Too much democracy is a recipe for anarchy. Discuss.

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Student number:022243766

BA Politics: Introduction to Politics (POL-100)

Date: 15/11/02

“Too much democracy is a recipe for anarchy.” Discuss.

Political theorist have often accepted the claim that a modern regime in which most or at least a large number of men have the vote is regarded as democratic. “Democracy belongs to the sphere of collective decision making for the association for all. Democracy in other words entails the twin principles of popular control over collective decision-making and equality of rights in the exercise of the control”. This is a statement from ‘Introducing democracy’. The word ‘democracy’ originates from Athens. Athens called itself a democracy because all its citizens could take part in political decision but this was not the case as ‘all citizens’ did not include ‘all adults’, women, slaves and resident aliens and people from different parts of Greek cities could not participate. Political theorist have often accepted the claim that modern regimes in which most or at least a large number of men have the vote is regarded as democratic. ‘Majority’ is therefore regarded as more than half and as Concordant in late eighteenth century stated the plurality rule where the largest single number of votes win even though half of them voted the opposition party are allowed to rule is still called a democracy. These statements are taken from the ‘Oxford concise dictionary of politics’.

In my essay I will be discussing the content of democracy and how different political theorist have conflicting opinions of what democracy means. Most writers have been nervous that too much democracy may lead to anarchism. In my essay I will be distinguishing these political theorist by using democratic criteria and discussing whether this would lead to anarchism. I will be comparing between representative democracy and seeing how this would lead to anarchism.

Representative democracy operates on the principle of popular control over rather than popular participation in the public policy decision-making carried on by government. The systems of representative democracy are based on principles of political representation, exercise of legislative authority by a representative assembly elected by the voters. It is characterised by the existence and operation or representative policy decision-making institutions consisting of public office holders popular elected on a broad electoral franchise.

Certain radically democratic political thinkers and writers of the past developed and advanced a series of arguments critical of representative democracy and arguing that too much democracy will lead to anarchism.  Jack Lively a political theorist stated that the fundamental democratic criteria in a democracy are political equality.  Jack Lively is stating freedom for citizens to participate in government. For a government system to be truly democratic all the citizens must be members of the legislature and have the right to participate directly in the process of legislative decision-making on public policy. There must be direct participation by the whole adult citizens in the making of decisions that have the force of law and are binding on the entire society.

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‘the fundamental tenets of the liberal-democratic world view: namely that human beings are and ought to be equal in their fundamental right and entitlements, whatever their achievements and virtues, that everybody should have an equal voice in government, and that popular choices suffices to legitimatise the law’. This statement is taken from Roger Scruton is stating that regardless of ones knowledge everyone should have the equal right to participate in government. Roger Scruton argues that democratic process works for the common good.

Locke believed that government served to enforce ‘Gods rules for living’. The moral knowledge, however ...

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