Affordable Care Act Value Base Purchasing - Research Paper

Introduction

The claims by Alexis de Tocqueville that the strength of the American democracy is due to a vibrant associational life in the country sparked a debate on whether there is a connection between the civil society and the development of democracy. Tocqueville claimed that people cooperate and share ideas out of their own volition. His theory describes societies as networks that connect the unit of a society that is the family and the state. Civil societies ensure the continuity of social norms that are conducive to democracy. 3This also means that civil societies are the most critical blocks when examining the social and political forces (Act 651 (2003).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Some scholars view the civil society as a dynamic and intricate force field that makes the locations of various power management systems easy. However, Richard (2015) shows that, this is not the only perspective and the different interpretations available necessitate a critical analysis of democracy and the civil society. Caroline (2003) states that, many countries in the world have democratic governments, but they need to be revitalized. Cultural, social, political and economic injustices are very prevalent today and they have to be eradicated so that equality and justice can prevail. 5 However, if the governments give civil societies the ultimate power they become at risk of losing legitimacy. 6

Since democracy and civil society are linked, a strong civil society can contribute to the formation of a strong democracy. A weak civil society means that the poor and the weak have no voice in governance. 7 Though this is the case, many people are usually against giving civil societies too much power as this might destabilize the government (Chinedu 2015). The federalist paper in one of its issue said that factions are the cause of violence and chaos in a country. Factions in this case refer to groups of people with similar interests. 9 The different factions work in order to protect their personal interests; this might be against some members of the state. These interests are against the interests of the general public and this undermines democracy. According to Madison, 10 "Rival Camps" create political instability as it is good for their interests and this starts very problematic situations in the society. These people go ahead to blame the society of being disillusioned because of disagreeing with matters that serve their interests. The government is in turn blamed for all the problems facing the country. 11 A successful democracy is headed by leaders elected by the people with the popular vote. The government should factor in the needs of all its citizens in governance.

Pure or direct democracies (countries in which all the citizens participate directly in making the laws) cannot possibly control factious conflicts. This is because the strongest and largest faction dominates, and there is no way to protect weak factions against the actions of an obnoxious individual or a strong majority.12

In pure democratic countries (where citizens participate directly in the law making process) people are not able to control conflicts that arise due to facts (Regeringskansliet, 2017). This is usually the case because the majority is usually the dominant group which makes it hard to protect minority groups from the strong majority. In direct democracy, protection of individual and property rights is usually difficult. 14 This is normally the case since large states usually have many factions that are in power compared to smaller states. In such countries faction leaders are able to manipulate the government into passing poor political and economic policies that are in their favor. 15

Background of the Study and the Research Problem

As stated by Barbara Cruikshank, the theories on democracy can be described as constitutive discourses helpful in explaining what it means as being democratic. Taking into consideration the political phenomena, the situation cannot be taken into account as being independent entirely from any neutral position externally. The way the state and the civil society interacts will color how the human rights support over the long-term as well as the entire context of democracy. Some regimes make use of tactics to neuter the progress of the civil society. These tactics occasionally pose specific and structural trends with a self-serving goal. Appealing, a few civil societies have developed a division within a civic sphere. With having a sharp division which is endangered, they have adapted features essential for the areas they influence. Typical semi-democracies like Nigeria and Ghana erode the prospective meaning of democracy (Gordon 2004). Broadly, a semi-democracy is primarily represented by a state embracing both authoritarian and democratic features. It has consequently been noted that the dominant party systems are regular in semi-democracies meaning that the country will still embrace opposition parties and free elections (Lindsay 2003).

Nevertheless, within these semi-democracies, fraud in elections is entirely a standard feature since it serves as a tool for the parties deemed dominant to remain in power. Occasionally, the entire elections are far much far; although, this is overshadowed as a result of the proceeding dirty companies of the electoral body (Darkwa, et.al,2006). As election forming principal limiting rights of the individuals, is not controlled by the rule of law: the process of electoral representation is entire key towards a significantly stable state of democracy. Misconduct such as violence, rigging as well as brigandage serves as being amongst the most common features within the election process in the Nigerian perspective. In ensuring transparency within the electoral process, the electoral system serves as the institution influencing as well as shaping the political competition for the entire power of the state. It determines how accountable the electorates are as well as the representations in the legislature.

There might some co-existence of the democracies with a civil society which is depicted to be straining. Consequently, the civil society can increase in size and in the process there is deterioration in democracy. As a result, it is far much interesting to notice the correlation between the election system, democratic development and the civil society at large. In adducing from democracy, a country would call for balancing dominance and power in relation to the civil society. Since the civil society serves as a force towards revitalization and anchoring, the study hypothesizes that democratic models are having weaker connections towards the civil society affecting democracy adversely by creating insecure socio-economic systems and inadequate cohesion.

The Aim and the Research Questions

All the elections must be meaningful: fair, frequent and free. The elections art provides the most vital for the credential of democracy in a country representing the most critical democratic characterizes. The democratic act which involves distinct processes and electoral systems poses varied reasons for the nation to be underpinned as being democratic.

The study is primarily concerned with the creation of a broad comprehension pertaining the relationship between civil and well as democratic society. The democratic models and electoral designs and the way in which they are influenced by the civil society would get to be examined mainly examining Nigeria and Ghana as Units. The study aims at answering the questions below:

What are the effects of the civil society on the art of democracy and election?

How do malpractices of the election art become evident problems?

In what ways is the civil society distinct in Nigeria and Ghana? What challenges do they experience?

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework is essential in explaining the relevance of integration between the democratic norm and the principles as well as the social actors. The framework primarily underpins Linz and Stephan's (1996) five arenas regarding Democratic Consolidation. It explains the civil society and a prominent aspect driving the citizens are deemed committed to participating in the creation of the transitions towards democratic consolidation democratically.

The theory is essential since it provides an opportunity to the author on scanning the democratic processes in Nigeria and Ghana. Linz and Stephan (1996) conceptualize very vital models confined within the contemporary non-democratic regimes. They pinpoint the paths available for the transition of the democracies for every model by pointing out the tasks pertaining democratic consolidation. Linz and Stephan explain consolidation as being the result of the government elected by popular and free vote. Consequently, the definition calls for the elected government embodying solemn power in making decisions in deciding new policies whereas the judicial, legislative in conjunction with the executive power not being shared with the subsequent political bodies or military bodies. To sum up, the five fields are a representation of the society being consolidated democratically when there is a situation where democracy becomes the only game within the entire town.

Literature Review

In the literature review, various facets regarding democracy have been outlined. The main units of focus are Nigeria and Ghana, where specific characteristics and similarities, as well as relationships, have been denoted.

Democracy

Good governance is directly related to democracy. The close relationship is derived from some sharing factors like transparency, basic human rights, respect, the rule of law and accountability among others. In the studies of democratization done between 1970 and 1980, democracy was defined uniquely. It was termed as a complete transformation of the political system, shifting from the aspect of non-democracy to one where the representative government was accountable. In the 1990`s democratic consolidation attracted academic interest especially because states had already shifted and applied democracy successfully. The main strategies applied in democratization were denoted and afterward linked to the differences between consolidation and transition (Barbara 1999).

Some states started experiencing problematic democracies which had been caused by the democratic transition. This aspect triggered the focus of political culture. Under political culture, the facet of democratization is solely seen as having clean and fair elections. From the study conducted by Grugel, findings indicated that elections are depicted as intimidation absence. In the study by Grugel (2002) democracy is defined in a way that it focuses heavily on advocating for human rights and liberty. Two crucial factors are the religious freedom and freedom of assembly. The two rights represent the essence of structural obstacles that hinder active participation.

When democracy is defined as the rule of the people, some facets are not included in the same. They include civil liberty, judicial independence, the executive rule of law, religious freedom, property rights, minority rights or media influence. Inalienable rights which are mostly seen as irrelevant in liberal democracies are not in any way included in the fundamental aspects of democracy. The inalienable rights are modern facets that have been added on in democracy. Other forms of rights that fall under this category include the right of race, gender, and ethnicity, freedom of speech and media as well as socioeconomic concerns which include right of health or labor.

In the comparative perspective of Nigeria and Ghana, defining democracy from a liberal perspective becomes the appropriate thesis of the topic.

Civil Society and Electoral Systems

Civil society is one com...