What are some disadvantages to a democracy?

Answer 1

The "tyranny of the majority" is the fear that a democratic government, reflecting the majority view, can take action that oppresses a particular minority. Theoretically, the majority could only be a majority of those who vote and not a majority of the citizens. In those cases, one minority tyrannizes another minority in the name of the majority. It can apply in both direct democracy or representative democracy. Several de facto dictatorships also have compulsory, but not free and fair, voting in order to try to increase the legitimacy of the regime. Possible examples include: * those potentially subject to conscription are a minority. * several European countries have introduced bans on personal religious symbols in public schools. Opponents see this as a violation of rights to freedom of religion. Supporters see it as following from the separation of state and religious activities. * prohibition of pornography is typically determined by what the majority is prepared to accept. * recreational drug use is also typically legalized (or at least tolerated) to the degree that the majority finds acceptable. Users may see themselves as an oppressed minority, victims of unjustifiable criminalisation. * society's treatment of homosexuals is also cited in this context. Homosexual acts were widely criminalised in democracies until several decades ago; in some democracies they still are, reflecting the religious or sexual mores of the majority. * the Athenian democracy and the early United States had slavery. * the majority often taxes the minority who are wealthy at progressively higher rates, with the intention that the wealthy will incur a larger tax burden for social purposes. * in prosperous western democracies, the poor form a minority of the population, and may not have the power to use the state to initiate redistribution when a majority of the electorate opposes such designs. When the poor form a distinct underclass, the majority may use the democratic process to, in effect, withdraw the protection of the state. * An often quoted example of the 'tyranny of the majority' is that Adolf Hitler came to power by legitimate democratic procedures. The Nazi party gained the largest share of votes in the democratic Weimar republic in 1933 . Some might consider this an example of "tyranny of a minority" since he never gained a majority vote, but it is common for a plurality to exercise power in democracies, so the rise of Hitler cannot be considered irrelevant. However, his regime's large-scale human rights violations took place after the democratic system had been abolished. Also, the social democratic Weimar constitution in an "emergency" allowed dictatorial powers and suspension of the essentials of the constitution itself without any vote or election, something not possible in most liberal democracies. Proponents of democracy make a number of defenses concerning 'tyranny of the majority'. One is to argue that the presence of a constitution protecting the rights of all citizens in many democratic countries acts as a safeguard. Generally, changes in these constitutions require the agreement of a supermajority of the elected representatives, or require a judge and jury to agree that evidentiary and procedural standards have been fulfilled by the state, or two different votes by the representatives separated by an election, or, sometimes, a referendum. These requirements are often combined. The separation of powers into legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch also makes it more difficult for a small majority to impose their will. This means a majority can still legitimately coerce a minority (which is still ethically questionable), but such a minority would be very small and, as a practical matter, it is harder to get a larger proportion of the people to agree to such actions. Another argument is that majorities and minorities can take a markedly different shape on different issues. People often agree with the majority view on some issues and agree with a minority view on other issues. One's view may also change. Thus, the members of a majority may limit oppression of a minority since they may well in the future themselves be in a minority. A third common argument is that, despite the risks, majority rule is preferable to other systems, and the tyranny of the majority is in any case an improvement on a tyranny of a minority. All the possible problems mentioned above can also occur in nondemocracies with the added problem that a minority can oppress the majority. Proponents of democracy argue that empirical statistical evidence strongly shows that more democracy leads to less internal violence and mass murder by the government.. This is sometimes formulated as Rummel's Law, which states that the less democratic freedom a people have, the more likely their rulers are to murder them.

Answer 2

1) It gives rise to rigid class structures and since it believes in the power of numbers voices of rational dissent are often stifled and one majority tends to cannibalize the share of other minorities.


2) Some people tend to become over privileged at the expense of others. The social ergonomics are extremes and find parallels only in the jungle law.


3) Presidential systems have a tendencies to turn into despotism or a person centered autocratic rule.

Answer 3

The cons of democracy are, that as a result of well organised Propaganda it is possible to whip up public opinion to support totally false premises. which can then be used by evil people to make huge sums of money at the expense of ignorant elector's, for example weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The yellow peril. and an endless number of exaggerations designed to cleverly deceive. Theoretically it is possible to democratically make the wearing of red shirts a capital offence. they nearly managed to do it in the days of McCarthyism in the United States.

Answer 4

Demerits of Democracy can be described in following points;

1. The assumptions of democracy are too idealistic and different to be realized in practical life.Democracy demands for people a high degree of civic sense which involves intelligence,self control and devotion to a common cause.

2.

Answer 5

We all have different views of how the Government should be run. We do not have the same views, therfore we will vote for different people. The " wrong " person may be voteed in.

Answer 6

There are quite a few disadvantages of a democracy. One disadvantage of a democracy is that you might not get what you want.

Answer 7

The disadvantage of democracy is the fear of "tyranny of the majority". This is when the majority groups keep the minority groups having a fair and equal part of the government.