After discussing the pro and con arguments for it seemed like societies without elections have a more sure-fire prospect of progressing. And why not? Opposition from the electorate would only hamper development. Consider China. China has been the most successful developing economy in modern history without any trace of elections. China’s state-led progress has been blessed by many economists around the world including the leader of the Chicago Boys himself. China’s fast rise to the status as an economic powerhouse has been the greatest testament to the efficiency of a non-democratic system.
In the amount of time it took British authorities to conduct a public inquiry into building a new terminal at Heathrow (terminal 5), Beijing built a new terminal (terminal 3) from scratch. And not only did they build a new terminal, terminal 3 was larger than all of Heathrow’s previous terminals combined. That’s Chinese and non-democratic efficiency. It is a fair speculation to assume that China’s rise would not have been possible with democracy.
Coming back to the terminals, 10,000 people were forcibly relocated in order to provide space for the construction of the new terminal. Those were 10,000 people who went to sleep one night to wake up the next morning and find public officials ordering them to move. That is how Chinese efficiency is achieved.
Public opinion is important and necessary in any society. Elections are the strongest method of elevating public opinion into the process of governance. Some people might criticize elections as being ineffective and spawning inefficiencies in governance. But they faill to see that elections give a voice to the people and that means the power to change. The change may come slowly, but elections are a long-term process in changing the status-quo to something that reflects the general view of the people.
With that being said, elections are also very problematic because they are contingent on the intelligence of the electorate for effective results. Electoral politics stagnate and thwart good governance by politicians who seek to satisfy short-term electoral ambitions. Education about the issues is therefore an important component of having elections that matter.
In the amount of time it took British authorities to conduct a public inquiry into building a new terminal at Heathrow (terminal 5), Beijing built a new terminal (terminal 3) from scratch. And not only did they build a new terminal, terminal 3 was larger than all of Heathrow’s previous terminals combined. That’s Chinese and non-democratic efficiency. It is a fair speculation to assume that China’s rise would not have been possible with democracy.
Coming back to the terminals, 10,000 people were forcibly relocated in order to provide space for the construction of the new terminal. Those were 10,000 people who went to sleep one night to wake up the next morning and find public officials ordering them to move. That is how Chinese efficiency is achieved.
Public opinion is important and necessary in any society. Elections are the strongest method of elevating public opinion into the process of governance. Some people might criticize elections as being ineffective and spawning inefficiencies in governance. But they faill to see that elections give a voice to the people and that means the power to change. The change may come slowly, but elections are a long-term process in changing the status-quo to something that reflects the general view of the people.
With that being said, elections are also very problematic because they are contingent on the intelligence of the electorate for effective results. Electoral politics stagnate and thwart good governance by politicians who seek to satisfy short-term electoral ambitions. Education about the issues is therefore an important component of having elections that matter.
An educated society with elections would be the most desirable goal. I hope that America inches closer this prospect.
No comments:
Post a Comment