Criticisms of Pluralism Flashcards
Liberal Democracies can be flawed
> UK the First Past the Post system creates exaggerated majorities (the Conservative party only won 32% of the vote yet received over 50% of the seats in 2015)
> In the USA the existence of a 2 party system in which both parties are quite similar means choice for citizens is extremely limited, not the “big tent” party that should exist under Pluralism.
> In 2016 the US held a presidential election in which the Electoral College system granted Donald Trump the presidency despite his opponent Hillary Clinton winning 2,000,000 more votes in the popular vote than him.
While Liberal Democracies do supposedly represent the majority, this does not necessarily make it the best system
> Destabilised (Great Depression, Great Recession, 2015 Migrant Crisis, Drug War in the Philippines) then the citizens of the Liberal Democracy may begin to vote for candidates that promise increased security.
> These candidates may not be in the favour of the citizens in the long run; for example Donald Trump has reneged on 11 policies that he promised to pursue during his election campaign, including the flagships of healthcare reform, Muslim immigration ban, and a border wall.
Democracy is a façade
The state exists only to perpetuate the existence of the ruling class in some form or another. Liberal Democracies therefore will work in favour of the wealthy, the elite, or men.
