DEMOCRACY
G'day folks,
Today I feature something that is mentioned in the press every day - Democracy.
Key Democratic Principles
The word
‘democracy’ has its origins in the Greek language. It combines two shorter
words: ‘demos’ meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and
‘kratos’ meaning power or rule.
It is
generally agreed that liberal democracies are based on four main principles:
- A belief in the individual: since the individual is believed to be both moral and rational;
- A belief in reason and progress: based on the belief that growth and development is the natural condition of mankind and politics the art of compromise;
- A belief in a society that is consensual: based on a desire for order and co-operation not disorder and conflict;
- A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated power (whether by individuals, groups or governments).
The Democratic Framework
A liberal
democracy (that is, one that champions the development and well-being of the
individual) is organised in such a way as to define and limit power so as to
promote legitimate government within a framework of justice and freedom. There
are four critical elements to the framework:
- legitimacy;
- justice;
- freedom; and
- power.
Legitimacy
A
legitimate government is one that has the appropriate mandate/authority to
rule. This usually means a high degree of popular support as demonstrated by a
free electorate and frequent elections.
- For example, the government is chosen by a popular vote in which a majority of officials in a majority of electoral regions receive the majority vote; and
- For example, rules are framed to maximize the well-being of all or most citizens.
Justice
Justice
is achieved when citizens live in an environment in which all citizens are
treated equally and accorded dignity and respect. This may occur in a
representative democracy that is tempered by constitutionalism, free elections
and restraints on power.
- For example, the demands made by vested interest groups seeking special privileges are questioned; and
- for example, society is encouraging of talent and rewards citizens on merit, rather than on rank, privilege or status.
Freedom
If freedom
is to exist, there must be:
- self-determination such that citizens may make decisions, learn from them and accept responsibility for them;
- the capacity to choose between alternatives;
- the autonomy to do what the law does not forbid; and where prohibitions do exist, they should be for the common good; and
- respect for political and civil liberties. For example, government intervention in political, economic and moral matters affecting the citizenry is limited or regulated; and the scope for religious, political and intellectual freedom of citizens is not limited.
Power
In a
liberal democracy efforts are made to define and limit power, often by means of
a written constitution. Checks and balances, such as the separation of the
Parliament, senior government and judicial power, are instituted. In addition,
there are conventions of behaviour and a legal system that complements the
political system.
- For example, civil liberties are defended and increased against the encroachment of governments, institutions and powerful forces in society.
Definitions
There is
no absolute definition of democracy. The term is elastic and expands and
contracts according to the time, place and circumstances of its use. What
follows is a short list of definitions provided by field experts.
Jim Kilcullen
But
first, what does democracy mean? In Ancient Greece some cities were
democracies, others were oligarchies. Democracy meant rule by the people,
oligarchy meant rule by the few. So a city was a democracy if:
- city affairs were subject to an Assembly;
- to which all male citizens belonged;
- and in which decisions were made by simple majority vote.
Andrew Heywood
Rule by
the people; democracy implies both popular participation and government in the
public interest, and can take a wide variety of forms.
Dr John Hirst
Democracy:
A democracy is a society in which the citizens are sovereign and control the
government.
Joseph Schumpeter
The
democratic method is that institutional arrangement for arriving at political
decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a
competitive struggle for the people’s vote.
Schumpeter
adds that ‘the classical theory of democracy attributed to the electorate an
altogether unrealistic degree of initiative which practically amounted to
ignoring leadership.’
Further,
Schumpeter claimed that, … the
purpose of democratic method [is] not to select representatives who carry out
the will of the people, but to choose individuals who [will] govern on their
behalf.
Definitional issues
- Who are ‘the people’? Who is not? Are young people included?
- How is it possible for ‘the people’ to rule in largely differentiated societies? and
- How do we classify systems in which leaders are not elected but are nevertheless supported by the majority of people?
Key democratic practices
As
proposed by Robert Dahl, Schmitter and Karl, and Larry Diamond.
- Control over government decisions about policy is constitutionally vested in elected officials.
- Elected officials are chosen in frequent and fairly conducted elections in which coercion is comparatively uncommon.
- Practically all adults have the right to vote in the election of officials.
- Practically all adults have the right to run for elective offices in the government.
- Citizens have a right to express themselves without the danger of severe punishment on political matters broadly defined.
- Citizens have a right to seek out alternative sources of information. Moreover, alternative sources of information exist and are protected by law.
- Citizens also have the right to form relatively independent associations or organizations, including independent political parties and interest groups.
- Elected officials are able to exercise their powers without fear of being overridden.
- The polity is self-governing; and able to act independently of constraints imposed by others.
- People have the freedom to speak and publish dissenting views.
Different types of democracies
- Direct democracy
- Representative democracy
- Constitutional democracy
- Monitory democracy
Direct democracy
In a
direct democracy, such as ancient Athens, all citizens (only adult males who
had completed their military training; women, slaves and plebs were not
citizens) are invited to participate in all political decisions. This form of
democracy is no longer practiced. In this form of democracy citizens are
continuously involved in the exercise of power and decision is by majority
rule.
Representative democracy
In a
representative democracy, representatives are elected by the people and
entrusted to carry out the business of governance. Australia is a
representative democracy.
Constitutional democracy
In a
constitutional democracy a constitution outlines who will represent the people
and how. Australia is also a constitutional democracy.
Monitory democracy
Political
scientist John Keane suggests that a new form of democracy is evolving in which
government is constantly monitored in its exercise of power by a vast array of
public and private agencies, commissions and regulatory mechanisms.
Clancy's comment: Well, having said all that, think about what is happening in the world today, including Australia, and review the original definition of democracy.
Mm ... Makes ya wonder, eh?
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO VOTE!
VOTING FINISHES 5 MAY
I'm ...
Think about this!
No comments:
Post a Comment