Six Successful Leaders Who Avoided Majoritarianism
Added on 2019-10-30
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Threat to Democracy 1THREAT TO DEMOCRACYby (Name): Course:Tutor: College: City/State: Date:
Threat to Democracy 2The question: “It is not military coups but democratically elected leaders that pose the greatest threat to democracy today." DiscussIntroductionIn the 20th century, democracy was touted as the best and the most popular political idea ever conceived. The fundamental desire for rules-based democracy has been a great motivation to many people around the world to stand up against corrupt and autocratic regimes. According to Ottaway (2013), democracies in most parts of the world are relatively more developed compared to non-democracies, more peaceful and less corrupt. This is because in most democratic states, citizens have more rights to freely speak their minds and shape their own futures and that of their children’s. This clearly explain why most people admire democracy and are prepared to risk everything to ensure that only democratic institutions prevail. As Hyslop-Margison and Thayer (2009), the will of the people should form the basis of authority of any regime in a democratic system. Military coups were perceived to be the greatest threat to democracy. However, democracy is currently facing a new form of threat, and is slowly dwindling in most parts of the world. According to Kaltwasser (2012), the rise of elected autocrats who arecrushing political freedoms threatens the very principles that defines democracy. Take for instance the former administration of President Viktor Yanukovych who transformed Ukraineinto an autocracy with his kleptomaniac leadership style, but was again re-elected in 2010 (Haran, 2011). According to Zhao (2010), setting up a democratic regime is not as easy as toppling an autocrat. Perhaps the rise of communist China that is relatively tyrannical can be attributedto the ailing global democracy. Yet just a few decades ago, democracy had assumed so much control of the world dominating the very precept of governance. Therefore, this essay analytically explores how democratically elected leaders threatens the existence of
Threat to Democracy 3democracy. Moreover, different case study examples of countries such as Rwanda, Ukraine, Kenya, U.S and Egypt are sparingly provided. Understanding the concept of democracyAccording to John Stuart Mill, democracy emanates from thesociety and is a form of governance that is basically centred on the governed (Hamburger, 2001). Mill further argue that nourishing democracy can be challenging due to the existence of self-serving leaders who are mostly elected by the people. Undeniably, producing a sustainable democracy is increasingly becoming an overwhelming task. According to Ottaway (2013), the global advance of democracy is on serious decline with many republics sliding towards autocracy while maintaining a public perception of democracy through holding elections. For example, in Uganda, elections are used to sustain the country’s global appearance of democracy, however, the people and institutions have suppressed rights (Narayan, Narayanand Smyth, 2011). Undoubtedly, the fragility of democracy is becoming more paramount given the dwindling faith in this system of governance. Critics of democracy gives various reasons why it is losing its forward momentum. Key among the reasons is the rise of democratically elected autocrats who do not subscribe to the principles that governs a functioning democratic system (Medvic, 2013). The rise of China and the influence on democratically elected leadersIn addition, according to Bell (2016), the rise of China is encouraging democratically elected leaders to implement the Chinese model of governance that stresses on tight control toattain economic progress. Critics of democracy point that the Chinese communist model is more efficient and is slowly breaking the monopoly of democracy. Most democratically elected autocrats borrow heavily from the Chinese system, and argue that democracy is institutionalizing gridlocks and trivializing decision-making. According to Zhao (2010), mostdemocratically elected leaders are taking the Chinese model seriously. They are slowly
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