Does Religion Foster Democracy - 1383 Words

Does religion foster democracy? This question has plagued many political scientists for decades. Carsten Ancker examines the theories of Samuel P. Huntington in her work â€Å"Religion and Democracy: A Worldwide Comparison.† In 1991, Huntington hypothesized that religion led to the institutionalization of democracy, especially Christianity. Huntington referenced the rise of democracies in the 70’s that were related to the spread of religion as well as earlier, when Protestantism was popular. In his book, he refers to these democratic booms as â€Å"waves†. The third wave began in Portugal in 1974, when the Estado Novo regime collapsed. The topic of religion’s role in politics is incredibly important in a society with changing religious and moral ideals. America’s moral standards have changed to reflect a more self-centered generation where the deities are more materialistic and less spiritual. As religious ideals seem to fall by the wayside, it sta nds to reason that we should question what happens next. For the past three â€Å"waves†, democracy seems to be founded on religion and the belief in a higher power. What will the next wave bring? We may be better equipped to answer this question if we first examine the true impact that religion has on governments. If we look back at the past, it seems obvious that religion plays a role in the formation of governments. The rulers of Europe were said to be ordained by God. The Catholic church played a massive role in determining the fates of theShow MoreRelatedThe Asian Value Debate686 Words   |  3 Pages Asian Values predicated on the idea that Asian countries have a unique set of institutions and political ideologies that reflect the regions cultures and histories. Although Asia consists of diverse ethnicity and cultures who practice various religions, the core basis of most Asian cultures are similar such as the importance of collectivism and consensus. Asia as a whole lacked a regional institutional mechanism, and because of this ‘Asian Values’ has been interpreted differently by different ethnicRead MorePolitical Conflicts And The Age Of Globalization Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pagesfundamentals is rather a characteristic of deeply-divided, non-democratic societies than cons olidated democracies. In these circumstances, a different sort of compromise - that is much more difficult to attain - will be necessary to accommodate the various claims, values and ideals at stake that are inherent to ideological and identity schisms. Thorough, perilous and painstaking negotiation is needed to both foster the enlarged perspective likely to make the need for compromise apparent, and to encourage theRead MoreSummary of Primacy of Culture by Francis Fukuyama Essay1463 Words   |  6 PagesFuture Ââ€" Francis Fukuyama argues that for any new ideology or political trend to emerge that rival those of liberal democracy, it requires the precursor of developments at the level of civic society and culture. Accordingly, he sees the only civic society, and culture that seems poised to do so is Asia. Fukuyama bases his judgment on the claim that for the consolidation of democracy, there must exist four levels of change: On the first level is Ideology, followed by Institutions, then Civil SocietyRead MoreWhat are the key features and limitations of a liberal democratic state?1600 Words   |  7 PagesDemocracy is a frequently used word but its meaning is rarely fully understood. A democratic political system is one in which the ultimate political authority is vested in the people. The word democracy comes from the Greek words demos which means the people and kratos which means authority. Democracy first flourished in the ancient polis of Athens, where huge gatherings were held in order t o vote on certain issues. Liberalism is a political view that seeks to change the political, economicRead MorePolitical Philosophy Of Liberalism1098 Words   |  5 PagesLiberalism is a political viewpoint that is established on the thoughts of liberty and equality. Thus, liberalists promote various ideas that are aligned to the concepts of liberty and equality such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, gender equality, and civil rights. In general, it can be argued that the philosophy of liberalism is focused on protecting and promoting the freedom of the people (Celikates and Jansen). As such, it presents the people as the central issue of politics. In factRead MoreEssay about Summary of Primacy of Culture by Francis Fukuyama1443 Words   |  6 PagesFuture – Francis Fukuyama argues that for any new ideology or political trend to emerge that rival those of liberal democracy, it requires the precursor of developments at the level of civic society and culture. Accordingly, he sees the only civic society, and culture that seems poised to do so is Asia. Fukuyama bases his judgment on the claim that for the consolidation of democracy, there must exist four levels of change: On the first level is Ideology, followed by Institutions, then Civil SocietyRead MoreThe Negative Effects of Imperialism in Nigeria (its possible to go into more detail, but my pages were limited to this many)1570 Words   |  7 Pagessouth. From the start of the European penetration, the missionaries who set out to convert the heathens of Africa were mostly concerned with the Niger Delta. Due to the “limited number of missionaries who spread themselves thinly”, the impact of the religion with the most followers in the world stopped short of the northernmost reache s of Nigeria. The Nigerians of the north, the Hausa-Fulani, did not have as much contact with the British as the Yoruba and Igbo did. “Change was to occur, but gradually;Read More Does Democracy Work for the Entire World? Essay1413 Words   |  6 PagesDoes Democracy Work for the Entire World? Immanuel Kant—the father of Liberal Internationalism—envisioned a world not torn by hostilities and fraught with the horrors of war. Instead he aspired to a higher level of existence— an existence to be obtained through democracy and free market capitalism, to be regulated by a hierarchy, to maintain sovereignty. Kant’s vision of a league of peace—a treaty to end all wars forever, so to speak—has yet to be accomplished. These hopes for a perpetual peaceRead MoreThe Rhetoric Of Hitler s Battle By Kenneth Burke1475 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluence the relations of the public to an enterprise, idea or group.† Manipulation is a quintessential quality in modern democracy—allowing the â€Å"executive arm of the invisible government† to control the public. For example, Hitler united a mass of people by reworking current movements and providing them with a sole leader and ideology—often using Nazi propaganda to foster a sen se of community. Similarly, Bernays asserts that propaganda is often distributed by a select leader or utilized by theRead MoreTense Present Democracy, English, And The Wars Over Usage1043 Words   |  5 PagesSummary of â€Å"Tense Present Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage† Published in April of 2001 by Harper’s Magazine, David Foster Wallace’s essay is both a review of A Dictionary of Modern Usage by Bryan A. Garner and an interjection into the present day â€Å"Usage Wars.† Wallace’s thesis for his essay is stated after a list of grammatical errors that are overlooked on a daily basis and a few paragraphs defining SNOOT. His thesis states, â€Å"Issues of tradition vs. egalitarianism in U.S. English are