Democracy in Theory and Practice
Democracy – In theory And Practice
Table of Contents 1. The 2010 election and its implications…………………………........1 2. An Introduction To Democracy………………………..……………………..1 3. The Origin and Proliferation of Democracy….………..…..……..….1 * 3.1. Athenian Democracy * 3.2. The Scientific Revolution, The Enlightenment and The French Revolution * 4. The Case Against Democracy…………………………….………..…………..2 * 4.1. The Conundrum of Rational Ignorance * 4.2. Political Fans Are Not Rational * 4.3. The Miracle of Aggregation 5. The Case For Limited Government…………………………..………..…..5 6. Conclusion……………..…………………………………………………....….6
1. Overview The aim of this essay is to explore in depth not only the concept of democracy as verbalized in popular theory, but also the application of democracy in practice. I shall be: outlining the fundamental definition of what in theory is referred to as a true democracy, drawing several distinctions between different types of democracy, analyzing the practical and theoretical implications of the application of democracy and drawing conclusions based upon my analysis 2. An Introduction To Democracy Colloquially, democracy is often referred to as a system of rule by the people, in which the will of the majority at all times trumps that of the minority. In theory, however, a true democracy (or, if you will, a liberal democracy) entails far more than that. In fact, there are a number of criteria that any given country has to live up to in order to be regarded as truly democratic. These are: * Freedom of Expression: the political right to express one’s views in a public arena, freely and unrestrained by the shackles of censorship. This right is considered paramount by the advocates of democracy, such as the prominent 18th century Scottish philosopher Alexander Meiklejohn. He
Table of Contents 1. The 2010 election and its implications…………………………........1 2. An Introduction To Democracy………………………..……………………..1 3. The Origin and Proliferation of Democracy….………..…..……..….1 * 3.1. Athenian Democracy * 3.2. The Scientific Revolution, The Enlightenment and The French Revolution * 4. The Case Against Democracy…………………………….………..…………..2 * 4.1. The Conundrum of Rational Ignorance * 4.2. Political Fans Are Not Rational * 4.3. The Miracle of Aggregation 5. The Case For Limited Government…………………………..………..…..5 6. Conclusion……………..…………………………………………………....….6
1. Overview The aim of this essay is to explore in depth not only the concept of democracy as verbalized in popular theory, but also the application of democracy in practice. I shall be: outlining the fundamental definition of what in theory is referred to as a true democracy, drawing several distinctions between different types of democracy, analyzing the practical and theoretical implications of the application of democracy and drawing conclusions based upon my analysis 2. An Introduction To Democracy Colloquially, democracy is often referred to as a system of rule by the people, in which the will of the majority at all times trumps that of the minority. In theory, however, a true democracy (or, if you will, a liberal democracy) entails far more than that. In fact, there are a number of criteria that any given country has to live up to in order to be regarded as truly democratic. These are: * Freedom of Expression: the political right to express one’s views in a public arena, freely and unrestrained by the shackles of censorship. This right is considered paramount by the advocates of democracy, such as the prominent 18th century Scottish philosopher Alexander Meiklejohn. He