governing social interactions , non-discrimination based on race, ethnicity, class, gender or any other attributes, responsiveness of economic and social policies to people's needs and aspirations, eradication of poverty, people having a say in decisions affecting their lives, etc.
It is a tall order to measure these standards. New Politic Colonization: The problem of economic development of the LDCs be came more pronounced at the end of World War-II when one after anothlr, became independent from their colonial rulers.
In the creation-process, peculiar political arrangements were made by the colonial ru-lers with supports from comprador elite classes for their hidden objectives.
The strange-partition of Kashmir and Bengal territories by the British is the deep-rooted reason behind the long India-Pakistan conflicts and the innocent human-beings of both countries had suffered a lot from three major wars.
The'new governments had placed rapid economic target high on their policy agenda under the same or similar objective-oriented ur rill as elite dominated administrations and infrastructures engineered by the colonial rulers. The Political Polarization and Self-Ideologr Abuses: In rhe name of helping the LDCs to achieve development objectives, the governments of the western DCs provided technical and financial assistance devoid of local realities and preparedness of the LDCs.
The relationship between the various states adopting communism or pursuing liberal democracy had u. For instance, during whole cold war period, Pakistan, a military-dominated authoritarian state in South Asia had received economic and military supports openly from the USA, and there are dozens of other such examples of support to the autocratic regimes and human-rights abusers e. Jordan and haq! Conversely, the former Soviet Union, even had raised placards for communist blocks, surprisingt had supported India, the largest democratic country!
Thus, after six decades of the publicized efforts under their double-standard deliberate policy strategies, to bring about development, the early hopes have been disappointed.
In post cold war era' a coincidence of forces evolved which led some to believe that final stage of democratization had arrived, that in fact became a great threat for human security due to unjust wars in the name of anti-terrorisms or disarmament o. In regions where there is no or less conflicts, the predatory axis pushed througil either western human-rights or any other political propaganda e. As for instance, in recent years double standard US foreign policy strategies basically arm-trade in South Asia - providing military equipments to Pakistan e.
Arm Trade, Western World and Growing Global Insecurity: After the cold war, it is assumed that all systems will conform to democratization without altering the Iocal culture, traditions and institutions. Indeed, the scarcity of resources and the tightness Jf fiscal constraints facing LDCs today make it imperative that resources be spent efficiently.
However, they have been spending huge amount for military spreading when vasi of the peoples remain under line. And it makes its profits on the back of machines designed to kill human-beings. Oxfam says, the irresponsible sale of weapons to the LDCs is diverting money from development and promoting global insecurity; and the nei result is the LDCs' health and education budgets are spent on weapons.
Pakistan's total defense expenditu re in , for instance, consumed half of the country's GDP So, who profits most from this murderous trade? India, Taiwan, etc. Pakistan, most Arab nations, those are the gross human rights abusers.
For instance, in roughly 90 percent of all arms deliveries were made to Asia, ttie Middle East, Latin America and Africa. During , the LDCs accounted for Together, they are responsible for over four-fifth of all reported conventional arms exports. Oxfam has called for an international treaty to regulate and control this multi-billion dollar industry. Besides many criticisms, the 5 pennanent members of the UN Security Council together with Germany and Italy ' account for around 85 percent of the arms sold durin 28 and traditionally neai half of ail arrns trade even done by the USA.
The USA and its western allies do not actually support democracy in LDCs, especially in the Middle East because "it is much simpler to manipulate a few ruling families and to secure fat orders for arms and ensure that oil prices remain low than a widJvariety of personalities and policies bound to be thrown up by a democratic system. East countries, with the exception of Israel that has provided an exemplary democratic system for its Jewish citizens, none of America's allies in the region could really be considered as d.
Indeed, the USA has reduced or maintained at low levels support - its economic, military, and diplomatic - to Arab countries that have experienced substantial political liberalization in recent y. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc. North Korea or in the countries where resources are already under their control e.
Saudi Arabla. Iran is the only nation that somehow holding a democratic system but became a great enemy of America, as she is not ready to fulfill the western strategic objectives.
Very iecently,. Egypt, Libya, Jordan, etc, in the name of democratization. The need for political reform is not limited to LDCs only, in fact, there are no perfect democracies on earth. Democracy is a government ,,by the people" but the responsibility for the survival of democracy rests on the shoulders of elites. The central proposition of elitism is that all societies are divided into two classes, the few who govern and the many who are governed.
In USA, constitutional review is the prerogative of 9 un-elected persons who hold their jobs for life. The fact remains, however, that in November the electoral system in the USA failld to yield a result that could be widely accepted by most voters.
Al Gore had won the national vote. Had that been? Aspects of US Electoral Participation: Another problem with the theory of popular control over pu6lic policy through federal elections is the fact that nearly half of the adult population, though iducated, fails to vote, even in US presidential elections, and typically the people's participation reportedly has been very low for off-year congressional elections Figure l.
For instance, in elections in the House and Senate as low as If the country is a democracy, where freedom of speech is valued above all other freedoms , a crtrzen might feel obligated to speak out against the wrong or iniquitous policies of his own government. In fact, it might be his duty as a citizen but reality is - once people elected their leader nobody cares voters, regardless of rich or poor nations.
In USA, even majority people's opinions on very sensitive issues, especially the decisions about the foreign policy strategies were ignored during s and recent past years. Importantly also, for any international issue say, military attack in particular country American government takes opinion of their own citizens rather the opinion of the respective country's residents!
Other side of the coin is, even most American citizens have no or less interest in current world-affairs, and are ignorant about exact locations of any particular country invaded by their own military e. Somalia, Panama, Afghanistan or Iraq, etc. Even the most highly educated citizens do not know when their civil war took place or never heard of the Voting Rights Act, etc. Governance Democracy can not guarantee good governance, or offer a treatment to cure all existing crises.
As of CPI index of the Transparency International Tf , around 70 percent countries score less than 5 out of a clean score of 10, which reflects perceived levels of comrption among politicians and public officials. In Banglalesh became the world's most corrupt one iri CPI scores and remained champion for five years Comrpt political elites working hand-in-hand with greedy buiiness people and unscrupulous investors, are putting private gain the Bribe before the welfa..
Further, payers Index BpD 3s of the TI addresses the propensity of companies from top exporting countries to trib" in emerging markets. Japan, USA and France, etc. Concluding Remarks While many countries failed to develop particularly because of their unprepared-ness for the economic takeoff, Japan and Asian NIEs have succeeded within much shorter periods than the Western DCs. The most remarkable phenomenon of economic development in the last century and more specifically after World War-II has undoubtedly been the Japanese case because of magic-like growttrexperiences.
The geographical proximity and cultural similarities were helpful for the Asian Nm. However, prime lessons here are, successful takeoff through an industrial policy requires several conditions, principally economic, social, and political prerequisirc; be met and that the engine runs at full throttle; and to grow, economies have to face Or-unO for their products, often from aboard, which leads export growth that often drives takeoff.
However, the success of Japan and development strategy. They have Asian NIEs demonstrate the effectiveness of a more market-based by achieved their remarkable economic growth and rapid development through discipline enforced f..
Many de-colonized countries are still politically unstable and economically poor under so-called democratic practice' while military dictatorship ls inimical'to democratic governance, there is no guarantee that civilian rule may not degenerat. The experiences of singapore tell us that the LDCs in Thus, it is essentially difficult to reach any clear conclusion on what process should the contemporary LDCs follow to obtain good governance and sustainable development.
The corollary is that, regardless of location or political system, where leadership is sincere and dynamic and where institutional atmosphere is conductiue good results can be achieved. Such a conclusion is encouraging most of non-westerners who want to make progress without losing their identity and social values. Similarly, democratization surely need noiimply Americanizaion. The uSA and its western allies actually do not,want democracy to take roots in LDCs because of their strategic objectives and them "it is much simpler to manipulate a few ruling for families than a wide vvrsv variety of personalities YC'rrvLJ ur and policies bound to be thrown up by a democratic [,,c system,,.
East Asia's success raises obvious questions whether a formula for growth can be imitated from their experiences' Even if there are many lessons that can be learnt f. Japan and NIEs, experiences indicate that political stabiiity is not the only condition but structural transformations and convincing socioeconomic policies, collectiveness of the peoples, etc. Unfortunately, the exuberance of democracy rnay lead also ,o ,"n"r" disorderly conditions, are inimical to development.
If democraci i. Also are strong question is, whether LDCs a. The rule of law is as important to the development of a free market as it is imperative to the development of democracy. Free markets ur. The name of Adam smith is often invoked in support of complete laissez-faire, thing' Smith had emphasizedihe importance of institutions, tut iou- smith advocated no such rule of law and so on.
Democracy is at its weakest when the citizenry loses confidence in governing elites. In recent times, political regimes of all kinds describe themselves as democracies but it his not always been so. There is lack of political-will to build up solid political institutions to ensure effective governance which is an important precondition for over ali development.
We are moving into a phase where the criteria of legitimacy of governments will be based more on performance than on historic legitimacy only. This will affect how any particular country organizes her politically. The ruling elite's attitude tcwards freedom antl civil liberties is a major factor in determining whether a democracy succeeds or fails.
In nascent and fragile democracies, courts are often weak and corrupt, and only partial media-freedom is not enough to ensure good governance. In modern time, neither monarchy, nor military-juntas, nor even western democratic-juggernaut under their double-standard. Development should not be equated with so-called democracy only or economic growth strategy.
The rules must rule everyone, including the rulers. Lack of appreciation for the value of rules and institutions threatens most countries like Bangladesh. People are mostly poor not because of mind-set created by established development thinking but for the complex number of reasons. It is worth emphasizing that poverty is the central of many interrelated problems, and there is need for an integrated approach to curb poverty.
As Todaro stated,3e deueiopment must be conceived of as a multidimensional process involving major changes in social structures, popular attitudes, and national institutions, as well as the acceleration of economic growth, the reduction of inequality, and the eradication of absolute poverty. Most importantly, participation in economic activity presupposes the existence of some reasonable form of democracy and rule of law.
But the existing distortions in many societies make it impossible to move toward achieving democratic objectives. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we believe that only a strong national government regardles. Notes and References 1. Joseph E. Buruno and B. Pleskovic eds. Also J. Observer,ll 2 August, For detail, please refers to - W. Press, ; S. Press Barkeley , S. Mobilized from M. Please consult with: Y. Oya eds. Also see, H.
Nagamine ed. Vemon, and M. Herman eds. W, See, United Nations statistical Yearbooks, various years of late-1g60s, 1g70s and lggos. Also, YKMF ea : setai-kokusai- zii lwoaa census compendium in fapanese, As of world Fact Book-Bungtuderh. Rostow ; Clifford Geertz ; and S. Ishikawa : Ibid Ref. Kuznets : op. Also, y. Clifford Geertz : op. Stiglitz : op. Development Economics lgg1,world Bank. Ashraf Hossain : op. Tuttle co. Tokyo , Reporters Without Borders WB is a intl. NGO freedom of was founded in that advocates the press rS Accessed: Modified from, M.
For instance, Chinese big domestic market enonnously is a plus point for economic involution way others. The UN and name of preserving world peace through international cooperation and collective security! Yet, the UN,s entire budget is just a tiny fraction of the world's military expenditure, around 1.
Richard F. Grimmett : op. Jordan, for example, received large-scale U. S' suistantially reduced support, and for a time, suspended foreign aid. Surprisingly, aid to Yemen was cut off within months of the newly unified country's first democratic election in !
Thomas R. Dye and L. Mobilized from: op. However, two questions they scored highest on, werc: a Who is Snoop Doggy Dog? Which represented some of the best American satire of the ls - as of them 98Vo and 99Vo respectively knew right answer! Great read - enjoyed it. Great book!!. You can write a book review and share your experiences.
Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books you've read. Whether you've loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. In this book, you will learn topics such as as those in your book plus much more. With key features such as key terms, people and places, Facts gives you all the information you need to. In this millennial edition, the authors again present an unrepentant elitist approach to American democracy, contending that it is the elites, not the masses, that govern our country.
By exposing the irony between elitism and democratic theory and modern pluralism, this eye-opening book helps readers understand why the U. Dye and Harmon Zeigler provides pages of high-caliber eformatbook. Dye; Louis Schubert and a great selection of related books. Check out other translated books in French, Spanish languages.
While most American government texts address politics from a pluralist perspective, this text approaches the subject by addressing the theme of elitism and contrasting it with democratic theory and modern pluralist theory. As a result, this text helps students understand why the U. Note: Citations are based on reference standards.
However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The specific requirements or preferences of your reviewing publisher, classroom teacher, institution or organization should be applied. Learn the irony of democracy with free interactive flashcards. Choose from 53 different sets of the irony of democracy flashcards on Quizlet. The irony of democracy: an uncommon introduction to American politics 27 editions By Thomas R. Dye, Harmon Zeigler Go to the editions section to read or download ebooks.
In this Twelfth Edition, the authors again present an unrepentantly elitist approach to American democracy--contending that it is the elites and not the masses that govern our country. The study guide includes learning objectives, chapt Ratings: 0. Dye, Harmon Zeigler.
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