Democracy is, indeed, the best form of government, but it is also die most difficult. In the past, democratic system of government was established in many countries. But it ended in failure in several of them and replaced by dictatorship of one form or another, as for instance, in Nazi Germany or in dc Gaulle’s France, Nasser’s Egypt and other countries. It needs certain conditions and prerequisites to make democracy a success. Mil! and other writers have discussed these conditions and requisites.
In his book, Representative Government, Mill has laid down these conditions for the success of democracy: firstly, democracy cannot function where people are too unruly; secondly when people are too passive; thirdly, where sectional and parochial interests are stronger than national interests; fourthly, where selfish interests are preponderant, fifthly, where the controlling body is ignorant and incapable; and lastly, where the desire to govern others is stronger than the desire for personal liberty.
We may summarize here the essential conditions or prerequisites for the success of democracy as follows:
Democracy and enlightened citizenship go together. The citizens of a democracy must be good, alert and enlightened or educated. They must be able to understand and take intelligent interest in public affairs. They must be ready to fight for their rights and resist any encroachment on their liberty. At the same lime they must also perform their duties honestly. They must subordinate their selfish interests to national or collective interests. They must be co-operative, public-spirited and patriotic.
Character and ability
Closely allied to good citizenship is the character and ability of the common citizens. It is the character, habits and attitudes of the common man that make democracy a success or a failure. He must be intelligently and rationally interested in public affairs and must understand them. He must not be swayed by emotions. On the other hand, his opinion should be based on sound practical judgment, tolerance and unselfish devotion to public good. He should actively participate in the affairs of the government of his country. A democratic government is government by criticism. Hence every citizen must be ready to protest and criticise against the injustice and tyranny of the government, for democracy lives when the people are articulate; it dies when they are dumb and mute. Moreover, the people should be ready to fulfil their functions in minor spheres of life with enthusiasm, honesty and skill. Every man should be keenly interested in the welfare and happiness of his fellow-men and ready to help overcome their difficulties. In other words, civic sense is a necessary condition for the success of democracy.
It has been justly said that, like liberty, the price of democracy is eternal vigilance. A democratic society makes heavy demands on its citizens. The people should be alert, vigilant and active in order to preserve their democratic institutions, and enjoy their rights and liberty. “A citizen of democracy is not merely to obey; he has also to see if his obedience is rational. He should, therefore, possess such virtues as wisdom, intellect, vigilance, common sense and honesty.
While considering the “Hindrances to Good Citizenship”, Lord Bryce has rightly remarked that indolence and indifference on the part of the citizens are the two enemies of democracy. When the people are indifferent, inactive and indolent in public matters, crafty politicians, clever demagogues, rich plutocrats and such other enterprising persons capture political power and abuse it for their selfish onds. As Montesquieu said, “The tyranny of a prince would hardly bring a Sliitc to ruin quicker than would indifference to the common welfare in a public”. Democracy exists only when the people have a will to act. The rulers become masters when the people are passive, but they are their ncrvants when the people are active.
Tolcrance and Responsibility
Along with vigilance and intelligence, democracy needs a spirit of tolerance and a sense of responsibility among all its citizens. Tolerance and the spirit of give and take are essential for democracy. Democracy is necessarily a rule of the majority. But if the minority party or parties are Irreconcilably opposed to the laws and policy lay down by the ruling majority, democracy would fail to work; hence the need for tolerance or a ipirit of give and take. It relies on the methods of peaceful persuasion. It presumes an agreement on fundamentals acceptable to all citizens, whether they belong to the majority or minority parties. They may agree to disagree bill not to disunite. Democracy is, in daily practice, the acceptance by the minority of the majority rule, ft Education.
Education is indeed the first requisite for the success of dimocracy. Education is necessary to make common citizens good, intelligent, honest, active, responsible, public-spirited, tolerant, and vigilant ttf their rights und duties.
Organisation and Leadership
Democracy requires organisation and leadership. Indeed, the problem of organisation and leadership is more urgent for democracy than for other forms of government; firstly, because modern democracies are vast and complex societies, and, secondly, because democracy is inherently a government by and for common men and women. Democracy, says Prof. Lindsay, is participation; it means ‘doing things in common with others, and taking your share of the responsibilities involved. The democratic problem, he concludes, is the control of the organisation of power by the common man.
Ordinarily, common citizens are neither adequately educated nor sufficiently interested in public affairs and problems. They have also not enough time or leisure to devote themselves to public matters. Hence the need is to inform and educate them, to arouse their interest and to organise them for public action. This important task is performed by political leadership. In order to fulfil this task, the leaders must themselves be honest, intelligent and public-spirited. They must be men of initiative, imagination and courage who can see and foresee the needs of the people and problems of their country. Moreover, they must dwell among the people in order to understand their needs and difficulties. They must also be self- reliant, honest and responsible persons.
Democracy requires that the citizens have fundamental rights and enjoy them. Civil liberties or rights should be guaranteed and protected by the constitution of the country. The minorities should be protected in the enjoyment of their rights of culture, religion and language so that they may not be discontented.
Democracy flourishes well where the frontiers of the State coincide with those of nationhood and where the nation enjoys the rights of self-government. Democracy is partnership in the common goals and ideals of life, which require fellowship or what Giddings called “consciousness of kind.” Nationhood creates the feelings of community. Hence Mill declared that a democratic State should be a national State.
Let us now consider the ideals and aims for which democracy stands. Historically speaking, they have varied from time to time. At first, democracy stood for the rights and liberty of the individual against the arbitrary power and authority of the absolute kings of the early modern age in Western Europe, from 16th to 19th centuries. Government, it was said, must be based on the free consent and will of the governed. It was the age of the natural rights and social contract. The French Revolution proclaimed the ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity and also of the sovereignty of the
people. The English utilitarians added the principles of the greatest good of Ihc greatest number and of human happiness. The Idealist philosophers declared that the supreme purpose of democracy is the moral perfection and development of human personality. In recent times, the socialists and communists believe that democracy stands for the happiness and well-being <>l Ihe masses. We enumerate democratic ideals as follows:
Liberty and Equality: Rights of the Individual
The essence of democracy consists in providing the same kind of iOndilions of life and happiness for all men and women equally. It upholds nnl equality of things or possessions but equality of opportunity or rights, Ihttl is, the equality of civil and political rights and privileges. Historically, democracy began as a protest and a revolt against the class prejudices and flvileges of the feudal society. Democracy abhors privileged classes. Politically, it upholds equality by qualifying every adult citizen as a voter as pressed in the old adage, “one man one vote. Socially, democracy advocates social equality, without snobbery and without sharp class differences. Democracy is simplicity.
By Mazhar Ali