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: andnot 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.