Faults of Modern Democracy

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Faults of Modern Democracy

Democracy has been termed, defined and construed in a numerous ways but divergent methods over the past years. Nevertheless, all the elucidations, the fundamental principle of democracy are that it entails the sovereignty of the decision of the underlying populace in governance. From this point of view, democracy is therefore described as a system of management which involves ordinary populace as a primary basis of political supremacy. The system of governance is mainly built on essential principles encompassing central worth, impartiality of individuals, the inevitability of compromise, discrete freedom and the majority rule over the corresponding minority rights (Hansen, 123-176). Modern democracy has thrived in various forms of government of the populace applicable openly and indirectly via election of representatives. Both direct and representative democracy is extensively embraced in modern day authority. A precarious analysis of today’s democracy lightens subsequent drawbacks (Fukuyama, 156-234).

Direct democracy is a lauded as beneficial as involves direct input in governance. Nevertheless, it has several flaws. A typical example of direct democracy is the electorate involvement in referenda. A referendum demands an in-depth understanding of the political issue at hand. Unfortunately, in the developing countries a fair share of the population is cultured, semi-literate and unaware of such political enlargements and thus vulnerable to opposition. Direct democracy merely streamlines underlying policy to either yes or no race thus demeaning character of legislation (Hansen, 123-176). Policy that is perceived from either yes or no lens ascends and illiteracy lack of comprehension of the political challenge thus polarizing masses who later confrontational perceptions (Fukuyama, 156-234). The outcome confrontational views hinder exercise of freedom and disparagingly lacks in impartiality. This also makes the process invalid to indicate that such represents entire interest of the society.

It might also be cascade down to competitions of pecuniary resource muscle. This becomes even scarier in case the government finances one side as is common during referenda. Perhaps the most intriguing disadvantage of referenda is the argument that has been advanced that they are a malicious prototype of assertion (Hansen, 123-176). This confirms the results of a post-referendum survey in Ireland which showed that one of the reasons why the populace voted against the Lisbon Treaty was that some saw this as the best way to protest against the government’s policy.

Representative democracy is a multicultural form of government in which the supremacies of sovereignty are given to a body of men who are elected after quantified intervals. These representatives act on behalf of the electorate in governance which majorly entails legislation, invention of strategies and their execution and decision making (Hansen, 123-176). Representative democracy has a lot of ploys, most imperatively that it hurdles full involvement of the citizens. Thus, they might not be answerable in the long run since citizens normally lack the capacity to put their elected leaders (Fukuyama, 156-234). People’s perception of war as an opposition that ought to be conquered but the decision is a sole obligation of the elected few whether to go to war like has been seen in American participation in inter alia Afghanistan and Iraq (Fukuyama, 156-234). There is also a developing concern that underlying elected representatives do not epitomize the subjects because in most cases they are the bourgeoisies. Their perceptions and corresponding interest might subsequently substantially conflict with the majority proletariats which results to an argument to Karl Max’s theory of social struggle.

Though democracy is most embraced system of government in the modern world, it has numerous shortcomings, which includes polarization of population of populations, dishonest representation and lack of detachment go a long way to confirm Winston Churchill’s claim.

Work Cited

Hansen, Mogens H. The Tradition of Ancient Greek Democracy and Its Importance for Modern Democracy. Copenhagen: Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, 2005. Print.

Fukuyama, Francis. The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution. London: Profile Books, 2011.