politics

• Politics


  The process through which groups of people can take decisions
• Power


  The ability to influence other people's ideas and actions
• Living in a society involves

  • Rights
  • Duties (obligations)
• Rights


  Prevent discrimination and allow citizens to express themselves freely and become members of the group they want. Allow people to choose what they want to believe in.
• Duties (obligations)


  Responsibilities carried out by citizens, commonly referred to as Duties. Includes respecting the Laws of the State, paying taxes, not littering etc.
• Different societies offer different rights and impose different duties on members or citizens
• Democratic societies


  Societies that adopt political systems where the rights of the individual are respected and safeguarded by the institutions of the State
• Different types of Government

  • Monarchy
  • Dictatorship
  • Oligarchy
  • Democracy
• Monarchy


  A form of government in which a single family rules from generation to generation. The power, or sovereignty, is personified in a single individual.
• Types of monarchy


  • Absolute monarchy
  • Constitutional monarchy
• Absolute monarchy


  The monarch has no or few legal limitations in political matters
• Constitutional monarchy


  The monarch retains a distinctive legal and ceremonial role but exercises limited or no political power
• Dictatorship


  A form of government where one person or political party has the power to do whatever they want. The individual rights are commonly suppressed.
• Oligarchy


  The rule of the few. A form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people, often passed down through generations.
• Forms of democracy


  • Direct democracy
  • Representative democracy
• Direct democracy


  All eligible citizens have direct participation in the decision making of the government
• Representative democracy


  Citizens exercise their power through elected representatives who propose, develop, and create laws for the citizens to abide by
• Malta is a Representative Democracy
• Universal suffrage


  The right to vote given to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or any other restriction
• In Malta, Universal Suffrage was granted in 1947
• Pluralism


  Society must accept that different members/people have different opinions and political views, which can be voiced without fear of discrimination
• Representation


  We trust our political candidates elected to parliament to represent us in the country's highest institution
• Pressure groups


  Political parties as well as other organisations which have nothing to do with politics but aim to promote their interests
• Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)


  Organisations that are independent of government involvement
• Political parties


  Both an interest group and a pressure group, aiming to safeguard and promote their particular interests. Can be elected to Government following elections.
• The start of Maltese political parties was the Language Question, when the British made efforts to replace Italian with English
• Early Maltese political parties

  • Partito Riformista (later became the Labour Party)
  • Partito Anti Riformista (later became the Nationalist Party)
• Both early political parties issued their own newspapers
• Parliament


  A group of people elected by people in an election, who meet to discuss and decide matters related to the running of the State
• Prime Minister


  The Head of the Government
• President of the Republic


  The Head of State, elected by the Maltese Parliament
• In Malta, elections take place every FIVE years
• Proportional Representation


  The election candidates elected to Parliament are chosen according to the number of votes they obtained
• For election purposes, Malta is divided into 13 districts, each with 5 representatives voted into parliament
• Elections in Malta are managed by the Electoral Commission
• Local Councils


  Small governing bodies established in 1993 for each locality, headed by a Mayor. Represent a form of devolution of power from the Central Government.
• Devolution of power


  Some degree of political power is handed over from a National level to a Local level
• Decentralisation of power


  The passing-on of duties from the Central Government to the Local Government
• Depolarization


  Aims at reducing the political divide between candidates and elected members alike in a local council
• Democratic management


  Aims at improving accountability and responsible sustainable administration on the local level by all citizens to contribute to the local decisions taken