CONTEMPORARY WORLD

REFLECTION PAPER

Submitted by:
BUSTILLO, KC LYN
CORPUS, XENA ROSE
DADIVAS, MARIA LOWIE
GANGE, NYNA CLAIRE
 The progress of a nation represents the influence of its leaders and cooperation of its
citizens. Influence of the leaders not only domestically but across the region. Cooperation
of the citizens in terms of labor, support and wisdom in choosing representatives with
exceptional capabilities to lead and implement developments in all aspects that a nation can
benefit from, because it takes tremendous efforts and appropriate strategies to create
change and establish diplomatic reputation and have other nations respect you. In a
democratic sense of politics, in a participative leadership implemented in a country, in a
nation where election is the way to choose competent leaders, what has liberal democracy
made to make this country better when we include globalization in the discussion?

Globalization intensified social relations and consciousness across the world and
across the space. Globalization leads to the integration of economic, cultural, political and
social systems across national borders. It has changed the world in many ways and has
brought several countries together. However, as well as bringing countries together in some
ways, it has also driven them apart. One of the most controversial changes it has made is in
the field of political culture of many countries around the world. Politics is globalizing as
government and societies make greater efforts to influence each other and as internal
tensions in one country spreads to neighbors.

The ancient Greeks were the first to create a democracy. The word “democracy”
comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). Democracy is
the idea that the citizens of a country should take an active role in the government of their
country and manage it directly or through elected representatives. In addition, it supports
the idea that the people can replace their government through peaceful transfers of power
rather than violent uprising or revolution. It is a government in which the supreme power is
vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of
representation usually involving periodically held free elections.

Many Scholars such as David Held would agree that democracy is commonly being
regarded as the best form of government. Democracy has been associated with “the rule of
the people” and “the rule of majority”. Our country, the Philippines is considered a
democratic country, wherein the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised
directly by them under a free electoral system. Voters are free to choose their leaders,
people have freedom of speech and expression, there is equality, and right to life.
Democracy enhances sovereignty by giving the state a strong base in society but in cases
where democracy destroys a state, we may undergo authoritarian kind of government to
defend our sovereignty. Authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates
power in the hands of a leader. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and
without regards to existing bodies of law. The leader can make decision without consulting
or taking opinion of the people. People do not have the power, the leader’s decision will only
matters. Democracy is great but it can be worst, so we should live in good governance.

Almost all nations in this world have their governments as democratic and this is
because it has many advantages that could benefit not only by the people of a nation but
also the nation itself and some of these are the following: it gives the people a chance to
become personally involved with their governments, it encourages equality in a positive
way, democracies or countries with a democratic government usually grow faster
economically, and democracy does not create a centralized power base for ruling over the
people but what happened? This democracy that we have taken on for so long seemed to
be just a way for massive discrimination and political corruption. Most of them use
government as a tool to gain powers for themselves. Yes, it is true that democracy depends
on the wants and wishes of the people expressed by a vote for one or more of a group of
people fighting for the leadership of those voters but those wants and wishes can be
manipulated with empty promises, lies, vote discrepancies, physical and influential
intimidation, powerful interest groups and just plain old money to buy votes.

In extreme cases that democracy will destroy a state, the country can establish an
authoritarian kind of government that is characterized by strong central power and limited
political freedoms but in doing so can violate the human rights that the people have been
protecting and enforcing for many years. There is no perfect government but all we can do
as part of the nation is to be educated about the leaders of our country since they are the
ones who are seated at the position to govern us and we can also do our best in doing our
duties and responsibilities as the citizens of the country.

Democracy cannot flourish in the absence of good governance. Our society needs
good governance, and this is even important in times of crisis. Good governance is a pre-
condition for any development. Development cannot flourish when people cannot participate
in. The most basic and important principle of good governance is that a nation’s political
institutions should be democratic. Good governance is resulted in a democratic society
where people can pursue their hopes and aspirations.
KC Lyn E. Bustillo

After I have watched the videos of Professor Danny Quah and David Held talking
about democracy and somehow its political relationships, I find it interesting that set me to
reflect out of the box realizing that some of us really wake up every morning to find
ourselves living in a society where economic opportunity is unfairly distributed, where a
narrow social elite is given everything while others endure harsh deprivation. We people
always wishes to have a better system for ourselves.

The ancient Greeks were the first to create a democracy. The word “democracy”
comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). Democracy is
the idea that the citizens of a country should take an active role in the government of their
country and manage it directly or through elected representatives. In addition, it supports
the idea that the people can replace their government through peaceful transfers of power
rather than violent uprising or revolution.

But what happened? This democracy that we have taken on for so long seemed to
be just a way for massive discrimination and political corruption. Most of them use
government as a tool to gain powers for themselves. Yes, it is true that democracy depends
on the wants and wishes of the people expressed by a vote for one or more of a group of
people fighting for the leadership of those voters but those wants and wishes can be
manipulated with empty promises, lies, vote discrepancies, physical and influential
intimidation, powerful interest groups and just plain old money to buy votes.

Even in a time of new threats to democracy, social movements around the world are
expanding the scope of democratic inclusion. They are part of a multigenerational
transformation in how the rights of women, of ethnic, sexual, and religious minorities, of
migrants, and of people with disabilities are recognized and upheld in practice—not least in
places where they were already constitutionally protected. Authoritarian and antiliberal
actors fear these movements for justice and participation because they challenge unfair
concentrations of status and power.

The fate of democracy is also in the hands of the people. All must remain vigilant
that the quality of democracy in the country is not compromised. For true democracy to
prevail, the public should take advantage of the rights and freedoms granted to them to
ensure that their voices and cry for equality before the law and access to state services are
heard.
Xena Rose J. Corpus

Globalization is a complex and dynamic phenomenon which encompasses

economic, social, political, technological, and cultural dimensions and this epoch of
globalization has also witnessed the spread of political democracy across countries in the
developing world and in the transition economies and we, the Filipinos, live in the
Philippines wherein it is a nation that has a certain degree of freedom that gives us the
voices to speak our thoughts, to buy what we want in various amounts, to acquire whatever
knowledge we seek and the right to vote for the people that possess the characteristics like
their knowledge and passion for the nation and for its people that we think will contribute for
the betterment of the country and this is all possible because democracy has been
established.

Democracy, according to our most dependable confidant when it comes to finding

definitions, the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a government in which the supreme power
is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of
representation usually involving periodically held free elections and according to Benjamin
R. Punongbayan, a certified public accountant and founder of P&A Grant Thornton,
democracy is a form of political association among the people of a state within a defined
geographical area where sovereignty resides in the people who express such sovereignty
by voting to select the leaders of the government of the state so in other words, democracy
is a kind of government where the people of a nation have the right to choose whoever they
think has the knowledge and passion for service for the Philippines and the Filipino people.

Almost all nations in this world have their governments as democratic and this is
because it has many advantages that could benefit not only by the people of a nation but
also the nation itself and some of these are the following: it gives the people a chance to
become personally involved with their governments, it encourages equality in a positive
way, democracies or countries with a democratic government usually grow faster
economically, and democracy does not create a centralized power base for ruling over the
people but democracy can also destroy a state as it is the least effective kind of government
because this kind of government is based on the will of the majority; meaning the voting
process is only based one one’s opinion not on the skills, knowledge, or attitude that the
candidates have. This means the people can overlook the qualities the candidates have just
because the said candidates have shown “empathy” to them especially to those voters who
do not have enough common knowledge regarding governance and with this, the future of
both the country and people will suffer.

In extreme cases that democracy will destroy a state, the country can establish an
authoritarian kind of government that is characterized by strong central power and limited
political freedoms but in doing so can violate the human rights that the people have been
protecting and enforcing for many years. There is no perfect government but all we can do
as part of the nation is to be educated about the leaders of our country since they are the
ones who are seated at the position to govern us and we can also do our best in doing our
duties and responsibilities as the citizens of the country.

Maria Lowie R. Dadivas

The progress of a nation represents the influence of its leaders and cooperation of its
citizens. Influence of the leaders not only domestically but across the region. Cooperation
of the citizens in terms of labor, support and wisdom in choosing representatives with
exceptional capabilities to lead and implement developments in all aspects that a nation can
benefit from, because it takes tremendous efforts and appropriate strategies to create
change and establish diplomatic reputation and have other nations respect you. In a
democratic sense of politics, in a participative leadership implemented in a country, in a
nation where election is the way to choose competent leaders, what has liberal democracy
made to make this country better when we include globalization in the discussion?

Globalization as it implies, a globally integrated economy which is greatly affected by

politics, culture, tradition, technology and science. This phenomenon which is specially
marked by free trade and free flow of capital within or across borders, have made a massive
change in the economy of each country. The issue here is, what is the right world system
we must practice to make globalization work fairly in every country, to address the
transborder issues for the benefit of the world and to address the demand of the citizens in
every nation at same time. As of now, it is sad to know that the countries who practices
liberal democracy -which we believed to be a better system, who are supposed to serve
their people, who are said to be liberal enough to change and achieve progress, those
countries are being outran by non-democratic countries in terms of progressive economy
and effective governance. Insecure government, selfish progress and developments,
diplomatic global relations to praise one’s country instead of investments for public welfare-
these conspiracies are evident in democratic countries. Democracy is wielded together with
territories and borders when it’s supposed to flow freely across borders and address
transnational issues and can be benefitted by everybody.

One last thought, that whoever Lorenzetti is, who will be the next? Who will paint the
future with magnificent buildings, beautiful herbs and spaces at the roofs of that building,
flourishing agriculture represented by fat pigs and greenery and the most important, happy
citizens. Is it the young generation? The young generation which is presently experiencing
and witnessing the toxicity of the politics, issues of the government, unappreciated cultures
and traditions and expensive technological advancements due to low currency and poor
economic status? Let’s all hope again for another change as we always do during elections.
Let’s all hope for another effective world system, another effective approach to implement
change.

Nyna Claire T. Gange

Globalization intensified social relations and consciousness across the world and
across the space. Globalization leads to the integration of economic, cultural, political and
social systems across national borders. It has changed the world in many ways and has
brought several countries together. However, as well as bringing countries together in some
ways, it has also driven them apart. One of the most controversial changes it has made is in
the field of political culture of many countries around the world. Politics is globalizing as
government and societies make greater efforts to influence each other and as internal
tensions in one country spreads to neighbors.

Many Scholars such as David Held would agree that democracy is commonly being
regarded as the best form of government. Democracy has been associated with “the rule of
the people” and “the rule of majority”. Our country, the Philippines is considered a
democratic country, wherein the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised
directly by them under a free electoral system. Voters are free to choose their leaders,
people have freedom of speech and expression, there is equality, and right to life.
Democracy enhances sovereignty by giving the state a strong base in society but in cases
where democracy destroy a state, we may undergo authoritarian kind of government to
defend our sovereignty. Authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates
power in the hands of a leader. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and
without regards to existing bodies of law. The leader can make decision without consulting
or taking opinion of the people. People do not have the power, the leader’s decision will
only matters. Democracy is great but it can be worst, so we should live in a good
governance.

Democracy cannot flourish in the absence of good governance. Our society needs a
good governance, and this is even important in times of crisis. Good governance is a pre-
condition for any development. Development cannot flourish when people cannot participate
in. The most basic and important principle of good governance is that a nation’s political
institutions should be democratic. Good governance is resulted in a democratic society
where people can pursue their hopes and aspirations.