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ch_6_liberal_democracy1-2.pptxLiberal Democracy
CH 6: Riemer, Simon, & Romance
Political Ideologies
Political ideologies are the beliefs and practices that guide political actors in political communities;
Ideologies reflect the underlying vision of political actors;
Major ideologies that have traditionally dominated contemporary politics are liberal democracy, democratic socialism, and communism;
Ideologies help explain the purposes, principles, and rules of politics; allow us to examine what political actors say they ought to do and what they actually do;
Central question of Chapter 6 is, “What are the strengths and weaknesses of liberal democracy?”
Definition of Liberal Democracy
Traditional definition of liberal democracy is a constitutional government characterized by popular rule, protection of basic rights, and political and economic competition.
Liberal democracy embodies two ideals:
(1) Liberal parts of definition include constitutionalism, protection of basic rights, political and economic competition, and free choice at the ballot box and the marketplace.
(2) Democratic parts of the definition include popular rule, freedom, and equality.
Liberalism in the United States today is a political ideology that favors government intervention in the interest of public welfare, social justice, and fair play.
Historically, had taken a laissez-faire economic approach which demanded minimal government interference in the economy.
Liberalism has always recognized a common good; what has been at issue is the meaning of that common good and the means to achieve it.
Combining the ideals of liberalism and democracy helps us comprehend the guiding liberal democratic vision which calls for the freest and fullest possible realization of individual freedom within the framework of the common good.
Liberty can be understood as the right of an individual to act uncoerced by government and to be free from government imposed unlawful or arbitrary control.
Liberal democratic vision is a pluralistic approach providing for justice as well as order and for the general welfare as well as liberty; because many persons, groups, and interests seek fulfillment, a balance must be struck in a highly diverse political community;
Most influential school of liberal democratic thought in contemporary America is pluralism; balance can be achieved through a constitutional system of representative democracy, with the help of skillful leaders and resourceful political parties, with the recognition that a rough approximation of the public interest emerges from the clash of contending interests, and in accord with policies that advance the general welfare.
The Ideals of Liberal Democracy
Liberal democrats want their political ideals to be reflected in actual political practice and they endorse pluralism because society includes many interests seeking to protect and advance them.
The struggles of contending issues constitute the raw materials of politics and are inevitable because they are rooted in liberty and diversity.
Government regulates these struggles on behalf of freedom and the common good but government must also control itself.
Popular Government
Popular Government: popular rule requires that the people make political judgments; people must be free to debate and select among competing leaders; to make choices, people must enjoy civil liberties; system must commit to an informed and vigilant public opinion, a diligent and responsible press, a plurality of contending interests, and to competitive parties.
Rights-Respecting Government
Rights-Respecting Government: basic democratic rights are both political (freedom of speech, press, assembly, and right to vote) and nonpolitical (religious, cultural, economic, and social rights); there is a realm of activity that must be beyond governmental reach and should be safeguarded by a constitutional government that grants, prohibits, and restricts power.
Constitutional Government
Constitutional Government: power is granted to government but is also limited; constitutional rules of the game establish what government can and cannot do and how those with power are to act.
Some powers are expressly granted while others may be granted if necessary and proper.
When exercising its legitimate powers, government cannot act arbitrarily; it must follow due process, which forbids illegal and arbitrary action by the government, to ensure the protection of life, liberty, and property; power is divided and shared.
To restrain power in the US government system we have separation of powers as well as a system of federalism.
Representative Government
Representative Government: direct democracy, citizens voting directly about policy, is not feasible; elect representatives to vote for us but what does it mean when a representative acts? What is he or she representing?
Three theories of representation:
(1) delegates strive to reflect the will of the people in the district; vote as constituents want them to despite how they feel about an issue;
(2) trustee uses his or her best judgment in making decisions regardless of the views of the district, to promote the good of the nation as whole;
(3) politicos are somewhere in-between depending on the issue; balance the needs of the district, their own conscience and judgment about politics, and demands of the party;
Responsible Government
Responsible Government: responsibility in a liberal democracy has several interrelated meanings:
(1) should be accountable to the people from whom it derives its power,
(2) should be responsible to political parties,
(3) should be responsible to the Constitution and to the laws and regulations made under the Constitution,
(4) should be answerable to an authority higher than the people or the Constitution, and
(5) should adhere to professional standards of conduct and administration.
General Welfare Government
General Welfare Government: committed to the idea of advancing the general welfare; minimal needs (safety, civil liberties, income, food, housing, health, & education) should be satisfied through the democratic process.
Politics should foster the conditions in which human beings can flourish.
Sources of Liberal Democracy
Greek heritage of democracy; democracy comes from the Greek words demos, meaning the people and krateia, meaning “rule” or “government;” democracy means “the people’s rule.”
Aristotle understood democracy as the government by the many poor, in contrast to that of the plutocratic and aristocratic classes, who governed in their own class interest and favored freedom and equality.
Not constitutional in the modern sense because it lacked effective and regularized restraints on those who wielded power and excluded women and slaves from suffrage.
Christian Theology and Roman Republicanism
Christian Theology and Roman Republicanism: general belief that all people had the right to worship God as they saw fit without governmental interference.
Men and women are equal under God; emphasizes equal political and social rights or the condition of being neither superior nor inferior; not an absolute (slavery characterized both the Roman empire and the United States until 1865) but equality is a crucial concept of liberal democracy.
Romans kept alive the concept of popular sovereignty and broadened the concept of citizenship (to include anyone who came within the jurisdiction of their empire).
Medieval Europe
Medieval Europe: constitutional ideas crucial to evolution of liberal democracy were current in medieval political theory.
Political rule must be just and in the interests of the people.
No earthly ruler was absolute.
Theorists insisted that princes (rulers) follow the precepts of a higher law; God’s law or natural (moral) law, which could be known by humans possessed of “right reason.”
Limitations of rule by the higher law and God important contribution to the development of liberal democratic ideals.
The Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation: influence of Martin Luther and John Calvin.
Calvin and Luther’s revolt against the Roman Catholic Church, and some of their ideas, set the political and intellectual scene for the emergence of constitutional ideas crucial to liberal democracy.
Luther’s idea of the freedom of individuals to find God on their own and Calvin’s concept of the legitimacy, in limited cases, of resistance to political rulers by certain magistrates.
The American Republic
The American Republic: The First Great Democratic Experiment: American Revolution ushered in the world’s first large modern republic.
Americans drew on a republican tradition for the development of their new government system.
Republicanism has always included some notion of constitutional rule by the many.
Americans affirmed their general belief in popular rule and the protection of basic rights.
The French Revolution of 1789
The French Revolution of 1789 and Liberal Democracy in Europe: most dramatically challenged political absolutism and popularized democratic ideas; motto of the French Revolution, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” became political watchword of European liberal democracy.
More liberal laws and constitutions were secured.
The emergence of nationalism (powerful sense of group identity and loyalty).
Emergence of the idea of the nation-state combined the sense of identity and belonging expressed by nationalism with the legal term for a country, the state, which encompasses a people, a territory, a government, and acceptance by the international community.
Liberalism, Capitalism, and Democracy
The rise of the nation-state led to the spread of ideas about democracy, constitutional government, and the liberal ideal of individual rights.
French Revolution symbolized the triumph of the middle class over a royal monarchy, a feudal aristocracy, and an established church; both a political and an economic triumph.
Emergence of capitalism; an economic system marked by private ownership of the means of production and exchange, a market economy, economic competition, free trade, and consumer sovereignty.
Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations; became the inspiration for the 19th century liberal policy of restricting governmental interference in economic matters; favored a hands off policy in the economy except where it would benefit their enterprise; the invisible hand.
Liberalism and capitalism share a common interest in economic freedom.
Liberalism and democracy share a common interest in freedom (including economic freedom).
The relationship between capitalism, liberalism, and democracy less clear; democracy and capitalism have emerged alongside each other but often conflict with each other.
Little doubt that liberal democracy forged ahead with the growth of an essentially capitalistic middle class.
Changing Character of Liberalism
Shift between 19th and 20th centuries; liberals originally committed to limited government began to believe in the wisdom of more government intervention in economic and social life; response to capitalistic abuses that hurt families, small businesspeople, workers and consumers.
New 20th century liberalism did not emerge until FDR’s New Deal Program to the fight the Great Depression came about in the 1930’s; ushered in government strongly dedicated to the general welfare.
Changing Character of Democracy
Americans adhered in theory to democratic principles: rule by the people, through majority decision, in a representative and constitutional system that protects individual and group rights and the freedoms of both majority and minority; in practice their conception of popular rule and basic rights was not democratic by modern standards.
Variations on the Liberal Democratic Theme
Most Americans are liberal democrats; adhere to the major ideas of popular, constitutional, rights-respecting, and responsible government and even the concept of government dedicated to the general welfare; may interpret these ideas differently.
Divide Americans into four groups: liberals, conservatives, populists, and libertarians; each group emphasizes a different aspect of liberal democratic tradition.
American Liberals
American liberals favor a greater concern for the least free and the least powerful in society – poor people, ethnic minorities, women, working people, small farmers, small business owners, and consumers; seek to overcome abuses of economic, social, and political power; seek to end oppression, injustice, poverty, and inequality.
Willing to employ the power of government, especially the national government, to seek changes on behalf of fair play for the least free and the least powerful; favor broad measures to advance the general welfare.
More favorably disposed to political, economic, and social change to accomplish the objectives mentioned above.
American Conservatives
American conservatives are concerned about the neediest in society but are deeply skeptical of the ability of the government to solve problems associated with poverty; often believe such programs are wasteful and inefficient.
American conservatives generally endorse a laissez-faire position; opposed to adverse government interference in their political, economic, and social affairs.
Seek to maintain the existing economic, political, and social scheme of things; reluctant to abandon that which is known.
Tend to support traditional values often reflecting a religious orientation.
Populists & Libertarians
Populists generally tend to favor government intervention in economic affairs and may oppose expansion of some “liberal” personal freedoms;
Libertarians consistently oppose government intervention in economic affairs and favor expansion of personal freedoms;
Each group may be brought together under certain circumstances but differ on three points: (1) their concern for the least free, (2) their view on the role of government, and (3) their attitude toward change.
American Liberals v. Conservatives
Liberals
Favor a greater concern for the least free and the least powerful in society;
Willing to employ the power of government to seek changes on behalf of fair play for the least free and the least powerful;
More favorably disposed to political, economic, and social change to accomplish these goals.
Conservatives
Skeptical of the ability of the government to solve the problems associated with poverty;
Generally endorse a laissez-faire position; suspicious of intervention on behalf of the least free;
Seek to maintain the existing economic, political, and social scheme of things;
Tend to support traditional values often reflecting a religious orientation.
3 Key Advantages of Liberal Democracy
Adaptive to changing circumstances and shows a willingness to change and evolve.
Able to effectively respond to the worst examples of tyranny and the abuse of power.
Realistic about politics which creates a stable regime; pluralistic system that values the representation of many interests, balancing those interest while fostering compromise between competing political forces.
The Attack on Liberal Democracy: On the Left
On the left there is concern that not enough people participate in the process;
Individuals are not really free;
Concerned about the harmful consequences of a still largely laissez-faire economy;
Americans worship private property, profits, and free enterprise at the expense of a healthy society, a meaningful community, and the common good;
US is an affluent, largely white, democratic nation-state on a globe that is mostly poor, largely nonwhite, and either unprepared for or hostile to liberal democracy;
The Attack on Liberal Democracy: On the Right
On the right, concern that liberal democracy has degenerated into serfdom and socialism;
Concerned about threat to representative democracy and equality of opportunity;
Dangers of participatory democracy; decline of prudent judgment, submission to the ignorant, and loss of quality;
Bemoan the loss of individual moral character and responsibility;
Deplore governmental controls and the encroachment of centralized power.
