The Role of Executives in Contemporary Democracies

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November 7, 2020
The Role of Executives in Contemporary Democracies
As of the time of writing this paper, it seems as if the whole world is gripped by the US presidential elections. The race between red and blue—between Trump and Biden has captivated even non-Americans who have no participation at all in the US's political process. It is interesting to observe the perceived relevance attached by other countries, other citizens, to the elections in another country, which they most probably have never set foot in. Such is evidence of globalization and highlights the economic and diplomatic interdependence of states. However, the hype surrounding such elections brings a simple question into mind: why the big fuss about a president?
The question "what role exactly do executives have in contemporary democracies?" first presents itself, to any reader, as redundant and unnecessary. In democratic institutions where a chief of state or chief executive is elected by the people's vote, it is already understood that the chief executive is the person who is the architect of foreign relations. A chief executive plays a crucial part in the lawmaking process, with bills originating from Congress ultimately ending up on his desk for approval or denial. The chief executive plays an essential role in checks and balances against the other two major parts of government: the judicial and the legislative. A chief executive is the commander of the armed forces of a state. A chief executive is by concept, elected by popular vote to represent the voice of the people.
Thus, the question of what role executives play in contemporary democracies may seem unneeded; however, the more the reader thinks about the question, the more of its layers present themselves. It may be divided into three different and equally crucial parts: first, what does the question mean by "contemporary democracies," second, what does the term "executive" entail and how is the term changed in a "contemporary" setting, and third, return to the more evident and apparent interrogative now layered with intricacies mentioned above, what is the "role" being played by the executive in the context of contemporary democracies.
This paper will then aim to answer the following questions:
* What are the characteristics of a "contemporary democracy?"
* What is an "executive?" How is the term "executive" changed in the context of contemporary democracy?
* What is the executive's role in a modern democracy?
It is primarily challenging to pin down the definition or essence of democracy with exact accuracy, as many scholars and political thinkers have noted. Democracy is both a generally accepted type of government and a floating, abstract idea that varies from context to context.
Bertrand Russel and Alf Ross have extensively discussed the importance of discourse and meta-discourse in defining democracy. Questions about questions must be asked. In particular, Alf Ross concluded that to arrive at a specific, quantitative definition and measurement of democracy is impossible. Instead, he believed that it is the values and norms of any particular community which must be paid particular attention, and the proximity of these...