Jason Brennan defines democracy as any kind of political system, where the fundamental political power is spread equally among all members of that polity. Brennan suggests Epistocracy is a position that entails that voters (citizens) should be educated and have at minimum some sort of political knowledge. Concerning Brennan's four epistocratic proposals I will discuss, I will argue that universal suffrage with epistocratic veto is what I consider the least objectionable, while restricted suffrage and plural voting is the one I consider the most objectionable. In this essay, I will be discussing four of Brennan's epistocratic proposals: values-only voting, restricted suffrage and plural voting, the enfranchisement lottery, and universal suffrage …show more content…
Hence, the discussed proposed theory does present an original perspective on addressing some of the democratic challenges. However, this proposed theory does raise questions about fairness, representation, and what exactly ‘competence’ entails. Consequently, this first epistocratic proposal is neither the most nor least objectionable. Brennan's second epistocratic proposal that I will be discussing is ‘Government by stimulated oracle’. Brennan uses Pythia the Oracle as an analogy to propose this argument. The hypothetical concept of ‘Pythia the Oracle’ refers to an oracle who is imagined to be wiser, knowledgeable, and better motivated than any group of people. I will be referring to this entity as Pythia the Oracle, just as Brennan does. Brennan suggests two options for decision making, firstly, we ask Pythia for advice and follow it (Brennan, 2016, p. 221). Secondly, we deliberate or vote amongst ourselves and then act based on the collective decision. The suggested superiority of Pythia’s advice is that even if Pythia is not always right, her advice is more reliable than collective decision making (Brennan, 2016, p. …show more content…
Brennan suggests that the content of this exam could contain questions from the American National Election Studies (ANES), a citizenship exam, or logic and mathematics puzzles. Brennan suggests motivating citizens, governments could offer rewards such as tax credits to citizens who pass the exam and therefore earn the right to vote (Brennan, 2016, p. 212). However, a possible penalty, Brennan suggests, is that citizens who fail the exam might have to pay a penalty to vote. The main idea of plural voting is that citizens can earn more votes by demonstrating a higher level of competence and knowledge (Brennan, 2016, p. 213). Brennan notes that there might be a few criticisms of his proposal. Including, that this suggested system would create fear among people, and would create “philosopher kings” who have too much power (Brennan, 2016, p. 213). However, Brennan provides clarification, saying that, while individuals in modern democracies already have limited power, even in a restricted suffrage system, the typical voter influence remains minimal (Brennan, 2016, p.
In this essay I will argue that British General Elections should be conducted using a system of Proportional Representation. First, I will argue that the system would be more democratic as every vote that is cast would be represented and this ...
“ … we… need an alternative to winner-take-all majoritarianism… with Nikolas’s help… I call [this] the ‘principle of taking turns.’ [It] does better than simple majority rule… it accommodates the values of self-government, fairness, deliberation, compromise, and consensus that lie at the heart of the democratic ideal” (para.
1. Janda, Kenneth. The Challenge of Democracy. Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston, MA. 1999. (Chapter 3 & 4).
Janda, Kenneth. Berry, Jeffrey. Goldman, Jerry (2008). The Challenge of Democracy (9th ed.). Boston; New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Should Canadians turn to compulsory voting for answers? Many democracies throughout the globe, including Australia, Belgium, Greece, and Luxembourg, employ mandatory voting and report an average turnout rate of 90 percent ("Canadian Parliamentary Review - Article"). In light of this, establishing electoral participation as a civic duty seems pretty reasonable. Particularly considering the guaranteed increase in voter participation, it seems like the perfect solution. When examined father in-depth, however, one will discover the issue poses some
The United States of America is often touted as the guiding beacon of democracy for the entirety of the modern world. In spite of this tremendous responsibility the political system of the United States retains some aspects which upon examination appear to be significantly undemocratic. Perhaps the most perplexing and oft misunderstood of these establishments is the process of electing the president and the institution known as the Electoral College. The puzzle of the Electoral College presents the American people with a unique conundrum as the mark of any true democracy is the citizens’ ability to elect their own ruling officials. Unfortunately, the Electoral College system dilutes this essential capacity by introducing an election by
Voting is at the center of every democratic system. In america, it is the system in which a president is elected into office, and people express their opinion. Many people walk into the voting booth with the thought that every vote counts, and that their vote might be the one that matters above all else. But in reality, America’s voting system is old and flawed in many ways. Electoral College is a commonly used term on the topic of elections but few people actually know how it works.
We will try to debunk a few different perspectives that involve the democracy in the United States. There are many “precursors to modern democratic theory” (3) for example; we all know that the ideology of democracy is a rather an old relic. I would actually like to reference an example that Hudson commonly went over in the introduction of the book. Hudson refers to the Greeks and how they had a well-developed system of successful democratic communities, now the reasons why he brings this up is because we as a democratic society have chosen to emulate the Greek democratic system. Much like us until recent times women and slaves were not allowed to vote only affluent men (3). Hudson also believed that everyone had born natural rights and that all people should have the equal opportunity to be involved in democratic affairs whether it be local or national level. Not only did Hudson agree with this theory, but with many other liberal theorists and they all had two main
Janda, Kenneth, Jeffrey M. Berry and Jerry Goldman. The Challenge of Democracy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
Works Cited Hudson, William E. American Democracy in Peril: Eight Challenges to America’s Future – Fourth Edition. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2004. Landy, Marc and Sidney M. Milkis. American Government: Balancing Democracy and Rights.
Dye, T. R., Zeigler, H., & Schubert, L. (2012). The Irony of Democracy (15th ed.).
Many readers similar to Dupuis-Déri criticize and seek to point out the many flaws. Anthony Downs, in "The Public Interest: Its Meaning in Democracy," gives an interesting perspective to democracy, and navigates the intricate landscape of it, delving into its complexities rather than merely its flawed implementations. Downs and Dupuis-Déri differ greatly in their arguments, Downs recognizes the elusive nature of defining democracy and its ideal form. In doing so, he underscores the significance of processes like elections and public debates in facilitating collective decision-making. Moreover, he delves into the ethical underpinnings of pursuing the public interest, grappling with notions of fairness, justice, and equality.
Throughout this paper I plan to compare and contrast the ideas and philosophies of two of the greatest political thinkers of all time. Thucydides and Aristotle have separate opinions of the idea of democracy, originally created by Plato. However, these two have a positive assessment of this idea of majority rule of the people. My paper will provide each of their points of view. At the end I will determine, in my opinion, which of these two philosophers give a better case in favor of a democratic form of government, and give the reasons as to how I came to that conclusion.
In deciphering what constitutes the brilliance of democracy then, we find that it is not citizens’ ability to make informed decisions or an unflawed and subtly manipulated election process, but the unapparent way in which democracy persuades citizens – informed or not - and leaders – corrupt or not – toward working to build better, more prosperous societies.
In Wilderness and the American Mind, Roderick Nash explains the affect wilderness had on people throughout the years. Once viewed as evil and filled with wild, unknown people and creatures, the wilderness caused people live in fear. Over time, through Romanticism, America's divine and distinctive culture and Transcendentalism people became more appreciative of the wilderness as they realized it had far more to offer than danger and sin. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, movements and shifts in culture and beliefs including, Romanticism, the Enlightenment, primitivism and deism, began to transform the Europeans’ view of the wilderness.