Democratic Myopia

Question 1

What is democratic myopia?

Answer 1

• presentism bias
• short-termism
• ‘appetite for the immediate’

Question 2

Why is democratic myopia a problem?

Answer 2

1. Violation of intergenerational justice
   - sufficientarianism -> enough to provide survival
   - utilitarianism -> best possible version of the world
   - egalitarianism -> leave the planet as we have found it
2. Violation of ‘All affected interests’ principle
   - essence of democracy -> contested

Question 3

What are (4) structural causes of democratic myopia?

Answer 3

1. Myopic electorate
   - cognitive biases
   - responsive politices
   - electoral considerations
2. Short term electoral cycles
   - policy reversal
   - limited timeframe
3. Special interest groups
   - powerful actors
   - older voters
4. Absence of future generations
   - information deficit
   - silent or absent majority and minority
   - accountability problem
   - non-identity problem
   - intra and inter generational dynamics

Question 4

What are (4) reinforcing factors of democratic myopia?

Answer 4

• social media and media
• uncertainty
• increased electoral competition
• consensus democracies

Question 5

Is democratic myopia problematic? What are some assumptions that pervade democratic myopia as problematic?

Answer 5

Assumptions:
- rational choice theory + fixed preferences
- monitorial citizens
- democracy is about the weight of the next election
- all democracies are equally myopic
- only elected politicians make decisions

Question 6

What can be done about democratic myopia?

Answer 6

• lower voting age
• quota for young MPs
• parliamentary committees for the future
• offices for future generations
• special representatives
• longer electoral cycles
• sub-majority rules
• constitutional guarantees
• deliberative innovations