Tiered Democratic Governance

Chapter 2 - Limitations of Democracy

Chapter 2: Limitations of Democracy

“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Winston Churchill

This rather famous quote holds a paradox of the western democratic model of governance. On one hand, the quote readily admits the system has inherent flaws, yet on the other hand, it suggests that western democracy cannot be changed. And this leads to another paradox: why is it then that we remain content with a system that has so many flaws?

In this chapter, I will be discussing the flaws. In doing so, many readers will assume that I am very critical about western democracy. I should make it clear that I consider myself being very blessed to have been born and raised in Canada in the last half of the 20th century. When I compare the opportunities I have had to the opportunities I could have had if I had been born in other times or places, it's not hard for me to imagine that I would not have acquired the education, experience, time, resources, or outlook to write a book such as this. In essence, my abilities are due, in a large part, to western democracy being able to unlock my human potential.

The reader could also conclude that I am against “politicians” in general. On the contrary; I feel that many of these people have a difficult and thankless job to do and are not paid enough for the sacrifices they make to serve in public office. Politicians—and the volunteers that work for the political parties—are an important part of the democratic process. Without elected politicians as our decision-makers, I believe the alternative of living in a dictatorship or anarchy would not have been conducive to writing a book like this. I also believe that many of our current politicians, with their high commitment of public service, will still find their way into the replacement system of governance that I will be suggesting in the next chapter.

To begin discussion, this chapter lists many of the limitations of democracy. Many readers will find nothing new here for the limitations are easily understood. But perhaps it's a first for many readers to see all these limitations in one place.

Limitation #1

Political Parties Create a Very Exclusive Club

By law, anyone in the western world can belong to a political party of his or her choosing. In theory, any party member can eventually become an elected politician. In practical terms, the opportunity is limited: numerous informal hoops, barriers, and inconveniences prevent many people from participating.

Political parties are not bastions of like-minded individuals striving for a common goal. Within these organizations, there is often jealousy, pettiness, gossiping, backbiting, power struggles, subversion, opportunism, jostling for position, and ambition. To succeed in the political party arena, an individual has to immerse him- or herself in this atmosphere. For many people wanting to offer their time to make the world a better place, the atmosphere in a political party is a significant barrier to participation.

Another barrier is the moral compromises required for most political careers. Morality and principles are often sacrificed to gain the primary objectives of portraying party unity and winning elections. More is discussed about this later, but for many people, these compromises are simply too much to take, and they stay away from the political process.

The balance between risk and reward in political life is unacceptable for many people. Being seriously involved in politics is a time-consuming activity, usually at the expense of family, career, and recreation. Despite the vast amount of effort an aspiring politician must give, the failure rate is high. Surviving the party politics, winning the internal party election, and finally winning the general election usually mean that only about one of the ten or so people who run for public office actually gains the privilege of governance—and many of these winners only survive one term in office without affecting the world too much. The other nine who made the attempt get absolutely nothing—after making a serious life investment! For many citizens, the likelihood of not being successful in the political arena is high enough to keep them out of the process.