Is Democracy Still the Path to Prosperity?
Democracy is the system of government in which people get to make laws and other decisions for their community. The idea of democracy has triggered some of the most important expressions of human will and intellect, from Pericles in ancient Athens to Vaclav Havel in modern Czechoslovakia. It has spawned revolutions, and it has helped stop global wars. Today, more than half the world’s governments operate under democratic systems. Democracy is widely considered a universally recognized ideal, and many international organizations work to help countries become more democratic.
In a direct democracy, people meet to make decisions on new laws or changes to existing ones. This is usually called participatory democracy, and it was the form of democracy used in ancient Greece. Direct democracy is very hard to do for large populations, though, and it is rarely used today.
More often, we see indirect democracy: In this type of democracy, people choose leaders — like mayors, councilmen, or members of parliament – to represent them in making laws. Then the elected representatives gather with community members to make policies based on the needs and wishes of the whole population. These policy-making processes can be slow. But they are more robust than the fast-paced decisions made in non-democracies, where it is easier for a single person or group to dominate the process and force through policies that they think will be best for the community.
Moreover, the structure of democracy encourages people to compromise and come up with solutions that are good for all. It also helps to prevent exploitation and oppression by preventing some parts of the community from being left out of the decision-making process. And when people feel their rights are violated, they have the right to protest.
Democracy’s promise is that it can be the path to prosperity for all — and a better world. But in the wake of Brexit and other seismic political shifts, some have started to question whether democracy can still deliver on its promises. Is the system a sham? Is it capable of adjusting to technological, demographic, and cultural change?
This article is adapted from an essay by Michael Wagner. It first appeared in our 2017 Global Outlook print issue, and is reproduced here with permission. To subscribe to the Global Outlook and receive our monthly e-newsletter, click here. To download a PDF of this and other essays in the series, click here.
Democracy is the system of government in which people get to make laws and other decisions for their community. The idea of democracy has triggered some of the most important expressions of human will and intellect, from Pericles in ancient Athens to Vaclav Havel in modern Czechoslovakia. It has spawned revolutions, and it has helped stop global wars. Today, more than half the world’s governments operate under democratic systems. Democracy is widely considered a universally recognized ideal, and many international organizations work to help countries become more democratic. In a direct democracy, people meet to make decisions on new laws or changes to existing ones. This is usually called participatory democracy, and it was the form of democracy used in ancient Greece. Direct democracy is very hard to do for large populations, though, and it is rarely used today. More often, we see indirect democracy: In this type of democracy, people choose leaders — like mayors, councilmen, or members of parliament – to represent them in making laws. Then the elected representatives gather with community members to make policies based on the needs and wishes of the whole population. These policy-making processes can be slow. But they are more robust than the fast-paced decisions made in non-democracies, where it is easier for a single person or group to dominate the process and force through policies that they think will be best for the community. Moreover, the structure of democracy encourages people to compromise and come up with solutions that are good for all. It also helps to prevent exploitation and oppression by preventing some parts of the community from being left out of the decision-making process. And when people feel their rights are violated, they have the right to protest. Democracy’s promise is that it can be the path to prosperity for all — and a better world. But in the wake of Brexit and other seismic political shifts, some have started to question whether democracy can still deliver on its promises. Is the system a sham? Is it capable of adjusting to technological, demographic, and cultural change? This article is adapted from an essay by Michael Wagner. It first appeared in our 2017 Global Outlook print issue, and is reproduced here with permission. To subscribe to the Global Outlook and receive our monthly e-newsletter, click here. To download a PDF of this and other essays in the series, click here. ECPR Press 2017. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of ECPR or its editors. The editors are grateful to the authors for their assistance in compiling this article. All ECPR publications are available online at www.ecpr.org/publications. For more information, please visit our About page.