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Liberal vs Illiberal Democracies (Mexico (http://foreignpolicy…
Liberal vs Illiberal Democracies
Mexico
Society in Mexico is relatively "open and civil" especially in the 21st century. However there are societal issues such as political violence, drug violence, and abuses against indigenous people that prevent an open civil society in Mexico.
http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-mexico-fake-news-20180415-story.html
This article discusses "fake news" and what the younger generation is doing to fight it. The "fake news" epidemic is a direct result of large amounts of government filtration and censorship on news and media outlets.
All in all Mexico is somewhat becoming a more liberal democracy due to westernization and media influence. Private non government organizations as well as the citizens have a stronger influence. However the amount of corruption and filtration makes it impossible to call Mexico a liberal democracy today.
http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/02/23/obama-pena-nieto-mexico-corruption/
This opinion article states that in fact "Mexico Is Not a Functioning Democracy" and goes into detail with arguments such as Authoritarian leadership, stifled dissent, limited freedom of assembly, and endless violence
The election system in Mexico generally suggests a more liberal democracy, as elections are held in first-past-the-post fashion with candidates representing 3 primary parties able to compete fairly. However factors of corruption such as the Mexican president controlling the supreme court (thus removing a neutrality of the judiciary) suggest an illiberal democracy.
UK
The UK utilizes many of the democratic characteristics, one of which is neutrality of the judiciary. In the UK the judges have a reputation of being independent, impartial, and neutral.
Brexit: One way that the UK demonstrated they are a liberal demoncracy is through civil liberties as well as regular elections. During the time of Brexit there was a referendum held to hear the people’s decision thus being a regular and free election. Civil liberties play a factor in that the UK government allowed its people to express their freedom of speech when they were allowed to protest their thoughts.
Recent race protests against police violence and discrimination have revealed how civil liberties can be threatened or oppressed in the UK
Another way that the UK demonstrates a liberal democracy is by having free and open elections. The elections themselves are not corrupt and the citizens chose directly who they would like in parliament.
http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Commonwealth_agrees_on_new_guidelines_for_observing_elections?profile=1228
This article discusses plans for a fairer election system in the UK - thus creating even better guidelines for a fair and neutral elections system
China
Elections: The party controls the groups that run elections and it reviews draft lists of proposed candidates to get rid of those who are not qualified or are politically objectionable. Also, local elections are the only direct elections. This is one example of why China is an illiberal democracy, because citizens do not have the ability to chose people in larger, more impactful elections.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/24/china-abandoning-rule-of-law-human-rights-lawyers-say
This article explains why countries such as the UK and the US believe that Xi Jinping is abandoning any type of rule of law in China that was formerly present. The main reason for this presented in the article is that President Xi Jinping proposed a new claim that involved torturing Chinese attorneys.
Civil Liberties: Although they have some civil liberties in China, it is limited by the government. For example, in protests such as Tiananmen Square, the government seized control and utilized the military in order to stop the citizens from using their freedom of speech and assembly that would be present in a liberal democracy.
https://www.cecc.gov/judicial-independence-in-the-prc
This article explains how China does not have a truly neutral judiciary. It is not uncommon that the judges are biased for certain cases. Additionally, there is a strong use of external influence by the Communist Party directly and indirectly to the courts.
There is an apparent growth of civil society within China within the past few years. There is a strong appearance of private organizations that do not challenge the authority of the state directly, but instead focus on more social problems such as the environment.
Nigeria
An open civil society is tolerated, if not encouraged, in Nigeria. Interest groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and other organizations such as religious groups are prominent and tolerated by the state.
https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21689905-most-nigerians-live-poverty-millions-would-be-spared-if-officials-stopped
This article shows how a lack of rule of law leads to corruption and theft among high ranking officials, causing a significant drain on the economy and a lack of trust between citizens and the state.
https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/world/africa/nigeria-anti-gay-law/index.html
Nigeria has failed to protect the civil liberties of its citizens. In 2014, Nigeria banned same-sex marriage, and then immediately arrested or physically punished hundreds of men, forgoing any due process or basic protection.
The ethnic cleavages in Nigeria make it difficult for any democratic consensus to be reached, and as a result political decisions are often criticized as benefiting one group over another, rather than focusing on unity and efficiency in policy.
https://guardian.ng/opinion/cleaning-up-the-nigerian-judiciary/
This article shows an example of how corruption among judges has compromised the neutrality of the judiciary in Nigeria.
Russia
http://www.dw.com/en/russias-civil-society-is-beingdestroyed/a-17144456
This article here demonstrates the fact of Russia's declining civil liberties making them an illiberal democracy. The government's control over the media as well as the limit of the freedom of the press illustrates how there civil liberties are being destroyed.
Putin Extending His Term: By abusing his power of not having any checks and balances Putin was able to extend his term to two consecutive SIX year term, putting him in power till 2024. This illustrates signs of an illiberal democracy.
Nashi Camps: Nashi Youth camps within Russia show how Putin and his administration has control over the upcoming generations thus influencing them instead of the letting the people have a civil society thus showing clear signs of an illiberal democracy.
Election within Russia: The elections within Russia demonstrate how they are illiberal due to the fact that they are not competitive and regular. Putin and his amount of followers is shown of having a very high percentage rate consistently making an elections against him unfair. Also, the way the Putin deals with his competitors by arresting them thus making them unable to run in an election.
Claiming Federalism when indeed Authoritarianism: Putin within Russia has illustrated signs of Authoritarianism due to how he is changing the government of Russia. A specific example is when Putin created the super districts getting rid of any chance of minor party representation. Also , the removal of all the governors who refuses subject to local law. These are two basic examples demonstrating how Putin has gained enormous power leading to what has become an illiberal democracy.
Iran
Iranian citizens have had little direct experience with democracy, but they generally understand the importance of civil society.
One indication that civil society is alive and well in Iran may be found among Iran's growing number of young people.
The days of protests that followed the presidential election of 2009 demonstrate the Iranian capacity to react strongly to repressive government. Demonstrations and rallies continued for several days, and the government arrested many protesters, including some top leaders of the opposition.
The Islamic Republic from the beginning closed down newspapers, labor unions, private organizations, and political parties
This article is about how even though Iran has liberal democracy characteristics, they fall into more of a illiberal democracy. It talks about how the supreme leader basically has all the power, so the elected president does not really count for anything.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/world/middleeast/iran-presidential-election-democracy.html
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