What Extent Do Liberals Support Democracy - 712 Words

To what extent do liberals support democracy (45 marks) Democracy is the ultimate political form of ideological liberalism. It refers to the ideal form of state, and is common to both classical and modern liberals. In the 19th century, liberals often saw democracy as threatening or dangerous. Political theorists such as Plato and Aristotle viewed democracy as being a system of rule at the expense of wisdom and property. The principle that the will of the majority should prevail over the minority may have negative effects. In Northern Ireland, a very divided religious country, if the 51% get their way, the other 49% will be in outrage. Democracy thus comes down to the rule of the 51%, as French politician Alexis De Tocqueville†¦show more content†¦Therefor although citizens may vote for a leader, they will then make decisions based on a small number of peoples view for the majority of the people. The minority ruling the majority. However a reason why liberals support democracy is that it shows each individual is equal- one vote per person, gives everyone equal influence on how countries governed. Since voting is done individually, it constraints the collective pressures of groups within society. To conclude, liberals are now staunch advocates of democracy as it provides personal development, consent and all individuals are equal. Modern liberals embrace democracy, but only in the specific liberal form. They reject other forms of democracy, which may be less pluralist or more participatory, as downrightShow MoreRelated The Rise of Universal Liberal Values? Essay1125 Words   |  5 PagesThe Rise of Universal Liberal Values? Democracy is one thing, and constitutional liberalism quite another. In the inexorable march of modernity, Fareed Zakaria argues in The Rise of Illiberal Democracy, the message of constitutional liberalism has gotten lost in the clamor for democracy. 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