Unit 5.3 The Will of the People

5.3  Liberal Democracy and The Will of the People Are the values of liberalism viable? Big Ideas: Appreciate various perspectives regarding the viability of the values of liberalism. Appreciate various perspective regarding the promotion of liberalism within political and economic systems. Explore the extent to which governments should reflect the will of the people. Examine the extent to which the practices of political and economic systems reflect the values of liberalism. The Will of the People

Democratic Liberalism and the Political Spectrum Begin your examination of democratic liberalism by looking at the entire political spectrum. Because you will be learning more about democracy, you should now have a closer look at the political spectrum. This spectrum shows how political systems can differ in the amount of power held by the government and by the people. How does the democratic political system fit into the political spectrum? Examine the following political spectrum carefully. The political spectrum is a continuum that allows comparison of governments in various countries. The amount of government control a government exercises on its people determines where a country is on the political spectrum. Liberal democracies occupy the central part (blue section) of the spectrum ranging from democratic socialism to conservatism.

Liberal Democracy

Ancient Greece is credited with beginning democracy. The people of Athens, Greece, used the term demokratia to describe their form of government— demos means "the people" and kratia means "authority". Democracy is a form of liberal government in which representatives are elected by the citizens of a society to make decisions on their behalf. Democracy is a system of government that allows people to choose their leaders in the hopes that those leaders will reflect their interests. These elected representatives give a voice to the people who elected them.

A liberal democracy means that the people have many choices that are not options in non-liberal forms of government. The following are some of the choices available in a liberal democracy:

• People choose who will govern.

• People can replace an unfavourable government.

• People have the opportunity to voice their opinions about government.

When these conditions exist, a government represents the will of the people; that is, the government does what the citizens of a country want to happen. Liberal governments exist only when the will of the people is heard. That will can be heard best when the people choose who will govern at election time.

Read "Recognizing the Will of the People" on page 281 of your textbook, Understandings of Ideologies. This page will further your understanding of the concept of liberal democracy. You should make notes, either on paper or on your computer, about what you have read. You may want to read the tutorial How to Make Notes. When you are finished the tutorial, return here to continue this unit.

Democratic Limits on Government Power

At one time, political rights were the focus of attention, as seen in the American Revolution (1776), French Revolution (1789), and even the Russian Revolution (1917). People were seeking political rights:

• the right to be involved in political decision-making

• the right to be a part of making laws

• the guarantee of individual rights and freedoms in a constitution

At the beginning of the American Revolution in 1776, representatives from the Thirteen Colonies wrote the American Declaration of Independence. It began with, "We the People..." reflecting the will of the people in the Thirteen Colonies to form their own country, the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence went on to state that all men were created equal and that they were given certain inalienable rights (cannot be taken away), such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Later, in 1789 in France, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen pointed out the need to limit government powers by protecting liberty and property, by preventing arrest for no legitimate reason, and by limiting excessive taxation.

Democracies constructed constitutions to guarantee certain rights and protect people from oppressive government. In effect, this means that government in a democracy becomes an agent for the people. As a result, government is by the people.

This means that people have the ultimate power because they choose, remove, or keep politicians in political office. This makes elected politicians answerable to the people who have elected them. If the majority of people do not like what has occurred, they can, at the next election, vote for someone else.

Of course, a majority of the people have to vote for change for this to occur. That is why the act of voting is so important for all eligible persons. Competition for power keeps politics free and open, and it helps to keep a democratic government from becoming a dictatorship.

The Practices of Democracy that Reflect Values of Liberalism

The key values of individualism and liberalism are emphasized in the following diagram along with the practices that reflect individual rights and freedoms: