Developing Democracy: Freedom for All?

Robbie Nakarmi argues that democracy is crucial to the formation of legitimate and internationally engaged governments.

Democratisation takes time, and occasional setbacks are inevitable. Close co-operation with the local population and a long-term commitment in the field are vital, while respect for the cultural and historical contexts of partner countries is necessary for constructive co-operation. Notwithstanding these challenges, democracy is an essential precondition to sustainable human development.

What is democracy?
For the purposes of this discussion, democracy is a system of government exercised by representatives, who are freely and fairly elected by a population with the right to vote and to stand for election. The features of a functioning democracy include the separation of powers, checks and balances, the rule of law, and the protection and promotion of basic human freedoms. The exercise of democracy depends on an educated and organised civil society, and it can only be successful and sustainable if it is made possible at local, regional and national levels.

Why democracy?
In a liberal democracy, participation through the democratic process is fundamental to the functioning of civil society. Important ideals such as social justice, economic competency, political stability and environmental sustainability are best pursued through democratic processes.

Social justice is promoted by democracy. Democracy promotes participation by minorities, and with a population that can participate actively in decision-making processes, tackling inequity or injustices becomes more viable. Reducing poverty and opening up new development opportunities allows citizens to increase their social and political commitment and facilitates further ongoing democratisation.

The democratic process can also encourage economic competence. As democracy promotes competition amongst ideas and actors, it facilitates the development of a market economy and the pursuit of prosperity. Governments that promote development and focus on broad-based growth are more likely to be found in democratic societies. Combining the pursuit of social justice with economic prosperity can likewise consolidate the democratic system.

The same may be said for environmental sustainability. Putting history and past mistakes aside, it is generally the case today that democracy favours the responsible use and sustainable management of natural resources. In a democratic system, decisions about the use of resources are more likely to be made in a transparent manner. The affected population has the opportunity to make its concerns known, which reduces the number of conflicts and strengthens the democratic decision-making process.

Perhaps most importantly, democracy promotes political stability. Democracy offers an effective mechanism for establishing a balance between differing interests and facilitates conflict resolution through discourse and communication. Through this practice, democracies are also more stable in their external foreign relations and are much less likely to go to war against each other. However, the question as to whether a democracy will go to war to instill democracy in an undemocratic country is an altogether different and more uncertain matter.

Democracy’s hurdles
What are the issues that any democratisation process must address? At the outset, it must address the fair redistribution of political rights. The process may also face challenges in the implementation of reform processes economically, as well as within institutional structures. Democracies need to fight corruption while strengthening the democratisation of global governance structures. Crucially, they always need to give effect to the principles of democracy domestically to their people.

Those who enjoy political and economic privileges under authoritarian rule will often oppose the erosion of such privileges. As a result, the democratic process needs to redistribute political rights fairly. Those who are given new rights in the democratisation process must understand the nature of those rights and the responsibilities of fairness and legality that they carry.

For democracy to evolve, democratic procedures and political participation must be institutionalised.

Implementing reform processes, such as the change to free markets, can entail major challenges. These processes can involve substantial conflicts between state and civil society groups, which may threaten to overwhelm a fledgling democracy. These challenges can lead to political fragmentation and shortsighted policies. The strong incentive to adopt informal and non-constitutional procedures to deal with these challenges must be tempered by an adherence to the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the entrenchment of democratic structures, so that democracy can remain an objective in its own right.

Corruption often flourishes in undemocratic societies, but democratic processes can also offer opportunities for corruption. Preparing and holding elections; drafting and enforcing legislation, directives and regulations; and privatisation decisions are all examples of democratic processes in which the semblance of democracy can mask significant corruption. In the long term, however, corruption leads to a loss of legitimacy for the system and, ultimately, to political instability.

A framework for democratisation: civil society, parity and institutions
Democratic and constitutional institutions are needed when a democracy is being formed, as well as regulatory and control structures to increase accountability. The democratic process should also empower non-governmental organisations, unions, and international governance structures such as the United Nations in order to provide alternative bodies of government. In their roles, these bodies complement the state through policy innovation, lobbying legislators and acting as a voice of restraint.

Political apathy has become an issue in many democracies, and the appreciation of the value of democracy has become a challenge for many societies. Awareness of the ongoing importance of democracy is critical for the public support of government policy. This support plays a central role in legitimating democracy and assisting in the democratic development of other nations.

“The democratic process”, said Robert Dahl in Democracy and its Critics, “is the most reliable means for protecting and advancing the interests of all those subject to collective decisions.” Among the fundamental common interests served by the democratic process are freedom (not least the freedom of self-determination), self-development, and the protection and advancement of the less powerful. Under the democratic system, political equality is an essential means to a just distribution of freedom and to the creation of fair opportunities for self-development.

For democracy to evolve, democratic procedures and political participation must be institutionalised. Democracy must develop the capacity to lay the foundations for successful economic and social development, which in turn stabilises the democratic system and promotes a democratic culture.
There are both direct and indirect forms of promoting democracy. The direct promotion of democracy seeks to professionalise the political system while establishing and strengthening democratic institutions. The advice of experts on formulating a democratic constitution, holding elections, and strengthening the national parliament, is vitally important to political progress. The establishment of an independent judiciary, as well as institutions such as ombudsmen, also allow for the adjudication of disputes between the government and its constituents. In doing so, these elements contribute significantly to a successful democracy.

Another direct means of promoting democracy is to strengthen civil society and increase participation in the political process. This can be done by promoting free media, grassroots organisations, and political education at both secondary and tertiary levels, as well as supporting the formation of trade unions and the empowerment of minorities.

The indirect promotion of democracy can be achieved by helping state institutions already in existence to achieve best practice in governance. Examples include: assisting the reform of public administration, increasing the accountability of government officials, tackling corruption, and promoting land reform and poverty elimination projects. These measures promote democracy by improving the state’s capacity to discharge its duties to its people.

Democracy as principle
Promoting democracy is a matter of principle for many nations, many of which pursue it as a goal in its own right. There seems to be little alternative to democracy as a form of government suitable for sustainable human development. Democracy should be encouraged by multilateral co-operation. Democratic obligations and processes should also be undertaken by international organisations, which have increasing influence on the people and governments of developing countries in this age of globalisation.

There is no blueprint for democracy. Differing political and socio-cultural environments make every situation different. The correct approach and the level of success in promoting democracy will vary. Attempts to promote democracy will directly contribute to the democratisation of decision-making, or at the very least will contribute indirectly by helping create an economic, social, and legal environment in which democratic processes can arise.

The Democratic Vision
The vision of the democratic process is a vision of a political system in which all members regard each other as political equals, are collectively sovereign, and possess all of the capacities, resources, and institutions they need to govern themselves. If freedom is sought, then democracy is the best way to promote it. Freedom in the form of individual and collective self-determination is best achieved through democracy, due to the autonomy it nurtures and promotes amongst its citizens.

The democratic process promotes the exercise of self-determination. Although it is by no means a perfect process, it is the route by which humanity can protect and advance its common interests and ideals. If the idea of democracy is justified by these values, then democracy’s presupposition of equality is also justified. For equality, and for self-determination, democracy is the only system with the potential to bring freedom to all.

Robbie Nakarmi is in his second year of Graduate Law.