Justifications For Democracy
Democracy involves the participation of citizens in government. People get to vote and choose who makes laws on their behalf, and they can hold elected representatives accountable for how they act and the decisions they make. People are also free to speak and think however they like, and to express those views in public, so long as it doesn’t interfere with others or disrupt society. The freedom of speech and religion are important features of a democracy, as is the right to peaceful assembly and association.
A well-functioning democracy provides good services to its citizens, and protects basic human rights. It promotes economic growth and social welfare. Democracy also offers the chance to develop one’s character and fulfil one’s potential. It has been argued that democracy encourages people to take more responsibility for their actions and to stand up for themselves, because they realise that they have a real influence on political outcomes, which other forms of rule do not always provide.
The democratic process is based on the idea that each citizen has narrowly defined interests which are closely connected to their everyday lives. It follows that ordinary citizens are usually quite well informed and interested in having some influence. The problem is that this can lead to a situation where a minority of interest groups dominates the decision-making process and ends up shaping policy and law. This can lead to injustice and inequality, so some scholars have argued that democracy should be balanced by giving greater weight to the opinions of ordinary people.
There are several ways of justifying democracy, either instrumentally – by reference to the benefits that it produces compared with other methods of political decision making – or intrinsically – by reference to values that are inherent in the method. Instrumental justifications for democracy are often based on the empirical observation that democracies tend to produce more effective laws and policies than other types of regimes. They are also typically correlated with the protection of core liberal rights, such as the right to a fair trial and the freedom from oppression.
Intrinsic justifications for democracy are sometimes based on philosophical arguments or scientific theories. For example, Helene Landemore has argued that democracy is justified by Scott Page and Lu Hong’s “diversity trumps ability” theorem (Hong & Page 2004; Page 2007), which shows that, on average, a random collection of agents with limited abilities will outperform a small group of experts.
Whatever the justification, a key feature of democracy is that it requires compromise and cooperation between its constituent parts. This is not easy, as evidenced by the polarisation of politics in some countries and the rise of demagogues who appeal to popular fears. It is therefore essential that all of us play our part in sustaining and strengthening democracy. This means promoting civic participation, encouraging debate and listening to other points of view, and respecting the decisions made by the majority. It also means ensuring that elections are free and fair, with the rule of law providing checks and balances on the power of Parliament and other institutions.
Democracy involves the participation of citizens in government. People get to vote and choose who makes laws on their behalf, and they can hold elected representatives accountable for how they act and the decisions they make. People are also free to speak and think however they like, and to express those views in public, so long as it doesn’t interfere with others or disrupt society. The freedom of speech and religion are important features of a democracy, as is the right to peaceful assembly and association. A well-functioning democracy provides good services to its citizens, and protects basic human rights. It promotes economic growth and social welfare. Democracy also offers the chance to develop one’s character and fulfil one’s potential. It has been argued that democracy encourages people to take more responsibility for their actions and to stand up for themselves, because they realise that they have a real influence on political outcomes, which other forms of rule do not always provide. The democratic process is based on the idea that each citizen has narrowly defined interests which are closely connected to their everyday lives. It follows that ordinary citizens are usually quite well informed and interested in having some influence. The problem is that this can lead to a situation where a minority of interest groups dominates the decision-making process and ends up shaping policy and law. This can lead to injustice and inequality, so some scholars have argued that democracy should be balanced by giving greater weight to the opinions of ordinary people. There are several ways of justifying democracy, either instrumentally – by reference to the benefits that it produces compared with other methods of political decision making – or intrinsically – by reference to values that are inherent in the method. Instrumental justifications for democracy are often based on the empirical observation that democracies tend to produce more effective laws and policies than other types of regimes. They are also typically correlated with the protection of core liberal rights, such as the right to a fair trial and the freedom from oppression. Intrinsic justifications for democracy are sometimes based on philosophical arguments or scientific theories. For example, Helene Landemore has argued that democracy is justified by Scott Page and Lu Hong’s “diversity trumps ability” theorem (Hong & Page 2004; Page 2007), which shows that, on average, a random collection of agents with limited abilities will outperform a small group of experts. Whatever the justification, a key feature of democracy is that it requires compromise and cooperation between its constituent parts. This is not easy, as evidenced by the polarisation of politics in some countries and the rise of demagogues who appeal to popular fears. It is therefore essential that all of us play our part in sustaining and strengthening democracy. This means promoting civic participation, encouraging debate and listening to other points of view, and respecting the decisions made by the majority. It also means ensuring that elections are free and fair, with the rule of law providing checks and balances on the power of Parliament and other institutions.