On 12 Jun 2003 at 10:16, Gautam Mukunda wrote: > --- Andrew Crystall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > What would that be? I for one would certainly argue > > that every > > democracy so far has had a definate weakness in > > terms of long term > > planning and stability.... > > > > Andy > > The oldest written Constitution in the world (the > oldest single government in the world in some > political science databases) is democratic (the United > States). Britain has, depending on the definition you > use, been a stable democracy since some time in the > nineteenth century (most poli. sci. databases use the > late 1860s, after some Reform Act or another - I can't > at the moment recall which one). Since the Second > World War, no democratic government with a per capita > income (inflation adjusted) over $3000 / year has ever > relapsed into dictatorship. The number may be a > little low - it's been a while since I read Fareed > Zakaria's work on the subject. In any case, the > evidence seems to suggest that democratic governments > are considerably more, not less, stable than their > autocratic counterparts.
I don't necessarily view a codified constitution like the USA's as an advantage over an uncodified (it's not true to say that we don't HAVE one) like the UK. Also, until the middle of this century the UK was not really a democracy - the House of Lords could veto laws and the Monarchy had at least some power. Given the issues unresolved in a low of Democracies (Canada and Germany, by facing their issues, are perhaps IMO the closest to stability). I'n not call them stable - there is no long term continuity of policy. How this could be resolved is debateable. . Perhaps each year 1/3 or 1/4 of the MP's (or your equivalent) could be elected - that that would prevent goverments from enacting massively unpopular measures and getting away wtith it because they had several years to cover up the damage. I also, admitedly, like Germany's Partial List system. Andy Dawn Falcon _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
