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Democracy, Republic or WAT is it?
Posted by: BrEggum (IP Logged)
Date: February 16, 2007 09:20PM

I submit this for your consideration. Seeking comments and suggestions. BReggum


Dear WDDM,


Again it seems we are at a loss for terms.


What must be considered here, in our “Direct Democracy” discussion is whatever form of government has been enacted by the people, or is used by that Nation, is the government of that Nation. We cannot wishfully approach a Republican, or a constitutional monarchy, or even a dictatorship as if it is a simple democracy.


The confusion seems to be in that most of these Nations, allow “elections” to vote in “representative(s)” and often have some form of referendum. Often these Nations are referred to as democracies because of this “voting” provision. They may even be called a democratic republic..


All the following Nations are Republics by their operational form.


Reference World Fact Book: [www.cia.gov]


Germany is a Republic,
Federal Republic of Germany


Government type: federal republic
Administrative divisions:
16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia); note - Bayern, Sachsen, and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat)


Czech Republic, is of course a Republic,
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Administrative divisions:
13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky Kraj, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Karlovarsky Kraj, Kralovehradecky Kraj, Liberecky Kraj, Moravskoslezsky Kraj, Olomoucky Kraj, Pardubicky Kraj, Plzensky Kraj, Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)


United States are a Republic.
Government type: Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition.
Administrative divisions:
50 states and 1 district; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Each State is a sovereign, having their own Constitution and Administrative Divisions.
Some states call them County, City, Town, Township, etc.
Their relationship as a United State, is defined in the Constitution.


The UK is a Constitutional Monarchy.
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
The UK has the form of a Republic ie:
Administrative divisions:
England: 47 boroughs, 36 counties, 29 London boroughs, 12 cities and boroughs, 10 districts, 12 cities, 3 royal boroughs


Australia , Commonwealth of Australia
Government type:
federal parliamentary democracy
A federation (Latin: foedus, covenant) is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal") government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of the central government.


A federation is not unlike a “republic” although the component state is perhaps a bit more individual than a republic.


Administrative divisions:
6 states and 2 territories; Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Dependent areas:
Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island
Independence:
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Again, the hierarchy of a republic.


This gets a bit confusing, Australia does not claim to be a Monarchy, however they have a Queen: chief of state: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Maj.


Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291
Government type:
formally a confederation, but similar in structure to a federal republic
Administrative divisions:
26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
Independence:
1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)
Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats - consists of two representatives from each canton and one from each half canton; members serve four-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


Canada


Government type
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation


Administrative divisions:
10 provinces and 3 territories; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory
Independence:
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (independence recognized)


Constitution:
made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments
Legal system:
based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations


Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Stephen HARPER (since 6 February 2006)
cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general


Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the prime minister


Constitution:
made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments


Canada, a federation of four provinces. A federation (Latin: foedus, covenant) is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal") government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of the central government.


A federation is not unlike a “republic” although the component state is perhaps a bit more individual than a republic.



These Nations organize themselves in a hierarchical form to provide order in their jurisdictions. Although not all are called “republics”, their administrative divisions are equivalent to a republic.


Please note these hierarchal forms are the very element which the people can “manage and control” using DD. If there were no hierarchy, there would be nothing to manage.


So we cannot continue to discuss these Nations as “democracies” when in fact they are republics in nature. Democracies have severe dangers of faction and minority rights.. This is why these many nations choose a republican form of government and not democracy.


For the individual citizen to interact with their government, that citizen must follow the prescribed methods of interaction. What now exists will determine how the citizens could develop a more “direct” way of interaction with their government. By and large, all Nations allow petition. Thus a change can be made by networking and a decisive majority of citizens desire the petition to be approved.


If a nation had the Swiss style “direct democracy”, and if enough chose they could “initiate” a non-representative form of government. Of course the success of that would be the number of people participating in government. It is perhaps idealistic to envision all people making choices in government matters. The reality is how many actually would participate? Of course dangers exist also in this direct vote. Factions could “rule” the government and minorities would have little decisive power. Once the people realize they could legislate themselves no tax and paid holiday continuous – ----- that is usually the end of democracies.


Bruce Eggum WI USA

Bruce Eggum Wisconsin USA
www.doinggovernment.com


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Subject Views Written By Posted
  Democracy, Republic or WAT is it? 1028 BrEggum 02/16/2007 09:20PM
  Re: Democracy, Republic or WAT is it? 447 MiKolar 07/01/2007 10:49PM
  Re: Democracy, Republic or WAT is it? 411 BrEggum 09/21/2007 08:51AM


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