A Case for Down-to-Earth Governance

Context:  Since independence, strong local governance remains the un?nished agenda to make India’s democracy strong and deep. 

Issues with the electoral democracies:

• Dominance of money power: The race to raise more money for legitimate electioneering purposes can corrupt the process of funding parties and elections.

• Money is required to win elections legitimately, even when people are not bribed to vote, which is illegitimate.
• Communications with citizens, essential for democracy, can be very expensive, e.g. increased expenditure in social media.
• No Easy Solutions: To put one’s money where one’s mouth is, is a fundamental right that cannot be denied as the Supreme Court of the United States ruled.

• Issues with both the Parliamentary and Presidential system: While the debate continues about which is a better system, both have their inherent flaws:

• For. E.g. U.S. with the presidential system cannot implement reforms to its flawed health-care system because of party divisions within its democratically-elected Congress and Senate 
• While the parliamentary system is known for its better representation hardly inspire citizens’ confidence in their representatives’ as seen in India.

• Issues with the conduct of deliberations: are inherent problems due to the design of the process for electing representatives.

• Representatives favour local issues since their re-election is based on their promises made to the local constituency, which neglects the national concern.
• Constituency favouring leads to challenges for equitable solutions for sharing of river waters, and to railway stations where there are very few people.
• Electing good (educated) representative doesn’t ensure good decision making

• Quote: “Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob.” – James Madison in The Federalist. 

• Issues with the parties:

• Multiple and Contradictory views:

• When there are too many parties and too many contradictory points of view to be accommodated within a coalition, governance can break down. 

• Lack of Inner democracy:

• Parties become reviled as the means for self-aggrandising politicians to amass power and wealth, and democratic nations suffer.

• Direct Democracy, not a solution: Failure of representative democracy has resulted in attractiveness of direct democracy where every decision can be put directly to the citizens.

• But, if all voters have not understood what is at stake, they cannot decide well, -  

• For, E.g. even after direct democracy in California, the decision making remains complex.
• Failure of Brexit referendum and complexities involved.

Way Forward: 

• Resolution by reason:

• Complex issues, where many interests collide, must be resolved by reason, not settled by the numbers 

• Push for good local governance:

•  For, E.g. Locals know best how to balance the preservation of their water sources while making it easier for local enterprises to do business.
• To make their local schools and health facilities accessible to all citizens. 

• One-size solutions cannot fit all: 

• Local systems solutions are thus essential to solve global systemic problems of environmental sustainability and inclusive growth.

• Electoral and Party reforms: Electoral funding must be cleaned up, and democracy within political parties shall be improved

• Citizens as the source of the solution: and not as only the source of problems for governments and experts to solve for them.

• • For, E.g. Citizens must learn to listen to each other’s perspectives in their villages and in their urban neighbourhoods.