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10. Not Quite Right, But Still Good

Study

Chapter Summary

While most people would argue that democracy is an ideal to which all nations should aspire, in reality, democracy also has its problems. As the 2000 presidential election in the United States demonstrates, even in long-established democracies, there have been problems with figuring out which candidate has actually won. In fact, in any election where there are more than two candidates, the way votes are tallied will affect the outcome. Thus, every democratic system is flawed. When most people refer to democracy, they generally mean that there should be elections, however democracy actually means rule by the people. Giving all people the opportunity to rule can create problems because the majority can overrun the minority. Thus, people have come to expect that democratic countries will protect minority rights. While some democracies make use of the direct democracy mechanisms of referenda and initiatives, most democratic countries are republics. Yet republics also have problems; the type of elections that a nation employs will affect which candidate is elected. For example, winner-take-all systems are likely to produce moderate candidates in a two-party system. Students should learn two very important lessons from this chapter. No nation can claim to perfectly represent its people; all systems, even democratic ones, are inherently flawed. Second, if you ever thought someone was "a vernacular term to denote the back end of a horse" and wanted to mobilize the electorate to do something about it, the State of Washington just might be the place for you.

Study Questions and Exercises

• Imagine that it is possible to have "electronic democracy"-that it is possible to have everyone vote via computer each night on the most important issues in the news. Further imagine that we have managed to get rid of any security concerns with electronic voting. Would you want this type of democracy? Why or why not?
• What is the connection between the type of electoral system a country has and the number of parties it has?
• Explain Arrow's Theorem and how it is possible that different electoral systems can reach different results.
• In most modern democracies, a sizable proportion of the people who are eligible to vote do not actually turn out on election day. How might variance in voter turnout among different parts of the population affect the predictions of democratic theory? Can you think of any other pesky real-world factors that might affect the predictions of the idealized theories of democracy discussed in this chapter?
• What four factors are critical to the effectiveness and the remarkable endurance of the U.S. political system?
• Do you believe that the use of referenda and initiatives is a good idea? Why or why not? If you were going to propose an initiative or a referendum, what would it be?
• Which state does Al Franken represent?