Democracy

The Common Good

  • Definition: The ideal that society should aim for; “the greatest good for the greatest number.”

  • Democracy seeks to serve the common good, but interpretations vary.

  • Key themes:

    • Virtuous and noble life.

    • Political equality: Society functions when members commit to living together as a unity.

    • Egalitarian societies emerge when ideas of the common good are embraced.

Thinkers on the Common Good

  • Locke: Create better political conditions to achieve personal goals.

  • Marx: Elites use the idea of the common good for selfish purposes, disguising personal gain as collective benefit.

Democracy: Definitions

  • Core definition: Institutions built around competitive elections, allowing all adults to choose/remove leaders; equality and wide political participation emphasized.

  • Modern/working definition: Political power exercised directly or indirectly, through participation, competition, and liberty; open to multiple interpretations.

Critiques and Models

Six Nations Model

  • Democracy not strictly European; Indigenous governance shows consultative, participatory democracy.

  • Great Law of Peace: Allowed Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora to coexist for 200+ years.

  • Leadership measured by generosity, not hoarding.

  • Leaders could be removed if responsibilities not met.

  • Checks and balances recognized; community accountability was crucial.

  • Historical misrepresentation: Indigenous democratic practices erased or misrepresented (e.g., women’s suffrage, recall mechanisms).

Democratic Theory

  • European context: Church and monarchies (hereditary leadership) clashed; common people gained rights.

  • Emergence of social constructs between city and state; rule of law applied equally.

Contemporary Thinkers

  • Harm Principle (Stuart Mill):

    • Freedom of speech allowed but limited by the principle: cannot harm others or infringe on others’ freedom.

    • Recognizes limits to freedom.

Political Economy & Influence

  • Focus on minimizing the gap between rich and poor.

  • Economic inequality undermines true democratic participation.

Ted Talk & Money in Democracy

  • Money primary: Candidates’ nominations controlled by a small elite (0.2%), similar in US and China.

  • Boss Tweed analogy: Controlling nominations = controlling outcomes; democracy undermined.

  • Effect: Economic elites influence policies; average citizens’ preferences often ignored.

  • Jury mandoring: Manipulation of voting boundaries to favor certain candidates.

  • Neutralizing this influence = empowering democracy for the people.

Radical Critiques

  • Karl Marx:

    • Real power lies in controlling means of production, not just political institutions.

    • Capitalism without checks leads to economic inequality.

    • Unions (e.g., Canadian teachers) provide checks and balances.

Radical Democracy

  • Requires citizen involvement outside formal structures.

  • Citizens can challenge lawmaking, the rule of law, or democracy itself.

  • Double-edged: Risk if elected leaders remove checks and balances.

Declining Democracy

  • Global trend of declining support for democratic institutions.

  • Democracies may support dictatorships abroad while preaching democracy at home.

  • Hypocrisy leads to weakening of democratic principles.

Left and Right

  • Origins: French Revolution (Left = people, Right = monarchy/elite).

  • Radical ideas exist on both sides; commitment may vary.

  • Meta-narratives:

    • Left: deregulation, maximize profit.

    • Right: regulation, protect citizens.

    • Political parties may enforce rigid adherence to narratives (“all or nothing”).