Representative Government vs. Direct Democracy in Modern Society
Representative Government vs. Direct Democracy
The contrast between modern and older democracies is not only based on irreconcilable differences in size, complexity, and extent of modern societies, but also in its undesirability. As the goal of modern states is the joint institutional design of a popular government that allows control of power and safeguards individual rights in large territories, liberal suspicion to the extent of participation is the threat to political stability posed by factions, especially those of a majority. The inevitability of factionalism claims at least some control of their effects. The solution is given by representative government, which reduces the risks of pure democracy by introducing the filter of a body of representatives who are most responsible for articulating popular demands considering the true interests of the country. Those who are elected and accountable are less likely to abuse their power or pursue their interests in it.
The Elitist Conception of Representation
This conception of representation shapes an elitist government because the elected leaders, rather than representing the citizens, are those who, for special virtues and qualities, can make the right decisions: it is a virtual representation, as Wood said. In the egalitarian American society, however, this concept will soon be passed, giving rise to the conception, and since then predominant, of representation and lobbying, for which no special skills are required.
Benjamin Constant and the Redefinition of Freedom
For his part, Benjamin Constant approaches to assess the impact that liberal approaches will have on a French Revolution that takes as a myth or ideal direct democracy or pure democracy, with great echo in the popular imagination of the values of citizen participation, the defense of the republic, patriotism, or virtue. That the alleged Jacobin democracy was to be considered the embodiment of the old model in the modern world did nothing but hurt their cause because its failure is taken as confirmation of the undesirability of radical democracy.
Freedom in Modern Societies
In redefining the conceptual revolution that continues to swirl, Constant raises a new argument, stating that in modern societies the fundamental value is freedom, which has a different meaning than that given by the ancients. The important thing now is…
Representative Government vs. Direct Democracy
The contrast between modern and older democracies is not only based on irreconcilable differences in size, complexity, and extent of modern societies, but also in its undesirability. As the goal of modern states is the joint institutional design of a popular government that allows control of power and safeguards individual rights in large territories, liberal suspicion to the extent of participation is the threat to political stability posed by factions, especially those of a majority. The inevitability of factionalism claims at least some control of their effects. The solution is given by representative government, which reduces the risks of pure democracy by introducing the filter of a body of representatives who are most responsible for articulating popular demands considering the true interests of the country. Those who are elected and accountable are less likely to abuse their power or pursue their interests in it.
The Elitist Conception of Representation
This conception of representation shapes an elitist government because the elected leaders, rather than representing the citizens, are those who, for special virtues and qualities, can make the right decisions: it is a virtual representation, as Wood said. In the egalitarian American society, however, this concept will soon be passed, giving rise to the conception, and since then predominant, of representation and lobbying, for which no special skills are required.
Benjamin Constant and the Redefinition of Freedom
For his part, Benjamin Constant approaches to assess the impact that liberal approaches will have on a French Revolution that takes as a myth or ideal direct democracy or pure democracy, with great echo in the popular imagination of the values of citizen participation, the defense of the republic, patriotism, or virtue. That the alleged Jacobin democracy was to be considered the embodiment of the old model in the modern world did nothing but hurt their cause because its failure is taken as confirmation of the undesirability of radical democracy.
Freedom in Modern Societies
In redefining the conceptual revolution that continues to swirl, Constant raises a new argument, stating that in modern societies the fundamental value is freedom, which has a different meaning than that given by the ancients. The important thing now is…