Changes

== Evolution of Anglo-American democracy ==

== Evolution of Anglo-American democracy ==

In the United States, the current system of representative democracy evolved as a result of six major reforms:

In the [[United States]], the current system of representative democracy evolved as a result of six major reforms:

1. The [[American Revolution]] which severed ties with the [[King]] of [[England]].

 

2. The [[U. S. Constitution]]'s creation of the [[House of Representatives]], a Federal government entity elected directly by the people, and retention of [[federalism]], the right of individual [[states]] to govern themselves and make their own laws.

# The [[American Revolution]] which severed ties with the [[King]] of [[England]].

3. The abolition of property qualifications for white male voters.  This process, which was accomplished at the state level, took between 1820 and 1851 and is also known as [[Jacksonian Democracy]].

# The [[U. S. Constitution]]'s creation of the [[House of Representatives]], a Federal government entity elected directly by the people, and retention of [[federalism]], the right of individual [[states]] to govern themselves and make their own laws.

4. The [[Fifteenth Amendment]], which extended the [[franchise]] to former [[slaves]].

# The abolition of property qualifications for white male voters.  This process, which was accomplished at the state level, took between 1820 and 1851 and is also known as [[Jacksonian Democracy]].

5. The [[Seventeenth Amendment]], which caused [[Senator|Senators]] to be elected directly by the people (they retained their six-year terms).

# The [[Fifteenth Amendment]], which extended the [[franchise]] to former [[slaves]].

6. The [[Nineteenth Amendment]], which extended the franchise to [[women]].

# The [[Seventeenth Amendment]], which caused [[Senator|Senators]] to be elected directly by the people (they retained their six-year terms).

# The [[Nineteenth Amendment]], which extended the franchise to [[women]].

 

Of the six, the one which inspires the most opposition today is probably the Seventeenth Amendment, as the [[Founders]] explicitly intended [[state]] [[legislatures]] to choose U. S. Senators.  Historically, however, the Fifteenth Amendment inspired the most opposition.  Indeed, every state of the former [[Confederacy]] circumvented the Fifteenth Amendment between the end of [[Reconstruction]] and the passage of the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], considered the ultimate guarantee of that Amendment.  One of the principal means whereby it was circumvented was the creation of [[educational qualifications for voting]], which the 1965 act outlawed, according to interpretations of the [[Supreme Court]].  The other principal means was the [[poll tax]], which was outlawed in 1964 by the [[Twenty-Fourth Amendment]].

Of the six, the one which inspires the most opposition today is probably the Seventeenth Amendment, as the [[Founders]] explicitly intended [[state]] [[legislatures]] to choose U. S. Senators.  Historically, however, the Fifteenth Amendment inspired the most opposition.  Indeed, every state of the former [[Confederacy]] circumvented the Fifteenth Amendment between the end of [[Reconstruction]] and the passage of the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], considered the ultimate guarantee of that Amendment.  One of the principal means whereby it was circumvented was the creation of [[educational qualifications for voting]], which the 1965 act outlawed, according to interpretations of the [[Supreme Court]].  The other principal means was the [[poll tax]], which was outlawed in 1964 by the [[Twenty-Fourth Amendment]].

In [[Great Britain]] during the same period of time, there were also six major reforms in the direction of democracy:

In the [[United Kingdom]] during the same period of time, there were also six major reforms in the direction of democracy:

1. The [[1832 Reform Act]], which gave representation to the new [[industrial]] cities for the first time.

 

2. The [[1867 Reform Act]].

# The [[1832 Reform Act]], which gave representation to the new [[industrial]] cities for the first time.

3. The [[1884 Reform Act]].

# The [[1867 Reform Act]].

4. The [[1911 Parliament Act]], which ended the ability of the [[House of Lords]] to rein in spending by the [[Commons]].

# The [[1884 Reform Act]].

5. The [[1918 Reform Act]], which made suffrage universal among males and extended it to women 30 years of age or older.

# The [[1911 Parliament Act]], which ended the ability of the [[House of Lords]] to rein in spending by the [[Commons]].

6. The [[1928 Reform Act]], which equalized voting ages for male and female at 21.

# The [[1918 Reform Act]], which made suffrage universal among males and extended it to women 30 years of age or older.

# The [[1928 Reform Act]], which equalized voting ages for male and female at 21.

 

It is noteworthy that it took the British 84 years to complete the process of abolishing property qualifications for voting (the first three Acts lowered the threshhold incrementally) and that they only began to do so after Jacksonian Democracy emerged in the United States.

It is noteworthy that it took the British 84 years to complete the process of abolishing property qualifications for voting (the first three Acts lowered the threshhold incrementally) and that they only began to do so after Jacksonian Democracy emerged in the United States.

While none of these Acts has sustained a serious movement for repeal, historically the one which inspired the strongest opposition was the 1911 Parliament Act.  Not surprisingly, this opposition came from the House of Lords, the last body of unelected people to retain any legislative power in the British system.  Ultimately, the bill passed only after King [[George V]] promised to create an unlimited number of new [[peers]] in order to pass it.

While none of these Acts has sustained a serious movement for repeal, historically the one which inspired the strongest opposition was the 1911 Parliament Act.  Not surprisingly, this opposition came from the House of Lords, the last body of unelected people to retain any legislative power in the British system.  Ultimately, the bill passed only after King [[George V]] promised to create an unlimited number of new [[peers]] in order to pass it.

The United States, Great Britain, and other [[common law countries]] mostly utilize a [[first past the post system]] for elections.  This limits the number of [[political parties]] and helps to stabilize the system, in contrast to democracies which use [[proportional representation]] such as [[Italy]], [[Germany]], [[France]], and [[Israel]], which have at times had over 10 parties represented in their [[legislatures]].  The latter system tends to increase the power of the [[political left]], although the [[Labour Party]] in Britain was able to edge out the [[centrist]] [[Liberal Party]] as the chief opposition to the [[Conservative Party]] as a result of the first five of the reforms listed above, without discarding the traditional system of elections.  

The United States, United Kingdom, and other [[common law countries]] mostly utilize a [[first past the post system]] for elections.  This limits the number of [[political parties]] and helps to stabilize the system, in contrast to democracies which use [[proportional representation]] such as [[Italy]], [[Germany]], [[France]], and [[Israel]], which have at times had over 10 parties represented in their [[legislatures]].  The latter system tends to increase the power of the [[political left]], although the [[Labour Party]] in Britain was able to edge out the [[centrist]] [[Liberal Party]] as the chief opposition to the [[Conservative Party]] as a result of the first five of the reforms listed above, without discarding the traditional system of elections.  

[[Category:types of goverment]]

[[Category:types of government]]