Evolution Of Liberal Democracy
There are several types of governments around the world – authoritarian, democratic, monarchy, liberalism, communism, socialism, etc. Of these, liberal democracy is one that has most often been associated with Western democracies and is today considered to be the best form of government in the world. According to Sylvia Chan (2002, 39): “Historically, ‘liberal democracy’ as we conceive it today developed from liberalism followed by the democratization of liberal societies”. Liberal democracy has two components – liberalism and democracy. Liberalism is about protection of rights – civil rights and political rights and also about providing equal opportunity for the people. Liberalism is characterized by freedom of thought and speech, limitations on the power of the governments, rule of law, individual’s right to private property and an elected system of government. Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people and here, people have a voice in choosing those who are in public power – endowed with crucial decision making powers. Combining the advantages of liberalism and democracy, a liberal democracy is one that is best suited to the modern world of today where there is a desire for open and fair elections and equal rights by law. In a liberal democracy elected representatives hold decision making powers that are moderated by a constitution and the emphasis is on protecting individual rights and the rights of minorities in society, such as freedom of speech and assembly, religion, right to property, justice, etc. Thesis: Compared to other forms of government, the liberal democracy is the best form of government because of its numerous benefits and its suitability to the new world order.
In a liberal democracy, ultimate power rests with the people who have the undisputed right to set and amend the rules within their country and govern accordingly (Held, 15). Liberal democracy can be best understood by knowledge of its origins. It originated as a result of several factors such as struggles between monarchs and estates over land, peasant rebellions over oppressive taxes, growth of trade and commerce, advances in technology, growing influence of Renaissance culture, struggle between church and state, etc (Held, 35). Moreover, the teachings of Luther and Calvin that created the notion that the individual was the master of his destiny also helped in the development of the liberal democracy (Held, 36). Initially democracy was limited to countries in North America and Western Europe. These countries had free and competitive multiparty elections and also the rule of law and protection of individual liberties. Hence they soon came to be known as liberal democracies (Plattner, 47). Liberalism involves protection of three kinds of rights for the individual – economic, civil and political.
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