Information Related to "The U.S. Election: The Value of Political Stability"
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Behind the Headlines |
"Political uncertainty over the presidency
is to be expected in some of the poorer, less political stable nations. People do
not expect to see the same in the richest nation in the world."
by Melvin Rhodes
We awoke to the
sound of gunfire. It was a Monday morning. I turned on the radio. Handel's Water
Music was playing, an unusual selection in the West African nation of Ghana.
A friend rushed into the house. "A coup! A coup! A coup!" was his excited
cry.
Many countries in Africa, South America and Asia and island nations have experienced
violent changes of government. These sudden, often unforeseen, upheavals make for
more interesting politics than what we have in the Western democracies. But they
take an enormous toll-not only in lives but also in terms of economic progress and
stability.
A seldom-stated fact of life is that without political stability it is impossible
to have economic progress. Until a nation has a stable political system in
place, it is impossible for people to plan their lives, conduct business successfully
and go about their daily routines with any hope for the future.
It is remarkable how few nations have had political stability during the last century.
If the longevity of a government, together with the repeated peaceful transfer of
power without civil war or other internal upheaval, is an indicator of political
stability, then the success stories in today's world are few.
Stability essential but elusive
The nations that shine in this regard are the English-speaking countries. Britain
itself has enjoyed a high degree of political stability since the Glorious Revolution
of 1688. After the death of Queen Anne, in 1714, the same dynasty (with a few name
changes) has sat on the throne for almost 300 years, with peaceful transfers of elected
governments taking place during that time.
Through ties with the British crown, other nations have enjoyed the same stability,
notably Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A system of checks and balances has generally
ensured that no one person has too much power, thereby guaranteeing peaceful, stable
government. When nations have severed the tie with the crown, political instability
has often been the result.Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn32/politicalstability.htm
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