Question: Outline the key institutions and framework for government that you would select if

you had a free hand to design a political system from scratch. Your answer should include your reasons for selecting specific institutions as well as the impact or social and political outcomes you expect from your choices

Introduction
I will begin this essay by outlining each institution and framework for government that I would choose if I had to establish a government from scratch. Firstly I will describe a constitution that I will select, then the electoral system. I will proceed to illustrate the party systems I would like establish. Afterwards I will explain the parliament of my government. Finally I will describe the political executives in my government system. In company with the outlines of these institutions and frameworks, I will clarify why I have chosen them and the political outcomes I would like to derive from these choices. Finally I will conclude the essay.

Constitution
A constitution lays down the framework for a government. It is therefore essential to have one. It embodies political values and goals whilst assigning duties and functions amongst the assortment of government institutions (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007).It is the blueprint on which a government adheres to. A constitution can be either written or unwritten, the ideal being a balance between the two. Starting a political system from scratch, I would employ a written constitution, so that the people, not the parliament are supreme. The people assert their supremacy through the Supreme Court or constitution court. I feel that a written constitution would have an educational value as it highlights the

core values and overall goals of the political system. Therefore people would be informed of these values and goals leading to a more educated public.

I believe a vague more than a detailed constitution would be more suitable. Simplicity brings about flexibility; the constitution would be open to change and reinterpretation. This is beneficial because values and meanings of words change over time. The social outcome that I expect to derive from this is that future generations won t be constrained to a constitution that was relevant to older generations. However the constitution has to have some sort of detail as a constitution constantly open to reinterpretation isn t a constitution at all.

I believe that the constitution should symbolize the goals and values of the political system. Nevertheless it shouldn t be awash with social values, as this will only represent the views of the majority leaving no room for the views of the minority. This would only create tension and discomfort for the marginal group. By having a fairly neutral constitution, not favouring the majority should dissolve any tension that should arise from a heavily socially valued constitution.

The constitution should be harder to change than the laws of the state. In order to change the constitution a public referendum would be held. A referendum is a vote in which the electorate can express views on a particular issue that would change the constitution. In order for a part of the constitution to be changed it must achieve a two thirds majority of the vote. A referendum provides the public with a way of expressing their views about specific issues (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007).Thus this leads to a more informed and educated public about the policies and goals of the political system.

Electoral systems
The general principle in modern democracies is that every eligible citizen has an input into public decision making. Elections recruit politicians, establish governments, provide representation for the public and educate voters (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007). Therefore it is vital to include elections in a political system. The decision is which electoral system to use. However there is no perfect electoral system, each has their own strengths and weaknesses. For my newly established government, I feel a proportional electoral system will work best. Proportional electoral systems tend to be a great deal more representative than majority systems: Majority systems are thought to be the weakest when evaluating in terms of their representative function (Heywood, 2007:260). Also two party systems and single party governments that do not reflect the preferences of the public are created. This can sometimes lead parties remaining in power for long periods (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007).

As a result I think a proportional system is best; perhaps the Single Transferable-vote System. This features: multimember constituencies each of which returns up to five members. (Heywood, 2007:262). Also parties can put forward as many runners as it wishes as there are seats to fill. This system only allows candidates to be elected if they achieve a quota, and the votes are counted according to people s first preferences. (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007). I have chosen this system because there are many advantages connected with it. Firstly because parties can send in as many candidates they like, there is now competition between candidates. They are therefore: judged on their records and where they stand on issues that cut across party lines. (Heywood, 2007:262). Secondly this type of system is very capable of achieving highly proportional results unlike others. It isn t wasteful of people s

votes as if not all the seats are filled the bottom candidate is eradicated and his or her votes are then reallocated to the next preference (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007). I feel this system would be the best for my newly established government as I would expect the public would feel their preferences are mirrored in who gets elected.

Parties and Party Systems

Parties are very important in the organization of modern politics. A political party is: a group of people that is organised for the purpose of winning government power by electoral or other means (Heywood, 2007:272).Parties a very important due to the array of duties they perform; representing the public, formulation of goals, organizing the government and socialization and mobilization (Heywood,1997,2002,2007).

However I feel that party systems are fundamental in structuring the way in which political systems operate. Party systems are a network of complex relationships among parties (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007). There are four various types of party systems; one party systems whereby one party is almost constantly in power. This can be seen in many communist regimes. The next system is two party systems which consist of: only two major parties that enjoy sufficient electoral and legislative strength to have a realistic prospect of winning government power (Heywood, 2007:284).This can be seen in the US. The third party system is the dominant party system. This situation where a number of parties compete for power but it is usually dominated by a singular party which enjoys long periods on power (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007). For my government I m going to choose the last party system; the multiparty system. This is a system where there is: competition amongst

more than 2 parties reducing the chances of a single party government and increasing the likelihood of coalitions (Heywood, 2007:287).

I have chosen this system as I believe that the public have more choice as a more varied option of opinions is available. Also, the multiparty system creates checks and balances within the government and exhibit bias in favour of debate, compromise and conciliation. This is due to the likelihood of a coalition forming. I Think the public would much prefer a system whereby they a represented by people who cannot help but hear their worries and issues.

Parliament
The government is divided into three (legislative, Judicial and executive) due to the separation of powers doctrine. The parliament makes law and enacts legislation. I have chosen to have a parliament in my government as I believe it is a key aspect of any political system. It has many functions; to make legislation, to represent the public and their issues and also acts as a scrutiny body. Without a parliament, the public wouldn t have vital representation to put through the laws they believe are crucial. My new parliament would have two chambers rather than one. The outcome of having two chambers would be that the second chamber can check more effectively the power of the executive, and they can scrutinize the legislation by amending mistakes made by the first chamber. They can also prevent any controversial legislation being passed. (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007). I feel it is vital to have a parliament due to the essential functions it carries out.

Judiciaries and Political executives.

The Judiciary is a branch of government that decides the outcome of legal disputes. The main function is: to adjudicate on the meaning of the law (Heywood, 2007:328). It is vital to have judges and a court system in place as people who break the law have to be tried in some way. The outcome of this is that law and order is maintained.

Political executives are very fundamental in a political system as it cannot survive without a branch of government: formulating policy and ensuring that it is implemented (Heywood, 2007:257). Therefore it is vital that my government has executives. It is a:

Branch of government that is responsible for the execution or implementation of policy. The political executive comprises a core senior figures ..The bureaucratic executive consists if public officials or civil servants (Heywood, 2007:378)

My government s executive power is going to be that of a prime minister. I believe a prime minister creates a link between the legislative and executive branches of government. The power lies in his/her position of party leader as the leader is allocated the position of prime minister. (Heywood, 1997, 2002, 2007). I think that a prime minister is vital in a government system as they are usually personalized with the people through media which appeals to the public.

Conclusion
Throughout this essay I have explained the government frameworks and institutions that I would choose if I had to establish a political system from scratch. I explained the constitution, the electoral system, the party system, the type of parliament and executive I

would pick. I think I have successfully described my reasons for picking these frameworks and the outcome I would expect to achieve from them.

Bibliography
Heywood, J.2007. Politics. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.