PLEASE HELP! I`m a student and my task is: Is the political system of GB dictatorship?

Question

GB- Great Britain
I have to write an essay `bout this :/

I heared it`s electoral dictatorship

The Prime Minister and his party has too much power?

Answer 1

GB = Great Britian?
GB = George Bush?

If either of the above is your task, your teacher is an oaf. I would drop the class if I were you.

Answer 2

It is an interesting, positively provocative but pleasing question for a teacher to dare to pose.

The UK has general elections for the House of Commons, with three large parties realistically vying for overall control and for most seats. The party that wins a majority of House of Commons seats then fills all the cabinet ministry posts including the prime minister from among the elected MPs. The government then in turn appoints members of the House of Lords, along with judicial and electoral system body leaders. So none out of ten people would say that Britain is democratic, not a dictatorship.

The top three arguments against - 1. There is a monarchy (but not really, as the monarch is only in charge of a tiny budget and only has power over speaches and ceremonies);
2. the electoral system creates huge majorities so that the top party could beat the second best one by 31% to 27% of votes and this could, in an extreme case, translate into 250 seats to 20 for the opposition, for example
3. the media and the FTSE 100 large companies are very influencial in shaping people's opinions and in funding politicians' campaigns - it is very hard to win an election if Rupert Murdoch is backing the other big party
4. Local areas (counties, towns, boroughs, councils) do not get much say, as the central govt and the parties' head office seems to make most of the decisions and make them implement them

If you go with 1 or 3, you will probably not find a true democracy in the world; if you go with 2 or 4, then you prefer proportional representation or autonomous provinces - in which case I must challenge your views by saying what if the people voted in a referendum to keep the current system?

The only way to argue that the UK is a dictatorship is to say that (pretty much) all countries are, and that democracy has never existed yet. This is a minority view.

Answer 3

UK is a democracy in that the people get to elect the government of their choice. Probably the mix up in your mind results from an off the cuff remark made by a former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who one said that the UK is an elective dictatorship. In that, she meant that once elected to power (for a term of 5 years) the government has absolute power over the people as chosen by the people. Indeed, a UK prime minister is possibly unique in respect of going to war in that the prime minister of UK does not have to consult with anyone before declaring war; not parliament, not the people and certainly not the Army, Royal Navy or the RAF.

Hope this puts your mind to rest. UK, Great Britain, is a free democracy, NOT a DICTATORSHIP. It's a translation thing.

Answer 4

On the face = no

GB has an elected parliament therefore democratic as it is supposed to be representative and the people have a choice in how the country is being run in that they can choose who they want to run it, and it they dont like it, they can vote them out.

However for your essay you should say whether it is working and why might it be seen as a dictatorship, i.e. how much of a choice do people really have as the people who vote are less than 75% of the people who are eligible to vote, and winning parties can get power with a slight percentage more than others.

Good luck with your essay

Answer 5

Well if there is country's that can claim they are a democracy in this world,believe Great Britain belong to that group. So maybe you should talk to your teacher and see what he is trying to stir up.
Cant really see how the political system in GB could even be considered in the same meaning as a dictatorship.

Answer 6

Thats bit of an odd question, Is Great Britain a dictatorship, i don't know about that one, GB, as in George Bush's terrorist administration, the administration that runs the United States, is certainly turning into a dictatorship, you only have to look at ''Homeland Security'' and the PATRIOT Act. Civil liberties in America is declining rapidly, you only have to take a photo of a federal building in the US and suddenly two police officer's approach you, they agressively, ask for your camera, you refuse and then you are kicked to the ground and arrested, they then interrogate you for 2 hour's to try to make you confess to being a terrorist, and then they put you in a cell for 12 hour's befor your released on bail for $1,000 you don't get your camera back and they put your name on a suspected terrorism watch list. Nice country, very ''free'' and they're reason is all ways the same one: 9/11.

Answer 7

The idiots on here who think the UK is a dictatorship should spend some time in Zimbabwe or North Korea.

The UK is not a dictatorship, it is a democracy.

Answer 8

what a really strange question to pose as a task.
could this perhaps be the person who set the task trying to force his views onto his students by using leading and suggestive questions??

for it to be dictatorship surely the ruling party would have to have renounced or refused to recognise all elections.

in short the answer is no absolutely not

Answer 9

His Administration is a form of dictatorship. In dictatorships, decisions are made by one or a few without any input from representatives of the people. That has happened here in this Country. Secret meetings, wire tappings without court approval, lies told to get what he wants. He would have a complete dictatorship if he could. He thinks he has a one to one conversation with God and therefore only himself and his admin can make decisions for the rest of us.

Answer 10

It isn't. First define dictatorship, then look at GB's politics, and see how they measure up. Should be an easy paper.

Answer 11

GB is not a dictatorship, thus I am unable to assist you.