7/8 - Why Democracy?

Question 1

What is democracy?

Answer 1

• Rule by the many
• Collective self-rule
• Government of, for, and by the people (Lincoln)
• A historically unpopular view

Question 2

Is the directness of decisions more democratic?

Answer 2

Direct = everyone votes on each issue

Indirect = voters choose representatives who then make decisions

Direct is more democratic but less efficient

Question 3

Accountability of representatives

Answer 3

Extreme accountability = immediate recall

Extreme lack of accountability =representatives elected for life

Our system = ‘retrospective recall’ = can we use elections to get rid of the current government?

Question 4

Equality of opportunity for influence under a democracy?

Answer 4

• Aims for equal capacity of citizens to process information relevant to decision-making
• Economic inequality impacts citizens’ opportunity to participate in politics

Question 5

Two ways to limit the scope of democracy

Answer 5

1) By appealing to the democratic ideal

2) By assigning the issue to the private sphere

Question 6

Why was Plato against democracy?

Answer 6

• Democracy is rule by the many
• The many are ignorant, selfish, and unpredictable
• The many are unqualified to rule

Question 7

Features of Athenian democracy

Answer 7

• Direct
• Exclusionary
• Intolerant
• Culturally homogeneous

Question 8

What is the craft analogy?

Answer 8

• Consider jobs that require lots of skill (pilots, architects, doctors)
• Health of the body and the state
• “Ship of state” NOT “drunken pleasure cruise”

Question 9

Why should philosophers rule?

Answer 9

• Philosophy = love of wisdom
• Political decision-makers should have judgment, skill, and knowledge
• Therefore, ruling is a skill attainable only by the few
• Philosophical training: acquiring knowledge of the human good
• Philosophers don’t want power but they realize that the alternative is unacceptable

Question 10

How does a ruler know what is in the people’s interest?

Answer 10

Ask the people what they want

Question 11

How does Plato protect against corruption?

Answer 11

• Educate rulers to be concerned for the common good
• Ruler should possess no private property
• Rulers should be denied family ties

Question 12

Key features of a modern representative democracy

Answer 12

• Universal rights to vote and stand for office
• Elected representatives make decisions
• Elections are free, frequent, and fair
• Freedom of speech; independent media
• Freedom of association
• Independent judges

Question 13

Two reasons for valuing democracy

Answer 13

1) Intrinsic reasons - desirable in itself
a) Freedom as autonomy - giving laws to oneself
b) Self realization - what makes us human is our capacity to reflect, discuss, and create laws under which we live
c) Equality - we are all treated as moral equals

2) Instrumental reasons - serves other goals
a) Democracy produces better decisions
b) Better citizens - active citizen engagement (only with the forum model), develop citizens’ judgement making skills
c) Perceived legitimacy - democratic decisions tend to be perceived as legitimate by the people

Question 14

What does Rousseau say about self-rule?

Answer 14

Freedom is not the capacity to do what we want. Freedom is obedience to the laws that we give ourselves. Freedom is self-government.

Question 15

Can we be coerced and free?

Answer 15

Coercion = we are forced to comply with laws

Freedom = in a democracy, laws are self-imposed

So, coercion is compatible with freedom - we can be “forced to be free” (Rousseau)

Question 16

How does Rousseau distinguish government from legislation?

Answer 16

• Rousseau opposes democratic government because he thinks executive power should be held by the few
• Rousseau supports democratic legislation because he thinks people should make their own laws

Question 17

Democracy as a form of freedom

Answer 17

Objection: Democracy is not a form of freedom

• Those on the losing side are subject to laws they do not give themselves
• Majority rule means the minority are not self-ruling
• Therefore, those in the minority are not free

Reply to objection:

• Democracy provides more autonomy than any other decision procedure
• Democracy gives every citizen the opportunity to participate on equal terms in law-making

Question 18

What is the democratic peace hypothesis?

Answer 18

Democratic governments will attempt to work things out diplomatically instead of going to war

Question 19

How does a democracy keep leaders accountable?

Answer 19

• Outside of a democracy, dictators need not take the people’s interests into account
• Accountability to citizens constrains democratic leaders

Problem: Necessary but unpopular policies won’t be adopted

Question 20

Two models of democratic input

Answer 20

Market model = giving people what they want

Forum model = deliberation, discussion, cooperative debate

Question 21

Explain the market model

Answer 21

• Parties offer a menu of options
• Citizens choose what they prefer - they vote for decision makers
• Equal influence = equal voting power
• Elections are competitions in which parties market themselves to citizens
• Result: impoverished debate and citizen incompetence
• Schumpeter says: citizens elect experts

Question 22

Explain the forum model

Answer 22

• Emphasizes deliberation
• Equal influence = equal opportunity to participate in discussion
• Voting reflects wants after they have been changed by reasoning

Question 23

Is our democracy a forum?

Answer 23

• Our democracy is not a forum
• Powerful private interests dominate our discussions
• Political market in which money generates unequal influence
• Formal political equality combines with large economic inequalities

Question 24

What about a benevolent dictatorship?

Answer 24

• Absolute power corrupts absolutely

- Problem of trust