Who has the power?
Richard Nash is a Senior Global Advisor for Corruption at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). Through his work he supports countries to have fair and open elections by working against corruption.
Corruption = dishonest behaviour where people in positions of authority abuse their powers for personal gain. For example, by accepting bribery or giving their friends powerful roles.
Watch his video to find out how he helps to fight corruption and keep democracies stable.
Video not working? Follow this link: https://vimeo.com/886865206/5706bca918
Richard’s interview got us thinking…
Who has the most power in a democracy: the leader, the voters or the media?
And who should have the power?
To make sure your comments are high quality, use facts and examples to explain your choice. You can find some of these in Richard’s interview.
Don’t forget to respond to other Topical Talkers to say why you agree or disagree with them.
Comments (102)
Hello topical talkers I’m talented_cicada so today I will be sharing my own opinion on the people that has most power in a democracy. For me, I think the voters has more power in a democracy because it is their choice to cast their vote. As a leader, if you are not being elected by the voters, that leader can’t go into power because you are not elected and that is the reason why Abraham Lincoln defines democracy as the people by the people and for the people.
I really agree with you that voter's have the most power in democracy because without the voter's we wouldn't have a leader. They are the ones who decide who they want. I think without voter's ections wouldn't go on.
I agree because if there are no voters, the government will not know which particular leader to choose and if bad rulers are chosen, the citizens will think they were ruined not knowing that they were supposed to vote and it goes this way: no voters no particular leader, no leader no peace, no peace no good citizens, no good citizens no good country. Voters are One of the major characters during an election and have the right to vote and if they refuse to vote, they are indirectly forgetting to choose a leader.
I strongly agree with you if not for voter no one will be a leader. Democracy is about voting to get a good leader that will bring peace, joy, harmony and respect. so, every voter has the right to express their franchise and to choose on whoever they are convinced will lead them without fear of favor or even sentiments.
I agree with you, knowing that the power is in the hands of the voters is very soothing, However, voters are willing to come out to vote, having a capable candidate is usually the challenge. as such, every candidate want to feed the public with very interesting promises that sometimes turn into a lie since voters have this much power i think they can utilize this power by voting out such party out of seat in the next election.
I am not sure becuse, Some countries have kings and queens like England, Saudi Arabia, and Quatar. they don't have elections because the leaders inheritthier positions. But in countries with democracy, people get to vote for their leaders. Some think having a say is important.
Both ways have good things and problems. it depends on what the people want.
I agree with you because in my opinion it is voters who actually have the opportunity to vote in democracy, if we don't have voters to vote then we will not have a leader to lead us today. I think that voters are the key to elect a leader and if there are no voters elections will not take place.
I agree because democracy is a game of numbers and the voters are in control of who they choose as their leader. But this changes when they elect a corrupt leaders who hid their corrupt background in order to get voted. In a situation like this, the leader is the most powerful because they are in charge of appointments and they can appoint a head of the electoral board who is sympathetic to he or she. In this case, the whole aim of democracy is defeated. This is because it was defined by Abraham Lincoln as by the people, for the people, and with the people.
Hello talented_cicada
I agree with you because, for me, I also think that the people that have more power are the voters. I say this because I also think that if voters do not vote for a leader, the person would not have the power to exercise over the people. And also, another reason I say that the people have the power because, if the people are not happy with that particular leader, they can cause things like riots or protests in order to bring the leader down. In fact in my country, the people at least on paper have the power to 'recall' any elected leader if they feel he/she is no longer representing their interest.
I strongly disagree with you trusting_interaction
Because the media serves as a mass communication system, they are saddled with the dissemination of latest information. they also help people to know who they are voting for by organizing a public debates and showcasing their profile and achievement's and whether have they held any public office. So, the media serve as the voice of the people, sometimes they are regarded as the hope of the people.
Hi talented cicada,
I strongly agree with you that voters has more power in a democracy because it is their choice to cast their vote. When most of the population decides to pick a particular candidate, there's likelihood that the candidate stand a good chance of wining the election. In addition to what you said like know our president had the most vote and has come to power but to me that is just news because from my parents comment and most people around me, he did not win or the election was not free and fair because most people said it was rigged and therefore the election was not free and fair.
In our days now voter are the ones that candidates depend on sometimes if you notice some candidates go to voters and bribe them to vote for them to be in power. so I think that maybe what happened or the election bodies were likely bribed. Therefore, Although power lies in the hands of the voters during elections, it can be rigged and that makes it unfair.
THANK YOU!!!
Hello talented cicada
I agree with you because if voters do not come out to vote then there will be no election for any leader that is my own opinion that the people has the power more then the people who are about to be voted. In my country, during election, most candidates go to places like market places, villages etc. to try and win the hearts of the people because they know that the power is in there hands. If the people do not like you or do not know you well, they will not vote for you so they try to convince the people to vote for them. sometimes they even bring gifts like Maggi, rice, salt and share to the people in the area so that they can vote for them because they know that they (politicians) do not have power to put themselves in office.
I very much agree with you talented cicada, without the voters a leader cannot be chosen to lead especially in a democratic system of government . Also I think as citizens of a country we should make a thoughtful decision and try as much as possible to vote to set an example of a parotitic citizen. Lastly I think we should also try to understand and trust the reason why we vote a leader to help us for a better future.
I agree because, no leaders mean that there is no way that a leader can be chosen.
But no matter how hard the citizens of a country try people can rig these elections, like Nigeria's election last year was rigged for president Tinubu to win it.
THANK YOU.
I do agree the democratic system is the system of the people for the people and with the people so without the the voters the candidates would not be picked or chosen, citizens should also be patriotic and the leaders of each country should practice sovereignty which is the power of a nation state to have full control over its affairs. in conclusion the democratic system is very effective and when making decisions about it careful consideration should be included
I agree with talented_cicada because like you quoted Abraham Lincoln tha democracy is the leadership of the people for the people by the people. So in my own opinion, it is 100% about the people. The people give the leader the power to represent them so he is there to serve the interest of the people, invariably the power resides with the people.
In conclusion, if there is no sheep, there is shaphered meaning if there are no people, leaders will have no body to lead.
THINK YOU.
HELLO talented cicada,
I agree with you, it is a matter of choice! it is an individual choice to choose if they want a to see a particular leader in power or not, yes, democracy is by the people and . As a candidate, to be in power you need to win the heart of the people through your track record of good deeds. This will not only set such candidate on the spot light but also seen as a patriot therefore making the power to lie in the hands of the people.
THANK YOU!!!
I disagree with you because in Nigeria the candidate have the power in the elections. During the elections most of the elections where rigged and some candidates bribed the electoral bodies in order to get the position they contested for. In my opinion the voters are to choose their leader rather than imposing a leader on them.
I understand where you are coming from. In some countries, though the citizens are supposed to have the power to choose their leader, their power is usurped by more powerful and influential people in the society. Though some countries claim to practice democracy, the people are not truly in power because their decisions are not considered. It is not the people that decide but the person with the most influence and resources. This is due to corruption which must be stopped in our society for democracy to be properly practiced.
I agree with your opinion because what you say is right if a voter do not elect a president in an election, the president will not be in power. Also it is right if no one elects a president there is no way a president will have power or be in charge. For example Good luck Jonathan was elected and was the president of Nigeria once because the voters elected him.
I strongly agree with you because it is the voters who decide their leader. So if it was not for the leader they might be following a parliamentary system of government. The voters are the citizens so the have a right to vote. Like you said the leaders will not come to power. in this case the president is not the only person that fix the country.
I agree with you because citizens have to vote to choose a good leader. So my point is that citizens have power over the country. Leader are leaders today because of citizens by voting unless in situations of monarchy.
In a Democratic society, the people vote and put people in power. If they do not, the leaders will not be there. Therefore, power lies in the hand of the electorate and not the elected.
Wow that was a wonderful comment you have made because the media only serves as a watch dog to the government and to the people so they only have the responsibility of passing the information to the people and they can only pass an information in accordance to what they have heard or to what information they have gotten from the government. After passing an information to the people, it’s now left for the people to practice what they heard depending on what they were told by the media. Same applies to election because even if the media has done their work or job by telling the voters to go and cast their vote, it’s now left for them to go and elect their preferred candidate to represent him or her in the government.This means that the leader can’t become a leader on his own. They have to go through the due process which can only be done by the people or the electorate.
Their is always a room for corrections because I can’t know it all.
THANKS!
Hello talented cicada i agree with you that is us the citizens that has the power in democracy. they citizens has the right to vote and to be voted for. they are they ones that chose their leader that will govern them through periodic elections to represent them at all levels of government for a fixed tenure. like you said that Abraham Lincoln defines democracy as the people by the people and for the people and also democracy helps citizens to choose who will rule them or govern them like who will be their president for 4 years. it is also the best system of government that guides or followed by the citizens that enable to elect those that will rule them.
I agree with your point because without the people then no leader can lead as no matter what leaders must have the people on their side. People in society should have the most power in democracy because its their lives that get affected by the decitions of leaders so they should be in a bit of control too.
I agree with busy_trumpet because democracy is a powerful form of government that empowers people to have a life of freedom and power. citizens voice their opinions and make a difference.
I have a question for you "What are your thoughts on this?"
Hi.
In a proper democratic country, the people should have the power. Yet, in so many corrupted democratic countries, the power is abused in the hands of the leaders. Why? Greed is a major cause of corruption. Money that is to be put into national projects are squandered personally by the government. They then bribe the media and other citizens who know about their crimes with this project money to keep quiet about it.
The people are to have the proper power because democracy is defined as government of the people, for the people and by the people. This means the people are actually the ones that formed the government and elected their leaders for their benefit. The media is still part and working for the people so the people are to have the power in a democratic country.
Thank you.
Hi, agree with you that the citizens have the power because without voters who is going vote for their to be the leader. some of the leaders can be corrupted for money not for the people,it can cause problems in the society that lead to climate change around the global warming that can turn the world to a bad place. For example like pollution from factories. it is the voters and the citizens that should be able to decide on their new leader.
Thank you.😃
I strongly disagree with you committed_writer because the media is in charge of telling people the winner and what is happening around us. The candidate can give money to the electoral bodies, the media could find out if they cheated or not. The media is very important and powerful.
What I'm trying to say is that the media is the voice of the people and a powerful tool to the people and the people.
Hi.
I understand your point of view but it seems you didn't understand the last paragraph of my post. The media is still part of the people. It is just a division of the people that is keep the others more informed about the happenings in a country. Afterall, a country can't exist without the people. The media has great power in democracy but it has been invested in them by the people and constitution. You said the media is the voice of the people; the fact it is their voice means it is still a part or division of them.
Thank you.
Some might say that the leader has the most power, because they can make decisions and influence policies. Others might argue that the voters have the most power, because they can elect or remove the leader and hold them accountable. And still others might claim that the media has the most power, because they can shape public opinion and sway the voters. In reality, all three have some power, but also some limitations. The leader cannot ignore the will of the people, the voters cannot control everything that happens in the government, and the media cannot manipulate everyone's beliefs. The best way to ensure a healthy democracy is to have a balance of power among these three actors, and to have an informed and engaged citizenry that participates actively in the democratic process.
Hello talented_cicada I agree with you . You are right that in voting, voters have more power because they have all right to vote who they want as a leader, not the one that is being imposed on the people or determining who they will vote for. Also it is true that if you aren't elected by voters, you can't force them to choose you it is their choice.
I strongly disagree with you talented_cicada because it is the media that is the most power.
Because it is the media that tells the citizens what is happening in the country. The media can also shape what is really happening. Take for instant there is an election as the same time a political incident. Different media stations will say different things on what the heard or the things the found. What am trying to say is that if people listens to the news it will shape their beliefs.
You'v really opened my eyes to learn new things but have you forgotten that if people or voters don't come out to cast their votes, you're definitely not going to have any leader in your country today as it stands?I'm not trying to say that the media don't have any power or most power in the political system but I'm just trying to let you know that it is the people that owns or rader holds the country in their hands.
I disagree with you because the media has a great impact on the decision of the people. In my country, Nigeria the media is an essential part of elections. The media have a great amount of influence as a lot of people look to the media to get hold of information such as the financial background of their candidate and some people depend of the media to even know who to vote for. Some media channels are even owned by some of the candidates. Some may decide to call it corruption especially if the channel is promoting a particular candidate but I think it is a great way to get votes. In the past Nigerian election, a news channel known as Television Continental Broadcasting Service (TVC) was promoting the election of one particular candidate and it was perfectly legal as a matter of fact, the candidate who was endorsed won the presidential election
I agree with you also social media campaign has the power to influence the choice of voters and channel their mind towards a preferred candidate sometimes it does not really matter if the candidate is credible or not once the candidate is liked by a social media influencers with large followers, they can use their platform to campaign for such individual.
I really agree that the voters have the power because there can't be an election without people, literally it implies that an election is a political activity in which people in a country vote for their leader, there is no other means when a candidate becomes a leader in democratic rule. Most times, people vote and the candidate with the highest vote wins so if the people or voters do not vote, there will be not election and they have the power to put whomever they want to put in office.
Therefore, i feel the people have the power in elections.
I believe the voters are equal to the candidates as both should have the countries best interest at heart and should work together against corruption.
Yes of course I really agree with you talented cicada because according to Abraham Lincoln who defined democracy as the power of the people by the people and for the people, I believe that it is we the individuals and voters who made up our mind to elect our leader through voting in election. Remember that the leaders were been elected by the votes so if they don't do their works proper as leaders the votes also have the right and authority to bring he leader down. Also, if we don't elect anybody as leaders, no body can climb that power and say that he or she is a leader because it is the people that has the highest power to qualify anybody as ruler.
The reason why sometimes it will be like the as if he leaders has more powers than the voter is because they might bribe both the electoral bodies and the voters in other for them to win the election which is not acceptable and also against the rule of the land but apart from that, the leader in someplace has the power more than the voters in the sense that
for example they can make a rule of where to stay for business and where not to stay. Not only that, where the government has the most power is if they live an examplary life and also when they abide by the rules which is supremacy of power that is when the voters or individuals will bend down and obey whatever he or she says then life goes on happily and everybody are happy.
Thank you.
I agree because I feel if those voters have no control over the leaders there would be total chaos and anarchy and that person would become a tyrant and the voters have no way to oppose the government cause they don't have any power.
I will have to disagree with you talented_ cicada, the reason being is that it is true that the voters are those who vote but I think the media have the most power in a democracy. This is because how they paint out a leader to be will affect where or not the voters will vote for that leader. For example, in my country, there is a famous exposer who works for the BBC, he has ruined the chances of great people becoming the leaders just with his exposé about their suspicious bribery scandals. This goes to show that the media have the most power in a democracy.
I agree with you talented cicada, the voters have the power in a democracy like you said if the voters don't cast their votes there will be no leader and if the elections are not taken place the media will not be able to announce the winner of the elections so for me the voters are the head of the democracy and if there are no voters there will be no democracy.
I absolutely concur with your valid perspective which is illustrated by examples and thorough points. Voters play a crucial role in the proper regulation of elections. Democracy is about the community and therefore the voters. Leaders are only elected due to voters, so all their power comes from them. Voters are the ones that decide which face and candidate would be more profitable and promising for the collective avail of the country.
Honestly I disagree with your opinion. I disagree because, yes, the voter may be able to chose who they want as there leader but ita not granted that the candidate they want with win. So, some voters my have power but not all do.
I agree with you talented_cicada because voters are the ones who will vote for who ever they want according to the way they know or like that person.If you as a politician you did not get elected,never give up your time will come as Abram Lincoln's time did.
THANK YOU ♥️
I agree the voters vote who they want and why. People think the leader has the most power but w/o the voters their would be no leader in a democracy election.
Hello Talented_cicada
I agree, but at the same time I think that we can be wrong.
I think that we have to think about like.. Is it the right idea to let the citizens have all the power because they can be manipulated by one of the leaders and pick the wrong choice. Are you sure that the citizens will make the right choice? Will they not be manipulated?
I agree strongly because the voters do have the power since they are the ones who are voting. The leader is waiting to be elected so the leader is basically just sitting there and waiting. The voters decide to vote who they want to be elected. However the Electoral College way of voting is unfair but fast and uses a way of majority. The leaders may like this way because the more votes they have the better chance they have of winning.
Hi topical talkers,
According to my own understanding and opinion, I believe and agree that it is the voters that have the highest power in democracy because the leaders are been elected by the electorate which is the voters so for people to have have a leader, the voters are the people to determine that because democracy is the power by the people, for the people and to the people defined by Abraham Lincoln so the people is still the voters and they have the most powers in democracy system of government.
The voters are clearly the ones who have the most power in a democratic system. Voters are people who choose the leader, they could be called followers who vote for the rep of their respective countries. In most countries, people below 18 aren't allowed to vote.
The reason why I think voters have the power is population, I should have said the media but the media personnels are also voters is because when a politician wants to make a decision he could ask the population what they think. And they could rise up in one voice
After all democracy is the will of the people.
Democracy is a system practiced by the people, for the people and of the people.
I agree with you that voters have the choice the to vote who they want as their leader,but the majority is'nt always right.For example a particular set of people might know the down sides of a candidate and the majority may not.If that person ends up winning the election the person might end as a tribalist the country would definetly be a biased one. For instance, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not pracrice democracy but more of monarchial system of leadeship and it has so far worked for them.
Hi, spirited concept
I personally agree with your point of view towards the hub, why because yes the electorates (the people who vote) are truly the main people who has the power in the system of democracy, through what you said that yes, democracy is( by the people, for the people and of the people) so with all what you have with just that statement signifies that yes the people are actually the ones who has the most power in the system of democracy.
Thanks
I don't really think under 18s shouldn't be allowed to vote it should be around 16 as that is the usual age where the mind develops into adulthood aside from that the usual military drafting requirement is 16 years and someone having to be in the heat of battle and not even being able to choose who puts them there seems slightly unfair, don't you think so as well?
I agree with you spirited concept because the leader cant get elected unless they can prove to the people that they are worthy of being elected, the people are their own voice who gets to choose who's voice represents them worldwide. Since power is the population leaders have no choice but to have good character and are able to correctly represent the people.
Firstly, democracy is a system of government in which qualified adult citizens participate in government either directly or indirectly through their elected representatives. In democracy, power is supposed to be allocated to the people (the minority). When looking at the history of democracy, it originated from the dissatisfaction of people towards aristocracy. In modern times, democracy seems to be diverting towards aristocracy again. I will be using Nigeria my country as a point of focus. To run and win a presidential election in my country, at least $2billion mut be spent. With this, only the elites and the rich can contest for elections which is the main aim of aristocracy. This kills innovation in those who are not privileged enough to have that kind of money.
Election candidates sometimes form false manifestoes in order to steal the votes of the minority. When put in power, they simply forget that they are meant to be representatives and they tend to focus more on their personal issues. People lack power after the elections because the person that was elected whether corrupt or not will have supreme power to make decisions that may not even favor the people. IF people want to take measures such as protest t impeach the bad leader, force would be used on them and might hurt innocent civilians who just want to fight for their right.
In summary, although democracy was meant to be a system of government that allows popular participation, it has turned into an avenue where the rich and powerful can exercise more power. But in some cases, democracy actually serves the people because of the values that their representative upholds.
Hello Topical Talkers,
According to my point of view, I think that it is up to the voters of that election to choose who they want to be their leader. Elections depend on the people voting. The only task that the candidates of that election have is to "keep their hopes up", and promise that they would be good leaders if they become the head of that province.
Finally, it is the voters that have the power to choose or rather elect the individuals that they want to lead them. The candidates for the elections are not supposed to interfere with the election process. Any candidate that interferes with the election proces would be regarded as a cheater and would be accused of rigging and would be penalized for that because it is against the laws of any province.
THANK YOU!!!
Very true, left to me an election comprises of two sides, the voters and the campaigners, but there is only one side that decides the outcome of the election and that is the voters side, let us face it, if the voters vote for contestant B more than contestant A then it means that Contestant B has won, elections are a very tough period for both the voters and campaigners, will the campaigners win, and will the voters vote for the right leaders.
I whole heartedly agree with you because it is said that the election is meant for the people or the voters which means that, if the people did not cast their vote, there wont be any leader in the country and there will be no expectation for change in the country.
LESS JOIN OUR HANDS TOGETHER TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY A BETTER PLACE.
I disagree because in some countries the candidates have more power. At times, some candidates own media outlets and while it is legal for them to be endorsed by the media, I feel it is wrong for the media to villainize the name of another candidate. some candidates who own media outlets use their power to make the name of another look bad. this could greatly affect the outcome of the election as the media has a lot of influence on the people. some candidates also buy votes by giving the people something they need such as food. This is known as corruption in my perspective and when a leader like this is elected, the well being of the country is in jeopardy because it shows that they can buy their way out of anything.
It is out of the question at least for me that democracy should be in the power of voters.
The origins of democracy lies in the idea that citizens can vote directly on laws and governments.
The leader is the representative of the voters and he should abide to their decisions.
It is the people that give the power to government and if it is handled with the wrong way from the government , people should demand for new elections.
Hello everyone, I would like to discuss about the problems that might happen if people see fake news before they vote:
1. Change of decision, post-election regret and misinformation: Many voters during electoral periods generally get involved more in news consuming and are liable to follow the news they are given in order to know the candidate to vote, some voters may already know who they want to vote, but when they see bad news about who they are voting for, they tend to go against their original choice thinking who they want to vote for is a bad person, meanwhile, it was planned by the possibly the people who want to vote against that candidate or even the opposing candidate in person in order to win. This causes confusion among the voters who may vote for the wrong person, meanwhile, their original choice was a better option, if the voters then realize their mistake, it may be late and they may not be able to correct their mistake. A sad example of such is the case of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who they claim to cheat during election, give fake promises and even give fake information about him on social media and we currently are suffering in our country, with high costs of living and lack of payment of salaries for government workers.
2.Wars: If some people see news about their candidate and see that it is fake, they may possibly go to war because they think it is a plan against their candidate not to win an election and begin to fight those who do not support their candidate.
3. Threat to democracy: Due to the fact that the news are fake, they make people to think that the democratic system of government is bad because of the wrong information they receive in the news and their wrong decision that follows and begin to protest about it and hate the system of government, which makes democracy to be at high risk.
In conclusion, the effects of voters getting false information to fake news during elections are very dangerous, so during electoral periods, voters should be careful with the kind of information they listen to during electoral periods.
Thank you for reading.
If you believe in democracy, you believe in choice, but do all democracies have a real choice? or only a selection of what is available? Only once you know where the power lies can we decide who has it. We can vote for political parties, but not the leader, the political parties can change the leader but still stay in power. People are only given the "power" during an election, but between these 5 year events are effectively powerless. The media have power only if the leaders or governments allow them a platform to broadcast from with the correct viewpoint. Because of this, maybe no one has power or we all do, which is democratic! Should people have the power to make choices based on limited knowledge and understanding? Is it right to ask the public to vote on something which has been influenced by a government backed media or third party online agendas?
Nice topic.
In my own opinion the people that has the most power in a democracy is the MEDIA, before you can be voted for or hold rallies and campaign for an election the media has to pass the message to all sources and area to inform citizens of the upcoming election.the information will be passed through various means like radio, television, newspaper and online just as Richard said in the video.
Reason why I chose the media is because, even if the voters vote for the candidate they want it can still be rigged and they will still engage in all sought of malpractice,so I don't think there is still need for them to cast their vote in a corrupt system seen it does not count.
If election are being rigged the media will always publish it and if it is fair it will still be published by the media "they serve as watch dog to the government".
All we need to have is a fair system,as Richard said all citizens are eligible to participate in voting and hold office,but now only old and rich people are allowed, which is unfair.
Well done for listening carefully to our expert!
Voters should be able to choose their leader as this person should represent their beliefs.
This is democracy, a situation where voters have the right to choose the one that they thing will be the best to lead their country.
Democracy comes from the word "demos cratos" in ancient Greece which means "people power".
If a leader takes this power then we are talking about monarchy and if the media have this power then we are talking about oligarchy as a few people will lead the country.
I hope that people will understand hoe important is voting during elections because if more people are taking part, more their voice will be heard.
I agree with you
I believe that the voters should have the power. Democracy is a way to govern but by the votes of citizens as it allows them to vote the leader and the representatives.
If they feel that they are not appropriately represented they can even claim their right s by protesting in order to expert their disbelief on the government that leads them
Media should inform fairly the citizens about what is happening in the political system and on their country in general in order to help them choose the appropriate leader
Hi everyone,
From my own Perspective I will say that it is the media who has the most power in the democracy why because, when it comes down to the spread of the news and awareness of the democracy the has to tell us all that part takes in it so as to make the people aware of what is going on during and after the election so as there will be "free press" for the journalists so as they could be an easy and free mind to speared the news without being afraid of the government is going to do. Actually in some countries like Nigeria the leader that is the head of state "president " power over the media which the term "free press" is not given to them but should so as there could be a free spread of news about whatever is going on in the country but if it is for the whole news it should be spread without fear. So in conclusion the media is the most influential when it comes to democracy .Thanks .
Hi everyone! 👋🏼
In my opinion, in a democratic system, the voters hold the most power as they have the ability to choose who they want to lead them. The votes and decisions of the voters influence who gets into power, and if a leader is not elected by the voters, they cannot go into power. This is why Abraham Lincoln famously defined democracy as "government of the people, by the people, for the people" 🗳️.
However, in some countries, corruption takes place, and those in power do not give the people the power they deserve, leading to coups. Therefore, I believe that the voters should hold the power as they are the ones who are affected by the decisions made by those in power.
Furthermore, the media also plays a significant role in the democratic process as it has the power to influence people's opinions and decisions. 📰📺💻
Thank you! 😊
My opinion on this is that the voters has more power, because the voters are the one who will choose the person who would be in power, without the voters an election can't take place.
That's why every contestant must give their manifesto and make promises which they would fulfill in order to be elected by the voters.
Hi
In my opinionThe person who has power is the leaders because the people voted for him/her every leaders should be using the power to help the country but their will be using it bad issue that can affect the country in a bad way.it can lead poverty, pollution of wastes that can lead to water out.the that their voting for should be careful of their choosing of their leaders.
Thanks🙂
Thank you for that wonderful comment Of yours, but I will like to ask you this questions, without the electorate’s(voters), do you think that the leaders will be elected into sea?.
So I know that both the voters, media and the leaders work hand-in-hand in a democratic system of government but even at that the voters are still considered as the people that has the most power because they are the ones to elect the leaders with their votes for a fixed term of office during periodic elections.
And finally I will like to defend myself by giving you the definition of democracy which says that democracy is the government of the people. by the people, and for the people.
By Abraham Lincoln, so as you can see everything revolves around the voters.
THANK YOU……
However, don't you also think as citizens,we can also try to stop it? We can take action to stop it.As you mentioned,we are the ones who elect and select our leaders,so we can try to stop it from happening.We are progressive and honest citizens of a country so,we can do it and prevent harm to our nation.
In my own understanding, it is the electorate that is the voters, they are the one that has most power in a democracy. I will like to say that Democracy refers to a system of government in which the citizens are are been allowed to vote in other to choose their leader during periodic election who will represente them in the government.
So Democracy has to do with the citizens because it is their duties to vote during the periodic election, and elections depends on the people voting, so in a case whereby you are not been voted for by the electorates, that means that you cant go into power because it is not a dictatorship government but rather a democratic government, and this is the reason why democracy can also be defined as a government of the people, by the people and for the people, if you look at this definition you will see that everything revolves around the citizens.
finally, for a democracy to hold in a particular country, the citizens has the most power.
In my honest opinion, the voters in a democracy have more power because they get to choose whether or not they want this leader to represent the voters. The leader has to depend on the type of voters that will vote for them so they can be more popular within the community. If voters do not choose if they want this leader or not, then the leader won't be able to represent the community that they are in.
Hi,
I strongly agree with you, the voters chose who will represent them and their community and so they really do hold the most power when it comes to a democracy. Candidates have to campaign and show why they should have the position and if they are deserving of it and if they will use it for help or not and all those factors are determined by the voters.
In my opinion, I think that voters have power in a democracy because they have the opportunity to cast out their votes. I say so because if a leader wants to cast out their votes they need voters to vote them, and if they are not voted they will not be able to lead. So voters are the ones who chose f
a candidate. Also elections depends on the people who want to vote, if a candidate wants to vote, they are meant to have good character. I don't think candidates are suppose to interfer in the discussions the voters have to make at all.
Thank you!!!
Voters, in my opinion, have the most power in a democracy because, as citizens, they can choose who to elect or cast their ballots. If a candidate tries to rig the election, I guarantee you won't be a good leader—instead, you will introduce corruption into the nation. Moreover, it's possible that the candidate hasn't been elected as leader, so he or she can't just hold onto power and steal votes. According to the wise man, "the people, by the people, and for the people"
I'm grateful 😁
Maybe voters have the most power but according to my point of view I think that even if voters have the most power , the electoral commission can accept bribe and terminate the election and the people will be disappointed and this will bring down the mora's of the voters .
That is a very good point 👌motivated_elephant, Consider it. We all know that an electoral commission oversees the conduct of elections, but in my opinion, if the commission is bribed and the election is called off, do you really think that the voters will simply stay and follow the electoral commission's "bribed votes counting"? Additionally, remember that voters and citizens have the legal right to take any legal action.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.
Yes of course motivated elephant, I solidly agree with you opinion because according to my own point of view the voters are been seen as the leaders of the country because it is their votes that speaks who rules them country. The voters are the electorate who participates while during election by voting in other to elect their political leader to govern them. The voters has the most powers in the country in the sense that without their votes then no one rules the country and they also have the right to remove a leader from his or her position if they don’t govern them well but the political leaders has made corruption to takeover power from them in the sense that even the electoral bodies known as INEC are been bribed to give another party the highest vote count whereas it is not the party that wins the election. The leaders can also misconduct the voters in the sense that voters can also be bribed which is jobbery in election. For example, the governmental and presidential election that took place in my country last year was not a fair election. In an actual sense, the voters still has the highest power in the country as far as democracy system of government is concerned. It is in military system that the leaders has the highest power as a leader.
Mind you, in democracy system of government, the leader or president don’t have the right to make or take decisions on their own so in that case, he or she has to involve people’s concern to take the right decision.
In conclusion, the voters still remains the people with the most power in democracy.
Thanks.
I agree with you because, in Nigeria during the elections that took place in 2023.The people partially had the power to choose their leader because, most of the electoral bodies where bribed to favor a particular candidate. And the elections turned out to be rigged. I think that before elections are conducted, the candidates should be given strict warnings about bribery and corruption. If these candidates go against these set laws the should be given severe punishments for putting a country in danger of electing bad leaders.
I believe that the media has the most power in a democracy. The media is the main source of information for voters. With false information, the media can easyly change the tide of an election. Though it is who the voters decide to vote for that matters, it is the media that determines who the voters will vote for. Overall, the media can provide false or biased information to voters which will dramatically change the course of an election which means that the media controls the voting.
I disagree because even though media has a certain influence on people's opinion, the ultimate power lies with the voters. People have many sources for information to help them tell what is true and what is fake. They vote on the basis of their own values and thoughts, rather than the media's view. I think that in a democracy, its not what the media says that matters, its what the people think that plays a big part. That is why I tend to believe that the media does not completely control voting. Like the saying goes democracy is the government of, by and for the people.
Thank you for your contribution. Your opinion has impacted and changed by opinion but I do not agree with you. I believe that the leader has the most power. The media is not just news. Yes people might have other sources of information but, the media is what influences most of the different sources. The leaders have money and use the money to monopolize the media. In this day and time, money is power. Though there might be a couple of sources that provide correct and reliable information, most people will not even see it let alone listen to it. Most people go along with what is more popular. The leaders will have influenced the media and the media will influence most of the sources. People will follow the most popular and biggest information sources. Yes, the power lies in the people, the people and basically controlled by strings made with money.
In my own opinion , I think that the leader has the power to get what ever he/she wants, I say this because sometimes some leaders don't even get as much as vote they can so they would bring corruption to play it's part , the leader would bribe the organization from the polling center which promotes bribery and corruption into our country .
In my perspective I think that voters should have the power ,I say this because in a democratic country setting the voters are the one casting their vote for a candidate ,that should count, but then it would be like their effort was wasted for nothing because of how some countries have become so corrupt.
Hi Topical Talkers. Democracy is defined as government for the people by the people. So for me the most important people are the voters. They people decide who leads them. The power of choice lies with the power. The outcome of any elections generally affects them for or for bad.
The media has the responsibility to guide the people aright without any biases. Yes, the play important role but at the end of the day, they are still part of the people. They must be neutral in presenting the candidates to the people because people tend to believe what see and read.
The leaders are chosen from the people, they are there to serve the interest of the people. Hence, the people outrank them because they are the ones who put them in the office.
So for me, it is the people first, followed by the media and finally the elected officers.
When we talk about a democratic government we talk about giving the power to choose leaders to the people. In an ideal democratic government, the people should hold the power to choose their leaders. The media can be a means of helping the people choose good leaders. The leaders only gain power when they have been voted in. But i also believe that the people should hold the power to remove any leader that is abusing their office. Overall the people should be the most powerful group in a democratic system. Democracy is often defined as "rule by the people". This means the people are meant to have the power in the country to choose who they want to lead them and to also remove anyone they feel is incompetent or corrupt.
I think in a democracy, the voters should have most power. The reason I think it should be so because when the rulers have all the power, there would be tyranny. Tyranny is the cruel and oppressive rule by government. By distributing power among the citizens as voters, there will be prevention of tyranny. Concentrating power on the government only can cause abuse and oppression. The voice of voters was something created by democracy to checkmate such happenings. An example of where tyranny occurred because of too much power in the government was in ancient Rome. The Roman Republic slowly became an empire, and some emperors wielded absolute power. This allowed them to exploit their authority and made them become cruel. It also improves accountability because when voters hold most of the power, elected officials have to be accountable or else they lose their power. Regular elections allow citizens to assess the performance of a government and decide if they should rule or not. This way government will have to do a good job if they want to keep their place. Government therefore have no choice but to act in the best interest of the public.
Hi,there.
In a democracy, people have the most power. In my opinion, democracy is a system of governance of the state where the people vote to elect proper candidates to make rules and develop the state. In democracy, the sovereign power is vested in the hands of the people. People are the source of all power of country. People vote political parties or individuals to develop their country . Later elected candidates form the government and run the state. Also in the country all the work of proposing, formulating and making laws etc. is done by the elected representatives of the people. If the people do not vote for a representative then he cannot come to power. In this way, through the ages, the appropriate representatives have been elected through the people's vote and elevated their own country to the world.
On the other hand, many times the ruling parties want to maintain their power by paying bribes. As a result there is no recognition of people's rights and opinions. The entire state is governed by the will and reluctance of a party. I think, in this case, proper steps must be taken to create a fair, free and participatory election.
Thanks a lot.
Hello Topical Talkers
My opinion on this is that the people should have the power, and this is real democracy. Democracy is a government for the people, of the people and with the people . The citizens in the country should be the ones with power because it is their votes that elects leaders. They also have the power when necessary to impeach leaders who aren't leading the people in the way they generally want to go. I think that in elections, agencies like IFEC should always inspect the votes the people give to prevent corruption. If 56% of people vote for a leader and corruption/ bribery occurs and another wins, it can rise riots and protests because the whole point of the democratic election was to select the leader with the most votes as that is the majority of the people's choices. I also think that organisations like IFEC should be formed all round the world and equally expand to more countries, not only to 145 countries but to eventually all the democratic countries in the world to prevent all electoral corruptions.
Hi, I'm fun_conclusion, I believe that the media has the power, anything that politicians are afraid of is the media. During the election in my country a candidate went viral through his good deeds on the media most people even out of the country in places like USA, Canada, Niger and United kingdom.
The other candidates were even afraid.
The person who has the most power in democracy is the voters because they are they ones that choose their leaders and it is their fault that some of the countries we have now are rotten people are given a certain age at which the can start voting but some are still facing with peer pressure and are easily influenced,but I will not blame it all on the voters they media also take part in the choosing of elections from what I have noticed they cheat and rig elections to choose bad leaders so they too play a significant role in choosing leaders.For the president he can elect himself indirectly by making a good speech which they people are interested on and if his character is good he can be elected so all this three play a significant role.
HELLO,
I think that it is the voters that have the most power in democracy. I say this because they are the ones that determine who will lead them through voting at the elections and this will cause them to choose the candidate that is worthy enough to lead them. For an instance if democracy is corrupt in a particular country, candidates that are not worthy enough to win because of one reason primarily;
Bribery: They can bribe some of the voters to vote for them with the use of money to win the elections. When they do this the voters themselves know that if that person is voted, he can lead the country astray and make it doomed.
In conclusion, I just say that it is the voters that have the most power in democracy and they can either choose to lead the country to paradise or doom if the are willing to collect bribes given to them by some of the candidates.
THANK YOU.
I think that the voters have the most power, even if people can do corrupted things to get their way to the top. The voters can have protests and vote for the right person that they think will be able to help them in the society. The democracy system's foundation is based on voting. Without voters the democracy will never stand or continue. The voters are most important components of democracy,
Democracy started with the efforts of the acient Greeks that means democracy started from a long time ago.
The rights that people should have when voting
1 Freedom
2 Equality
3 Obligations
4 Rights
in conclusion we all need to vote for the rights person.
i agree with you because if the people tho not cast there vote there will not be a leader for the people and the power is to the people to choose there leader.
Hi topical talkers,
I will love to share my opinion on the people that has most power in a democracy. For me, the voters are the ones who have more power in democracy because it is them that choose or elect the leaders because without them they won't be leaders in our various countries practicing the Democratic system of government.
In other for everyone to be practicing the Democratic system of government, the citizens should be enlightened especially those living in the rural areas about the importance of electing those who will lead the country to promote national development.
Whenever we're talking about democracy, I think that it is the people who are the voters that have more power. According to Abraham Lincoln democracy is defined as; the rules of the people,by the people and for the people. I think that with this definition it is clearly depicted that when it comes to democracy the people have more say in government because; the voters are the one who will elect the leader that will represent them in government house or the parliament so I think with this the people have more say in government.
The leader also has power when it comes to democracy because once someone is been elected as a leader he/she is the one that represents the opinion of the people.
The media is one of the agent of socialization. The media has a role to play in democracy because they also have power in shearing and passing information about political parties, they can also help in shearing news , if political parties want to hold rallies, campaign etc.
The voters, the leader and the media; they all have a role to play when it comes to democracy. So if they could come together they will achieve a lot and by doing this it will be beneficial to everyone.
What are your thoughts on this?
Thanks......
I think voters has the most power in democracy. The voters hold the most essential power in shaping the democratic process. Democracy was introduced in ancient time in Greece. The main purpose of it was to work for the nation. Democracy is a system where adult citizens participate to vote in election. They choose their leader to lead their country. They choose the government who presents their interest. A leader works as a representative of the nation in front of the world. A leader or a local representative works for the nation. They make their program based on which the nation has interest. Leader works for the well being of the country. If they failed to do so, the nation will lose their hopes and they won't vote the candidate again.
That's why Prof. Gettel said, "A system of government in which the people have the right to participate in the exercise of sovereign power is a democracy. " It highlights the importance of the voters to vote for the candidate who they want. It means that voters should have the most power in democracy.
Hello topical talkers in my own opinion the citizen have more power in democracy cuz they're the ones who choose their future leaders. As a leader we all think the leader has more power in the democracy but the future of your leadership leads in the citizen's hand because the citizen are the ones who choose the leaders which will have a big impact on the communities. Thank you
I think that the voters are the ones that have the most power in democracy. I say this because without the voters there will be no government so they are already out of it and without the votersa the media will not have much to say about elections because there will be a lack of information about the elections, so this also means that the voters are the most powerful in election because they form the government and they make up information for the media.
THANK YOU.
Hi....
I think The voters have the direct authority to deliberate and decide legislation. In a representative democracy, the people choose governing officials through elections to do so.The leader plays an important role but after election. The media also plays a vital role in election. The voters is the main power in democracy. If the leader are not elected by voters he can stand in a democratic country. Voter's have the most power in democracy because without the voter's we wouldn't have a leader.So, The voters of a country is the main power in election/vote and also Against corruption.
Thank you.
Hi topical talkers,
In my opinion I think that the people with the most power in democracy are the voters because without them the IFEC will not know the right candidate to choose and may make a mistake by choosing the wrong candidate and the party will not be able to make the change that they promised they will do.
But the people that should have the power should be the media because the media knows them best because most of them are always on social media and expose their own way of life and lifestyle so they will do know the right decision to make.
Thanks¡😊
I agree because... In a democratic system, the voters play a vital role as they hold hold the power to elect their leaders. Without the participation of the voters, the process of selecting a leader cannot be completed.
Greetings
Well I agree that voters have more
power,the politicians provide voters fundamental rights, human rights, rights to vote it's their choice whom to vote for. Well votes are done everywhere but matters that the voting is FAIR or UNFAIR votings are even done in North Korea which is under a bad dictatorship but their the rule is that if anyone votes against Kim Jong Un so that person will be accepted as an anti - national, so matters only FAIR or UNFAIR voting so this persuadation also shows the power of leaders but the most important thing is that politicians provide them everything and people and if the government does any wrong thing so people would soon realise the exploitive nature of the government well none of the Indian government did something bad for Indian citizens there is a line said MODI SARKAR KI GUARANTEE in this the government provides healthcare, food, shelter, a good life facilities so I think that 4.2 billion people are slowly getting a good life but there are FAIR elections in India.
Thank you!!!
In my opinion, power should be distributed among all three entities—the leader, the voters, and the media. This ensures a balanced system where no single entity has more power or authority. Elected officials, such as the president, prime minister, or members of parliament, hold significant power within a democracy. However, I feel that in a healthy democracy, leaders are not meant to wield unchecked power. This could mean that if the leader or leaders are corrupt, they can use this power for personal gain. In a truly democratic system, decisions should be made based on the majority's preferences, and elected representatives have to listen and respond to the needs and worries of the people they represent.