Our democracies, in other words, are complicated systems in which several institutions counterbalance each other, providing for multiple eyes vetting policy proposals for the sake of the public good.
Nevertheless, for some people this is not enough. They want to see as many offices as possible subject to election and a clear voice of the people unfiltered by mechanisms put in place to check it. Here is where democratism as an ideology enters the picture.
Nearly a century ago, Governor Alfred E. Smith of New York delivered a speech in which he clearly stated his own commitment to this ideology: “If there are any ills that democracy is suffering from today, they can only be cured by more democracy.” Americans in particular have taken Smith at his word, beginning in the early years of the twentieth century. This was the Progressive Era, when the Constitution was amended to provide for direct elections to the Senate, Congress’s upper chamber, and internal party primary elections were set up to measure the public saleability of prospective candidates for the presidency and other offices. In some places, even court judges are subject to election.
The final instalment in this series will be on post-liberalism and will be posted next month. Stay tuned.
3 comments:
interesting indeed . Your summary seems to fit what seems to be happening with recent referendum proposals in Australia; Idealists are calling for new houses of reps( for first people's). We have 2 houses, elected legislators and professional implementors who used to operate as always being answerable to members of both houses.
Are you saying that more "houses" make sense ? AC Grayling symbolizing the disquiet in Britain and USA over what seem to many of us as fairy floss leaders has published 2 books on the subject .
I keep a low profile at http://politicaceleste.blogspot.com
Thanks for the article. I read the original. "majorities regularly neglecting the legitimate interests of minorities." It seems to me that we have a situation in the UK, and in the devolved parliaments, where minorities have bullied enough MPs and MSs or MSPs to pass laws which favour those minorities at the expense of justice to the majority. How can this be addressed?
Bill, can you give us an example of the situation you describe?
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