Liberal democracy is facing its greatest crisis in decades and is increasingly challenged by an agenda driven society. We elect governments consisting of otherwise normal citizens who we think/hope will represent our best interests. That, in itself, is the beginning of a problem today.
We are losing trust and have become suspicious of government in general. It is a totally unhealthy envoronment that we are living in.
We are losing trust and have become suspicious of government in general. It is a totally unhealthy envoronment that we are living in.
When duly elected governments at all levels make decisions contrary to our beliefs or agendas, we get up in arms and become so infuriated and vocal in our scathing opposition that we go so far as to stage public protest demonstrations and deluge social media with outrage. All of which enhances social unrest and drives a wedge deeper into an already divided country.
What went wrong?
Many analysts focus on economic problems. Slow growth, rising inequality, and welfare-state cutbacks have made life more insecure for the working and middle classes and spread economic risk, fear of the future, and social divisions throughout western societies.
Others argue social grievances are to blame. Traditional norms about religion, sexuality, family life and more have been challenged while massive immigration and the mobilization of oppressed minority groups has disrupted existing hierarchies, leaving some citizens angry and resentful. Throw the environmental issue and a transCanada pipeline into the mix and you have added fuel to the fire.
Most discussions stop here, arguing economic or social change has led inevitably to dissatisfaction with democracy and a populist backlash. But economic and social changes only become problems if politicians, parties and governments don’t recognize and respond proactively to them.
In fact, dissatisfaction with democracy is rooted in the belief that democracy is not working – that it is unable or unwilling to deal with citizens’ demands and concerns. And there is evidence the dissatisfied are right: over time, politicians, parties and governments have become less responsive to a broad cross-section of citizens.
Slow growth, rising inequality, and welfare-state cutbacks have made life more insecure for the working and middle classes
In addition, private funding of campaigns has grown, influencing who runs for office, who gets elected, and what issues candidates respond to. Perhaps because campaigns increasingly require candidates to fund raise themselves, few lower-income people run for office.
This biases economic debate in particular since politicians with working-class backgrounds are dramatically more likely than others to take progressive or pro-worker positions, even when controlling for partisanship, district characteristics and other factors. The voting system also discourages particular groups from voting, particularly the poor and minorities, shaping what voices are heard at election time and within the political sphere more generally.
Given all this, it’s unsurprising that political scientists have found that senior staff members in government ministries – the people who help their bosses decide what bills to pursue and support – have “no clue what the grass-root citizen public wants”. The more time they spend talking to big business rather than mass membership groups, the more out of touch these staffers become.
Democracy is, by definition, “rule by the people”. This does not require a perfect correspondence between some impossible to define “will of the people” and political outcomes, but it does require that the divergence between the two not be too great. In addition, political equality is the heart of democracy: some citizens cannot be systematically and permanently more powerful or impactful than others. It is hard to recognize much less solve large social and economic problems if politicians, parties and governments are primarily responsive to elites or narrow groups of voters, rather than broad, cross-sections of the population.
We are living in a time when these basic features and requirements of democracy have been eroded, leaving many citizens feeling disregarded and disempowered. As one leader of the “yellow vests” movement in France explained, “What we want above all is respect” – leaders and government should not ignore our needs and concerns. If traditional politicians and parties cannot convince citizens that they are willing and able to do this, dissatisfaction with democracy will increase" – as will support for its radical alternatives.
As opposed to 50 years ago, governments today have to be more transparent and communications conscious. The increasingly noisy public is demanding it.
Do us all a favor government officials. In your zest to push your own political agendas, be conscious of the need to minimize potential for public opposition agendas and unrest. We, the onlooking public, desperately need a rest. It's driving the more pacific of us crazy!
Agendas. Agendas. Agendas. Everywhere agendas.
NOTE FROM DICK: I have an "agenda" of my own...and I'm not through with this subject yet. Make no bones about it, everyone has an agenda, even God. Sometimes we are conscious of this, mostly we are not. You'll hear more from me in a subsequent post.
Others argue social grievances are to blame. Traditional norms about religion, sexuality, family life and more have been challenged while massive immigration and the mobilization of oppressed minority groups has disrupted existing hierarchies, leaving some citizens angry and resentful. Throw the environmental issue and a transCanada pipeline into the mix and you have added fuel to the fire.
Most discussions stop here, arguing economic or social change has led inevitably to dissatisfaction with democracy and a populist backlash. But economic and social changes only become problems if politicians, parties and governments don’t recognize and respond proactively to them.
In fact, dissatisfaction with democracy is rooted in the belief that democracy is not working – that it is unable or unwilling to deal with citizens’ demands and concerns. And there is evidence the dissatisfied are right: over time, politicians, parties and governments have become less responsive to a broad cross-section of citizens.
Slow growth, rising inequality, and welfare-state cutbacks have made life more insecure for the working and middle classes
The role of money in politics has also increased, skewing who politicians pay attention to and who controls the agenda-setting process. Several political scientists have found that the interests of economic elites and the organized groups representing their interests powerfully shape government policy while less well-off North Americans and the mass-based interest groups that represent them have much less influence.
In addition, private funding of campaigns has grown, influencing who runs for office, who gets elected, and what issues candidates respond to. Perhaps because campaigns increasingly require candidates to fund raise themselves, few lower-income people run for office.
This biases economic debate in particular since politicians with working-class backgrounds are dramatically more likely than others to take progressive or pro-worker positions, even when controlling for partisanship, district characteristics and other factors. The voting system also discourages particular groups from voting, particularly the poor and minorities, shaping what voices are heard at election time and within the political sphere more generally.
Given all this, it’s unsurprising that political scientists have found that senior staff members in government ministries – the people who help their bosses decide what bills to pursue and support – have “no clue what the grass-root citizen public wants”. The more time they spend talking to big business rather than mass membership groups, the more out of touch these staffers become.
Democracy is, by definition, “rule by the people”. This does not require a perfect correspondence between some impossible to define “will of the people” and political outcomes, but it does require that the divergence between the two not be too great. In addition, political equality is the heart of democracy: some citizens cannot be systematically and permanently more powerful or impactful than others. It is hard to recognize much less solve large social and economic problems if politicians, parties and governments are primarily responsive to elites or narrow groups of voters, rather than broad, cross-sections of the population.
We are living in a time when these basic features and requirements of democracy have been eroded, leaving many citizens feeling disregarded and disempowered. As one leader of the “yellow vests” movement in France explained, “What we want above all is respect” – leaders and government should not ignore our needs and concerns. If traditional politicians and parties cannot convince citizens that they are willing and able to do this, dissatisfaction with democracy will increase" – as will support for its radical alternatives.
As opposed to 50 years ago, governments today have to be more transparent and communications conscious. The increasingly noisy public is demanding it.
Do us all a favor government officials. In your zest to push your own political agendas, be conscious of the need to minimize potential for public opposition agendas and unrest. We, the onlooking public, desperately need a rest. It's driving the more pacific of us crazy!
Agendas. Agendas. Agendas. Everywhere agendas.
NOTE FROM DICK: I have an "agenda" of my own...and I'm not through with this subject yet. Make no bones about it, everyone has an agenda, even God. Sometimes we are conscious of this, mostly we are not. You'll hear more from me in a subsequent post.
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