Representative Democracy Definition, Pros, and Cons

Representative democracy is a form of government in which the people elect officials to create laws and policy on their behalf. Nearly 60% of the world’s countries employ a form of government based on representative democracy, including the United States (a democratic republic), the United Kingdom is (a constitutional monarchy), and France (a unitary state). Representative democracy is sometimes called indirect democracy. Representative Democracy Definition In a representative democracy, the people elect officials to create and vote on laws, policies, and other matters of government on their behalf. In this manner, representative democracy is the opposite of direct democracy, in which the people themselves vote on every law or policy considered at every level of government. Representative democracy is typically employed in larger countries where the sheer number of citizens involved would make direct democracy unmanageable.   Common characteristics of representative democracy include: The powers of the elected representatives are defined by a constitution which establishes the basic laws, principles, and framework of the government.The constitution may provide for some forms of limited direct democracy, such as recall elections and ballot initiative elections.Elected representatives may also have the power to select other government leaders, such as a prime minister or president.An independent judiciary body, such as the U.S. Supreme Court, may have the power to declare laws enacted by the representatives to be unconstitutional. In some representative democracies with bicameral legislatures, one chamber is not elected by the people. For example, members of the British Parliament’s House of Lords and the Senate of Canada obtain their positions through appointment, heredity, or official function. Representative democracy stands out in sharp contrast to forms of government such as totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism, which allow the people little-to-no elected representation. Representative Democracy in the U.S. In the United States, representative democracy is employed at both the national government and state government levels. At the national government level, the people elect the president and the officials who represent them in the two chambers of Congress—the House of Representatives and the Senate. At the state government level, the people elect the governor and members of the state legislatures who rule according to the state constitutions. The President of the United States, the Congress, and the federal courts share powers reserved to the national government by the U.S. Constitution. In creating a functional system called â€Å"federalism,† the U.S. Constitution also shares certain political powers with the states. Pros and Cons of Representative Democracy Representative democracy is the most prevalent form of government. As such, it has both advantages and disadvantages to the government and the people. Pros Efficient: A single elected official represents the desires of a large number of people. In the United States, for example, just two U.S. Senators represent all of the people in their states. By conducting a limited number of national elections, countries with representative democracies save time and money, which can then be devoted to other public needs. Empowers the People: The people of each of the country’s political subdivisions (state, district, region, etc.) choose the representatives who will make their voices heard by the national government. Should those representatives fail to meet the expectations of their constituents, the voters can replace them in the next election. Encourages Participation: When people are confident that they have a say in their governments decisions, they are more likely to remain aware of issues affecting their country and to vote as a way of making their opinions on those issues heard. Cons Not Always Reliable: The votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. The officials are not bound by law to vote the way the people who elected them want them to vote. Unless term limits apply to the official in question, the only options available to dissatisfied constituents are to vote the representative out of office in the next regular election or, in some cases, to demand a recall election. Can Become Inefficient: Governments shaped by representative democracy may develop into massive bureaucracies, which are notoriously slow to take action, especially on momentous issues. Can Invite Corruption: Candidates may misrepresent their stances on issues or policy goals in order to achieve political power. In office, politicians may act in the service of personal financial gain rather than for the benefit of their constituents (sometimes to the direct detriment of their constituents). In the final analysis, a representative democracy should truly result in a government that is created â€Å"by the people, for the people.† However, its success in doing so depends on the people’s freedom to express their wishes to their representatives and the willingness of those representatives to act accordingly. Sources The Importance of Representative Democracy. The Nebraska State Legislature.Kateb, George. The Moral Distinctiveness of Representative Democracy. Institute of Education Services.Desilver, Drew. Despite concerns about global democracy, nearly six-in-ten countries are now democratic. Pew Research Center (2017)Russell, Greg. Constitutionalism: America Beyond. U.S. Department of State.

What Are The Differenceibility Of A SIEM Tools What Is...

SIEM Tools Another defense measure against zero-day threats is utilizing Security Information and Event Management tools SIEM detection: New attack vectors and vulnerabilities are discovered every day. As previously discussed firewalls, IDS and Intrusion Protection Systems (IPS) hunt for malicious activity at various points across the network from the perimeter to endpoints. Taking the search to another level, a SIEM solution has the capability to detect zero-day attacks. This capability can detect activity associated with an attack rather than the attack itself such as a well-crafted spear-phishing attack using a zero-day exploit has a high likelihood of making it through spam filters, firewalls and antivirus software, and being opened†¦show more content†¦After the bug is made known publicly, the exploit raises five times the magnitude† ([ANU], 2013). By utilizing algorithms from data-mining, identifies the frequency of the exploit and can add a rating of the potential of th e threat impacting new versions of software enhancing a defense strategy. Studies show that threats can be identified with a 98.5% accuracy with 2.5% false positive rate. Understanding the delta between accepted and behavior mimicking a compromising behavior better equips professionals awareness of a threat or exploit. Data Analytics Solution Using big data analytics brings the capability of delivering vital information for detecting the formation of an attack prior to it striking and penetrating network defenses. By identifying and containing the exfiltration of data by malicious insiders, an organization can build a stronger cyber defense posture. Possessing the knowledge of the differences between acceptable and nefarious behavior is the key to identifying and stopping zero-day exploits. Big data analytics expands the knowledge base for anomaly detections by applying innovative pattern recognition techniques with machine learning algorithms identifying malicious behavior. Using big data analysis, the capability of predictive analytics through machine learning to recognize patterns in open-source data, supports

Shes BALD free essay sample

What is beauty? Is it the hair, skin color, and eyes or is it the person? What defines and who defines it? I went bald this week and the reaction I got was unbelievable. Some said it looked great, others didnt like it. The stigma of what is beautiful affects high school students in a way I never expected. Certain people wont talk to me because I went bald, or just stare and whisper at the fact that I have no hair. What do they care? Is it their head or is it mine? They ask why I did it; the only answer I have is that I was tired of my hair. I was tired of putting chemicals in my hair , and my hair was falling out because of it. So I decided to just cut it all off. NoI dont have cancer. Nomy intention was not to make a statement. We will write a custom essay sample on Shes BALD or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But while the issue is on hand, why not talk about it? Beauty to me is not defined by the amount of hair I have. To me its defined by my personality, my creativity, my passion, my love for those I care about, my eyes, my smile. Beauty is me. Its not what I wear or the amount of hair I have on my head. My hair does not make me. What everyone must understand is that the media should not dictate what beauty is because the media changes. The medias interpretation of beauty is sometimes not realistic. The truth is that as an individual you must define what beauty is to you. Your neighbor, your mother, you boy/girl friend do not define it. I find that those who are uncomfortable with my hair are uncomfortable with themselves. I have the confidence, the elegance and the grace to be who I am and not apologize for it. Neither should you. Do not comprise yourself and conform to societys view of the norm. Be bold, be yourself. Love yourself. And never apologize for it. (You can be beautiful on the outside yet ugly on the inside. Outside beauty fades but inner beauty lasts a lifetime.)

Recovery and Relapse free essay sample

What must be remembered is that the rewards for living a sober life are many, and they should be considered as motivation to remain clean and sober. The Brain In order to understand about recovery, one must first understand about addiction. Drug addiction is thought to be a combination of both biological and psychological factors, including the Dopamine Theory (Pinel, 2007). The Dopamine Theory is one in which the hypothesis states that addicts have reduced dopamine levels when not using drugs, which makes it extremely difficult for them to stop using for any length of time (Pinel). There is much evidence supporting this theory, there is also evidence supporting the theory that sex and food also increase the release of dopamine in the brain as natural reinforcers. The neurotransmitters are constantly working in the brain, releasing their chemicals which are needed for healthy living. Too much of one of too little of one throws the body into an unbalance state, whether it is before or after drug use. We will write a custom essay sample on Recovery and Relapse or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When a person is first in recovery from drugs, their biological makeup is considerably out of sync. What is normal for them due to the drug use is not normal for others, and their brains are reacting as if in a â€Å"crash†. The production of dopamine is lessened, and they feel lethargic and often depressed due to the lack of drugs in their systems. Sometimes their serotonin and endorphin levels are effected which leads to a biological and mental depression. This is causing a biological reaction which then brings on a psychological reaction of anxiety and stress (Pinel, 2007), which can be very daunting to the person in recovery. Without the energy needed from the brain, many people lose all internal motivation, leaving them craving more of what the drug brought to their system. Craving Craving is an extremely intense urge for the drug that has been withheld from the person, and many times this craving is too intense for many addicts in recovery to withstand. The negative symptoms from the withdrawal are many, and oftentimes they are both physical and mental, causing even more cravings to â€Å"feel better† again (Deckers, 2010). This motivation to use again is negative, although at the time it is often the only foreseeable event a person sees that will help them. Addiction is terrible, withdrawal is painful, and the mental stress endured is extremely hard for many to take for long, especially without the support of family or friends. Heredity Oftentimes it is presumed that everyone has a parent or loved one that can help these people in recovery on their journey, and motivate and encourage them in their walk toward sobriety, but that is not always the case. In most cases there is a genetic predisposition to addiction, meaning that there may be some inherited traits. This theory implies that there may be a gene to be isolated that causes addiction, though this is only a theory without proven support (Deckers, 2010). What is known though is that between the inherited traits and the environment a person is raised in, much is taken in by which the personality is formed. A person with a personality for sensation seeking or an impulsive and high-risk taker will probably be more at risk for developing addictions than someone who is a lower risk taker and who less impulsive (Deckers). There is also the theory that in some addicts the reward center is not readily activated by the â€Å"usual† and everyday occurrences in life (Comer, 2005). This reward deficiency makes it even more difficult for a person to remain internally motivated to remain in recovery due to the physiological malfunctions taking place in their brains. When a person comes into recovery, they may be motivated internally to have a better life, become a better parent, or just remain sober. This motivation may be psychological and very strong, the person may want to be sober and become sober minded and start out on their path of recovery with that strong ntrinsic factor. After they have stopped using drugs, their battle is actually just beginning as they learn to deal with the triggers in life that may fall on them. If they do not have close family to lend them support and to encourage them in an external motivating factor, then the person in recovery may give in to the familiar, and fall bac k into their life of drugs. There are also the physiological happenings in the brain and their neurotransmitters, which can be more powerful than their psychological drive (Comer, 2005). Relapse Although there are many obstacles to be found in recovery, recovery is possible. There are many events to watch out for though on this path that could lead to drug relapse. Priming is a good example of how someone can relapse, by using a drug just one more time (Deckers, 2010). Many times a person can have a time of sobriety and their physical withdrawal symptoms have decreased. They begin to feel better as their neurotransmitters and dopamine levels are more stable, and psychologically they begin to have more confidence and self-esteem. Though this is good, it can lead a person to believe that they can use â€Å"just one time† and stop. This one time use can actually reestablish their cravings for the â€Å"high†, and cause the person to be right back into their addiction. This priming actually brings on the cravings once again for the effects the drugs have on them, and that becomes their internal or intrinsic motivation (Deckers). Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors Many times a person can begin this fall and be helped by external factors, such as their families and friends encouragement to stop using. External motivations for sobriety are often in the form of friends and family who can encourage and pull a person to wanting a better and drug free life. Unfortunately these same types of external motivations found through others can also be the motivation that pulls a person back into the drugs too. Motivation can be both positive and negative, and can be found internally or externally. It is thought that someone with strong internal or intrinsic motivational factors can become sober easier and maintain that sobriety longer than those with less of the internal motivation. Facts seem to point out though that it takes both, internal and external motivations working in a â€Å"push/pull† rhythm to gain more strength and ability to stand. Other external motivating factors to remain in recovery could be loss of freedom, loss of children, and even loss of their own lives if their physical heath has deteriorated due to their drug use. These reinforcers and punishers play a big role in whether a person maintains their sobriety or not, and should be used to positively encourage the person on their path of recovery. Positive reinforcement can also be used with incentives, such as getting their children back, to encourage sobriety. Many times, before a person enters in to recover for their first time, they have been arrested or felt the negative punishers from their drug use. These same negative punishers may also be the incentive needed for someone to gain and remain sober. Conclusion In conclusion it must be stated that although recovery can be difficult, it is done on a daily basis. It is in the recovery process that people learn to find deep within them a reason for living sober, and see external rewards and incentives to maintain their sobriety.