Democratic Governance in a real life issue Essay

Democratic Governance in a real life issue - Essay Example It is a set of principles that protect human freedom. All democracies operate on the principle of majority rule, keeping in mind the interests of the minority groups as well as individuals. Democracies are diverse, reflecting each nation's unique political, social, and cultural life. Democracies rest upon fundamental principles, not uniform practices. Democracies guard against all-powerful central governments and decentralize government to regional and local levels, understanding that local government must be as accessible and responsive to the people as possible. Democratic societies are committed to the values of tolerance, cooperation, and compromise. Democracies recognize that reaching consensus requires compromise and that it may not always be attainable. Democracy functions in the gamut of defined and undefined parameters. It also manifests itself in the form of certain parameters. A deeper understanding of these parameters would provide an insight into the functioning of a democracy. In fact from a macrocosmic perspective, democracy just cannot be restricted to the political ambit. It is a way of life and extends to one's personal as well as professional demeanor. However in order to understand its extension and application into these areas, it is mandatory to take a deeper look at what democracy entails and ensues. There are systems that serve as indicators of a democratic set up. These indicators not only shape the democratic operations but also sustain them. Equality is an innate parameter plus an indicator of a democratic set up. Equality reflects a positive connotation. Equality in its prescriptive usage has a close connection with morality and justice. When we talk about democratic equality, a natural question arises: equality in what Democratic equality cannot mean equality in everything: there are many inequalities that democracy does not deal with. There are five criteria that mark a democratic process: voting equality, effective participation, enlightened understanding, control of the agenda, and inclusion of all adult members in collective decisions. These five criteria make the democratic process fully consistent with the logic of political equality. Violating any of the five criteria not only renders the process undemocratic, but also renders it incompatible with the logic of political equality. Professor Giovanni Sartori's two-volume book, The Theory of Democracy Revisited, contains an excellent treatment on various forms of e quality and their roles in democratic thinking. Sartori thinks that "[i]nequality is 'nature'; equality is denaturalization. . . . Equality stands out, first and foremost, as a protest ideal, indeed, as the protest ideal par excellence" (Sartori, 1987, p. 337). In terms of their relationship with democracy, says Sartori, some equalities preceded democracy, while others are democratic claims. Pre-democratic equalities include equality before the law, equal and inalienable rights and equal freedom or moral equality. These equalities are more the products of Christianity, ethics, natural law and liberal ideals than of democracy. In contrast, three other equalities stand out as distinctively democratic demands. These are full political equality, social equality (as equal status and consideration regardless of class or wealth) and

Stress Differences between Rita Dove's Grape Sherbet and Jim Daniels Essay

Stress Differences between Rita Dove's Grape Sherbet and Jim Daniels My Father Worked Late - Essay Example Contrasting Rita Doves â€Å"Grape Sherbet† and Jim Daniel’s â€Å"My Father Worked Late† Rita Doves â€Å"Grape Sherbet† speaks about the memories of a father. The narrator together with their siblings spends time with the father who offers them grape sherbet. Later on, the narrator and the siblings learn that their father had taken them to a grave yard. The motive is to make the children learn to associate memories with positive experiences as opposed to mourning. The children quickly learn the importance of the day. Jim Daniels â€Å"My Father Worked Late† lays emphasis on the dilemma of a working father. The father who is the sole provider of the family had to put some extra effort and cope with stress to support his family. The working father utilizes most of his time to ensure that the family is catered for. He ends up spending little time with the family. The most dominant play of polarity is the narrators who give the memories of their childhood and fathers. The father in â€Å"Grape Sherbet† spends time and involves the children when conducting a memorial day at a graveyard. On the other hand, the father in â€Å"My Father Worked Late† utilizes most of his time at work to ensure that he provides for the family. The subject matter â€Å"Grape Sherbet† is about memorial. The narrator’s family holds a memorial where the father is participating. The children learn that the memorial is for the dead and the reality of life and death dawns to them. The subject matter in â€Å"My Father Worked Late† is a working father who works tirelessly for the family. He becomes overwhelmed by the work and has limited time to be with the children. He is stressed and sometimes causes tension in the family. The narrator in â€Å"Grape Sherbet† wants to highlight the importance of a memorial. Using the young children in the poem enables them to make known the reality of life and death. Children do not understand what death is. The poet may be implying that, creating memories enables those who are gone to live. The narrator in â€Å"My Father Worked Late† wants to recognize the effort of the hardworking father. He works late to support the family. Work is stressful and tiring, y et the acceptable behavior requires the father to provide for the family. The setting for â€Å"Grape Sherbet† is on Memorial Day while the setting for â€Å"My Father Worked Late† is on a regular working day in a rural setting. In â€Å"Grape Sherbet† there is a celebratory atmosphere where there is cooking and feasting in the occasion â€Å"The day? Memorial after the grill†¦ we cheer† (Righeto 54). The setting talks about a single day. The setting in â€Å"My Father Worked Late† narrates of the encounters of a hardworking father. The narrators capture experiences from many days (Daniels 5). In â€Å"Grape Sherbet† the role of a father as the source of affection and love for the children is revealed. The father spends time with the family on the Memorial Day. The children gallop in the graveyard in play. In â€Å"My Father Worked Late† the father is to provide the family with basic necessity and not to provide love. The father becomes detached from the family as a result of demanding work. The father shows distress from his work and becomes unfriendly to the family. Children rarely get affection from their father. The father’