The Pros and Cons of Democracy Essay - 1633 Words

Churchill’s claim that â€Å"democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried† is deliberately provocative and intended to challenge the reader’s simplistic ideal that democracy is without faults. There are an estimated 114 democracies in the world today (Wong, Oct 3rd lecture). A figure that has increased rapidly in the last century not necessarily because democracy is the best form of government, but primarily for reason that in practice, under stable social, economic and political conditions, it has the least limitations in comparison to other forms of government. Be it the transparency of a democratic government or the prevalence of majority rule, all subdivisions of democracy benefit and hinder its†¦show more content†¦Additionally, in more precarious democratic governments such as India’s, peoples right to power is still recognized. Ronojoy Sen remarks of India’s 2009 elections that, â€Å"a handfu l of successful professionals and entrepreneurs even ran†(cite). Despite implying that only successful peoples were exercising their liberties, elucidated in this article is the potential of any citizen to attain political power, demonstrating true liberal democracy in its purest form. Communism does not give its people these liberties, the party is the â€Å"agent for creating political development† (Janos, pg. 2) and there is little need for elections as the outcome is pre-determined. In the case of Nazism, while Hitler utilised democracy to attain power, once in control democracy was replaced with autocracy. Prevalent flaws within most modern democracies are evident in their social and economic systems. One such problem, in a system that advocates freedom to do whatever you please, is the consequential wealth disparity (Wong, Oct. 24 lecture, tutorial). Aristotle once said that, â€Å"democracy is the form of government in which†¦ the free are the many and the rich are the few†. This highlights a paradox of democracy in that it attempts to be equal to all, yet often the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer, and an increasing wealth divide will influence governance. Constant writes (pg. 12), â€Å"wealth is a power more readily available at any moment†¦ moreShow MoreRelatedThe Pros And Cons Of Democracy882 Words   |  4 Pages Democracy means rule by the people. In democracy citizens exercise political power and express their opinions on the issues facing them. Politicians come from the ranks of the citizenry and represent the best interests of the citizens they represent. The people are the one’s in control and that means uncertainty is the only thing certain. 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