The Arguments For and Against Democracy
Democracy is the system of government that is “of the people, by the people, for the people.” The term is derived from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule). Democracies are various political systems in which citizens directly participate in making laws and policies or choose representatives to make decisions on their behalf. It is an idea that has inspired a range of historical and modern movements for liberty and equality, from Pericles in Ancient Athens to Vaclav Havel in modern Czechoslovakia to Thomas Jefferson in the United States and Andrei Sakharov in Soviet Russia. During the last few decades, however, many people have raised serious doubts about the viability and moral value of democracy, as protests against the perceived corruption or incompetence of democratic governments have rocked several regions around the world. Several international organizations, including Freedom House, the Economist Intelligence Unit and V-Dem, have reported that democracy is in decline in many countries.
The arguments for and against democracy come in two basic forms: instrumentally, by reference to the outcomes of using it compared with other methods of decision making; and intrinsically, by reference to values that are inherent in it. Instrumentally, the argument that democracy is better than other political regimes is based on the claim that it leads to laws and policies that are relatively good and on the assertion that democracy promotes social and economic well being. The argument is normally strengthened by the fact that well-functioning democratic institutions tend to be accompanied by strong protection of core liberal rights, such as the right to a fair trial and the right to bodily integrity (Gaus 1996: ch. 2).
Another common argument for democracy is that it enables decisions to be made that are more informed than those of other forms of government. This argument is often referred to as the “wisdom of the crowd” and it has been defended by a number of individuals, from Aristotle to John Dewey. It is usually grounded in a theory of cognitive diversity that contends that the aggregation of many different perspectives and sources of information will result in the discovery of more effective solutions to collective problems than would be possible with the decision making of any one person or group of people.
A third instrumental justification for democracy involves the claim that it is the best method for promoting economic growth. This argument is typically grounded in the claim that undemocratic political systems inhibit economic growth by restricting markets, fostering monopolies and discouraging creativity and innovation. The argument is strengthened by the fact that there is a close correlation between economic prosperity and the degree to which a country is democratized, as shown in numerous studies and analyses. (Acemoglu et al. 2011). There are also a variety of non-instrumental reasons to support democracy, including its association with other important moral values. These include the need for a broad base of public opinion to be represented in politics, the importance of preserving individual autonomy and the requirement that decisions be based on evidence rather than merely on emotion or prejudice.
Democracy is the system of government that is “of the people, by the people, for the people.” The term is derived from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule). Democracies are various political systems in which citizens directly participate in making laws and policies or choose representatives to make decisions on their behalf. It is an idea that has inspired a range of historical and modern movements for liberty and equality, from Pericles in Ancient Athens to Vaclav Havel in modern Czechoslovakia to Thomas Jefferson in the United States and Andrei Sakharov in Soviet Russia. During the last few decades, however, many people have raised serious doubts about the viability and moral value of democracy, as protests against the perceived corruption or incompetence of democratic governments have rocked several regions around the world. Several international organizations, including Freedom House, the Economist Intelligence Unit and V-Dem, have reported that democracy is in decline in many countries. The arguments for and against democracy come in two basic forms: instrumentally, by reference to the outcomes of using it compared with other methods of decision making; and intrinsically, by reference to values that are inherent in it. Instrumentally, the argument that democracy is better than other political regimes is based on the claim that it leads to laws and policies that are relatively good and on the assertion that democracy promotes social and economic well being. The argument is normally strengthened by the fact that well-functioning democratic institutions tend to be accompanied by strong protection of core liberal rights, such as the right to a fair trial and the right to bodily integrity (Gaus 1996: ch. 2). Another common argument for democracy is that it enables decisions to be made that are more informed than those of other forms of government. This argument is often referred to as the “wisdom of the crowd” and it has been defended by a number of individuals, from Aristotle to John Dewey. It is usually grounded in a theory of cognitive diversity that contends that the aggregation of many different perspectives and sources of information will result in the discovery of more effective solutions to collective problems than would be possible with the decision making of any one person or group of people. A third instrumental justification for democracy involves the claim that it is the best method for promoting economic growth. This argument is typically grounded in the claim that undemocratic political systems inhibit economic growth by restricting markets, fostering monopolies and discouraging creativity and innovation. The argument is strengthened by the fact that there is a close correlation between economic prosperity and the degree to which a country is democratized, as shown in numerous studies and analyses. (Acemoglu et al. 2011). There are also a variety of non-instrumental reasons to support democracy, including its association with other important moral values. These include the need for a broad base of public opinion to be represented in politics, the importance of preserving individual autonomy and the requirement that decisions be based on evidence rather than merely on emotion or prejudice.