Democracy

Majority/Democratic Rule Good/Bad

1. Definitions of Democracy government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. In a direct democracy, citizens make decisions directly by proposing laws or referendums on laws which are disliked, voting to determine who enters public office, and recalling public officials who are not doing their jobs. An indirect democracy, on the other hand, uses a small group of officials to make decisions of importance on behalf of their constituents. In both cases, the input of the people is the cornerstone of the government, but the government is run in different ways.

2. Positive Matter arguments (Government) on why we should value democracy Democracy allows the people to have a direct say in who governs them, via the votes cast by every adult member of the populace. As such it ensures that a government is made up of those truly representative of the people, and ensures that no minority, military power or elite is able to oppress them. If we accept that we al have the same rights, then it follows we should all have an equal say in who represents us in choosing how we are governed. Modern democracy has been advocated for hundreds of years as the best form of government, and was taken as the model by societies we take as the founders of modern liberties, such as the French and American Revolutionary states. It has been proved by history as the best form of government. Modern democracies are constantly striving to make themselves more representative, by increased use of consultative sessions, such as MPs surgeries in Britain, referenda ( especially in Switzerland, but also issues such as over Scottish and Welsh devolution in Britain and EU membership in Denmark) and proportional representation ( e.g. in the Welsh assembly ). Decisions must be made by the will of the people, otherwise we have no protection again abuse of power. The people are kept informed by newspapers, academics and scientists, and are thus fully capable of making an informed decision. What is more, the will of the people is far more representative of different groups in society than the condescending rule by elites, who have no understanding of different ways life.

3. Positive Matter arguments (Opposition) on flaws of democracy and mob rule Real, effective leadership must come from above and not from below. The people as a mass are capable of being manipulated, and are unlikely to possess skills or training in confronting problems a state might face. As such, expecting them to elect the ‘best tools for the job’ is unrealistic. Government from above can see, by virtue of its position and advantages, what is better for the people than the people can. For example, the abolition of the death penalty was at first deeply unpopular with the British public when it was pushed through by the government, but is now broadly supported as correct and humane. Also, the Tea Party Movement and Death Panel Scare of how easy a populace is manipulated. Modern democracy ( as opposed to classical, Athenian democracy ) is a facade. ‘True’ democracy can only be practised on a very small scale. In Britain for example, whilst people may vote every five years, they have no input into decision beyond this. This is the desirable state of things, but it is not democracy. Our current state of government would be far more effective if it abandoned its pretences at representativity. Such devices are intended not to bring government closer to the people, but to give undemocratic government a veneer of democratic respectability. Real power is still with the elites, who decide who will stand for which seats, and thus who is guaranteed to be elected via ‘safe’ seats. In Britain, we even have an undemocratic second chamber, the House of Lords, which is able to interfere substantially with the process of passing laws. These Lords are appointed directly by the political parties. ‘True democracy’, we repeat again, is an unworkable system on the scale of a country, and we should abandon pretences at it for a more practical system. The ‘will of the people’ is likewise a sham. In actual fact, very little public opinion is arrived at independently, by rational application of logic to facts. Public opinion is controlled, directed and inflamed by the gutter press, whose content is controlled ultimately by newspaper barons belonging to the very elite that controls the country. This is the way a country must be governed - an elite who provided firm and effective leadership, and directs the public in the ways best for them. Examples: Separate buy Equal, Japanese Internment and inability to own land, Jim Crow laws, Prop. 8

4. Alternatives to democracy (anarchy, collectivism, etc.) Anarchy: a state of society without government or law. A political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control: The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy. A theory that regards the absence of all direct or coercive government as a political ideal and that proposes the cooperative and voluntary association of individuals and groups as the principal mode of organized society. Communism: a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state. A system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party. Collectivism: a term used to describe any moral, political, or social outlook, that emphasizes the interdependence of every human in some collective group and the priority of group goals over individual goals. Collectivists focus on community and society, and seek to give priority to group rights over individual rights. Dictatorship: defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. Fascism: seek to organize a nation on corporatist perspectives; values; and systems such as the political system and the economy. Parliamentary: a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch are drawn from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined. In such a system, the head of government is both de facto chief executive and chief legislator. Socialist: a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. This control may be either direct—exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils—or indirect—exercised on behalf of the people by the state.