As someone who’s grown up in a society that promotes, arguably above all else, the importance of democracy and a representative government, it’s extremely hard to say that I would want to live in a society that doesn’t hold elections.
I think that the type of government we have and the fact that we, as citizens, have the right to influence who represents us in government is amazing. This, in essence, is the beauty of a democracy. I think something that should really be noted about voting rights is the fact that not everyone had them originally. We all know there was a time when only land owning men could vote, then only white men, then all men and the progression continued. I think that actually voting is the best way to say thank you to all those people who struggled and fought to earn the voting rights that we see today. Personally, Alice Paul is the one individual that I always think of when it comes to voting. She, along with many other brave women, struggled against social norms and faced incarceration to ensure that women in America had the right to vote. I feel that voting is almost something we should all feel obliged to do if only because so many people gave up so much for us so that we could be part of our government.
I really couldn’t see myself living in a society where voting wasn’t the way the people who represent you were put into positions of power. I can see how there could be arguments for a type of government where voting doesn’t occur like the idea that the nation wouldn’t have to be divided down party lines if there were no parties. Or the notion that the nation would be more stable because there would simply be one ruler or group of rulers thus eliminating the segmented type of policies we sometimes see in the United States. But for me, it really comes down to the fact that I really feel it’s best if we all have a say in our government because in the end, they’re the ones who are representing us on the global stage. And if we are the ones who elected them, we’re also held accountable for the actions they take thus ensuring that at least some of the population remains focused on both domestic and international issues and how we as a nation are perceived.
You talk a great deal about the benefits and the "pros" of a participatory democracy, but what about the drawbacks?
ReplyDeleteDemocracies have a hard time remaining nimble and reacting quickly to crises. Look how China's autocratic tendencies helped them navigate the economic crisis and make unpopular, but necessary decisions. Democracies have a hard time making unpopular decisions, which isn't bad unless scientific necessity (global warming) or economic imperative (stimulus[?]). Democracies also have no appetite for a long war, even if it is in their own interests (Afghanistan[?]).
While I'm certainly not advocating abandoning democracy, and I wholeheartedly agree with you, I'm just posing a question I'd be interested in getting your opinion on this.