COMMENTS:
Voted : Canada
*Somewhere* is *conspicuous* by its *absence*...
Voted : Australia
Why are so many of the top ten cold?
Ahhh Europe, looks like democracy hasnt moved far from home since its birth eh?
Voted : Norway
Norge er bra, bedre enn Sverige (men Danmark er ogso bra...)
Voted : Australia
I think it would be a smooth transition.
Notice that 8 of the 9 top democracies are places where you could easily freeze your butt off?
Coincidence?
cranky - Yes it is just a coincidence. I don't see any logical argument that could be made to prove that cold climate helps democratisation. ... And I'm still waiting *patiently* for Russia, which has a cold climate, to democratise to a significant degree.
Correlation does not equate to causation. For example, 9 out of 9 of the top 9 are countries all with populations that have majority white people. Coincidence? Yes, it is not a causitive factor at all, and is just a coincidence just like the cold weather. And Russia would come up again to prove that is just a coincidence, since they are a people majority white and are nowhere near sufficient democratisation.
And my answer to the ballot question: either Australia or Canada.
Next, I would like to challenge this ranking of the Economist Intelligence Unit Index of Democracy. I disagree with it.
I think Switzerland is the most democratic nation, much more so than the nine listed (and on this list the Swiss aren't even in the top nine?)
Swiss democracy is as such:
"Since the entry into force of the 1848 federal constitution, Switzerland features a system of government not seen at the national level in any other place on Earth: direct democracy, sometimes called half-direct democracy since it is complemented by the more commonplace institutions of a parliamentary democracy. The instruments of Swiss direct democracy at the federal level are the constitutional initiative and the referendum, also called people's rights. These instruments also exist at the cantonal and municipal level, occasionally in an expanded or different form.
By calling a federal referendum a group of citizens may challenge a law that has been passed by Parliament, if they can gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Eight cantons together can also call a referendum on a federal law.
Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if they can get 100,000 voters to sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. Parliament can complement the proposed amendment with a counter-proposal, with voters having to indicate a preference on the ballot in case both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in Parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of both the national popular vote and a majority of the cantonal popular votes."
(Source: Wikipedia)
- So basically if enough signatures are collected in petition, then a referendum can be put forward to challenge laws and such? That is the most democratic system in the world.
Voted : Canada
Canada is 'right next door', Canadian English is almost identical to American English, and the people are very much alike: Very compatible!
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