Government Systems and Political Ideologies

Meritocracy

Definition

Meritocracy is defined as a system based on ability, where those with talent and merits are chosen to move ahead on the basis of their own merit. It is also defined as leadership of the elites, selected on the basis of intellectual criteria.

Origin

The origin of the word Meritocracy can be seen as from the book ‘Rise of Meritocracy’ by Michael Dunlop Young, written in 1958. In it he wrote a formula ‘ I + E = M’. Which essentially means that intelligence plus effort would equate up to merit. In this book, the setting is the year 2034, and Michael writes about the disadvantages of the system of meritocracy, writing that not only will those with a low IQ hate the system, everyone will find the ranking of every human being by intelligence offensive.

Meritocracy is somtimes also associated with Confucianism , as confucius promoted a sense of meritocracy too.

Pros

One of the pros of meritocracy is that people get rewarded for their effort in trying to achieve the best. This will in turn motivate many people to work hard and put in effort in what they are doing as they know that if they do it well, they will get rewarded and recognised.

Another pro about meritocracy is that with those of the highest intelligence leading the country and representing the country, the chances of the system succeeding and the chances of the society surviving and flourishing is high. With the best being the leaders, development and organisation would also reach a high level.

Another pro about meritocracy is that the intelligence level of the society as a whole will increase. With intense competition, each individual will be motivated and forced to excel academically and intellectually. This will cause the general intelligence level of the society to increase.

Cons

Of course, meritocracy is not without its flaws and cons. One of the cons of meritocracy is that there would be a high chance that due to the intense pressure and competition in place, many individuals will not be happy in the society. They would feel a great deal of stress put upon them, be it by themselves, their associates, their parents etc. This stress if in a large amount is detrimental to the mental health of the individuals.

Another one of the cons is that the system pits people against each other, creating winners and losers, causing them to be afraid to fail, influencing them to take lesser risks. This would in turn see the decline in business profits as there would be less people taking risks. Many opportunities would also be missed by the business field and causing a possible economical problems.

Countries using Meritocracy

Singapore is one of the countries using Meritocracy as part of their government systems. Others include the 19th century Finland and the Venetian Republic.

There are also other countries such as the United States of America that has meritocracy used in some parts of its country, for example, America has a meritocratic education system, where only those that are good can excel and continue.

Public Opinion

Meritocracy is accepted by many that people are recognised and rewarded for their effort and their intelligence. However, some still feel that the system may cause an outbreak of a talent war and that might make the society appear as a war zone with each individual trusting only him or her and no others. Some are also worried that meritocracy will cause the society to be an elitist society where those that are not very talented will stand to lose.

References

Diromualdo, T. (2006, Nov. 9). The misguided talent war (WTN News).
Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://wistechnology.com/articles/3471/?id=3471.

Douthat, R. (n.d.). Does Meritocracy Work?. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200511/college-and-meritocracy.

Meritocracy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2008,
from http://www.sociology.org.uk/tece1n1.htm.

Meritocracy - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
(n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritocracy.

Meritocracy definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta. (n.d.).
Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary
/DictionaryResults.aspx?search=meritocracy.

Meritocracy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2008, March 12).
Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritocracy.

Miller, R. K., Jr. & McNamee, S. J. (2004). The Meritocracy Myth     .
Retrieved March 22, 2008 from , University of North Carolina
at Wilmington Web site:
http://www.ncsociology.org/sociationtoday/v21/merit.htm

Seligman, D. (1994, December 19). The Rise of the Meritocracy.
- book reviews | National Review | Find Articles at BNET.com.
Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n24_v46/ai_16218255.

Vaknin, S. (n.d.). Meritocracy and Brain Drain. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://samvak.tripod.com/nm026.html.

Young, M. D. (1958). The Rise of The Meritocracy. London: Thames
and Hudson .

	Meritocracy Definition Meritocracy is defined as a system based on ability, where those with talent and merits are chosen to move ahead on the basis of their own merit. It is also defined as leadership of the elites, selected on the basis of intellectual criteria. Origin The origin of the word Meritocracy can be seen as from the book ‘Rise of Meritocracy’ by Michael Dunlop Young, written in 1958. In it he wrote a formula ‘ I + E = M’. Which essentially means that intelligence plus effort would equate up to merit. In this book, the setting is the year 2034, and Michael writes about the disadvantages of the system of meritocracy, writing that not only will those with a low IQ hate the system, everyone will find the ranking of every human being by intelligence offensive. Meritocracy is somtimes also associated with Confucianism , as confucius promoted a sense of meritocracy too. Pros One of the pros of meritocracy is that people get rewarded for their effort in trying to achieve the best. This will in turn motivate many people to work hard and put in effort in what they are doing as they know that if they do it well, they will get rewarded and recognised. Another pro about meritocracy is that with those of the highest intelligence leading the country and representing the country, the chances of the system succeeding and the chances of the society surviving and flourishing is high. With the best being the leaders, development and organisation would also reach a high level. Another pro about meritocracy is that the intelligence level of the society as a whole will increase. With intense competition, each individual will be motivated and forced to excel academically and intellectually. This will cause the general intelligence level of the society to increase. Cons Of course, meritocracy is not without its flaws and cons. One of the cons of meritocracy is that there would be a high chance that due to the intense pressure and competition in place, many individuals will not be happy in the society. They would feel a great deal of stress put upon them, be it by themselves, their associates, their parents etc. This stress if in a large amount is detrimental to the mental health of the individuals. Another one of the cons is that the system pits people against each other, creating winners and losers, causing them to be afraid to fail, influencing them to take lesser risks. This would in turn see the decline in business profits as there would be less people taking risks. Many opportunities would also be missed by the business field and causing a possible economical problems. Countries using Meritocracy Singapore is one of the countries using Meritocracy as part of their government systems. Others include the 19th century Finland and the Venetian Republic. There are also other countries such as the United States of America that has meritocracy used in some parts of its country, for example, America has a meritocratic education system, where only those that are good can excel and continue. Public Opinion Meritocracy is accepted by many that people are recognised and rewarded for their effort and their intelligence. However, some still feel that the system may cause an outbreak of a talent war and that might make the society appear as a war zone with each individual trusting only him or her and no others. Some are also worried that meritocracy will cause the society to be an elitist society where those that are not very talented will stand to lose. References Diromualdo, T. (2006, Nov. 9). The misguided talent war (WTN News). Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://wistechnology.com/articles/3471/?id=3471. Douthat, R. (n.d.). Does Meritocracy Work?. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200511/college-and-meritocracy. Meritocracy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://www.sociology.org.uk/tece1n1.htm. Meritocracy - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritocracy. Meritocracy definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary /DictionaryResults.aspx?search=meritocracy. Meritocracy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2008, March 12). Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritocracy. Miller, R. K., Jr. & McNamee, S. J. (2004). The Meritocracy Myth . Retrieved March 22, 2008 from , University of North Carolina at Wilmington Web site: http://www.ncsociology.org/sociationtoday/v21/merit.htm Seligman, D. (1994, December 19). The Rise of the Meritocracy. - book reviews \| National Review \| Find Articles at BNET.com. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n24_v46/ai_16218255. Vaknin, S. (n.d.). Meritocracy and Brain Drain. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://samvak.tripod.com/nm026.html. Young, M. D. (1958). The Rise of The Meritocracy. London: Thames and Hudson .
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A to Z government systems A system where a Government is unnecessary and undesirable whichmeans that everything is based on voluntary cooperation by individuals and groups A system where a Government is unnecessary and undesirable which means that everything is based on voluntary cooperation by individuals and groups One person who has absolute rule over a country or a state and is usually hereditary or they claim as being given divine right with or without advisors. A system combining Anarchism and capitalism A system where there is no State or capitalism A system combing Anarchism and savagery where savagery means acceptance comes easily. A system where there are no hierarchies such as political or economic hierarchies. A system where labour is emphasized and thus it has trade unions that replace the State A system where there is more democratic decision-making A government with only a few people who are thought to be best qualified. A system where the people vote on the legislation and executive bills instead of electing leaders to do it for them. A concentration of power in a leader who is not constitutionally responsible to the people A one person government. A system that is ruled by enlightened monarchs. A system that is suitable for Islams as this system represents the political unity of the Muslims A system that combines republic and capitalism together. A system where the health of the community is the first priority A system where there is no such thing as a private property because the goods are owned by the government and is available to anyone if needed A system where many opinions are taken into consideration before making decisions The system of Constitutional Monarchy has a Head of State that does not change as the governments change and a Government. Only the elected Officials can pass laws, the Head of State acts as an advisor to the Officials. Leaders are elected by the people but the leaders have a limited power over the people and must go according to constitutional laws A system where there are civic assemblies which represents the country's economic, social, industry and cultural aspects A system where the making of laws must arise from the public if not the law cannot be approved. A system where there is democratic representations in a country without the use of elections. A democratic republic is a country where there is freedom of speech, election and press. A system where two rulers have equal shared absolute power over the country Government organization or group in with unlimited power A true democratic system where the people elect their leaders System where ruler with absolute power over the country. A system similar to that of tyranny where all is controlled by one man. A system ruled by dukes or duchesses A system combining Anarchism but with saving the environment as their first priority. A monarchy whose ruler is elected by the people. A monarchy that is Arab-suited A system that concentrates on the society's welfare as a whole and thus seeks patriotism. A system used by the medieval age where warriors and nobility rule. A system where the oldest are the leaders A system ruled by grand dukes or grand duchesses A system where the power lies with the loser level of government such as the name suggests, grassroots A system for the Jews because non-Jews would not be granted full citizenship. A monarchy where the kingship is passed to the sons when the father dies. A system with the Pope as its leader. A system where the people elect their leaders but the leaders have the freedom to do what they want. A system combining democracy with a religion, Islam A name that is given to many Muslim countries Government by those who want power and personal gain. A system where judges rule and rules by natural rights A system where judges rule but based on the judges opinions A system where the people elect the leaders to make decisions for them. A system which emphasizes on liberty, freedom for the people. A system where absolute power is given to magicians and wizards A government where females rule. Government by those with talent. A system where military force is used to establish freedom and liberty. A military-based government that has absolute rule over the country A system combining oligarchy, democracy and monarchy. A democratic system where there are no government parties. A small group which makes up the government which is usually corrupted and do things for their own sake. Government by the majority. A system where the people are allowed to coose whatever government system they want. A system similar to the parliamentary system except that the head of state does not have that much power. A system where the parliament checks on the executive branch of the government A system where voting is limited and where politicians take care of the governing of the country A system where the people vote on the legislation and executive bills instead of electing leaders to do it for them. Timocracy, Government controlled by the rich. A state where government uses police by means to control the life of the citizens. A monarchy where the monarch's title is linked to the people. A system where the executive branch is independent of the legislative branch. A monarchy where the monarch's title is prince A system combining democracy and religion A system where the government is elected by the people and the government has the responsibility in acting in people's interest. A system where there is restricted democracy A system where robots rule One person who proclaims himself as king which would usually lead to hereditary monarchy. A system similar to that of a presidential system except for the fact that the president and prime minister gets involved in everyday decision-making. A system where there is only 1 government party running the country and no other party is allowed to enter for elections. A system combining socialism and democracy A system that emphasizes on socialism that also has aspects of free market in its economy. A democratic system where workers are represented in government too. A system where the rulers are those highly-skilled and qualified. Maritime (relating to navigation or commerce on the sea) government Government of a state by divine rule, usually by people who are guided by the deities Government of a state by God. A democratic system where the leader is elected but has absolute rule. Absolute state which the people must follow orders from. Tribalism existed during the time of primitive men. Thus, it has a sense of primitive in it. However, it also emphasizes on communism and equality. A government ruled by an oppressive and severely unjust ruler. A system with administrative divisions governed by a person who is governed by the viceroy. A system combining democracy and parliamentary system which is somewhat similar to the United nations is adopting Auto: Manual: Drag Me