Towards a More Inclusive Democracy

Roč.10,č.2–3(2008)

Abstrakt
For reasons both historical and psychological, many have come to believe that ‘democracy is based upon a decision taken by the majority’. This basic principle has been subject to considerable abuse, as many politicians have interpreted it to turn what should have been pluralist debates into simple dichotomies: in 1804 France, for example, any sane and sober adult could have been a candidate for the post of Emperor, but the question was only ‘Napoleon, yes or no?’. Some of the other methodologies by which “the will of the people” can be determined are regarded by many social choice scientists as being more accurate, especially those multi-option preferential procedures in which all preferences cast by all voters are taken into account. After a brief historical note, this article offers a critique of majoritarianism before outlining that which could be the three-pronged basis of a more consensual polity, namely: multi-option preference voting in decision-making; multi-candidate preference voting in elections; and, as the basic system of inclusive governance, an elected all-party coalition government.

Klíčová slova:
All-party coalition; Borda count (BC); Condorcet count; Conflict resolution; Consensus; General will; Inclusive democracy; Matrix vote; Modified Borda count (MBC); Participation; Peace process; Power-sharing and proportional representation;
Reference

Aristotle: The Politics, Art IViv1291b14 and Art VIIii1324a13.

Black, D. (1958): The Theory of Committees and Elections, Cambridge University Press.

Dahl, R. A. (2000): On Democracy, Yale University Press.

Deutscher, I. (1982): Stalin,Pelican.

Doyle, W. (1990): The Oxford History of the French Revolution, Oxford UP

Dummett, M. (1984): Voting Procedures, Oxford UP

Dummett, M. (1997): Principles of Electoral Reform, Oxford UP

Eban, A. (1998): Diplomacy for the Next Century , Yale University Press.

Emerson, P. J. (2002): Defining Democracy , The de Borda Institute.

Emerson, P. J. (2007): Designing an All-In clusive Democracy , Springer.

Harris, R. (2006): Imperium, Arrow Books.

Churchill, W. S. (1956): A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Cassell, Book II.

International UNESCO Education Server for Civic, Peace and Human Rights Education:

Lewis, A. W. (1965): Politics in West Africa , George Allen and Unwin.

Lijphart, A. (1994): Electoral Systems and Party Systems, Oxford UP

Lijphart, A. (1999): Patterns of Democracy, Yale University Press.

McLean, I. – Urken, A. B. (1998): Classics of Social Choice, Michigan.

NURC (2003): Participation in Gacaca and National Reconciliation, January 2003.

Paine, T. (1985): Of Constitutions, published in Rights of Man, Penguin.

Problems with the Principle of Majority Rule, available at <http://www.dadalos.org/int/Demokratie/Demokratie/Grundkurs5/mehrheitsprinzip.htm>. [accessed 30 July 2008]

Prunier, G. (2002): The Rwanda Crisis. History of a Genocide, Hurst.

Reid, A. (2002): The Shaman’s Coat. A Native History of Siberia, Phoenix.

Riasanovsky, N. V. (1977): A History of Russia, Oxford UP

US Dept of State: Principles of Democracy. What Is Democracy?, available at <http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/ principles/what.htm>. [accessed 30 July 2008]

Metriky

1010

Views

127

PDF (English) views

243

HTML (English) views