The Ideal Political System Paper Example

A political system is generally referred to as an organization of well-structured institutions which form a 'state' or 'government' (Heslop 2017). Political systems have existed all through history as people sought to organize themselves. Hence, various political systems have emerged such as republics, monarchies, and democracies (Villanova University 2018).They are differentiated by their structures, how they offer services, how they exert laws, and how they safeguard the rights of citizens. Finding the best political system has been a challenge since countries vary on the basis of their histories, cultural diversities, geographical, and economic positions. This paper, therefore, seeks to explain my ideal political system. It will also cover various aspects such as the nature of the system, its type of constitution, its legislature, and electoral system.

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

Save 25%

My ideal political system is one that has the citizens' interests at heart. It is also one that fosters inclusivity, equality, fair participation, and access to resources. Hence, I believe that the hybrid democracy system fits this description. This is due to the fact that a hybrid system can be established based on the unique characteristics of a nation. The political system's focus is, thus, geared towards meeting the explicit needs of its citizenry. Also, it ensures that there is power distribution among various arms of the government; hence, it is a decentralized form of government.

According to Eremenko (2014), a democracy comprises four elements which include citizen participation, freedom, a representative government, and transparency in political activities. There are, however, various forms of democracy which are broadly classified into direct and representative democracies (Villanova University 2018). Nevertheless, there are other forms of government which do not fit into the earlier-mentioned democracies. These are, therefore, referred to as hybrid political systems.

A hybrid political system is characterized by the fusion of one or more forms of government (Cassani 2012). The system has generally been adopted by nations that could not easily blend in with the liberal democracies adopted from European countries. Others, for example, Rwanda have adopted such kind of a system after going through a tough period of genocide instigated by tribal battles (Habumuremyi & Habinshuti 2018 'Rwanda opted for a hybrid political system, and it is paying off, par. 20). The hybrid political system in Rwanda is a fusion of consensual and proportional systems with the aim of rebuilding the nation. Also, the system incorporates power-sharing among political parties and special groups. The hybrid political system is, therefore, a flexible one which can be molded to accommodate the special needs of a nation.

The Swiss confederation system is another example of a hybrid democracy that comprises three elements (Linder & Iff 2011). The first is the federal state which is made up of three divisions, which are the federal government, cantons, and municipalities. Power sharing among the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary is experienced in each level of government (Linder & Steffen 2006). The second feature is a direct democracy where the citizens have the power to directly participate in politics. The third is a consensual democracy which is characterized by a grand-coalition which accommodates all political parties and cultural diversity. The system is, therefore, a unique federal system which seeks to foster inclusivity in its diverse cultural state.

Type of Constitution

My ideal political system is one that utilizes a codified constitution. According to Grimm (2010), the modern constitution is a collection of legal rules that originate from a political decision and they regulate how public power is exercised. In order to be effective, constitutions have been effected as law in the modern states (Alstyne 1987). The enactment is not subject to whether the constitution is written or unwritten. However, in the current world, constitutions are classified as either codified or uncodified. A codified constitution generally means that the constitution is written as a single document. Codified constitutions are found in most nations, for instance, the United States of America. On the contrary, an uncodified constitution means that the principal laws are found in different sources, for example, statutes, precedents, and customs. The UK constitution is the best example of such a constitution (LawTeacher 2013). Despite its flexibility, the uncodified constitution is limited by the fact it can be misused by numerous political alterations. Moreover, it is not easy for the citizens to have a clear picture of what the Constitution entails. I, therefore, acknowledge that a codified constitution is preferable since it is more stable and can be easily accessed by the citizenry.

The Legislature

The legislature is an important aspect of any government as it is mandated to making laws. There are basically two types of legislatures, which are referred to as the unicameral and the bicameral legislatures (Surbhi 2018, 'Difference between Unicameral and Bicameral Legislature', par. 1). The unicameral legislature is one where a single body has the full legislative duty. The powers in such a system are centralized and the government is, thus, unitary.

According to Longley (2018), the bicameral legislature is the legislative arm of government that is composed of two chambers or 'houses'. In the United States of America, the two houses are referred to as 'The House of Representatives' (Upper) and the 'Senate' (lower). Both houses then form the 'United States Congress'. There are two houses in the UK parliament which are 'The House of Lords' and 'The House of Commons'. The Bicameral legislatures are the most popular form of legislatures since they seem to maximize on the people's representation. They are also common in other countries such as India, Japan, Spain, Italy, and Canada. Hence, the bicameral type is my preferred choice of the legislature in the ideal political system.

The bicameral legislature has various merits which contribute to its popularity. For instance, it fosters inclusivity by ensuring that there is a maximum representation of the citizens, states' legislative bodies, and political parties (Longley 2018, 'What is a Bicameral Legislature and Why does the U.S. have One?' par.3). Also, this system allows the distribution of power between the two houses, therefore, there is no absolute power imposed on one body. Thirdly, the representatives are voted to represent all groups of people, and in so doing reduce exclusivity. The representatives, therefore, have to build a close relationship with the people they represent since they have to seek their votes.

In spite of its advantages, the bicameral legislatures have few limitations. Firstly, it is only applicable to large nations. Secondly, the process of making laws may be delayed since deliberations have to be done in both houses (Longley 2018, 'What is a Bicameral Legislature and Why does the U.S. have One?' par.3). However, this system has proven to work effectively in federal governments since bicameral systems have been more stable than unicameral legislatures (Congleton 2012). Also, policy decisions are more knowledgeable especially when both houses have vast influence. It is, thus, clear that the bicameral legislature is a practical system.

Electoral Process

Elections make up a significant part of any democratic system. This is due to the fact that they give the elected representatives authority to represent their electors (Pitkin, 1967). The representatives are also held accountable for their conduct during their tenures in office. An electoral system, on the other hand, is a formal structure through which elections are achieved. The system facilitates the translation of the citizens' choices into seats in the various political institutions such as the legislature. An electoral system is, thus, an important aspect of any democracy.

There exist various electoral systems across the world. For instance, there are systems where the voter votes for one candidate, while others allow for voting of multiple candidates (Shahandashti 2016). Based on the system, tallying of votes may entail either a simple counting procedure or a more complex process. Hence, electoral systems can be broadly classified based on the number of winners to be produced and the proportionality of the results with regard to the political parties present.

The common electoral systems include the following. One is the 'First-past-the-post' system where every voter votes one candidate and the candidate with most votes wins the election (Shahandashti 2016). The system is generally used in several countries, for example, the U.S. in presidential elections (Bowler, Donovan & Heerde 2005). The second system is referred to as a 'Two-round' system. In this system every voter votes for one candidate and the winner will be the candidate with most votes. In this case, two candidates who have a majority of votes are picked to participate in another round while all the other candidates are eliminated. During the second round, the voters choose their preferred candidate. The system is used in countries such as France in both presidential and legislative elections.

The exhaustive ballot system is another system where voters vote for their preferred candidate in each voting round. In each round, the candidate who has the least votes is removed and the rounds repeated until one candidate remains (Shahandashti 2016). The system is generally used in various countries, for example in Switzerland in the Federal Council elections. It is also used during elections in the Scottish parliament as well as the British and Canadian 'House of Commons'. Another electoral system is the 'Single non-transferable vote' system which is used in the 'Upper house' elections in Japan (Cox, Rosenbluth & Thies 2000). The system only allows the voters to vote for one candidate. The 'List voting' system or the 'Party-list PR' system is a system where a party gives a list of its candidates and the party gains seats according to the number of votes the party has received.

The 'List voting' system has two variants which are referred to as 'Open' and 'Closed' List systems. In the 'Open List' system the voters' preference determines the order in which the candidates appear on the party list (Shahandashti 2016). In the 'Closed list' system the voters' preference does not interfere with the order of candidates on the list since this is determined by the party. I, therefore, opt for the 'First-Past-The-Post' electoral system since it is easy to carry out and it is less time-consuming.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a political system is an organization that is composed of well-structured institutions that form a government. There are different political systems which have varying structures and functions across the world. Coming up with an ideal political system is not an easy task since every country is unique in terms of its history, cultural, social, and economic orientation. Democracies have risen to be popular in many countries since they encourage equality and representation of the citizens. There are, however, different forms of democracies such as direct, representative, and hybrid democracies. The democracies are governed by constitutions which may either be codified or uncodified. The codified constitution is the commonly used constitution in many nations worldwide. The uncodified constitution is rarely used except in a few countries, for example, the United Kingdom. Different political systems have different forms of legislatures. The major forms are unicameral and bicameral legislatures. The unicameral legisl...