Month: September 2023

Democracy in America is at a critical inflection point that requires an immediate step-change in community support. The movement to save democracy must reach across racial, generational and class-cultural divides, while bringing in key societal pillars such as businesses and religious institutions. The goal should be to craft a vision for America’s future lived experience that elevates it above the divisive visions of the left and right.

Unlike other forms of government, democracy allows citizens to choose the leaders that rule them. As a result, democracy is not only the most representative form of government, but it also inspires patriotism and loyalty. However, the current moment is suffocating democracy in america with hatred, fear and anger. Americans need to regain trust in their democratic process, and the way to do that is through engagement, not confrontation.

Many organizations and philanthropists understand that the democratic system is at risk and are investing time and money in getting more people, minorities and swing voters to vote. But, these efforts are not enough. The American democratic system is in a vicious cycle that can be turned around by the same forces that led to India’s and Hungary’s decline into authoritarian regimes, or by the nearly one-hundred year reversal that followed Reconstruction in the United States.

These forces include money politics, which have turned inequality in economic status into inequality in political status by allowing only those with the most capital to participate fully in democratic processes. They include gerrymandering laws, which allow powerful states to tilt the playing field in favor of their own businesses and families. They include the emergence of a small group of elites who control the state apparatus, manipulate public opinion and enjoy all kinds of privileges.

The authoritarian movement is cultivating a story that puts men, Christianity and White people at the top of a status hierarchy. The pro-democracy community must remain inclusive and liberal, but it cannot write off these groups as unsavable or racist. To save democracy, the pro-democracy community must build alliances within these groups that are willing to support inclusive democracy.

To build a vision of a future living experience, the pro-democracy movement must address all the divisions in America. The most important is to speak to the deep needs for reassurance and status that have long plagued some groups. To do so, it must engage in a wide range of intragroup and cross-group dialogues to build trust and develop action plans. This will often be slow and under the radar. Yet, it is essential to a revitalized democracy in America and the world. It will take a great deal of patience and creativity, but it is well worth the investment. The alternative is a more dangerous and violent world. Let’s make this work.

Freedom is one of the most beautiful concepts in all of human existence. It signifies equality, opportunity and the ability to realize our full human potential. It is often viewed as the ultimate social goal and therefore deserves society’s greatest protection. However, what does freedom really look like? Is it simply the absence of constraint or does it require a certain something to achieve?

The concept of freedom has been a complex and controversial topic for centuries. Many philosophers have debated the idea and attempted to formulate a definition that encompasses both the negative and positive aspects of the concept. However, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that freedom is a process. Just like any other goal or ideal, it takes time and effort to achieve.

One of the most common misconceptions about freedom is that it is a state that can be achieved at once. While it is true that some people have a sense of freedom that they have never experienced before, there are also those who experience a lack of freedom after attaining it. The lack of freedom after attainment is not due to a lack of willpower or determination, but rather because of an inability to overcome the psychological and cognitive barriers that interfere with our ability to control and manage ourselves.

To understand how this happens, we need to examine the relationship between free will and causality. According to Immanuel Kant, we cannot have freedom of the will unless it is independent of the physical world and its laws. This is because we need to use our faculty of action in order to achieve a particular goal or end, but we must do so through a chain of causes that are not dependent upon our free will.

When we are unable to manage ourselves and our distractions, we lose the ability to work on anything of significance. This is why so many writers and other creatives disable their internet access while working – it’s impossible to write a book or create anything meaningful if you are constantly checking Facebook or Twitter. Even high-profile authors such as Jonathan Franzen have been known to turn off their internet when writing.

In this Freedom App Review we take a closer look at this popular app which helps users eliminate online distractions and get more work done. It works by blocking access to websites and apps that distract you and tracks your productivity with a simple timer.

Once you’ve logged into your account, you can select which apps or websites to block (they have pre-selected some of the most common ones) and specify how long you want to disable their connection for. It’s very easy to use and is compatible with all of your devices (even your mobile phone) so you can block the same sites on multiple machines and sync your sessions. The only downside is that there’s no free plan but the subscription pricing is pretty affordable, especially when you pay annually.

A set of rules enforced by a sovereign government to govern conduct and maintain order in society. Laws are created, enforced, and changed by the political process in order to protect individual rights, ensure social justice, promote economic growth, facilitate international relations, and maintain societal stability. The laws of a nation are usually written and codified through a legal system, which consists of judicial and administrative institutions. Law may also refer to the principles and practices of a given industry or field of knowledge, such as the laws of science, physics, or music.

A legal system differs from country to country, and even within a single country there is often significant variation. However, many systems share some common features based on historically accepted ideals of justice. A country’s security situation and current economy can impact its law-making processes as well.

The concept of law has been the subject of much debate and analysis by political scientists and philosophers. A common theme is the tension between the rule of law and the exercise of power. While the rule of law requires that government act in a morally correct manner, the reality is that governments are frequently corrupt or have interests that conflict with those of the citizenry.

Laws are generally based on custom and tradition rather than purely logical reasoning, and this is part of what makes them so difficult to change. In 1964, Fuller formulated a set of principles that he called “the inner morality of law.” These included the requirements that laws be general, public, prospective, coherent, clear, and stable. However, critics such as Hart saw these more as tools than morality, and he believed that the rule of law only worked in practice if it reflected the social realities of a particular time and place.

There are many different legal institutions in a country, including a judicial branch (courts and appellate courts) and an executive branch (the president, prime minister, cabinet, and other government officials). A court of law typically has a judge and several lawyers who represent parties or provide legal advice to the judges. Other legal functions include criminal prosecutions, which are handled by prosecutors, and civil litigation, which is generally overseen by public defenders who are assigned to cases where the defendant can’t afford an attorney. Probation is a sentencing alternative to imprisonment that involves monitoring convicted offenders released on probation. Be a law unto oneself means to take matters into one’s own hands, and to mete out justice as one sees fit without recourse to the normal legal channels of the community: “The townspeople took justice into their own hands when they murdered the sheriff.” These examples show that even in countries with established legal systems, the law can be used for both good and evil. However, some laws are more effective than others at promoting the rule of law and ensuring that people of all backgrounds receive the same basic level of protections.

In the decades since Suharto fell, Indonesia has made remarkable progress in building democracy, with a free press, multiple competing political parties and new leaders elected every five years. The country’s per capita income, freedom of association and the strength of a vibrant civil society also have improved. The question is whether these trends will hold up in the future.

Currently, the country is experiencing a crisis that threatens to derail the democratic gains of the past two decades. An entrenched elite with ties to the old regime, weak economic development, unequal health and education services and the activity of radical sectarian elements are creating a powerful undercurrent that may destabilize the system.

To counter these challenges, scholars have identified a number of key factors that contribute to the durability of democracies: a strong separation of religion and politics; clear ideological alignment between voters and politicians; and the existence of clearly identifiable opposing partisan camps with distinct identities and goals. Though Indonesia scores highly in all of these areas, the country still has a way to go to become a consolidated democracy.

A significant problem is the absence of a cohesive opposition that could function as a check on executive power. The only force capable of forming such a group is an assertive Islamist bloc that would likely clash with the secularism favored by most members of Indonesia’s elite class. This puts the country in a difficult position, in which it must weigh a desire to consolidate liberal values against the necessity of strengthening democratic representation and accountability.

The other key issue is a weakness in the rule of law. While the government’s record on corruption and rule of law enforcement has improved, the country is plagued by endemic corruption at local and regional levels. Many of these problems stem from the direct election of regional executives, which allows citizens to vote directly for their region’s governors, district heads and mayors. The practice has resulted in a system that is more prone to vote-buying than indirect elections in other longstanding democracies such as Australia, India and the United Kingdom.

Lastly, the emergence of a handful of militant Islamic groups has undermined Indonesia’s traditionally tolerant civil society. These groups have ties to the military and engage in violence against religious and secular groups, as well as private citizens, who are accused of failing to adhere to strict religious precepts. As a result, many Indonesians believe that their civil liberties are under threat and report feeling less safe than they did in the past. In the end, it will be up to civil society groups to ensure that the democratic gains of the past two decades are not eroded by an emerging authoritarian threat. But unless these groups can develop a coherent and compelling message that is capable of being heard by the general public, they are unlikely to be able to prevent the erosion of the democratic fabric in which the country has invested so much.

Democracy is the word used to refer to a political system that puts the people’s will, not a privileged group’s will, at the center of its decision-making. It involves the free participation of citizens in government, through periodic and genuine elections, where they express their will on matters that affect them directly and through representatives chosen freely.

The word democracy comes from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule). It describes a form of governmental organization that developed in some of the city-states in the fifth century bce, including Athens. It is an idea with a powerful and enduring appeal, inspiring some of the most stirring speeches by leaders in human history—from Pericles in Athens to Vaclav Havel in modern Czechoslovakia. It is also a concept that is widely associated with certain values—equality, human rights, freedom and responsibility, etc.—that most people hold dear and that many would like to see reflected in the way their societies are run and the manner in which they live together.

There is no one clear definition of democracy, though most involve the principle of popular sovereignty—in Abraham Lincoln’s words, a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” Democracy has also been defined as a process of choosing a government through regular and genuine elections, wherein the population chooses a representative to act on their behalf in the country they live in. It is also a principle that states that people have the right to discuss ideas with others and to meet and organize in groups to protest decisions they oppose or disagree with, even if these activities are inconvenient for governments.

In terms of the individuals who make up the demos, some philosophers have argued that democracy cultivates in its participants qualities like autonomy, rationality, activity, and morality. This is the reason some favor it over other forms of government, including monarchy and aristocracy.

But other scholars argue that these virtues are not innate to democracy, and furthermore that they may be undermined by democratic institutions, such as electoral fraud, corruption, poverty, and weak rule of law. In addition, the fact that a minority of people have more influence over democracy than the majority makes the possibility of negative effects a real threat.

A further problem is that it takes time for the different facets of people’s lives to find organized political expression. Thus, some issues may have to wait a long time for their voices to be heard—such as the exploitation of the poor by the rich, the environmental impact of industrial society, or the need for women’s participation in politics (UDHR Article 20).

The nature and extent of democracy’s influence on individual and social life depends largely on prevailing political, cultural, and economic conditions. Democracy can also be eroded by temporary or long-term political violence, and by government interference in the electoral process. It can also be weakened by social divisions and ethnic tensions, the prevalence of religious fundamentalism, or discrimination in hiring and housing.

One of democracy’s core principles is the idea that all citizens are treated equally, with justice and freedom of choice. This balance is essential to a healthy society and a prosperous economy. It requires compromise and collaboration, and the willingness of people to give up some personal preferences for the greater good. It is a delicate balance and the health of democracy depends on many factors, including voting rights, government performance and public trust. The recent loss of confidence in the US government is raising alarms that democracy has hit a critical inflection point. A 2022 report from the Brookings Institution states that the US is experiencing a deep, systemic democratic crisis, which poses a threat to the economic and social health of America. And according to a study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the US has become more erratic and irrational as democracy has been eroded at home.

In the late 19th century, Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville visited America and wrote Democracy in America. Tocqueville saw a country in the midst of a whirlwind transformation. Manifest destiny was physically expanding the nation from sea to shining sea, and industrialization was rapidly changing America’s agrarian lifestyle into a capitalist society. This transformation, although it improved living standards for many Americans, also aggravated sectional tensions between North and South.

At the same time, American democracy was experiencing an unprecedented level of political polarization. The norms of democracy—self-restraint in the exercise of power and a rejection of violence—were eroding rapidly. The Supreme Court had become politicized, and partisan battles had reached even the most insular of institutions.

Many scholars and pundits today agree that the US is not living up to the ideals of democracy. Some worry that democracy is in serious decline and that the US will no longer be able to serve as a model for other countries to follow. Certainly, the international community is questioning whether or not the US should continue to export American democratic values abroad, which only fuels distrust and encourages bloc-based confrontation.

Tocqueville’s warnings are more relevant than ever. It is clear that the United States needs to reflect on its internal democracy and make substantial changes. The country should also pragmatically reassess its foreign policy methods and focus on cooperation instead of confrontation.

This digital edition of Democracy in America includes a full set of footnotes and links to the original works that Tocqueville referenced while researching and writing the book. It was edited by Alan Keely, retired Associate Director for Collection Services at Wake Forest Law School. HeinOnline is proud to partner with him to provide students and researchers this innovative new way to explore this important work. HeinOnline’s unique tools enable users to jump from the pages of Democracy in America into the original sources it references. For more on this and other groundbreaking new digital content from HeinOnline, visit HeinOnline’s Constitutional Law Library. Copyright notice: Text is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND). It may be archived and redistributed for noncommercial use only, with attribution to the author and a link to this copyright notice.

Freedom means more than just the ability to live without restrictions; it’s also about empowering individuals by providing them with tools to help them realize their full potential. Freedom allows individuals to take control of their lives and make decisions that reflect their values, beliefs, and preferences. Freedom is essential in ensuring that people are able to live the lives they want to live and to contribute to society in a meaningful way.

For some, freedom might mean having access to healthcare and education. For others, it might mean the opportunity to travel and explore new places. Regardless of what freedom means to each individual, it’s clear that it’s a fundamental human right.

Freedom is one of the most important things that we can have, and it’s something that we should always strive to achieve. However, just because something is a human right doesn’t mean that it’s easy to accomplish. There are a lot of barriers that prevent people from achieving their goals, and the most common barrier is lack of self-discipline. This is where apps like Freedom come into play, as they can help individuals stay focused on work by blocking distracting websites and applications.

Unlike other productivity apps, Freedom is a freemium app that offers users seven free block sessions without any credit card information required. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to download the app for Windows or macOS from the official website and follow the on-screen prompts to install it. The app will then be available to use in your taskbar or menu bar and will remain visible at all times.

Once you’ve installed the app, you can create a session and choose what apps and websites to block. You can start a session immediately or schedule it to begin at a specific time in the future. You can also add app exceptions and disable notifications if you need to be alerted when certain apps are activated.

In addition to the standard list of distractions, you can also block social media and news sites, which is a great feature for those who need to focus on work. The app also supports multiple devices and comes with a locked mode, which can be a real lifesaver if you need to be away from distractions for an extended period of time.

There are many other apps that can block websites and applications, but Freedom stands out because of its ease of use and hands-off approach. This is one of the most effective apps for helping users stay disciplined when using technology, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you struggle with staying productive. The fact that it can be used on unlimited devices makes it even more useful, and the locked mode feature is a great way to ensure that you don’t accidentally cancel your blocked sessions. With that being said, the app can sometimes struggle with some websites (especially Facebook) and might not block them completely.

The law is a system of rules created and made enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior. Its precise definition is a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the art of justice. Regardless of its exact nature, law is one of the foundations upon which society stands and the basis for the rights and duties of citizens. It requires that people respect and comply with legal norms, accept decisions of the courts when their interests conflict with those of others and protect themselves against abuses of power. It also demands the independence of the judiciary, transparency of government business and integrity of legal procedures.

The heritage of law’s philosophical debate stretches back millennia, from Aristotle’s work on the concept of justice, through medieval theorists such as Richard Foxe, John Locke and Niccolo Machiavelli and the European Enlightenment writers like Montesquieu and John Adams. It continues to reshape thinking today in the work of Max Weber, who questioned traditional ideas of the state’s extension into civil society and of the relationship between the individual citizen and the authority of the state.

Modern law is a vast subject, covering virtually every aspect of human life in some way or another. It is often divided into three broad areas for convenience, though the subjects intertwine and overlap: labour law focuses on the tripartite industrial relationship between employer, worker and trade unions; criminal and civil procedure are concerned with the rules that govern how trials and appeals proceed; and evidence law is the study of which materials can be admitted into court as valid proof in cases.

Other areas of law include environmental and tax laws. Environmental laws regulate the exploitation of natural resources and prohibit the emission of pollutants; tax laws set minimum standards for corporate taxes, value added taxes and other types of levies. Banking and financial law sets rules for granting loans, regulating capital investment and preventing bank runs. Banking laws also require banks to maintain minimum capital reserves.

There are also laws governing space travel, which cover everything from manned flights to private spacecraft to the use of outer space. Law is even involved in our online activities, with cyberlaw examining how to protect personal data, such as passwords and email addresses, and with privacy laws.

A key element in any law course is teaching students to understand the parliamentary process by which bills become laws. The basic principle is that a representative sponsors a bill and it is then assigned to a committee for study. If released from the committee, it can be debated and voted on in the House of Representatives; once a bill is passed by the House and signed into law by the president (or repassed over the president’s veto), it becomes law. This basic legislative process has been criticised as inherently corrupt, since the people who sponsor and vote on bills are often the same powerful officials to whom the Rule of Law is supposed to offer a counterweight.

After decades of authoritarian rule, Indonesia’s political landscape was transformed by democratic reforms. But the transformation has been slow and uneven, with the country still lagging behind on several civil and human rights benchmarks. This article looks at whether the Indonesian state meets key requirements for a consolidated democracy and highlights areas where further improvement is needed.

Does the legal framework for elections and electoral management bodies ensure that citizens are able to choose their leaders freely? Indonesia’s electoral rules were designed through a lengthy process described as “a game of inches” in which interested parties negotiated for years, considering the implications of each proposed change and bartering support for one amendment for another. The process resulted in a set of rules that are broadly considered to be fair, but there are exceptions. For example, the hereditary sultan of Yogyakarta continues to serve as that region’s unelected governor under a law passed in 2012.

Do voters and candidates have freedom from domination by external or extrapolitical forces? The military remains a powerful force in Indonesian politics. A number of former commanders have been tapped for cabinet posts, and President Joko Widodo’s own military background gives him a unique platform to shape public discourse and policy. In addition, local ordinances based on Sharia law impose strict restrictions on dress and gambling, among other things, and are frequently disproportionately enforced against women and LGBT+ individuals.

Can people move freely within the country and between regions to pursue employment, education, and private businesses? The freedom to work, travel, and establish residences is respected in practice, though this right can be restricted if a person is suspected of supporting separatism or insurgency. Moreover, corruption is widespread in the justice system. Courts regularly convict suspects on the basis of coerced confessions, and judges can be influenced by religious considerations.

Are citizens protected from arbitrary arrests and detention, and from torture and other cruel treatment in police custody? Existing safeguards against ill-treatment in criminal cases are often not enforced. In addition, police reportedly engage in repression of dissent and restrict freedom of expression through the use of vaguely-worded laws. The death penalty is imposed for serious crimes, and prisoners are reported to be subjected to physical and emotional abuse.

Do different segments of the population (ethnic, racial, religious, gender, and sexual orientation) have full political rights and electoral opportunities?

When Jokowi first ran for the presidency in 2014, his humble origins and pro-market policies fueled hopes that he would usher in a wave of reform. His anti-corruption pledges and can-do track record in local government bolstered expectations that he could bring similar reforms to the national level. However, his alliance with populist leaders who share increasingly illiberal inclinations has sparked concerns of a rise in “strongman” politics. He also has struggled to deliver on his promises of boosting economic growth and curbing inequality. This has led to an increase in popular frustrations with the government’s record.

A democracy is a way of organizing people to make and implement decisions for the common good. A democratic society allows and encourages all its citizens to participate through voting, volunteering, activism or public discourse. This participation ensures that the views and opinions of all citizens are heard, taken into account and represented in government. Democracy also guarantees that everyone has a fair chance of having their voice heard by the government, through regular elections that are free and open to all.

Democracy’s name derives from two Greek words: demos, meaning ‘people’, and kratos, which means ‘rule’ or ‘power’. It’s a system of rule based on the principle that power should be distributed to the whole of society and that all people are equal in the eyes of law. Democracies guard against all-powerful central governments and decentralize decision making to local levels, understanding that the best way to meet the needs of their citizens is through genuine consultation.

The three most commonly used indicators for assessing the health of a democracy are:

1. How well do different groups in society feel that they have a say in how the country is run?

The answer is a direct reflection of whether the rights and freedoms that democracy is based on are in effect. If there are infringements of these rights, for example if someone is discriminated against due to their race, creed or gender, it will be much harder for them to have a say in how their community and nation are run. This in turn can reduce the quality of democracy and increase inequality.

2. How well do people see their elected representatives holding the government accountable?

There are a number of ways to measure this, but the most common is through polling. This is a process that involves asking questions about the performance of the government and its members and comparing results to other countries. The goal is to understand how well people think their elected representatives are performing and what improvements can be made.

3. How well do people feel that the justice, peace and governance systems are responsive to their needs?

This is a key question for all democracies as it is one of the core tenets of democracy. The most commonly used indicators of this are whether or not people believe their governments have a fair judiciary, treat women equally and provide the right to religion. This is a global concern with majorities in all countries surveyed saying that these issues are very important to them. In contrast, the lowest rated priority is the ability to form an opposition party, which is only seen as very important in nine of the thirty-five countries surveyed. This suggests that there is a need for more work on how to make democracy work better. This could involve finding new ways to allow people to express their views without fear of social opprobrium, or it might involve encouraging more civic involvement by developing more effective models for citizen engagement and decentralization.