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Living in the United States, we are familiar with the representative system of democracy that allows citizens to elect governmental officials and leaders. However, democratic systems expand beyond that category, specifically parliamentary government systems where the executive branch predominantly controls the governmental body. Recently, it seems like certain parliamentary systems are attempting to incorporate citizens into domestic affairs, but such efforts should be expanded globally.
The Michigan Law Review contextualizes in 2023 that parliamentary systems in countries like New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and India have been incorporating underrepresented and minority political parties in their legislative processes and policymaking. With the intention of expanding democratic institutions and ideals, such examples make it clear that parliamentary systems should continue reserving seats in the government to represent minorities in the political system, specifically finding a significant benefit through the expansion of welfare programs.
Without sufficient representation in the political sphere, minorities are unseen in their governmental systems. This idea is bolstered by Judith Squires from Sage Journals which explains that parliamentary systems often fall short of minority concerns when there is a lack of seats for underrepresented political parties. That is why the United Nations emphasizes the importance of understanding specific experiences that minorities face in parliamentary systems to ensure meaningful actions towards uplifting their quality of life.
Parliamentary systems that have incorporated minorities into their governmental bodies have started to witness the expansion of programs to support minorities. In 2023, New Zealand’s government established legal protections for the Indigenous Maori people to settle in the country. As opposed to previous conditions, the Maori minorities were displaced from their land, left in deserted areas that were prone to the largest impacts from climate change. By continuing to increase seats for Maori groups from seven in the current parliament, New Zealand continues investing in the building of indigenous infrastructure and legal protections that will last for generations. But it’s not only New Zealand, India saw the same results. The Ministry of Minority Affairs reports that the Prime Minister established the 15 Point Program for the Welfare of Minorities, specifically aimed at uplifting education opportunities, economic stability, and manageable living conditions for all minorities. Parliamentary governments have the ability to support their minorities, and it starts from representation.
The impact of welfare programs is essential. Professor Chin in 2011 conducted a study which concluded that the increasing representation of minorities in parliaments decreased overall rates for poverty because of rising advocacy. For India, that would support 33.66 million individuals, and for the global scale, that would support a large portion of the 700 million individuals living in poverty at this moment in time.
When it comes to the responsibility of governments, especially democracies, the people should be the highest priority. For parliamentary systems, supporting minorities who desire the most aid in the country is one of the most significant ways to uphold the values of democracy. The United States should not be the only country that is first mentioned when speaking about democracies; it should be a global phenomenon that will continue to support the lives of all individuals in every country.
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