Here’s a question: why is it that whenever people are given the opportunity to discuss in an informed and reasonable manner what should be done about the most serious problems around, they reach agreement about policies to tackle poverty and the widening wealth gaps, pollution and the climate crisis, crimes against vulnerable people, the underfunding of public services, the lack of sustainable economic development, etc., and yet so often the politicians who are opposed to such policies nonetheless win power?
The answer lies with the insidious move of systemic disempowerment – eroding safeguards that are needed to enable people to back the politicians and policies meriting their support in light of the evidence.
Disempowerment tactics are increasingly deployed – from Republican state legislatures in the US to and the Conservative government in the UK, they have included raising barriers to voting by the poor and disadvantaged with the quite unnecessary photo ID requirement; devious redrawing of constituency boundaries; helping the wealthy dominate elections with their campaign donations; issuing partisan edicts on what should and should not be taught in schools about political issues; cutting support for social inclusion; defending the propagation of lies and misinformation; stopping charities from expressing views about public policies; and interfering with the supervision of elections.
Yet even politicians who value democracy are prone to say that there are more urgent issues to deal with than tackling anti-democratic disempowerment. What they forget is that to get the public backing they need to address those very issues, they need democracy to function well. Otherwise, they may not win power, or can only do so with watered-down policies to satisfy a misled public.
Set out below are nine groups of initiatives that should feature prominently in any political programme concerned with strengthening democracy against the ploy of disempowerment.
[1] Invest in Community Development:
Invest in the provision of tried and tested forms of community development, including community organising and community mediation, to help people overcome divisions, experience the benefits of collaboration, and develop a shared sense of common interests.
[2] Root out Discrimination:
Discriminatory activities have been emboldened by the toxic rhetoric of anti-political correctness and anti-woke, and a firm stand against these activities must be taken and clearly explained in terms of fair treatment for all, backed by transparent rules and dependable enforcement.
[3] Clarify Civic Responsibility:
The right to take part in democratic processes has been mired in confusion – with different criteria for eligibility in different cases. In addition to determining what the justifiable exclusionary factors are, citizens should be made aware of their responsibilities in taking part.
[4] Support Learning in Democracy:
All educational bodies should facilitate learning in democracy – both in terms of inculcating open, deliberative learning, and increasing knowledge of public policy issues and the operations of government. Teachers should recognise that impartiality does not entail rejection of the most up-to-date consensus findings.
[5] Reinforce Objective Investigation:
Countering the attempts to undermine scientific expertise, professional assessment, and judicial impartiality, there should be formal support and protection for arrangements that secure objectivity and independent scrutiny in all major processes for determining the acceptability of claims.
[6] Regulate Irresponsible Communication:
Akin to the prohibition against communicating false or misleading information in commercial transactions, expression that can incite criminal behaviour, and sensitive materials that can harm a country’s security, regulatory restraints should be applied to irresponsible communications that affect public behaviour.
[7] Extend Participatory Decision-Making:
In line with subsidiarity and deliberative engagement, more support and opportunities for participatory decision-making should be provided for citizens to be involved in a wider range of public decisions. On-going dialogues should be developed to sustain collaborative relationships.
[8] Curtail Civic Disparity:
The power of the wealthy to help win votes for their favoured outcomes should be reduced by tighter limits being set and enforced, and the electoral marginalisation of the poor by their economic insecurity should be countered by a civic guarantee (of basic income and decent public services) to enable them to participate in democratic activities.
[9] Fortify Public Accountability:
The processes for electing people to public office must be protected from party political interference, and institutions tasked with overseeing their rules and operations must be free from appointments dependent on party political backing. Those in office should be accountable to independent bodies following an election.
Disempowerment works by depriving as many people as possible of the understanding needed to back the appropriate politicians and policies, and reducing the likelihood of the rest in exerting sufficient influence over elections or key decisions. The 9-point plan set out above draws attention to the key initiatives that should be developed to counter its pernicious effects.
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For a detailed exposition of why and how we should respond to the threats against democracy, see Time to Save Democracy.
From now until 31 October 2023, Henry Tam’s democracy-related books will be available at 50% discount when purchased directly from Policy Press using the code TAM50.
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