Chapter 7: Liberal Democracy

Chapter Summary

One of the ways to understand politics is to look at different political ideologies. Political ideologies are the beliefs and practices that guide political actors in real political communities. These ideologies reflect the underlying vision of political actors, and studying the ideals that inspire political leaders often illuminates operational practices.

One of the most important political ideologies of the modern era is liberal democracy. Chapter 7 examines the definition of liberal democracy, its history, and its strengths and weaknesses.

At its most basic level, liberal democracy includes, as its name suggests, two great ideals. First, is the belief in democracy--the idea that the people should rule. However, what this means is open to interpretation. Should people rule directly on matters of public policy, or should they simply select representatives to decide what is to be done? Second, are the important liberal components to some democracies. These include constitutionalism, protection of basic rights--including the right of private property--political and economic competition, and free choice both at the ballot box and in the marketplace. We must note that there is no one single vision of what liberal democracy must mean; rather, it is a pluralistic vision providing for justice as well as order and for the general welfare as well as liberty.

This ideology derives from a number of sources. These include the ancient Greek discussion of politics by such thinkers as Aristotle, who first explored what democracy means. Later Christian thinkers added to our understanding of democracy by demanding that all people must be free to worship God and that all men and women are equal under God. The Romans contributed to this ideology with their discussion of republicanism and popular sovereignty and by their insistence that citizenship could be extended to all who came within the jurisdiction of their empire.

The ideals of liberal democracy were further enhanced by two modern experiments in democracy. First, the American Revolution ushered in the world’s first large modern republic. Despite slavery, the exclusion of women from the public sphere, and modest property qualifications for voting, Americans affirmed their belief in popular rule and the protection of basic rights. And second, in 1789, the French Revolution brought a new concept of democracy to the European continent.

The modern era’s conception of liberal democracy has been significantly influenced by two other important forces. First, nationalism became joined with liberalism to overthrow absolutist governments, and this led to the independence of many subjugated peoples. Second, liberal democracies in Europe and America first developed at the same time that capitalism was forming. There is much debate about the exact relationship between capitalism, liberalism, and democracy. Does capitalism, with its insistence on the free market and private property, further the goals of liberal democracy? Or does it weaken liberal democracy by creating inequalities in wealth?

One thing we do know about liberal democracy is that its character is constantly changing. This is seen most clearly in the United States. In the nineteenth century, liberals were originally committed to a very limited government; however, by the twentieth century many people called “liberals” had shifted to a belief that government intervention in the economy was necessary to protect farmers, workers, and small businesspeople. The changing nature of liberal democracy has led to the development, in the United States, of different groups of political actors. One way of looking at American politics is to divide its participants into liberals, conservatives, populists, and libertarians. Each of these groups share a fundamental belief in the older ideal of liberal democracy--the ideal of people ruling, the belief in human freedom, and the ideal of equality. However, in the face of a complex world they have different priorities and emphasize different aspects of the liberal democratic tradition.

Chapter Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to...

• define liberal democracy.
• discuss the two different aspects of liberal democracy--liberalism and democracy.
• discuss the historical roots of liberal democracy.
• explain liberal democracy’s relationship to nationalism and capitalism.
• discuss the way liberal democracy affects the American political spectrum, which includes liberals, conservatives, populists, and libertarians.

Suggested Readings

The following readings supplement those suggested in chapter 7 of the text.

Barber, Benjamin. Strong Democracy. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.

Brinkley, Alan. Liberalism and Its Discontents. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998.

Dionne, E. J. Why Americans Hate Politics. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.

Fallows, James. Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy. New York: Random House, 1996.

Guinier, Lani. The Miner’s Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000.

Kekes, John. Against Liberalism. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997.

Mandelbaum, Michael. The Ideas that Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy, and Free Markets in the Twenty-First Century. New York: Public Affairs, 2002.

Viroli, Maurizio. For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Annotated Links

The following links will help you explore the themes of chapter 7 on the Web.

Politics 1

The Politics 1 Web site is a comprehensive guide to American politics. It provides a thorough review of American political parties with brief descriptions of each and links to official party Web sites. Politics 1 also offers guides to ideologies (right, left, libertarian, and radical) and to specific political issues. In addition, the site provides news links and federal and state campaign information.

The History Channel

The History Channel is a Web site sponsored by A&E television networks. It is a reference for all significant historical events. Use this extensive site to find out more about the rise of democracy by looking up Pericles, the Reformation, republic, the French Revolution, and the New Deal. Also, take note of the site’s study guides, exhibits, and discussion forums.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)

IDEA is an international organization that promotes and advances sustainable democracy by improving electoral processes worldwide. The IDEA Web site offers information related to democratic themes and concerns, full texts of new publications, and election data. There is also information on the state of democracy in numerous countries as well as an interactive questionnaire that you can use to assess the state of democracy in your own country.

The PBS Democracy Project

The PBS Democracy Project is sponsored by the Public Broadcasting Service. At this site, you can explore local politics and learn how to make informed political decisions. The site also offers an interactive timeline of voting throughout U.S. history as well as a glossary of voting-related terms. The “What do you think?” button leads you to a particularly fun section of the site where you take an entrance poll, read about issues, and then take an exit poll to see if your views have changed.

The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT)

The Center for Democracy and Technology’s mission is to promote democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age. Specifically, the Center fights for expanded rights of expression and privacy. This Web site urges visitors to get involved and offers links to other activist Web sites. The publications section provides numerous news and journal articles concerning issues such as civil liberties, equality, law, and privacy.

The Alliance for Democracy (AfD)

The Alliance for Democracyis a progressive Canadian populist movement that fights to protect democracy, the media, the economy, and culture from domination by large corporations. This site explains AfD’s central campaigns, such as its “clean elections” campaign, and reports latest developments. The central goal of this site is to gain membership and momentum for the grassroots movement.