Democracy, continued

Henry Mayo takes a functional approach to democracy. He suggests that the purpose of democracy is to perform the functions of a political system. He set forth three main functions of a democratic government:

• The maintenance of a free economy: This view of democratic capitalism (also known as liberal democracy) was set forth by Thomas Paine and Adam Smith in 1776. The opposing view is called democratic socialism.


• The preservation of individual rights: Mayo notes that there will be conflicts between freedom from governmental interference and protection of rights.


• Development of a personality similar to an individual in terms of human dignity, self interest, and moral responsibility: Mayo defined eight characteristics of this personality:


1. desire to be self-governing;
2. have a free probing rational attitude;
3. behave as a confident political animal;
4. respect the claims of others on the political system;
5. promote rather than repress opinions and emotions;
6. be willing to compromise;
7. place a high value on peace and order; and
8. be a middle-of-the-roader between the extremes of optimism and pessimism (Mayo 1960, 265).

Concluding Thoughts on Democracy

Democracy is hard to establish and build, but it is easily lost to a totalitarian state in a coup or other takeover that could occur overnight. American democracy has been struggling for over two hundred years and all its goals have not been fulfilled. Emerging democracies, such as Russia, have a long struggle ahead over several generations, to establish a strong democracy. Democracy is inefficient by virtue of the many competing and contradicting voices that must be heard on any given issue. Nevertheless, freedom and liberty are better achieved and protected in a democracy than in any form of totalitarian government. The complex nature of politics and power in the American system is often described as “messy,” a requisite of democracy or, in business terms, the added cost in time and money for doing business in a democracy.