LESSON LightofRestorationPeace,WorldCulture,Heavenly 9 ELECTIONS LESSON OBJECTIVES 1 Understand what elections are and why they are important. 2 Explore when and where elections started. 3 Understand the right to vote. TERMS TO KNOW • Elections • Candidate’s promises • Suffrage
Figure 9-1 A ballot box used in France
What are Elections? Elections are the most basic way for citizens to participate in politics in a democratic society. Since it is difficult for all citizens to directly participate in politics, elections are held to choose a representative to take the place of the country’s livelihood. Those who have the right to vote are called voters. Elections of representatives is very important. This is because selecting an immoral or incompetent representative will hinder the development of the country. Therefore, voters should carefully examine who the candidate is and what the candidate’s promises are, regardless of blood ties, regionalism, or academic ties. A promise is a public promise made to the voters by a candidate running for an election. Voters should examine these aspects to see whether the candidate’s promise is a promise for the development of the country and if there are a candidate who keeps promises after being elected. When did Elections Start? When did elections start? The origins of elections can be found in Athens, Greece, where democracy first began. In Athens (ancient Greece), councils, people’s courts, and administrative offices were elected by lottery. Five hundred people were elected by lottery to form a council, which is an organization that drafts bills, similar to the current legislative branch. The people’s court, an institution with a similar role to the judiciary, was also formed by selecting 6,000 citizens by lottery. Administrative positions, like the present executive branch, consisted of about 700 people selected by lottery among citizens.
2 9. Elections
Their tenure was about one year. In Athens, they tried to embody the spirit of democracy by involving as many citizens as possible in politics.
Figure 9-2 Votes for
9. Elections 3
The History of Suffrage and Elections
The right to vote is the right of citizens to directly participate in politics. Then, did all citizens have the same suffrage in the past as they do now? In 1776, the United States granted the right to vote only to white men over the age of 21 who were able to pay taxes. In other words, the right to vote was discriminatory based on race, gender, and wealth. It was not until 1920 that all citizens, including women, had the right to vote. In Great Britain, until 1831, only the nobility and the gentry had the right to vote, but the gentry were the land-owning class, accounting for only 5% of the population. In other words, the very few wealthy people were able to participate in elections. It was in 1928 that all men and women over the age of 21 had the right to vote in Great Britain. The decisive factor: when Emily Wilding Davison jumped in front of King George V’s horse and died while shouting, “Give women the right to vote!” Women
4 9. Elections Reviewing the Lesson 1 What are elections and why are elections important? 2 When, where, and how did elections start? 3 From what year did women have the right to vote in the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively? Activities
1 Let’s think about the promises that I would make if I were running as a candidate for the parliament. Conversely, if you are a voter, think about what kind of promises you would like to vote for a candidate and then share it with others. Research the electoral system of your country and do a presentation.
2
Lesson9. Elections 5th floor 20, Nambusunhwan-ro 347-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South-Korea Tel. +82 02-514-1963 Fax. +82 Thehwpl@hwpl.krhttp://www.hwpl.kr02-514-1961firsteditionon31 July 2022 Published by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light Copyright 2022 Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light All rights reserved. You must get consent from a copyright owner to use all or parts of the contents of this book. Image Credits Figure 9-1 Rama, CC BY-SA https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Election_MG_3455.JPG2.0, Figure 9-2 Pankhurst_%28cropped%29.jpghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Annie_Kenney_and_Christabel_
LightofRestorationPeace,WorldCulture,Heavenly