tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103178650688621041.post3379050170011720791..comments2023-08-16T09:59:11.179-05:00Comments on The Masses: Towards an Athenian Democracy in AmericaPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12247223131125650841noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103178650688621041.post-57527863012157500282011-04-19T07:05:15.900-05:002011-04-19T07:05:15.900-05:00The question of the "tyranny of the majority&...The question of the "tyranny of the majority" is certainly the toughest issue to resolve in any direct democracy. But can we learn from the checks and balances in the existing republican system we have now? For instance, the filibuster and supermajority in the senate ensure that it takes much more than a simple majority to pass legislation. Something similar could be implemented for certain bills.<br /><br />The biggest struggle I see in this system is the need for an executive branch of some sort. Would that be elected parliamentary style so that, if need be, it could be recalled easily? I don't know how to resolve the question of what an executive branch would look like in this form.<br /><br />As for participation, it is my contention that current levels of discontent stem precisely from the sources I outline above, principally that the current system does not really serve the needs of the people. Representative government stopped representing people as soon as corporations turned into persons.<br /><br />This fantasy of mine is also predicated on an electorate that is interested in determining the direction of the country, beyond what's on TV tonight or who won the NASCAR race on Sunday. It is a transformation that would take a century to accomplish (at least) primarily because it has to grow from the bottom up. The advocates of such as system must establish small victories in cities and towns to prove that it is possible to move beyond representative government.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12247223131125650841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103178650688621041.post-14525681737445227212011-04-18T22:00:37.731-05:002011-04-18T22:00:37.731-05:00Let's ignore the more obvious issue of logisti...Let's ignore the more obvious issue of logistics here, because frankly that's the most uninteresting aspect of this idea.<br /><br />In a true Athenian democracy, rather than a republic like we have now, how does one institute checks and balances to safeguard the rights and interests of the minorities from being over-ruled by the majority?<br />I mean of course, we have this issue even in our present form of government, that not all have truly equal rights or equal opportunity, but there seems, to me anyway, a greater risk of majority rule at the expense of minorities.<br /><br />Of course the obvious problem would be how to ensure accuracy and legitimacy of votes, especially via electronic forum without a paper trail, but assuming that weren't an issue, what would it mean for a society to do it's governance online...?<br /><br />Would it mean giving up the concept of town hall meetings, and the exposure to the humanity behind opposing views that that (should) engender?<br /><br />Would citizens really WANT to be that engaged, if it were made optional without some radical upheaval in the way citizens view government...? Granted, an institutional change in this way I think would have to be seen as so huge that it would require a dramatic restructuring of government ANYWAY... But I still wonder about the level of engagement. If engagement even in a supposedly "true democracy" is only 40%-- is that really better than a representative government?<br /><br />And what would it mean for people if their experience with participating in government were distilled down so dehumanized and surreal an act as clicking the "like" button on Facebook?Arihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00234258178787623615noreply@blogger.com