We have recently had a request for a post on the war on terror… Anyone is able to request a post idea by emailing me at digestiblepolitics@gmail.com – thanks :) This topic is clearly very extensive, but of great interest and importance, so please read, enjoy and share!

This phrase, the war on terror, has been popularised by ex-president George Bush as a result of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. These attacks mobilised many countries to eliminate a number of terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda. This term is no longer used by Obama’s administration, but they have a similar objective of combatting terrorism by using a different phrase: Overseas Contingency Operation.

What is the Eurozone?

The Eurozone is a collection of countries in Europe who all use the same currency – the Euro. It came to existence in 1999 with 11 countries opting in, now there are 17 member countries. The Eurozone does not contain all members of the European Union and its monetary rules are controlled by the European Central Bank. The most recent country to join the Eurozone was Estonia in 2011.

The role of women in politics has only been accepted very recently with women getting the vote in the 1920s in both America and the UK. However, some countries only gave women the vote far more recently, such as in the United Arab Emirates where they got the vote in 2006. Other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, women are still not allowed to have the vote and will not do so until 2015. So, as a world where the demographics make a roughly even split between males and females, there is quite an obvious and important role that women play in politics today.

In the 2012 presidential election there was considerable debate over women and how they would vote – of course, most of their views were in favour of equal rights, which corresponded with the Democrat Party. Unfortunately for the Republican party women are not so interested in their conservative agenda. This can be seen by the result of the presidential election where 55% of Women voted for Obama and 44% of women voted for Romney (1% other parties). This is partly due to gaffes made within the Republican Party, such as Todd Akin who made a remark about ‘legitimate rape’, however it is equally due to Obama – through the ‘coat-tails effect’ – where lower ranking women candidates gain popularity through a high ranking person within the party.

What Is Legitimacy?

Legitimacy is the principle that a regime, institution or individual has a legitimate right to exercise power. Legitimacy is usually, though not always, bestowed through election, but the legitimacy of many political bodies can be disputed. It is a contestable term in that it is not always clear whether an institution is legitimate or not as we will show you using these UK and world examples that follow.

Legitimacy in the UK’s political bodies

- The House of Commons is legitimate because it is elected. However, many claim that the electoral college system is unfair and distorts political representation, so legitimacy can be challenged

- The House of Lords is arguable not legitimate because its members are not elected. However, it does have traditional authority and its political influence remains widely recognised

- UK government is legitimate because it is elected with a clear mandate to govern. However, every government in the UK has been elected with a minority of the popular vote, so we can challenge its legitimacy

- The power of the Prime Minister is legitimate because it is widely acknowledged that he/she is the supreme policy maker in the political system. However, there is no legal basis for prime ministerial power, so it could be said to lack legitimacy

When Was The Lisbon Treaty Signed?

It was signed on 1st December 2009, thus ending several years of negotiation about institutional issues.

What Was It?

The Lisbon Treaty amends the current European Union and European Commission, without replacing them. It provides the Union with the legal framework and tools necessary to meet future challenges and to respond to citizens’ demand.

What Did The Lisbon Treaty Include?

1) A more democrat and transparent Europe - a strengthened role for the European parliament and national parliaments with more opportunities for the citizens to have their voices heard and a clearer sense of who does what at European and national level

2) A more efficient Europe - simplified working methods and voting rules. Also, streamlined and modern institutions for an EU of 27 members and an improved ability to act in areas of major priority for today’s union

3) A Europe of rights and values, freedom, solidarity and security - Promote the union’s values, introducing the Charter of Fundamental Rights into European primary law, providing for new solidarity mechanisms and ensuring better protection of citizens

4) Europe as an actor on the global stage - bring together Europe’s external policy tools, both when developing and deciding new policies. The treaty should give Europe a clear voice in relations with its partners worldwide. It harnesses Europe’s economic, humanitarian, political and diplomatic strengths to promote European interests and values worldwide, while respecting the particular interests of the Member States in Foreign Affairs

Thanks for reading, please tell us what your views are on the Lisbon Treaty!

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Unfortunately,  the youth of today have been given such a bad name when it is only a minority of people who are creating social disruption. Most youthful people are motivated and long to do well in everything they do, which means they could be a very important aspect in politics.

Firstly, young people have different perspectives and a host of different ideas. By allowing them to voice their opinion we could be opening and moving the political world forward. This is not only good for society, but necessary for society. If the young did not engage with politics, even if it is through pressure groups, there would be many issues with our political establishments in trying to keep policy fair and sustainable for future generations. For example, equal rights for women required many young women to engage with the issue at hand. Why? Because they had strong feelings for the issue at hand, and that is something that countries should work to increase – interest and opinion on political matters.

Democracy is all about enabling the people to participate in the political process. But to what extent do pressure groups truly represent the peoples’ opinions and how democratic are they?

On the one hand, pressure groups do represent groups and disperse power in a pluralist fashion. Pressure groups are designed to represent the many views of society, especially those in the minority, to give power to their voice and provide a greater opportunity to influence policy and the decision-making process. Dispersing power in a pluralist fashion prevents any form of dictatorship and enables discussion and consultation to occur before any final decision is made. For example, the British Medical Association consulted often with parliamentary committees before any decision was made. Similarly, health groups consulted with congressmen before the final decision of ‘Obamacare’. Pressure groups also educate and inform as well as providing useful advice. If there is an issue that needs addressing or there is confusion over a particular issue pressure groups can teach the people about what is happening enabling them to form an opinion – this is highly democratic...

What are they?

Iron triangle is a term to describe a strong relationship between pressure groups, the relevant congressional committees and the relevant government department or agency in an attempt to guarantee to the policy outcomes to the benefit of all three par tie involved.

An Example of an Iron Triangle

The existence of iron triangles seems to be most prominent in the USA where they have many access points and levels of government (due to the federal nature of government). The Military Industrial Complex (MIC) is an example and involves the Defence Department, Congressional Armed Forces Committee and leading weapons manufacturers.

The Issue of Iron Triangles

The problem is that Iron Triangles establish a closed network of people which prevent people from getting involved with their discussion (hence why it is an IRON Triangle). The negotiation involved is what should be best for government and the people as that is who is involved, but this is unlikely when a lot of the communication happens away from the public glare.

The drugs debate is a very heated topic in many countries around the world, most notably in the USA. There, 13 states, led by California, have decriminalised the use of Cannabis for medical purposes. However, in the UK, the law seems far more stringent in their views on drug legislation. Drug law in the UK revolves around the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 which classified drugs into 3 groups – A, B and C. A being the most harmful drugs and C being the least harmful. Cannabis was proposed to be downgraded by the former Home Secretary, David Blunkett, but that decision was reversed by one of his successors. More recently, there has been an issue with ‘legal highs’ which the coalition government of the UK has been trying to deal with. Here are a few pros and cons on the legalisation of drugs: