Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'The Status of Content' and 'The Good State'

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4 ideas

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / a. Nature of democracy
It is essential for democracy that voting is free and well informed [Grayling]
     Full Idea: A necessary condition for democracy to be realised is that the act of voting should be free and informed.
     From: A.C. Grayling (The Good State [2020], p.25)
     A reaction: The requirement that voters should be well informed has become an increasing modern problem, because the media are owned by the wealthy, and false rumours can spread at lightning speed.
Democracies should require a supermajority for major questions [Grayling]
     Full Idea: A threshhold or supermajority bar (such as 60%) is the appropriate way to deal with highly consequential questions.
     From: A.C. Grayling (The Good State [2020], p.23)
     A reaction: This seems to be a very conservative view, because rejection of a major change is a decision in favour of the status quo. Would this rule apply equally to abolishing capital punishment and to reintroducing it?
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / d. Representative democracy
A cap on time of service would restrict party control and career ambitions [Grayling]
     Full Idea: A method by which legislators can be rendered independent of both party control and career ambitions is a cap on the amount of time they can serve as legislators.
     From: A.C. Grayling (The Good State [2020], 4)
     A reaction: The time of service must allow for learning the job, and then using the wisdom of experience. Presumably some career ambitions are needed if we are to have leaders. Not all party discipline is bad; great achievements are hard without it.
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / e. Democratic minorities
Majority decisions are only acceptable if the minority interests are not vital [Grayling]
     Full Idea: A majority being in favour of some course of action is the acceptable means of reaching decisions when no vital interest of a minority is endangered.
     From: A.C. Grayling (The Good State [2020], 1)
     A reaction: This is generally accepted in extreme cases, such as the majority voting to exterminate the minority. The difficulty is to decide what is a 'vital' interest, and to get the majority to care about it.