The Split In Liberal Democracy
The Liberal tradition of democracy is split into two different theories. Each theory is based, as are most political theories, on a set of assumptions. In the Liberal tradition the assumptions made by each group are often based on what they believe is important in the Liberal tradition. Because there are two important dimensions in the Liberal tradition and people base their assumptions and theories on these two dimensions, there developed two basic theories in the Liberal tradition. They are the "Thick" and "Thin" theories of democracy. The "Thick" theory of democracy is rooted in the conservative dimension of democracy. The conservative dimension of democracy is the side that is concerned with the citizen and his role in preserving democracy as a society. Authors like Alexis De Tocqueville, Karl Marx, and John Dewey believe in the citizen's ability to participate effectively in government based on the assumption that all men are naturally equal. The "Thin" theory of democracy stands on the other side of the Liberal tradition. This side of the Liberal tradition embraces the capitalist dimension of democracy. Joseph A. Schumpeter and William G. Sumner are two thinkers who see democracy as a method based on assumption
s made about natural markets. They believe that society works economically and that everything should be done that is possible to maintain a free economic system. Sumner is a social Darwinist, so he believes all mean are not created equally, but in fact people are unequal especially socially. Sumner writes, "Certain ills belong to the hardships of human life. They are natural. They are part of the struggle with Nature for existence"(p 17). It is fundamental to him that people are not created equally, and when society tries to make everyone equal like in the "Thick" theory things go really wrong, "We Shall find that all the schemes for producing equality and obliterating the organization of society produce a new definition based on the worst possible distinction - the right to claim and the duty to give one man's effort for another man's satisfaction" (p 15). The "Thin" theory isn't concerned with preserving or giving man equality. What they are concerned with is mans liberty. Sumner, G, William. What Social Classes Owe to Each Other. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, LTD, 1978. Another important idea to look at in each theory is where the individual stands in terms of government. The "Thin" and "Thick" theories are very different when it comes to this subject. I think that the "Thick" theory of Liberal democracy is stronger for several reasons. First, it is a model that accounts for the fact that society is changing. Second, I think that the "Thick" model gives more rights to the individual. Finally I think the "Thick" model gives the individual a larger role in government and this is because the theory assumes that the
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Approximate Word count = 1120
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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