What nation has the best form of government in place today?

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[indepat]

1. The USA but framers never foresaw the Congress and Supreme Court

being complicit in making a mockery out of the separation of powers doctrine, in absolutely failing to uphold their oaths of offices to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and, IMO, that makes all who have failed to do so a very ugly t-word.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. Actually, They Really Did See it Coming

"In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other." - Benjamin Franklin's closing address at the Constitutional Convention

That being said, you should thank the stars that SCOTUS and the rest of the court system is functioning, despite the best efforts of the Republicans/DLC to utterly blow off their responsibilities in order to gain a few more shekels. The courts have truly behaved quite well - we even got an 8-1 decision against Bush's claim that he can ignore civil rights in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld. (When Scalia says your overreaching... well, holy crap, eh?) They have truly been the last bulwark against tyranny, as the Founders intended.

Now please repay the Founders by removing the Republicans/DLC from government.

[indepat]

10. Who am I to argue with Benjamin Franklin or you? That said, the

number of t-word followers who would march to the beat of their drummer through the gates of hell to have the entire RW PNAC agenda implemented is utterly mind-boggling, if not astounding IMO.

[coda]

12. Yep. Madison did

Numerous (that I'm too lazy to look up) Jefferson quotes, too.


"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.

-- James Madison

[Lost-in-FL]

2. None

Nobody or no nation is perfect.

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9. I kind of figured that. So, of the existing governments, which is best?

[Stevepol]

3. Until the US gets democracy back, it's not in contention.

Right now, we have a corporatocracy or a video game democracy or a Dieboldology.

NOT A DEMOCRACY.

When the vote is counted in total secrecy without verification of the results, this is NOT A DEMOCRACY.

[aikoaiko]

4. this should be interesting --

Democracy is a lot easier when the populace is more homogenous. Diversity breeds conflict.

[rug]

6. Iceland.

[loyalsister]

7. maybe a better question would be

"What form of government is the best fit for it's country?"

I have only lived in the U.S. and think the system we have created for ourselves is a good one, but I don't think that it is necessarily a blueprint for all other countries.
Governments are suited to cultural and other factors. They can not be one size fits all.

[DarbyUSMC]

8. Switzerland gets my vote.

Basic idea ----- from Wikipedia:

Direct democracy
Switzerland features a system of government not seen at the national level any other place on Earth: direct democracy, sometimes called half-direct democracy (this could, or could not be correct as theoretically, one could state that the people have full power over the law). Referenda on the most important laws have been used since the 1848 constitution.

Any citizen may challenge a law that has been passed by parliament. If he is able to gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days, a national vote has to be scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law.

Also, any citizen may seek a decision on an amendment they want to make to the constitution. For such an amendment initiative to be organised, the signatures of 100,000 voters must be collected within 18 months. Such a popular initiative may be formulated as a general proposal or - much more often - be put forward as a precise new text whose wording can no longer be changed by parliament and the government. After a successful vote gathering, the federal council may create a counterproposal to the proposed amendment and put it to vote on the same day. Such counterproposals are usually a compromise between the status quo and the wording of the initiative. Voters will again decide in a national vote whether to accept the initiative amendment, the counterproposal put forward by the government or both. If both are accepted, one has to additionally signal a preference. Initiatives have to be accepted by a double majority of both the popular votes and a majority of the states.


Energy politics
The energy generated in Switzerland comprises around 40 percent nuclear power and 60 percent from hydroelectricity.

On May 18, 2003, two referenda regarding the future of nuclear power in Switzerland were held. The referendum Electricity Without Nuclear asked for a decision on a nuclear power phase-out and Moratorium Plus asked about an extension of an existing law forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants. Both were turned down: Moratorium Plus by a margin of 41.6% for and 58.4% opposed, and Electricity Without Nuclear by a margin of 33.7% for and 66.3% opposed. The former ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants was the result of a citizens' initiative voted on in 1990 which had passed with 54.5% Yes vs. 45.5% No votes (see Nuclear power phase-out in Switzerland for details).

[Odin2005]

11. Switzerland