Political systems are the formal and informal political processes that govern the use, production, and distribution of resources in a society. Political processes, both formal and informal, are included. Informal and customary political systems, norms, and rules can coexist with or operate alongside formal political institutions depending on the context. The political system in the United States is dominated by gain-seeking actors, with two political parties competing for resources and influence the vast majority of the time. As a result of such actions, Americans are no longer able to meet the four promises made by the political system. Instead of uniting citizens, political parties divide them based on competing parties’ ideologies, which is counterproductive. To put it another way, as political parties compete to strengthen divisions based on political party affiliations, the aspect of providing a practical solution to a common problem is undermined.
The goal of this particular political game is to motivate and attract voters, donors, and special interests from both sides of the political aisle. Furthermore, politicians are not held accountable when problems are not resolved or progress is not made. More importantly, legislators and party leaders are not held accountable for incompetence or poor performance in their positions. While the importance of a healthy political system cannot be overstated, policy priorities that promote order, stability, prosperity, and freedom are not explored consistently and coherently. Political systems must be examined because they are dynamic. Political systems will be examined in terms of rules, patterns, triangulation, coalitions, and self-reflection, among other things.
Overview of the system
The political system in which we live is one of representative democracy. The United States is a democratic republic with a representative government. This means that the government is chosen by the people who live there. Election participation and communication with elected officials, two activities in which all citizens can take part, can help to strengthen America’s democracy. One of the factors that can contribute to the development of a political system is the promotion of equality among the various organs that comprise a government. Notably, for a country to achieve order, stability, prosperity, and freedom, political leaders must develop the concept of moral equality. This implies that everyone, regardless of differences, must be treated in the same way as others. Prioritizing equality in the political system contributes to the equitable distribution of services throughout society. It implies that the state can be held easily liable for its influence over the distribution of services in a society as long as it can be proven. Furthermore, this influence has the potential to promote citizen equality, resulting in the long-term establishment of a successful political system.
The labels represent the left and right wings, respectively. Although there are left-wing factions within the Democratic Party and small third parties such as the Green Party, Communist Party, and Party for Socialist Liberation, the United States has had no major left-wing political parties since the nineteenth century.
The term “right-wing” can refer to any segment of a political party or political system that advocates for free enterprise and private ownership and generally favors socially conservative ideas. Libertarians on the right, for example, are culturally liberal but fiscally conservative.
Rules
In addition to the system’s implicit rules, the system’s overt rules may be associated with common regulations based on faiths and other nationalities. Every culture has its own set of rules that must be followed and are open to debate and compromise. Explicit norms are those that are explicitly declared and readily visible to members of a state, fostering ownership, interaction, and negotiation. They aid in the clarification of the parents’ own family members’ goals and expectations.
The secret rules are based on the constitution and are non-negotiable under any circumstances because the rule of law must be followed. The fact that covert standards are unwritten and rigid stems from the fact that they are not subject to dispute or negotiation. As a result, they may become “family secrets” that serve to regulate behavior within the family. Furthermore, the cloaked rule is linked to the right to suffrage, which states that everyone has the right to vote regardless of race or color.
Patterns
In the patterns of political conduct, fundamental questions about the public’s political capacities, such as their level of knowledge, awareness, and interest in political events, are posed. Voters must be aware of the options that the government is contemplating for them to make meaningful judgments. Citizens must have an adequate awareness of the political system to be able to influence and regulate the actions of their elected representatives.
One of the most essential roles played by citizens in democracies and other political systems are the ability to make judgments on political matters, which is one of the most crucial abilities a citizen may have. If you’re a citizen of a democratic country, you’ll make decisions about which political parties or candidates to support in an election, as well as decisions about which issue opinions you hold, how you want to participate in politics, and other considerations. In some political systems, the choices offered to citizens change, but the job of making a decision remains constant. An autocratic system may force people to choose between making a public affirmative statement in response to a government announcement, remaining silent about it, or surreptitiously criticizing it. In any case, when political issues are brought to the attention of the public, whether in an authoritarian or a democratic system, citizens make decisions about what should be done.
Several ethnic disputes exist, including disagreements between American Indians and African Americans, among other things. When it comes to social life, it is a fundamental process that may either be harmful or cohesive depending on how it is handled. Some social intellectuals did lay a greater emphasis on race and nation than others, but depending on their point of view, these individuals were either fully-fledged racial theorists or apologists for slavery. Ethnic conflict occurs when groups of people from various ethnic backgrounds band together to achieve political or economic goals that are incompatible with their ethnic identities (Wilmot & Hocker, 2017).
Individuals and countries have the primary right to self-preservation, which is closely related to the political system in which they are located. Nevertheless, the goal of maintaining the country is more complex than the task of protecting the individual rights of individuals or the mission of safeguarding the country against external aggression. On the other hand, governments who fail to focus on the goal of increasing the ideological connection of their populace to the system will be punished. According to this viewpoint, civic education should be seen as one of the most significant responsibilities of the state, because it is via educational systems that citizens learn about their obligations.
Triangulation and Coalition
According to Gordon Adams, the “iron triangle” in American politics refers to the policy-making interaction between legislative committees, the bureaucracy, and interest groups (Bergkamp, 2017). Adams coined the term in 1981 to describe the interaction of congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and interest organizations. The iron triangle is a three-way partnership that benefits all three parties: Congress, government agencies, and special interest lobbying groups. According to the iron triangle hypothesis, all three will collaborate to attain their objectives. Everything boils down to three interdependent links between the three groups. The collusive relationship between the federal bureaucracy, legislative committees, and interest organizations is referred to as the “Iron Triangle.” These three parts of the triangle frequently collaborate to achieve their respective financial benefits and aims.
The toxic triangle is most likely related to weak leadership (executive). Destructive leadership refers to the unfavorable outcomes caused by a mix of destructive leaders, gullible followers, and permissive settings. Following that, the toxic triangle will be examined, which includes the characteristics of leaders, followers, and environmental elements that are associated with destructive leadership.
Change
One of the first-order changes is an improvement in representative democracy, which ensures that all citizens are fairly represented in the political process. First-order change occurs when political systems are improved from the outset. When it comes to efficiency, it’s usually about finding ways to do things a little bit better. It leads to incremental gains that are consistent with the culture of the existing political system in which they are implemented. Due to racial differences, the adjustments have little impact on the entire system.
Ethnic democracy is a political system in which structured ethnic domination coexists with democratic, political, and civil rights for all citizens of a given territory. Despite the ineffectiveness of programs, both dominant and minority ethnic groups are awarded citizenship and have effective participation in the political process.
The adoption of the constitution, which is an irrevocable reform, is one of the second-order changes. When one makes a big or fundamental change to something they have already done, this is referred to as a second-order change. The process is unstoppable the vast majority of the time. It is no longer possible to go back in time and do things the way they were done.
Self-reflection
Individual well-being is influenced by public policy politics and the politics that surround it. Countries with social democratic regimes, higher public spending, and lower-income disparities have healthier populations, as does my native nation, the United States, which is a social-democratic country. All governments, democratic or not, require some level of public participation in the political process, even if just to conform with political requirements. Democratic involvement is intended to be more active than participation in a nondemocratic society since democracy is supposed to aggregate public preferences into legally binding collective choices. Citizens’ active engagement is essential since public preferences can only be identified, shaped, and transformed into collective decisions that are regarded as legitimate by the broader public through interest articulation, information dissemination, and deliberation. As a result, I have been active in several political groups.
Internal political change has resulted in the reforms I’ve brought about. Depending on the circumstances, political change can occur either internally or outside. A country’s citizens take the initiative to effect internal political change. Regular events, such as elections and monarchs opting to relinquish control, and irregular occurrences, such as coups d’etats or uprisings, are two ways to do this. I’ve been involved in several elections in this identical situation. When the rulers of a country lose their positions of power or the country’s government changes, political change happens. The occurrence of political change is a normal function of both domestic and foreign politics. Rulers will be voted out, retire, or die while in power, and a new era of transition will begin. Fortunately, my efforts were fruitful, as I was able to elect the leaders who would represent me, and all of the politicians I chose were victorious, resulting in positive change around the globe.
The success of the changes has been entirely determined by their capacity to achieve the goal of internal political reform. By correcting misaligned attitudes and values, political reform seeks to restore the balance between a government and the people it rules. The most typical causes of political change are a country’s social or economic problems. Politics has been reprogrammed to place a greater emphasis on the needs of the general public. Efforts to better the lot of the poor, particularly those from rural areas who have been overlooked.
Participation in political systems in which I may be elected as a leader, as well as participation in political campaigns, are examples of political reforms that can improve my well-being. With this modification, I will be able to make second-order amendments as a lawmaker with the authority to approve the legislation. I’m thinking about becoming an educator, and if so, I’d like to work in civic education. I can also serve as the key advocate for a group of leaders, attempting to move the agenda ahead.
Conclusion
Political systems, both formal and informal, are included. Informal and customary political systems, norms, and rules can coexist with or operate alongside formal political institutions depending on the context. The political system in which we live is one of representative democracy. The United States is a democratic republic with a representative government. This means that the government is chosen by the people who live there. Election participation and communication with elected officials, two activities in which all citizens can take part, can help to strengthen America’s democracy. One of the factors that can contribute to the development of a political system is the promotion of equality among the various organs that comprise a government. One of the first-order changes is an improvement in representative democracy, which ensures that all citizens are fairly represented in the political process. First-order change occurs when political systems are improved from the outset.
References
Bergkamp, L. (2017). The ‘Iron Triangle and the Rise of the Counter-Norms of Science. Available at SSRN 3534816.
Wilmot, W., & Hocker, J. L. (2017). Interpersonal conflict (p. 384). McGraw-Hill Education.
Silagadze, N., & Gherghina, S. (2020). Referendum policies across political systems. The Political Quarterly, 91(1), 182-191.
write