Why Democracies Fail: An Introduction to Liberal and

Illiberal DemocracyAsia Debate Institute, Summer 2014

Brett Frazer

Is Democracy something to be valued? "Suppose the election was declared free and fair, and those elected are

"racists, fascists, and separatists, who are publicly opposed to peace. That is the dilemma.”

-- Richard Holbrooke, commenting on the eve of the 1996 elections in Bosnia

The problem of democracy in debating There is a powerful presupposition that pervades debate. Namely, debaters

often assume that citizens are always empowered through democratization. Democracy is assumed to be “good.”

It’s easy to understand why people would think this way. We understand intuitively that people ought be able to exercise political autonomy. Giving citizens the right to vote seems to satisfy the demands of political autonomy

What happens, however, when democratic institutions erode basic liberties? What happens when “free and fair” elections empower leaders who oppress minorities or violate protections for freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and property?

Secular Liberal Democracy (Sometimes called “Western” Liberal Democracy) What we refer to in debate rounds as “democracy” is actually better

described as “Democratic Constitutional Liberalism”: A political system not only marked by free and fair elections, but also by the rule of law, a separations of powers, and the protection of basic liberties of speech, assembly, religion, and property

“Democracy is flourishing. Constitutional Liberalism is not” – Today, 118/193 countries are democratic. Barely half, however, can be said to be “liberal” democracies. According to the Freedom Index, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, only 25 countries are “full democracies,” meaning only 11% of the world population lives in a liberal democracy

What is Constitutional Liberalism? NOT about the procedures for selecting governments

Refers to the tradition that seeks to protect an individual’s autonomy and dignity against coercion, whatever the source – state, church, or society.

In order to protect rights, constitutional liberalism emphasizes checks on the power of each branch of government, equality under the law, impartial courts and tribunals, and separation of church and state

Why is the separation of church and state important?

What is more important? Constitutional Liberalism or Democracy? Constitutional Liberalism has led to democracy, but democracy does not

seem to bring about Constitutional Liberalism.

How can this be? Constitutional Liberalism is about the limitation of power, whereas democracy is about its accumulation and use. Indeed, many nineteenth century liberals feared democracy would undermine liberty. “Tyranny of the Majority” was a pervasive fear among political philosophers during around the time of the French and American Revolution

How can it be that constitutionalism leads to democracy?

Constitutional Liberalism establishes preconditions for democracy Economic Preconditions: States that have a GPD/person > $4,000 USD/year

tend to succeed. Why?

- An educated middle class - Powerful institutions that exist independent of the state - Economic stability that tames populism

Bureaucratic Preconditions & Separation of Powers: There must be institutions that can enforce the rule of law. Why?

Legal Preconditions: Protections for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, private property

Democracy, Ethnic Conflict, and War Mature liberal democracies can usually accommodate ethnic divisions

without violence or terror and live in peace with other liberal democracies. But without a background in constitutional liberalism, the introduction of democracy in divided societies has actually fomented nationalism, ethnic conflict, and even war.

The spate of elections held immediately after the collapse of communism were won in the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia by nationalist separatists and resulted in the breakup of those countries.

Democracy, Ethnic Conflict, and War (cont.) Elections require that politicians compete for peoples' votes. In societies

without strong traditions of multiethnic groups or assimilation, it is easiest to organize support along racial, ethnic, or religious lines. Once an ethnic group is in power, it tends to exclude other ethnic groups.

Without legal protections for minority groups, it’s easy to galvanize populist support against these minorities.

Illiberal Democracy in the wake of the Arab Spring Egypt: Mohammad Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood)

Tunisia: Ennahda Movement – “fundamentally a conservative Islamist party with a moderate leadership.” Markedly anti-Semitic.

Election of Hamas in the Gaza Strip

How could you use this information to run an OG case on the motion, “THR the Arab Spring.”

Just Because I Like Quotes "...elections, no matter how free and fair, are only the icing on the

democratic cake, not the cake itself; and if the icing comes before the cake is baked, the result is rarely true democracy”

-- Leslie H. Gelb

The American Path What is distinctive about the American system is not how democratic it is

but rather how undemocratic it is, placing as it does multiple constraints on electoral majorities.

Of its three branches of government, one -- arguably paramount -- is headed by nine unelected men and women with life tenure. Its Senate is the most unrepresentative upper house in the world, with the lone exception of the House of Lords, which is powerless.

Runaway Democracy Referendums can cripple governments

California: People want public services but don’t want to pay for them

Direct democracy facilitates and even foments populist policies that satisfy the short-term emotional needs of the electorate.

Liberalizing Foreign Policy A proper appreciation of constitutional liberalism has a variety of

implications for American (or anyone’s) foreign policy

1) Humility – It’s easier to impose elections on a country than it is to push constitutional liberalism on a society.

2) Focus on market liberalization to satisfy the economic preconditions for democracy

3) Economic integration (arguably) leads to greater stability than democratic governance

Practice Let’s write an opposition case for the motion, “THBT the failure to hold free

and fair elections should be considered a Crime against Humanity”