People Can and Should Govern Themselves
The basic idea [of participatory democracy] is simple: people can and should govern themselves. They do not need specially bred or anointed rulers, nor a special caste or class to run their affairs. Everyone has the capacity for autonomy, even quite ordinary people—the uneducated, the poor, housewives, laborers, peasants, the outsiders and castoffs of society. Each is capable not merely of self-control, of privately taking charge of his [sic] own life, but also of self-government, of sharing in the deliberative shaping of common life. Exercising this capacity is prerequisite both to the freedom and full development of each, and to the freedom and justice of the community.
Pitkin and Shumer, quoted in Joe Soss, Unwanted Claims.
i’m writing an essay about who should govern as part of my assignment and my argument is democracy is the best, but I feel as though the ideas put forward in this quote undermine the argument. Society is made up of different people, not only in the careers they undertake but their mind sets, their capabilities. So a self-government would just result in an utterly confused society – hence the reason for an elected leader.
tamedfaddism
April 24, 2013 at 3:59 pm
Well, that’s not what I hoped people would take from this! It’s true that people have different mind sets and capabilities, but that only would lead to confused outcomes if no one changes. Part of the basic idea of democracy, it seems to me, are that people will engage with each other, learn and change as a result. That was certainly part of the idea of the US Constitution. The Founders placed a heavy emphasis on the idea of deliberation. It’s a more modern idea that we should just count up what people already believe – and to my mind, that’s a less defensible understanding of democracy.
David Kaib
April 25, 2013 at 7:23 am
I believe we can govern ourselves. We have plenty of citizens who participate in the military; why not have more American citizens in term-limited government service? Allow people to enlist in every level of government for two years with an option to reenlist for two more. These would be wonderful jobs for our unemployed. Especially if we design an interface that includes continued education. With proper security in place, the internet can facilitate self-government BY THE PEOPLE and allow for greater transparency. Those who serve, could use this educational opportunity to go farther in their current vocation or transition into a preferred one.
Whitney Eskew
January 29, 2015 at 9:04 am