Justifications For Democracy
Democracy means “rule by the people.” It is an idea that has been promoted and practiced in different ways, ranging from local town meetings to national elections. Today, democratic governments are found in a wide range of countries around the world. The term was coined in the 5th century bce from the Greek words demos, meaning people or citizens of a city-state and kratos, meaning power or rule. Democracy is a complex system and requires everyone’s voice to work well. This can be done through voting, protesting or running for office.
One of the most common justifications for democracy is based on its value as a protection of individual liberty. It is argued that because individuals are profoundly affected by the larger legal, cultural and social environment in which they live, they can have no control over it unless they are able to participate as equals in the process of collective decision making. It is also argued that the freedoms of expression, association and independent sources of information are necessary for effective participation, an informed electorate and citizen control of the agenda.
Another justification for democracy is that it leads to a more ethical society. It is argued that by requiring citizens to make political decisions and having them depend on the input of others, democracy encourages individuals to be more morally responsible and to think in terms of what is best for everyone. It is further argued that the experience of participating in democratic decision making also cultivates individuals to be more active and engaged as citizens.
The most important tool that a democracy has for maintaining its legitimacy and effectiveness is the rule of law. This includes the protection of core liberal rights, such as the right to a fair trial and bodily integrity, against state abuses. The idea of a rule of law has been a major justification for the development and spread of democracy throughout the world, although it remains a challenge to ensure that these rights are fully respected in every country.
It is often argued that democracy works because it has many benefits, including a lower risk of war and corruption, and higher economic growth. However, it is not possible to prove that these effects are due exclusively to the presence of democracy (Brennan 2016). Furthermore, there is empirical evidence that democracies tend to be less efficient and more unstable than non-democracies. This may be partly due to the fact that democracy makes it easy for special interests to manipulate politicians and to use the state for their own narrow purposes, all at the expense of the general public (Lord, Ross & Lepper 1979). Many contemporary theorists expand on these Platonic and Hobbesian criticisms. They argue that the ill-informed and apathetic citizens of large-scale democracies allow politicians to pursue short-term gains while hiding the costs from ordinary voters. There is also evidence that, in some contexts, democracy makes it difficult for citizens to arrive at correct judgments because they engage in motivated reasoning that unconsciously aims to affirm their existing political identities rather than to judge issues objectively (Lord et al. 2007; Bartels et al. 2002).
Democracy means “rule by the people.” It is an idea that has been promoted and practiced in different ways, ranging from local town meetings to national elections. Today, democratic governments are found in a wide range of countries around the world. The term was coined in the 5th century bce from the Greek words demos, meaning people or citizens of a city-state and kratos, meaning power or rule. Democracy is a complex system and requires everyone’s voice to work well. This can be done through voting, protesting or running for office. One of the most common justifications for democracy is based on its value as a protection of individual liberty. It is argued that because individuals are profoundly affected by the larger legal, cultural and social environment in which they live, they can have no control over it unless they are able to participate as equals in the process of collective decision making. It is also argued that the freedoms of expression, association and independent sources of information are necessary for effective participation, an informed electorate and citizen control of the agenda. Another justification for democracy is that it leads to a more ethical society. It is argued that by requiring citizens to make political decisions and having them depend on the input of others, democracy encourages individuals to be more morally responsible and to think in terms of what is best for everyone. It is further argued that the experience of participating in democratic decision making also cultivates individuals to be more active and engaged as citizens. The most important tool that a democracy has for maintaining its legitimacy and effectiveness is the rule of law. This includes the protection of core liberal rights, such as the right to a fair trial and bodily integrity, against state abuses. The idea of a rule of law has been a major justification for the development and spread of democracy throughout the world, although it remains a challenge to ensure that these rights are fully respected in every country. It is often argued that democracy works because it has many benefits, including a lower risk of war and corruption, and higher economic growth. However, it is not possible to prove that these effects are due exclusively to the presence of democracy (Brennan 2016). Furthermore, there is empirical evidence that democracies tend to be less efficient and more unstable than non-democracies. This may be partly due to the fact that democracy makes it easy for special interests to manipulate politicians and to use the state for their own narrow purposes, all at the expense of the general public (Lord, Ross & Lepper 1979). Many contemporary theorists expand on these Platonic and Hobbesian criticisms. They argue that the ill-informed and apathetic citizens of large-scale democracies allow politicians to pursue short-term gains while hiding the costs from ordinary voters. There is also evidence that, in some contexts, democracy makes it difficult for citizens to arrive at correct judgments because they engage in motivated reasoning that unconsciously aims to affirm their existing political identities rather than to judge issues objectively (Lord et al. 2007; Bartels et al. 2002).